Wednesday, June 3, 2015 10:42 PM Local Time
With the money bubble being burst at the end of Day 1, the final 16 players left in the $10,000 Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em Championship came back to the Rio, all being guaranteed a cash of at least $26,490, but after another three rounds of play, the final 16 have been trimmed down to the final two.
After winning three more matches each on Wednesday, Paul Volpe and Keith Lehr advance to the final match to play heads-up for $334,430 and their second gold bracelet. Volpe won his first WSOP Bracelet last year in the $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Single Draw Championship and Lehr took his home in 2003 in a $3,000 Pot Limit Hold'em event.
Volpe started the day off against another top pro, Barry Hutter. He defeated Hutter after a long battle and dispatched of his next two opponents very quickly. Volpe defeated Isidro Sifuentes in the round of eight and Matthew Cooper in the final four. Both matches were won by Volpe in a short amount of time.
Lehr's path to the final match took much longer in terms of number of hands. Lehr defeated Jake Schindler in the first round and then had long heads-up battles with Valeriu Coca and Dee Tiller to secure his spot against Volpe on Thursday afternoon.
Other players who showed up today, but were unable to win three matches include Simon Lam, George Danzer, Max Silver, Andy Philachack, Byron Kaverman, Timothy Adams, JC Tranj, and Olivier Busquet.
Cards for the Championship match between Volpe and Lehr get in the air at 1 pm on Thursday. Check back with WSOP.com for hand-for-hand coverage of the event and a cards-up live stream on a delay.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 9:43 PM Local Time
Keith Lehr opens his button to 250,000 and Dee Tiller three-bets all in for 1.54 million from the big blind. Lehr instantly calls and the hands are turned over.
Lehr:
Tiller:
The board runs out , keeping Lehr's ace-queen in the lead. Tiller hits the rail and the final match is set. Lehr will return on Thursday to play Paul Volpe for the title.
Keith Lehr - 3,840,000
Dee Tiller - Eliminated
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 9:26 PM Local Time
| Level: | 8 | | Blinds: | 50,000/100,000 | |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 9:26 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller raises on the button and Keith Lehr moves all in from the big blind. Tiller snap-calls and tables . He's in the lead against Lehr's until the dealer spreads a flop of .
"First one off the deck," said Tiller to his rail. "Is this crazy or what?"
The turn is the and the river is the , which elicits a scream of excitement from Tiller and his rail, thinking he had won the pot. Lehr points out that he has a straight and pushes his chips forward for the dealer to officially count it down. Lehr is all in for 1,056,000 and the match moves close to even in chips.
Keith Lehr - 2,112,000
Dee Tiller - 1,728,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 9:13 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller and Keith Lehr have slowed the pace of their match, now favoring small pots rather than the large preflop pots that were played toward the start of the match.
In a recently played hand, Lehr raises to 165,000 from the button and Tiller calls. The flop comes out and both players check to the on the turn. Tiller bets 225,000 on fourth and Lehr sticks around to see a river. The hits fifth, both players check, and Tiller shows a winning for a rivered pair of eights.
Dee Tiller - 2,025,000
Keith Lehr - 1,815,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 9:02 PM Local Time
| Level: | 7 | | Blinds: | 40,000/80,000 | |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:57 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller limps his button and Keith Lehr moves all in from the big blind. Tiller calls for his tournament life of 1.097 million and the hands are tabled.
Tiller:
Lehr:
The board runs out , keeping Tiller's king-queen high as the best hand. Tiller doubles up and now holds the chip lead with 2.194 million.
Dee Tiller - 2,194,000
Keith Lehr - 1,646,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:54 PM Local Time
| Level: | 6 | | Blinds: | 30,000/60,000 | |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:53 PM Local Time
After Dee Tiller and Keith Lehr commit more than 200,000 chips to the pot, they take a flop of . Lehr leads out from the big blind for 400,000 and Tiller immediately moves all in. Lehr snap-calls and Tiller slams down on the table, giving him top two pair and is in the lead against Lehr's .
"Please no jack, dealer," said Tiller as he stands up from the table.
He continues to repeat the phrase as the peels off on the turn, keeping Tiller in the lead. Tiller lets out a yell and slams his hat against the wall as the peels off on the river to give Lehr a better two pair and the pot.
"God dealer," said Tiller. "That's like four [times]."
Tiller sits back down at the table after conferring with his rail about his bad luck and the dealer counts down Lehr's stack. He verifies that Lehr is all in for 1,254,000 and Tiller sends the chips to Lehr.
"Thanks David," said Tiller to the dealer. "This guy is going to go on and play the next guy."
Keith Lehr - 2,900,000
Dee Tiller - 940,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:39 PM Local Time
Keith Lehr opens to 80,000 from his button and Dee Tiller calls. The flop comes out and Tiller checks. Lehr bets 85,000 and Tiller calls to see fourth.
The turn is the and Tiller knocks the table once more. Lehr checks it back, allowing the to finish the community cards. Tiller bets 200,000, Lehr folds, and Tiller wins the pot.
Dee Tiller - 2,560,000
Keith Lehr - 1,280,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:34 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller raises on the button to 165,000 and Keith Lehr calls from the big blind. The flop is and both players check. The falls on the turn and Lehr checks again. Tiller bets 375,000 and Lehr quickly folds. Tiller tables and takes the pot.
"I got to show one bluff," said Tiller. "He's just been running over me. I got to show four-high one time."
Dee Tiller - 2,390,000
Keith Lehr - 1,450,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:26 PM Local Time
| Level: | 5 | | Blinds: | 20,000/40,000 | |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:25 PM Local Time
Keith Lehr raises to 65,000 from his button and Dee Tiller calls to see a flop.
The two competitors check the flop, allowing the to fall on fourth street. Tiller bets 100,000 and Lehr stick around. Both players check the on the river and Tiller shows a winning .
Dee Tiller - 2,465,000
Keith Lehr - 1,375,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:09 PM Local Time
Keith Lehr bets 225,000 on a flop of and Dee Tiller calls on the button. The turn is the and Lehr checks. Tiller moves all in and Lehr quickly folds.
Dee Tiller - 2,040,000
Keith Lehr - 1,800,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:06 PM Local Time
| Level: | 4 | | Blinds: | 15,000/30,000 | |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 8:06 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller raises on the button to 88,000 and Keith Lehr moves all in from the big blind. Tiller calls and is in great shape to move on to the final match with his up against Lehr's .
Lehr goes from worst to first on a flop of .
"He hit a deuce on me," said Tiller to his rail. "Can you believe that?"
The turn is the and the river is the to keep Lehr in the lead and pull the match back to even.The dealer counts down Lehr's stack and verifies that he is all in for 1,010,000
Keith Lehr - 2,020,000
Dee Tiller - 1,820,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 7:58 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller and Keith Lehr look down at a flop of . Tiller checks the flop and Lehr fires 65,000. Tiller calls to see the on the turn. Tiller once again check-calls a bet, this time to the tune of 175,000.
"I check," says Tiller before the river card is dealt.
The completes the board and Tiller's dark-check puts action on Lehr. He bets 278,000 and Tiller instantly folds.
Keith Lehr - 1,365,000
Dee Tiller - 2,205,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 7:51 PM Local Time
Dee Tiller raises to 70,000 on the button and Keith Lehr calls. Both players check a flop of and the turn is the . Lehr leads out for 150,000 and Tiller calls. The river is the and Lehr moves all in. Tiller picks up his cards and holds the out in front of the dealer's face.
"Look at this hand," said Tiller. "I got him coming and you can't connect one of those for me."
"So you fold?" asked Lehr.
Tiller tosses his hand into the muck and Lehr collects the pot.
Dee Tiller - 2,840,000
Keith Lehr - 1,000,000
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 7:43 PM Local Time
| Level: | 3 | | Blinds: | 12,000/24,000 | |
Wednesday, June 3, 2015 7:40 PM Local Time
Keith Lehr limps his button and Dee Tiller checks from the big blind. The dealer fans a flop of and Tiller knocks the table. Lehr bets 20,000 and Tiller calls.
Fourth street pairs the board with the and the action goes check-check. The finishes off the board and Tiller fires out 125,000. Lehr clicks it back to 250,000 and Tiller calls.
Lehr shows for queens and tens with a four. Tiller has that outkicked, however, showing for queens and tens with a seven. Tiller drags the pot and increases his chip lead in this match.
Dee Tiller - 3,110,000
Keith Lehr - 730,000