Freddy Deeb Wins the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship ($2,276,832)
Posted: Thu, Jun 28, 07, 10:13 PM
Heads Up
Freddy Deeb: $10,800,000
Bruno Fitoussi: $4,070,000
Seven-Card Stud
The start of the heads-up match coincided with the beginning of the seven-card stud level.
Big Uncalled River Pot for Deeb
Freddy Deeb led out on every single street to pump the pot to over $2.5 million. Fitoussi called Deeb down all the way to the river. The jacks that Deeb had exposed must have spooked Fitoussi, because he folded his hand and Deeb took an Everest-like chip lead.Fitoussi wasn’t necessarily crippled at this point, but he had a lot of work ahead of him.
Eight-or-Better
The game then switched to seven-card stud eight-or-better. Deeb now had a 6-to-1 chip lead.
Big Uncalled River Pot - Part II
Freddy Deeb once again poured on the aggression on every single street and Bruno Fitoussi called him down to the river. Fitoussi then folded on the river, and although it was the correct move, if left him crippled.
Freddy Deeb Wins the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship ($2,276,832)
On the very next hand, Fitoussi was all in for his final $140,000 on third street. Deeb called and the race was on. In the end Fitoussi was dealt 10 3 2 J A 8 9 and Deeb was dealt A 7 4 5 5 9 8. Deeb won the second $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship, the gold bracelet, and $2,276,832 in prize money. Fitoussi took home $1,278,720 in second-place prize money.
The game was now razz and the limits had increased to the gargantuan levels of $250,000-$500,000 by this point.
Tired?
“You guys tired yet? I feel like I just woke up,” said Freddy Deeb as the hour approached 4 a.m.
Training Wheels
Freddy Deeb and Bruno Fitoussi got involved in a large pot and Deeb turned over the wheel after a $500,000 bet on the river. Fitoussi mucked his hand and Deeb jumped into the chip lead once again. Ever have déjà vu?
John Hanson Eliminated in Third Place ($852,480)
Freddy Deeb raised to $1 million on sixth street and John Hanson made the call. This pot committed him for all his chips and he made the all-in call when Deeb raised again on the river. Deeb showed a 6-5 low to take down the pot and eliminate Hanson, who held a 8-7 low. Hanson was eliminated in third place and he took home $852,480 in prize money. The players then went on a short break before the start of the heads-up match.
The players returned from the break and the game was back on hold’em.
Leader Board
Bruno Fitoussi: $6,400,000
Freddy Deeb: $4,630,000
John Hanson: $3,840,000
Jacked
Bruno Fitoussi turned over pocket jacks on a board of J 10 6 2 9. John Hanson could only muster 10-9 for two pair and Fitoussi scored a nice pot.
Late Night Guest
Phil Hellmuth then showed up to watch the final table action. He was announced to the crowd, which was noticeably smaller at this point of the night, and shared an embrace with Fitoussi.
Hanson Revival Tour
On a board of 9 7 2 K John Hanson bet $400,000 and Bruno Fitoussi called after thinking for a moment. The river brought the 10 and Fitoussi checked. Hanson bet $400,000 again and Fitoussi called. Hanson flipped up K-Q and Fitoussi mucked.
Afraid of the Dark
On a board of 10 7 4 10 Bruno Fitoussi bet $400,000 and Freddy Deeb called. Deeb then checked in the dark. “I’m afraid to see the next card,” said Deeb. Fitoussi bet another $400,000 after the 10 was peeled off the deck and Deeb made the call. Fitoussi showed two ladies in the hole and Deeb mucked.
Omaha Split
The game was now Omaha eight-or-better.
Never Mind
On a board of 5 3 2 8 Q Freddy Deeb checked, Bruno Fitoussi bet $400,000, and John Hanson called. Deeb then raised to $800,000, and Fitoussi reraised to $1.2 million. Hanson abandoned ship, and Deeb reraised again to $1.6 million. Fitoussi then capped the pot with a reraise to $2 million and Deeb called. After all of that, both players turned up A-4 for a wheel. Chop it up.
Hanson Doubled Up…Again
John Hanson moved all in for $340,000 with J 8 4 7 on the board. Freddy Deeb made the call and flipped over Q Q 7 3. Hanson turned up K 9 7 6. The river brought the 10 and once again Hanson sucked out to a straight to survive. This mobilized his cheering section in support of the victory. Nick Schulman had now joined the family and friends of Hanson to support him.
Freddy Deeb picked up another pot off of John Hanson and his stack continued to increase its depth.
Ready for the Long Haul
“Are you ready for the night,” asked Bruno Fitoussi with a bright smile on his face. Tournament director Sam Minutello made an inaudible response then Fitoussi continued to joke with him. “So boring,” he said at one point.
Deeb Levels the Playing Field
Freddy Deeb effectively leveled the playing field when he made a $360,000 bet with approximately $2.5 million sitting in the middle of the table. Bruno Fitoussi then went into the tank. He stood up, stretched, put his hands on his hips and shifted back and forth in a flabbergasted display. He eventually called and turned over aces and queens. Deeb turned over three threes and took the largest pot of the night. He also picked up the next pot to take the chip lead.
Game Change – Dealer Change
A new dealer then came to the table and he would be dealing a new game, seven-card stud eight-or-better.
A Late-Night Meeting of the Minds
Isabelle Mercier re-surfaced in the audience and Bruno Fitoussi went over to speak with her in between hands for a period of time.
Hanson Doubled Up
Freddy Deeb bet $360,000 and John Hanson raised to $720,000. Deeb reraised to $1.08 million and Hanson called on fifth street. On sixth street Hanson bet $360,000 and Deeb raised $200,000 more, which was enough to put Hanson all in. Hanson made the all-in call and turned up tens and eights. Deeb flipped over kings and sevens and he had Hanson dead to rights. Hanson sucked out on the river though, and made a queen-high straight to double up.
The Omaha level is playing in a very round-about way. Bruno Fitoussi takes a pot off John Hanson, and then Hanson returns the favor. Freddy Deeb takes a pot off of Fitoussi, and then Fitoussi returns the favor. Hanson takes a pot off Deeb, and then Deeb returns the favor. And repeat.
Moving Day
Hanson keeps asking to move the seats around. To which, Freddy Deeb said, “I finally have a lucky seat; I’m not going to move now.”
The Deeb Scoop Special
Freddy Deeb just scooped a pot with a 6-5 low and a ten-high flush. He took down a large pot from Bruno Fitoussi, who, despite his large stack has been unable to shut the door on his competitors' meager chip stacks.
Break Time
The players then went on a 15 minute break.
Razz
The players switched to razz when they returned from the break.
Leveling Effect
As the levels came one after another into the night, the chip stacks of the three remaining players drew closer to one another:
Bruno Fitoussi: $6,605,000
John Hanson: $5,155,000
Freddy Deeb: $3,110,000
Un-Leveling Effect
Bruno Fitoussi and Freddy Deeb then got involved in a monster pot. They each had over $1 million invested in their hands on the river. That was when Fitoussi showed a 9-7 low to narrowly defeat the 9-8 low that Deeb possessed.
Deeb Grabs a Monster
A few hands later Freddy Deeb made amends for his prior misfortune and grabbed $900,000 from John Hanson with a 10-7 low. The chips were really flying during the final minutes of razz action.
Amnon Filippi Eliminated in Fourth Place ($586,080)
The third try was not the charm for Amnon Filippi when he moved all in for the third time after the dinner break. Bruno Fitoussi called him down and Filippi flipped over queens and sixes on sixth street. Fitoussi showed a nine-high spade flush. Filippi would need to catch a spade, a queen, or a six to survive. None of the above fell on the river and Filippi hit the rail in fourth place. He walked away with $586,080 in prize money and the entourage of poker professionals sweating him filed out of the final table area.
The Final Trio
Bruno Fitoussi: $10,280,000
Freddy Deeb: $2,270,000
John Hanson: $2,250,000
Big Fish
Bruno Fitoussi took yet another large pot off of John Hanson and Freddy Deeb said, “You’re the biggest fish I’ve seen in my life, and the luckiest, but it’s OK, because you’re a nice guy.”
Break Time
The players then went on a 15 minute break.
Hold’em Returns
The final three players were now playing hold’em once again, and Fitoussi continued to build his fortress.
Amnon Filippi Eliminated in Fourth Place ($586,080)
Posted: Thu, Jun 28, 07, 3:12 PM
The third try was not the charm for Amnon Filippi when he moved all in for the third time after the dinner break. Bruno Fitoussi called him down and Filippi flipped over queens and sixes on sixth street. Fitoussi showed a nine-high spade flush. Filippi would need to catch a spade, a queen, or a six to survive. None of the above fell on the river and Filippi hit the rail in fourth place. He walked away with $586,080 in prize money, and the entourage of poker professionals sweating him filed out of the final table area.
As suspected, Kenny Tran was all in on the first hand after the dinner break and he was eliminated by Amnon Filippi. Tran finished in fifth place and he took home $444,000 in prize money. He will put that prize money to good use, and he will donate 10 percent of it to his extended family in Vietnam.
Amnon Doubles Up
With the blinds, limits, and antes reaching astronomical proportions, Amnon Filippi was all in now and Freddy Deeb had him covered. Filippi doubled up when he made a 6-4 low.
Seven-Card Stud
After Filippi doubled up the game switched over to seven-card stud.
Fitoussi Rising
Bruno Fitoussi had been building a fortress over the last hour. He now had almost $7 million, which is more than twice his closest competitor.
Stud Eight-or-Better
The game then switched to seven-card stud eight-or-better.
Amnon Doubles Up Again
Amnon Filippi was once again all in, and this time John Hanson had him covered. Luckily for Filippi, he made an 8-6 low, and an ace-high to scoop both the high and the low pots. He survived, and J.C. Tran, Steve Sung, Kirk Morrison, Paul Darden, and company cheered in approval.
The game was now hold’em once again and the players took their seats after the break.
Fire it Up
Kenny Tran was fired up when he took down a pot with an A-J high over his opponent’s J-9 high. He got up from the table and shouted celebrations. He then went over to his group of supporters and continued the merriment.
Save Your Quarters
Freddy Deeb moved all in on the turn with K 7 5 6 out on the board. Both John Hanson and Bruno Fitoussi called. The river brought the 3 and Hanson checked. Fitoussi bet $200,000 and Hanson called. Fitoussi flipped over A K to take the high pot with an ace-high flush. Fitoussi also had an A-2 for the nut low, but Deeb also held an A-2 to quarter the low pot. Deeb survived, but was holding on by a thread at this point.
Deeb Survives with Fives
Freddy Deeb bet $200,000 on a flop of Q J 5 and Amnon Filippi made the call. Kenny Tran also called and the 5 was peeled off the deck on the turn. Deeb moved all in for $80,000 and Filippi folded. Tran called and Deeb turned up A 5 5 3 for quad fives. Tran turned over A Q 10 2 and the A was dealt on the river. Deeb doubled up yet again to survive.
Razz
The game was then switched to razz for the last level before the dinner break.
Deeb Keeps Fighting
Freddy Deeb was all in again. This time he pushed on sixth street for $230,000 and Kenny Tran called him down. Deeb turned up a 7-5 low and Tran was drawing dead when revealed a 9-8 low. Deeb has given the HORSE final table a breath of life as he struggled to survive. He has been successful thus far with his aggressive short-stack strategy.
Fitoussi Builds Strength
More and more chips were finding their way over to Bruno Fitoussi’s side of the table. In a recent pot he picked up yet another multi-$100,000 chunk of chips when he revealed a 6-5 low. Filippi mucked his hand at the site of Fitoussi’s strength. After that acquisition Fitoussi solidified himself as the chip leader.
Kill Kenny
Freddy Deeb bet $240,000 and Kenny Tran made the call. This left Tran with only $30,000. Deeb raised in the dark and Tran mucked his hand. Tran was crippled beyond reprieve after the hand.
Dinner Bell
The tournament clock was then paused and the player went to dinner until 9:00 p.m.
The rest of the razz level passed by with few large pots going to a showdown, opponents usually bet their lone adversary off the pot by sixth street. John Hanson was playing particularly aggressive during this time, and he had solidified his spot as an aggressive force at the table.
Studs
The five remaining players were now playing seven-card stud.
Hanson Rolls
In a pot that began with all five players initially, Freddy Deeb, and John Hanson got involved in a war of raises. Deeb ended up mucking on seventh street, so the hand did not go to a showdown. Hanson did manage to pick up over $800,000 on the hand and he is now the chip leader at the final table.
Eight-or-Better
The game of stud remained the same, but the final table contestants were now playing the eight-or-better version. The split game produced a lot of split pots. Not a lot of chips moved around the table during this game.
Leader Board
John Hanson: $3,535,000
Amnon Filippi: $3,310,000
Freddy Deeb: $2,625,000
Bruno Fitoussi: $2,160,000
Kenny Tran: $1,360,000
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