Tuesday, October 22, 2013 6:27 PM Local Time
The board just read when Daniel Steinberg bet 15,000. Steinberg's opponent was James Alexander who had very little chips left, but ultimately he made the call.
"Sorry, I just keep making monsters," Steinberg said as he showed for a full house.
Alexander mucked and left himself with 39,000 chips.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 6:22 PM Local Time
Dominik Nitsche took another hit on the bubble.
Nitsche raised to 9,000 from under-the-gun and Fabrice Soulier called from the hijack.
The flop came and Nitsche led out for 11,000. Soulier called and the came on the turn. Fired another barrel worth 33,000 and Soulier called again, bringing a on the river.
Nitsche measured out a bet worth 135,000 and the second he pushed it past the bet line, Soulier called.
Nitsche turned over for three 4s, but Soulier had a flush with
Soulier was up to 630,000 while Nitsche dipped to 370,000.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 6:19 PM Local Time
Flavien Guenan just doubled up on the bubble but that didn't make him slow down one bit.
The French pro just limped for 4,000 and Benny Spindler raised to 24,000 from the cutoff. The other players folded and Guenan decided to three-bet up to 56,000.
Spindler made the call but folded when the flop brought Guenan fired 44,000 on this flop and right now he's sitting on around 320,000 chips. Spindler still has around 360,000 chips left.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 6:01 PM Local Time
Flavien Guenan raised from the small blind to 12,000 and Benny Spindler fought right back from the big blind making it 34,000 to go.
“All in,” Guenan announced for a total of 129,500 and Spindler snap-called.
Guenan glanced over at Spindler who said, “I have kings,” and the Frenchman’s shoulders dropped immediately.
After all the hands on the other tables were completed the cards were turned face up and the showdown went as following.
Guenan:
Spindler:
The board ran out and Guenan secured a lucky double up on the money bubble. Spindler lost some chips but still has a stack of 404,000 chips.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 6:00 PM Local Time
All eyes were on Table 8 when there was a big preflop pot brewing between Frederic Asta and Dominik Nitsche.
It started with an under-the-gun raise to 10,000 from Fabrice Soulier. Asta re-raised to 25,000 from the cutoff and Nitsche made it 60,000 from the small blind.
Soulier folded and Asta moved all-in for 214,500 more.
Action was back on Nitsche and a mass of floorstaff, players and media flanked the table from all sides.
“You have a good hand my friend?” Nitsche asked.
“It’s the bubble,” responded Asta.
“We all know that,” Nitsche laughed.
“You got chips,” Asta said a few moments later.
“Yeah, but I like my chips,” Nitsche said. “I’m no good at folding.”
Nitsche thought for a bit longer and then Asta asked Nitsche if he had a queen. Nitsche peeked at his cards again and told Asta he had no queen.
A few minutes later, Nitsche finally decided to fold face up.
Nitsche tried to get Asta to show his hand as well, but Asta would only turn over the
Dominik Nitsche
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 5:42 PM Local Time
The remaining 41 players are back from their 20-minute break and ready to burst the bubble.
Daniel Steinberg currently in the lead with about 800,000 while there are seven players with less than 100,000.
Blinds are still 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante, but they'll tick up to 2,500/5,000 with a 500 ante once we lose one more player.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 5:28 PM Local Time
We reached the bubble with only about 2 minutes left in Level 15 so the floor decided to take the break a bit early.
Players are now on a 20-minute break and will come back to another Level 15. Blinds will remain at 2,000/4,000 with a 500 ante and we'll move on to Level 16 once the bubble bursts.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 5:25 PM Local Time
In a raised pot, Ivan Tikhov and Dario Sammartino were faced with a flop.
Tikhov was first to act from the cutoff and bet 12,500. Sammartino called and a came on the turn.
Tikhov slowed to a check and Sammartino bet 19,000. Tikhov raised to 45,500, Sammartino quickly moved all-in and Tikhov snap called.
Sammartino showed but was drawing dead against Tikhov’s A completed the board and Sammartino hit the rail while Tikhov chipped up to 423,000.
With Sammartino gone in 42nd place, we’re now down to the money bubble.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 5:14 PM Local Time
Mark Teltcher raised all in on the turn of a board and the move was akin to tasering Daniel Nagreanu -- his opponent in the hand -- in the ribs, such was his reaction.
The hand started with a Negreanu raise to 9,500 from the hijack and a call from Teltcher in the next seat. Negreanu continued for 14,000 and was just called. Another bullet, for 20,500, came on the turn. Teltscher’s shove was for 96,500.
“What can you do that with?” asked Negreanu. “You have a flush or I win but you wouldn’t do that with the flush!”
“You could have a set of tens or nines, I guess.”
Eventually Negreanu folded and Teltcher asked, “Can I see what you had?”
“Sure,” said Negreanu and opened expecting his British opponent to return the favor. As soon as Teltscher saw Negreanu's holding though, he quickly slid his own cards into the muck.
“Never seen anyone do that before!” quipped Negreanu who went to smile, seeing the funny side of it.
Neagreanu has 190,000 chips, or thereabouts, to work with.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 5:10 PM Local Time
Some fun and games are currently being played over on Table 7 with Giacomo Fundaro right in the middle of it. Fundaro appears to be deliberately stalling, despite having a comfortable stack of around 200,000. We’re not in hand-for-hand yet, so it’s prime stalling territory.
The clock was called on Fundaro when he was in the big blind, facing a single preflop raise. Then moments later, action folded to him preflop and again the clock was called on him. The floor staff are very aware of what’s going on, and have indicated that Fundaro’s think time will be cut very shortly if the clock needs to be called on him again.
Interestingly it was Todd Terry who seemed most aggravated by the stalling, despite him being on the absolute short stack of the field and the stalling seemingly advantaging his position.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:56 PM Local Time
Sergio Aido was down to just 6,000 chips at one point today, but that seems weeks ago when looking at his 420,000-chip stack right now.
Aido raised to 8,500 from the cutoff and Patrick Schuhl three-bet to 23,000 from the button.
Both blinds folded and Aido moved all in for about 100,000 effectively. Schuhl snap-called putting a disappointed look on Aido’s face.
Schuhl showed and was in great shape to double up against Aido’s Unfortunately for Schuhl the window card was the and Aido took the lead. The board ran out and Schuhl was knocked out just short of the money.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:55 PM Local Time
We’re only a couple of places off the money and the pace of play has slowed up as the players think about the money. We took a walk around the room and we currently have six players under 100,000 in chips (or 25 big blinds). The pressure will be on these guys in the next few orbits:
Dario Sammartino - 95,000
Adrien Allain - 85,000
Nassar Firas - 75,000
James Alexander - 68,000
Romain Kazarian - 50,000
Todd Terry - 45,000
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:50 PM Local Time
Just three more players will leave with no money from the 2013 WSOPE Main Event.
Daniel Negreanu just lost a three-bet pot to drop to 218,000 but he still in with a very good chance of making the money.
If he does cash, it’ll be his fifth cash in the seven Main Events held outside Las Vegas. It’s an incredible record; especially when you consider there’s a first, second and fifth place finish in there.
His record:
2008 WSOPE: 5th for $395,024
2009 WSOPE: 2nd for $817,035
2012 WSOPE: 43rd for $26,289
2013 WSOP-APAC: 1st for $1,087,160
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:46 PM Local Time
Yann Dion is a tournament player with lots of experience. Dion made the final table of the Aussie Millions and PCA Main Event in the last two years and we’re sure he has seen quite a few things during those deep runs.
Just now Dion got caught up in a bit of drama and we were there to watch it all unfold.
On a flop Dion checked from the cutoff to Frederic Asta who bet 28,500. Dion gave it some thought and called after which the turn brought the This time both players checked and on the river the popped up.
Dion checked on the river to Asta who put together a bet worth 37,000. The French Canadian pro went into the tank for several minutes when all of a sudden this happened.
“Sorry,” Dion apologized for taking a very long time to make up his mind.
“Call!” Asta responded, and right away he slammed face up on the table.
“I said ‘sorry’,” Dion said as he kept his cards covered and his chips right where they were.
Asta exploded saying, in French, that Dion announced “all in” instead of “sorry.” The players went back and forth for a few seconds and then the tournament staff showed up.
“Everyone heard him say sorry,” David Yan said defending Dion who looked a bit flushed as Asta kept verbally attacking him.
“I heard him say all in,” Fabrice Soulier said, choosing Asta’s side.
“This is ridiculous,” Marcin Wydrowski said, “He clearly said sorry for taking a long time.”
“I’m not going to lie, I heard him say all in,” Soulier said once again.
“He said sorry,” the dealer then said, as all players except for Asta and Soulier agreed.
“Why would I ever shove there after tanking for so long for 240k?” Dion said defending his case.
The tournament staff ultimately asked the dealer and ruled Dion still had the action and he was not declared all in. Dion folded his cards showing and once again said, “Why would I ever shove with that?”
Initially the tournament staff ruled that Asta would get a one-round penalty for exposing his cards, but that was later reduced to a one-hand penalty, as there was no intent to get information from his opponent by showing his cards.
Regardless of the reduced sentence Asta was not happy and he kept arguing his case with the French-speaking tournament staff.
When the dust settled Dion still had 248,000 chips and Asta continues the tournament with a 275,000-chip stack.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:28 PM Local Time
Another cruel elimination has seen Grudi Grudev fall painfully close to the money in 44th place.
After a button open from Daniel Steinberg, Grudev three-bet from the big blind, Steinberg four-bet to 24,500 and then Grudev made it 39,000 to play. Steinberg flat-called and the flop landed
Grudev moved all in for around 80,000 and Steinberg re-checked his hole cards before making the call.
“I think I just sucked out on you real hard,” said Steinberg and he was right as his had spiked a set to crack Grudev’s
The turn and river left Grudev with no help as he quietly sighed, “Nice hand,” and departed the poker room. Steinberg is now up over 500,000 in chips.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:21 PM Local Time
Shannon Shorr is up to 315,000 after taking James Dempsey out of the running.
Shorr and Dempsey got it all-in preflop and Dempsey was flipping for his tournament life with versus Shorr’s
The board ran and Dempsey’s main event was done.
James Dempsey
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:21 PM Local Time
David Doukhan has busted just five places short of the money after Mark Teltscher took him out.
There was a raise to 9,000 and a call before Teltscher moved all in from the button. Doukhan was in the big blind and called all in for around 35,000. The other two players folded and the cards were flipped up.
Teltscher:
Doukhan:
The board ran
Teltscher moved up to 137,000.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:15 PM Local Time
Jeffrey Yarchever has been eliminated with the bustouts now flowing at a more rapid pace. We only caught the end result with Yarchever’s failing to out-race which we believe belonged to Jordan Cristos, as the board fell
Just 46 players remain!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:07 PM Local Time
Dominik Nitsche raised under the gun and Aaron Lim decided to move all in from his immediate left. The Aussie from Perth shoved for around 70,000 chips and Nitsche called as soon as all the other players had folded.
Nitsche:
Lim:
The board ran out and Lim was knocked out. Nitsche must’ve lost some chips previously as he’s back up to 530,000 chips right now.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013 4:05 PM Local Time
Sergio Aido was down to 6,000 chips at one point today but his remarkable recovery continued after he eliminated David Peters to get up to 325,000.
Peters opened to 8,000 from mid position and was only called by Aido in the big blind.
The flop appeared as and Peters continued for 8,500. Aido check-raised to 21,000 and called when Peters shoved for less than 80,000.
Aido:
Peters:
The board ran out ,
A cruel way for Peters to bust.