Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:36 PM Local Time
The amateur has done it! Scott Shelley, the amateur poker player from right here in London, has conquered his first World Series of Poker final table!
Just a few days ago, Shelley was just another poker player with a dream in the field of 582 entrants. He successfully maneuvered his way to the final table and from there, got lucky when he needed to and played great when it really mattered.
When Shelley got heads up with the defending champion JP Kelly, the room was literally cut in half between the two sets of railbirds. Almost everyone was anxiously waiting to see if Kelly could do the unthinkable: smash Phil Ivey's record of youngest player to win three bracelets, become the first player with two WSOP Europe bracelets and be the first player to win the same bracelet event in back-to-back years in Hold'em since Phil Hellmuth did it in the 1990s. Well, that was a great story and all, but it's going to have to wait until another time for the media to be able to put it in print.
Kelly didn't go home empty handed though, as he did win a nice payday worth £82,854. Shelley took home the better of the lot with £133,857 going in his pocket and the coveted WSOP gold bracelet. For Kelly, he was well aware of the records he was trying to break and the history he was trying to rewrite. He's now left with the bitter taste of defeat in his mouth after coming oh so close.
That wraps up our coverage from Event #3 here in London, but don't forget about the other events going on here this week. Right now, the High Roller Heads-Up event is going on and the field is one of the most elite ever. [URL="http://www.pokernews.com/live-reporting/world-series-of-poker-europe-2010/event-4-no-limit-hold-em-high-roller-heads-up/"]Check out that blog[/URL] and stay tuned to PokerNews for all the up-to-the-minute poker coverage you can handle!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:31 PM Local Time
Scott Shelley raised to 47,000 from the button, and JP Kelly gave him a good stare. After about twenty seconds, he announced an all in. Shelley was already starting to stand up from his chair as he took one last peek at his hole cards and made the call with a shot at snatching the bracelet, like right now. Cards on their backs, gents:
Shelley:
Kelly:
Shelley's boisterous cheerleaders pressed in on the table and erupted in a storm of cheers. "Threeeeeee!" came a wave of full-throat shouting. Kelly's British mates on the rail were a bit more subdued, clearly a bit nervous for the fate of their countryman. With the tension mounting by the second, and the noise building to a deafening crescendo, the dealer burned a card.
The appeared right in the door, and the dealer froze for what seemed like an eternity. After what must have been an hour (or 1.5 seconds), he rolled out the full flop to a volcanic eruption of noise from Team Shelley. Even he himself could no longer contain his joy, pumping his fist and letting out one beastly, "Yes!!!" before he gathered himself in gentlemanly silence.
The turn ended it all right there, and Kelly gave a quick handshake and was whooshed off through the ropes in a blink as he was drawing dead and out of chips. He wasn't even around for the river, the last card of the day and the one that finally put the bracelet on Shelley's wrist.
There's not much else we can say about JP Kelly that we haven't already said. His bid to become the youngest triple bracelet winner has just managed to elude him this time, and we'd guess the £80,000 he'll be picking up won't be much consolation for him tonight. He's to be congratulated on another impressive performance here this week, though, one that had the poker world (and most specifically the British poker world) chattering like giddy schoolchildren.
The good news for JP is that he still has about 18 months in which to try and accomplish that youngest-ever thing, and you can bet we'll be right there when he has another go at it.
Good game, JP.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:19 PM Local Time
JP Kelly limped the button and Scott Shelley checked to see the flop come down . Shelley check-raised a bet of 25,000 from Kelly to 80,000 and won the hand.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:15 PM Local Time
Scott Shelley raised to 47,000 and JP Kelly made the call. The flop came down and both players checked. The turn brought the and Kelly fired 52,000. Shelley raised to 125,000 and then Kelly reraised to 200,000. Shelley snap-shoved his chips in the middle and Kelly snap-folded.
Kelly is now down to about 670,000 while Shelley has reassumed the chip lead with 1.08 million. We've got ourselves a battle folks.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:10 PM Local Time
JP kelly opened with a raise to 45,000 and Scott Shelley moved all in. kelly quickly called and in an instant, the cards were on their backs and the fans on their feet.
Kelly:
Shelley:
The board ran out and Kelly was able to double up. He's back over 900,000 now and back in the lead.
"C'mon JP! C'mon JP!" rang his railbirds, emphatically urging him onward in his title defense.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 7:07 PM Local Time
Scott Shelley just increased his lead by a nice margin and now has JP Kelly at over a 2:1 deficit.
Shelley raised to 47,000 and Kelly called from the big blind. The flop came down and Kelly check-called 65,000. The turn brought the and Kelly checked. Shelley quickly checked behind.
The river completed the board with the and Kelly fired 80,000. Shelley tanked and then made the call.
"I've got a seven," said Kelly, but that wasn't going to be good enough as Shelley tabled the to win the pot. He's now up to 1.215 million while Kelly dropped to 535,000.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:59 PM Local Time
Scott Shelley raised to 41,000 from the button and JP Kelly called. The flop, turn and river were all checked by both players as the board ran out . Shelley tabled the for a pair of fours and won the pot.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:53 PM Local Time
Scott Shelley is doing all that he can to prevent JP Kelly from making history. After kelly limped another button, Shelley checked to see the flop of .
Shelley checked the flop to Kelly, who bet out 18,000. Shelley check-raised to 62,000 and won the pot.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:52 PM Local Time
JP Kelly limped the button and Scott Shelley checked from the big blind. The flop came down and Shelley fired 16,000. Kelly made the call.
The turn brought the and both players checked to see the fall on the river. Shelley fired 45,000 and Kelly made the call.
Shelley tabled the and Kelly mucked, dropping to 840,000. Shelley now has the chip lead with 910,000.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:49 PM Local Time
There's plenty of fans lining the rail on all sides. JP Kelly's supporters are here as are plenty of people railing Scott Shelley. With many of the heads-up matches finishing their first round, some of the players have made their way over to watch this heads-up match. It's quite the atmosphere in here, especially with Kelly going for all this history.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:45 PM Local Time
JP Kelly raised o 38,000 and Scott Shelley called from the big blind to see the flop come down . Both players checked and the dealer placed the on the turn.
Shelley check-folded to a bet of 44,000 from Kelly, who now has 940,000 in chips. Shelley is slightly behind with 810,000.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:37 PM Local Time
JP kelly raised it up from the button to 38,000. Scott Shelley called from the big blind and the flop came down . Both players checked to see the fall on the turn. Shelley fired 33,000 and that won the pot.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:35 PM Local Time
Scott Shelley raised to 41,000 from the button and JP Kelly three-bet to 110,000 from the big blind. Shelley folded and this one went to Kelly.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:34 PM Local Time
JP Kelly limped from the button and Scott Shelley checked from the big blind. The flop came down and Shelley bet 19,000. Kelly called.
The turn brought the and Shelley fired 46,000. Kelly folded and Shelley won the first pot between these two.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:30 PM Local Time
The cards are back in the air for the heads-up match!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:17 PM Local Time
Jeppe Bisgaard limped the button before defending champion JP Kelly raised to 62,000 from the small blind. Scott Shelley got out of the way in the big blind and then Bisgaard shoved all in. Kelly nodded his head and made the call, tabling the . Bisgaard looked to his rail and it wasn't a good look as he tabled the .
The flop came down and Bisgaard picked up some clubs to give him a better shot at doubling up. The turn brought the before the river delivered the final blow to Bisgaard with the .
Bisgaard was sent to the rail in third place, taking home just over £55,000 for his finish. Meanwhile, Kelly started stacking the chips as he is now heads up for the bracelet in his title defense.
Will Kelly be the youngest player to three bracelets? Will he go back-to-back and successfully defend his title? Will he be the first player with two WSOP Europe bracelets? Stick around and find out!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:09 PM Local Time
Jeppe Bisgaard raised to 35,000 from the small blind, and JP Kelly called to see a flop. It came , and Bisgaard check-folded to a bet of 36,000.
It ain't much, but it does give Kelly the chip lead once again!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 6:07 PM Local Time
Here comes JP!
From the button, Jeppe Bisgaard opened to 36,000 before Kelly three-bet it to 100,000 straight. Bisgaard quickly surrendered, and Kelly moved to about 595,000.
On the next hand, it was Kelly opening from the button, sliding out a raise to 39,000. Small blind Scott Shelley tried Kelly's move, three-betting to 110,000. It didn't work. Kelly announced an all in, and Shelley was forced to wave the white flag and cut his losses.
Kelly - 710,000
Shelley - 715,000
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 5:56 PM Local Time
After posting the ante, Paul Pitchford put his last 11,000 chips into the pot blind from under the gun. Jeppe Bisgaard called on the button, and JP Kelly raised to 55,000 from the small blind. That was enough to fold his opponents and get Kelly heads up with Pitchford with a chance at the knockout.
Showdown
Pitchford:
Kelly:
Board:
Fives and threes are a nice hand, but not when your opponent has the same with the ace kicker. Unable to get over the hump, Pitchford has become the third in a quick string of eliminations. It was a great show by the Brit, coming into the day as the second shortest stack. He waited patiently and picked his spots carefully today, and he'll take home more than £40,000 for a fine final table performance.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010 5:52 PM Local Time
Paul Pitchford raised to 42,000 from the button, and small blind Jeppe Bisgaard moved all in for 194,000 total. The call would represent almost all of Pitchford's remaining chips, and he took a good long soak in the tank before announcing the call to put Bisgaard at risk.
Showdown
Pitchford:
Bisgaard:
The flop pretty much ended any drama, and the river left Pitchford drawing stone dead. He was already cutting out his losses as the meaningless filled out the board, and he'll be left with just 13,000 lonely chips with which to try and stage a comeback.