LETS VC YOU AT THE SERIES
WSOP NEWS UPDATES
ON THE MENU TODAY
Welcome to Day 29 - Week Five of the 37th Annual World Series of Poker.
On the menu today…
TWO SEATS HERE!
Event 47 - $2,000 No Limit Hold’em
We won’t bother with the who’s who in the room list. It’s very simple. If they’re not already in one of the other tournaments running today, they’re in this one. And if they are already in one of the tournaments already running today, those with enough money to splash around are entering this one too!
At first they thought it was going to be a quiet start to the day but then the crowds started gathering…
BREAK IT UP - BREAK IT DOWN
Six-handed No Limit
Real estate at the Rio is at a premium so table breaks are necessary to free up space to start or resume other events.
Whilst people are eliminated on a regular basis, it isn’t quick enough for some officials looking to use the tables for other events.
”I need these players to start playing badly,” a floorman complains to me. ”I need these tables bad.”
LAY YOUR (SIX) HANDS ON ME
Six-handed No Limit
Tournament phenom Vicky Coren is unfortunately short-stacked and starts on a chipped up first table featuring 2006 Main Event Champion Jamie Gold as well as Men ”The Master” Nguyen. With $400 antes and $1500 and $3000 blinds, her $20,000 or so in chips won’t last long so she enters all-in mode, successfully performing that manoeuvre three times in twice as many hands picking up blinds and antes.
Men, ever willing to provide a sound-bite for those with pads of paper, tells me, ”You think I’m in trouble because I’m playing with the champ? Hahaha! He might be the champ but he isn’t The Master!” Then, his throat dry from dropping a catchphrase, Men asks the dealer, ”Where cocktail? The Master is thirsty.”
Soon after her table breaks and Vicky’s eliminated attempting it a first time on the new table.
”As you saw,” she tells me as a tournament official gets her information for some paperwork, ”I was doing well until the table broke.”
”There’s always the next event,” I tell her.
”Absolutely.”
AT A LOSS FOR WORDS
Six-handed No Limit
Whilst many will name Jamie Gold when talking about who had the best run, those in the know realize the true answer is Jeff Madsen who won and final tabled multiple events, proving himself to be the unofficial WSOP Rookie of the Year.
As he walks by Men ”The Master” Nguyen’s table, Men asks the floorman, ”Where our player?” Nguyen points at the empty seat next to him.
Jeff sits down and says, ”Give me some chips, b****, and I’ll play.”
For the first time in recorded history, Men has nothing to say as Jeff laughs, gets up, and heads over the floor to get his payout as he’s been busted out.
DOWN AND OUT IN RIO
$2,000 No Limit Hold’em
A few early fallers…
Eric Lindgren
Victor Ramdin
Barny Boatman
John Juanda
Evelyn Ng
Gavin Smith
Tex Barch
Vanessa Rousso
Greg Mueller
PHIL LAAK WAS RIGHT - IT IS THE YEAR OF THE CALL
Six-handed No Limit
Here’s the situation:
You’ve got about $40,000 in chips. You open-raised pre-flop from the cut-off and were cold-called by the button. You bet on the flop and were called. There’s $50,000 in the pot. The board:
You hold pocket Jacks and have checked the turn. Your opponent has $100,000 in chips and goes all-in.
Do you call? Do you fold?
As Phil ”The Unabomber” Laak told us earlier in the series, 2007 is The Year Of The Call so you do just that, flipping up your hand.
Your opponent has pocket Sevens and doesn’t get any help on the river.
”Wow,” Tony G says, watching the tomfoolery. ”That was a very nice call, if you want to lose the tournament.”
DAVID TUCHMAN HAS A PLAN
$2000 No Limit
Sporting a cooler-full of goodies, David Tuchman lets me in on his secret of this event: ”I always just try to win all the chips but then someone sucks out on me and I go broke. This time, I’m just going to keep the same number of chips all day. If I never go below my starting point, I cannot lose, right?”
About an hour later he finds out his plan isn’t the crackerjack one he hoped it would be. ”Bad news,” he tells me. ”I doubled up by accident. Back to Plan A: I’m going to win every chip in the room.”
$2,000 OMAHA HI LO
Two down so far in the final of the Omaha Hi Lo Split, and it’s Marcel Luske still out ahead. Mitch Maples was out in ninth, whilst Stuart Paterson had to settle for eighth.
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
$5,000 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM 6-HANDED
Dutch Boyd slips a bit but is still among the leaders in the Six Handed event…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
$1,000 STUD HI LO 8 OR BETTER
Day 2 in the Stud Hi Lo, with the top five looking like this…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
$2,000 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
Whilst Marcel Luske leads in the Omaha Hi Lo, countryman and pupil Noah Boeken is ahead in the latest No Limit Hold’em event…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
THE RAM MELTDOWN
Six-handed No Limit
In two-straight hands, Ram has lost two-thirds of his stack.
After raising under-the-gun, he’s called by the big blind.
He bets over half the pot on the flop of…
…and is called.
The big blind checks the turn of… 
…and Ram bets another half the pot. The big blind check-raises, tripling Ram’s wager.
Ram folds.
In the big blind, he calls a mid-position raiser.
He bets out on the flop…
He gets called.
The turn of… 
…draws another bet from Ram and he’s called again.
Ram checks the river… 
…and calls the big bet from the pre-flop raiser, who shows pocket Nines to best Ram’s Jack-Seven.
As I walk by him, he shakes his head, disgusted, knowing he’s gone off on tilt. I think at him to calm down and regain his focus.
I’m sure he will. Players of his calibre always can.
PHIL SHOW
Phil Hellmuth got involved in a pot with Thierry Van den berg. Phil had just over $100,000 at the beginning of the hand with Thierry having slightly less. They both got all in on a ten high flop and Phil was way ahead with his set of threes. Thierry had two ladies. The turn came an offsuit jack, but the river was a killer — a queen! Phil had a mini-meltdown. Pain was written all over his face as his mum and dad stood behind the rail and watched.
”God these idiots play three times faster than they’re supposed and just keep getting lucky on me!”
Phil was down to just under $30,000 with $3000/$6000 blinds and $500 antes. Phil was in pretty desperate shape, but he folded for a round, even letting the blinds go by. He picked a hand to go with when he was down to $11,500. He had Ace-Queen this time, against Nick Shulman’s A-8. Hellmuth’s hand held up again, and he had a little stack going. I decided to stick around… this could get very interesting.
After folding a few hands, a guy opened up for a raise and Phil shoved ‘em all in again. It was his opponents K-9 against Phil’s K-Q off. The flop came ace high and Nick commented that he had folded an ace. This of course made Phil pretty happy,”Yeah, if this guy didn’t raise, then you would’ve busted me. Thanks buddy!”
There was still hope that Phil would bust out. So i stuck around even longer. He had about $60,000 in chips when he moved in under the gun and the big blind insta-called. Pocket threes for Phil against his opponents A-K. Somehow Phil won that hand as well! Phil had been down and out, and now he sits on about $130,000.
SURPRISE! PHIL HELLMUTH HAS SOMETHING TO SAY
Six-handed No Limit
”I had you dead to runner-runner and you got there!” Phil says. Then, to the railbirds who are lined up around him five and six deep: ”Did you people see that? You think it’s just TV but that really just happened. I was a ninety-eight percent favourite and lost.”
The crowd nods as all of them know how to do the exact odds on the flop of any two given hands.
”Did you slow play yourself into another loss?” Mark Vos asks him from another table.
”Mind your freakin’ business,” Phil replies. ”Come talk to me when you have eleven bracelets.”
Soon after, busted out, Phil leaps to his feet and yells at Tony G, ”You realize I play better than everyone in the room and in the world by far?”
Tony G, in a surprising turn of events, says nothing in response. I’m sure later tonight he’ll make a list of the ten funniest retorts but now it’s too late.
”It just makes me sick,” Phil tells the room as he paces around the other players trying to concentrate on their respective games. ”In this field today I had to be such a huge favourite over everyone else combined and yet I get unlucky and I’m stuck with idiots who don’t understand just how good I am.”
Victor Ramdin is watching another match but Phil pulls him into the conversation, if you alter the definition of ”conversation” to include Phil ranting at someone and Victor standing there smiling. ”Do you think I can still buy into the Deuce-Seven event? Number twelve might come there.”
The entirety of the Deuce-Seven field lets out a collective groan, knowing that with Phil Hellmuth entering their midst, they stand nary a chance.
WHAT MORE OF A REASON DO YOU NEED?
Six-handed No Limit
Tradition dictates that players stack their chips in columns of twenty.
Erik Friberg, the 2006 Main Event final tabler, whilst he follows in the tradition of being yet another top player hailing from Sweden, breaks with it by putting his in forty-stacks.
When I ask him why forty instead of thirty or fifty he answers, ”It looks cool.”
Indeed you’re right, Mr. Friberg.
INTRODUCING THE CREATOR OF DEUCE-SEVEN
Deuce-Seven
”That’s not how it works,” a player tells Robert Williamson III.
”Yes, it is: if the deck runs out and there is still a need for cards, the burns are shuffled and used.”
”That may be, but let’s call the floor as you’re not the person who makes that ruling.”
”I should be,” Robert Williamson III replies, ”I basically wrote the rules to this game!”
Soon after, the floorman comes over and confirms that’s the way it works. With many people confused about the rules, these guys are working time and a half informing the future hopefuls of procedures.
TONY G TAKES ON DUTCH BOYD
Six-handed No Limit
Dutch Boyd open-raises on the button and Tony G calls out of the small blind. After seeing the Jack-Four-Three flop, Tony G goes all-in for a bit over the size of the pot and Dutch calls.
Tony has pocket Fours for a set whereas Dutch only has Ace-Queen. The Two on the turn gives Tony a sweat — a Five will give Dutch a straight — but it doesn’t come.
”Yes!” Tony shouts, leaping to his feet and shooting his arms into the air. ”All your chips are coming to me. I’m going to rip your stack right out from under you. Pay me! Pay me my money. Now!”
Dutch had only announced ”call” after Tony’s all-in so the chips are still in his stack.
”I’ve got a set of Fours and he calls me with Ace-Queen. You want to give me all your chips just give them to me and walk out of here.”
Dutch slides out Tony’s chips, pushes them out, and gives them to Tony. He crosses his arms across his chest and hugs himself, quieting the voices.
They don’t stay quiet for long as Tony continues: ”Little by little I’ll take everything.”
”You’re not a good winner,” Dutch whispers.
”Winners are grinners,” Tony says. ”We deserve to be happy. We’re not going to be friends. This isn’t Kindergarten. I’m here to take everything from you and everything from everyone. I won’t pretend to like you to make you feel better. I’m here to take your chips.” He points at Erik Friberg. ”I’m here to take your chips.” He then waves his arms and points at all the players at all the tables. ”I’m here to take all the chips. All of them!”
A half hour later, Dutch open-limps and Tony quadruples his bet. It’s folded around to Dutch who stares into the felt for a few minutes before saying those two magic words: ”All in.”
Tony takes a minute before folding.
”Woohoo,” Dutch mocks.
”Celebrate while you can,” Tony says. ”You got me once but I will be the one to break you last. I think you do that for your friends.” Tony looks to the rail where many from Dutch’s entourage are hanging out and cheering on their friend. ”Keep being stupid to impress them and they’ll be very impressed when I bust you out in one hand.”
Tony continues on, shooting Dutch an insult every few moments until a little while later when the table is broken.
Will there be a rematch?
That’s what we want to know.
$2,000 OMAHA HI LO
It took just slightly longer than four hours but Frankie Odell is the latest bracelet winner after taking down the prize for the $2,000 Omaha Hi Lo event.
Popular pro Marcel Luske was eliminated in fourth place…
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
Frankie Odell
(Odell photo courtesy of imagemasters)
$5,000 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM 6-HANDED
The final of the 6-Handed No Limit Hold’em is set, after the elimination in 7th place of Thierry Van den Berg. His exit allows the other six to get a night’s rest.
Erik Friberg leads the final table ahead of Alex Bolotin.
Dutch Boyd, who tangled with Tony G throughout the day, has the last laugh over him. He arrives third in chips.
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
Amongst those eliminated today…
Thierry van den Berg
Bill Gazes
David Daneshgar
Tony G
Ram Vaswani
Dustin Woolf
Mark Vos
Mike Guttmann
Nick Schulman
Phil Hellmuth
Tony Hachem
Rene Mouritsen
Scott Clements
Sam Grizzle
Jamie Gold
Roland de Wolfe
Justin Bonomo
Men ”The Master” Nguyen
Allen Cunningham
Kyle Bowker
Victoria Coren
Joe Beevers
Tobey Maguire
Jeff Madsen
Johan Storakers
$2,000 NO LIMIT HOLD’EM
Event 47 finishes its first day. Leading the $2,000 No Limit Hold’em is Pontus Khosravi, ahead of Peter Horenstein…
(chips counted by wordlseriesofpoker.com)
There are plenty of others in contention, including…
Nick Frangos
David Redlin
David Chiu
Jennifer Tilly
Rafe Furst
TJ Cloutier
Anna Wroblewski
Joe Pelton
Ronald Faltinsky
Justin Shronk
Roland de Wolfe
Alan Sass
John Esposito
Noah Boeken
David Singer
Tom McEvoy
Jared Hamby
And those on the rail…
Nick Binger
Shannon Elizabeth
Michael Mizrachi
Barry Greenstein
Joe Sebok
John Cernuto
JC Tran
Darrel Dicken
Juha Helppi
Kathy Liebert
George Danzer
Emad Tahtouh
William Thorson
Clonie Gowen
Amir Vahedi
Humberto Brenes
Phil Gordon
John Gale
Minneapolis Jim Meehan
Chau Giang
Johnny Chan
David Ulliott
Joe Hachem
John Juanda
Amnon Filippi
James Van Alstyne
Vanessa Rousso
Gavin Smith
Barny Boatman
Victor Ramdin
Erick Lindgren
Andy Black
ALL ELIMINATED…
$1,000 2-7 TRIPLE DRAW
Anthony Lellouche went deep in the Grand Final of the EPT in Monte Carlo earlier this year. The Frenchman joked to the rail that he could better had he not been drawn against Ram Vaswani and Carlos Mortensen.
Flash forward to now and he leads another tournament, the 2-7 Triple Draw, ahead of an equally strong field.
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
That field still includes, among others…
Mimi Tran
Allen Cunningham
David Williams
Hoyt Corkins
Marco Traniello
Robert Mizrachi
Jeff Madsen
Chau Giang
Daniel Negreanu
Barry Greenstein
Mel Judah
Andy Bloch
John Juanda
Berry Johnston
Bill Chen
Daniel Alaei
Mike Wattel
David Sklansky
Amnon Filippi
Chris Bjorin
Chris ”Jesus” Ferguson
Allen Kessler
Joe Cassidy
Gavin Griffin
Mickey Appleman
Todd Brunson
Alex Kravchenko
Billy Baxter
CK Hua
Thor Hansen
Captain Tom Franklin
Not so for others…
Nam Le
Joe Tehan
Jennifer Harman
Mark Gregorich
David ”Devilfish” Ulliott
”Miami” John Cernuto
Dewey Tomko
Terrence Chan
Cyndy Violette
Eli Elezra
Andy Black
Max Pescatori
Surinder Sunar
Howard Lederer
Men ”The Master” Nguyen
Shawn Sheikhan
Phil Hellmuth Jr
Justin Bonomo
Tony G
Sam Grizzle
ALL ELIMINATED…
$1,000 7 CARD STUD HI LO
Sometimes events just have to go on until they get to a certain stage, and the 7 Card Stud Hi Lo is one of those tournaments. As the clock sped merrily past the 4am mark, play was still going on with nine players remaining. One more would have to go before the day was finished.
40 minutes later the final table was eventually in place after Mark Smyrski went out to the Aces of Miguel De La Cruz.
(chips counted by worldseriesofpoker.com)
A long list of notables were cast aside during the days play, including…
Mark Smyrski
Andreas Krause
Ron Ware
Lucky Liu
Patrick Pezzin
Steve Wong
Alex Kravchenko
Chad Brown
David Plastik
Theo Jorgensen
Rolf Slotboom
Tom Koral
Bruce Schneider
Brad Daugherty
Jeff Green
Brent Carter
Jeff Lisandro
Chris Grigorian
Chris Reslock
Marsha Waggoner
Cyndy Violette
Doyle Brunson
Mel Judah
Allen Kessler
ALL ELIMINATED…
PLAY CONCLUDES…
Another day over with as we edge closer to the Main Event.
Another bracelet today, this time for the Long Beach man Frankie Odell in the Omaha Hi Lo.
Tomorrow starts at Noon with a new event, another crowd pleasing $1,500 No Limit Hold’em. Then at 2pm the final of the Six-Handed Hold’em event gets underway.
At 3pm both the 7 Card Stud Hi Lo and $2,000 No Limit events resume, then at 4pm the 2-7 Triple Draw starts its second day.
Add 8 hours if you’re on the eastern side of the Atlantic and you’re good to go. Coverage continues at 8pm GMT.
