Saturday, June 11, 2011 10:09 PM Local Time
Level: 25
Blinds: 20000/40000
Ante: 10000
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:58 PM Local Time
| Phil Hellmuth | 2,080,000 | -420,000  |
| John Juanda | 1,700,000 | 400,000  |
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:52 PM Local Time
Our finalists have stepped off the stage for a short break. We'll be back with some chip counts in a moment, then back in a few minutes with some more action.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:47 PM Local Time
John Juanda raised to 62,000 from the button and was called by Phil Hellmuth. Both players drew two and Hellmuth fired out a 90,000 bet.
Juanda toyed with his chips slowly before announcing a raise. Even after announcing, Juanda took his time counting out chips before making it 225,000 total. Hellmuth snap called and flipped up . Hellmuth's snap call was correct as Juanda tabled a losing .
| Phil Hellmuth | 2,500,000 | 1,700,000 |
| John Juanda | 1,300,000 | -1,700,000 |
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:37 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth opened to 60,000 from the button, and John Juanda three-bet shoved once again. Hellmuth spent a long while considering, but he eventually announced the call, and the crowd rose to their feet in unison.
Now it was Juanda's turn to tank, and he spent at least thirty seconds deciding to stand pat. Hellmuth patted too, and he looked 100% confident he had the best hand. In that familiar Hellmuthian style, he hurriedly turned up his , and Juanda could not beat it. He showed , then reached into the muck to see what he would have drawn.
With that pot, Hellmuth had retaken the chip lead. He's got about 1.95 million to 1.85 million now.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:35 PM Local Time
An annoyed Phil Hellmuth raised it to 65,000 from the button and was called by Juanda. Juanda took one card and Hellmuth quickly threw two cards at the dealer, clearly angered at his current predicament.
Juanda fired out a bet of 142,000 and Hellmuth slowly moved out pink stacks toward the middle, raising it to 340,000. Juanda said "I guess I'll have to take a look" and the audience gave a little laugh. Juanda tossed his cards into the muck and Hellmuth triumphantly showed a pair of fours.
This hand served as a clear morale booster to Hellmuth, letting him know that he's still able to win a pot after losing several in a row.
Juanda: 2,800,000
Hellmuth: 1,000,000
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:23 PM Local Time
The last four hands:
Phil Hellmuth opened to 70,000 from the button, and John Juanda asked him how much he had back. Hellmuth had about 1.2 million to start the hand, and Juanda reraised all in. Hellmuth quickly folded.
The next hand, Juanda opened with a raise (66,000?), and Hellmuth made the call. He'd check-fold very quickly to a bet of 128,000.
On the third hand, Hellmuth opened to 70,000 again, and Juanda three-bet shoved again. This time Hellmuth did the little sit-up-straight-and-wiggle-in-his-chair thing, like a turkey ruffling its feathers. He folded again after that quick display.
On the last hand of the series, Juanda opened to 66,000, and Hellmuth surrendered right there.
This match has really swung in Juanda's favor this level, and he's opened up a lead of about 3 million to 800,000 or so.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:19 PM Local Time
With about four hundred thousand in the pot already, Phil Hellmuth stood pat while Juanda drew one. Hellmuth fired out a big bet of 420,000 and Juanda made the call.
"Good call, JJ" said Hellmuth as Juanda turned up his .
This massive pot brings Juanda up to 2,600,000 while Hellmuth falls to 1,200,000.
"I need a hand John, I need to catch something" Hellmuth said to Juanda after the last pot. Hellmuth seems to be losing momentum in this match, unable to win a pot of any substance.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:12 PM Local Time
Most of the action has subsided here in the last few passes of the button as the majority of the pots are only being contested pre-draw. We picked up a small pot a moment ago as Phil Hellmuth raised to 70,000 from the button. John Juanda called, and both men took one card. After the draw, Juanda checked, and Hellmuth flicked out a small bet of 50,000. Juanda chuckled and matched the bet. He showed , and it was better than Hellmuth's .
We're still just about even with the two men sitting on 1.9 million apiece.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 9:03 PM Local Time
John Juanda pumped it up to 75,000 before the draw and Phil Hellmuth made the call. Each player drew one card and Hellmuth checked to Juanda.
Juanda fired out 137,000 and Hellmuth announced a call. Juanda flipped up and Hellmuth threw his cards into the muck, shaking his head. The chip counts are even now at 1,900,000 each.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:54 PM Local Time
Level: 24
Blinds: 15000/30000
Ante: 7000
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:48 PM Local Time
John Juanda opened to 63,000 from the button, and Phil Hellmuth three-bet to 180,000. Juanda quickly let it go.
On the next hand, Hellmuth opened to 70,000, and Juanda folded without incident.
On the next hand, Juanda opened to 62,000, giving Hellmuth a discount over the last raise. The Brat came right back with another three-bet, though -- 225,000 total this time. Juanda spent some time pondering, then slid the call into the pot.
Juanda took two cards and Hellmuth one. Action was on Hellmuth, and he squeezed his cards, took pause, and announced an all in. Juanda quickly folded, and Hellmuth has opened up a small lead once again with 2.2 million to Juanda's 1.6 million.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:44 PM Local Time
The action opened with John Juanda raising to 63,000 only to be three-bet by Phil Hellmuth to 225,000. Juanda did not crack under pressure, however, four-betting to 575,000. Hellmuth made the call and chose to draw one card, getting rid of the . Juanda stood pat.
After receiving his draw card, Hellmuth checked to Juanda who moved all in. Hellmuth let out a huge sigh and folded, exposing , pairing his seven from the draw. With this hand complete, Juanda and Hellmuth are roughly even in chips.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:34 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth raised to 60,000, and John Juanda took pause. He grinned and announced, "One Eighty-Five," and Hellmuth didn't waste any time making the call.
Juanda drew one card, and he continued out with a bet of 200,000 straight. Hellmuth pulled two cards, and he liked them well enough to call. Juanda showed the first, and Hellmuth knocked the table in acknowledgement. His full hand showed , and it was good.
With that exchange, Hellmuth is back to about 2.6 million while Juanda climbs to about 1.2 million.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:33 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth and John Juanda seem to be trading pots here playing heads up.
Hellmuth raised to 70,000 before the draw only to be three-bet by Juanda to 210,000. Hellmuth mucked, showing a with
"How many were you going to draw?" asked Juanda
"Just one" replied Hellmuth.
The very next hand, Juanda raised to 62,000 and was called by Hellmuth. Juanda took one card while Hellmuth drew two. Hellmuth checked to Juanda who fired out 105,000. Hellmuth announced a raise and made it 300,000 to go which caused Juanda to show and send his cards into the muck.
Juanda is sitting with about 945,000 while Hellmuth is still our chip leader with 2,835,000.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:17 PM Local Time
| Phil Hellmuth | 2,900,000 | 0 |
| John Juanda | 900,000 | 0 |
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:16 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth opened to 70,000 from the button, and John Juanda called for a draw. Both men took one card apiece, and Juanda led out into the pot with 150,000. Hellmuth didn't spend much time considering before flicking the calling chips into the pot.
Juanda showed up , and Hellmuth could not beat it. He mumbled something about "playing for all the chips", then flashed as he tucked them under and mucked.
Juanda is back close to a million in chips, still facing a significant disadvantage in this match.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:14 PM Local Time
From the button John Juanda made it 62,000 to go and Phil Hellmuth made the call. Each player drew one cards and Hellmuth checked.
Juanda slowly counted out stacks of chips before deciding that the correct amount to bet would be 172,000. Hellmuth snap called and the players both turned up ten low's.
Juanda:
Hellmuth:
Hellmuth's ten-seven was enough to scoop the pot. This brings Hellmuth's stack to about 3,000,000 versus Juanda's roughly 850,000 in chips.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:09 PM Local Time
John Juanda folded his button, and Richard Ashby moved all in for right around 200,000 from the small blind. In the big, Phil Hellmuth made the call, and "Chufty" was at risk, and he needed a card. Hellmuth considered his play for a long while as Juanda craned his neck to sweat the decision. Hellmuth eventually slapped one card down on the felt face-down.
With the draw still to come, the cards were opened up:
Hellmuth:
Ashby:
Hellmuth was a bit peeved that he'd broken the best hand, but he was still well in front with one card apiece still coming. Ashby got the first card and he left it alone as Hellmuth got his. "I'll flip it over right away," Hellmuth announced, and he quickly showed the . That was that. Ashby couldn't catch a better low, and he showed the that he'd pulled in vain.
With that, Richard Ashby has been eliminated in 3rd place. It's his second final table of this WSOP, and this one likely leaves him with the same empty feeling inside. This one comes with a consolation prize of $143,000 and some change, and that should do some good in helping Ashby overcome the disappointment.
Saturday, June 11, 2011 8:05 PM Local Time
The last half hour before dinner was crammed with tons of action and it seems the dinner break did little to deter that. Within the first three hands of this level John Juanda managed to three-bet his entire stack all in against Richard Ashby. Ashby made the call and each player drew one card.
Juanda:
Ashby:
Juanda was ahead at this point but they were both drawing to a ten low. Juanda squeezed his card pretty fast and flipped up a , making his ten low. Ashby ended up pairing his threes and Juanda doubled up, knocking Ashby down to about 210,000.