Tuesday, June 3, 2008 7:34 PM Local Time
Unknown Action
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 7:28 PM Local Time
Theo Tran has the button in seat 7. Mike Ngo raises to 125,000 from late position, winning the blinds and antes.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 7:27 PM Local Time
Hand # 12 -
Melvin Jones has the button in Seat #5. Joe Rutledge open-raises all in for 520,000 from middle position. All fold to Chris Ferguson in the big blind, who tanks for a minute before making the call. It's another race for Ferguson with his
against Rutledge's
. Ferguson can do no wrong the last few levels of this tournament and is rewarded again with a board of
. Rutledge is sent to the rail to collect $83,127.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 7:19 PM Local Time
We are ten hands in. Apart from the miscue with Wiedenhoeft misreading his hand, there hasn't been much action to speak of. In the few instances where we have seen a flop, players have been inclined to check. It hasn't helped that we have seen several highly coordinated boards. Some of the short stacks, like David Bach, will have to think about making a move, lest they get eaten alive by the blinds and antes.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 7:11 PM Local Time
There was a great turnout from the crowd today. Every seat in the Milwaukee's Best Light final table area is taken. Support is fairly spread out amongst the players as well. Chris Ferguson notwithstanding, applause for each player is fairly equal.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 6:52 PM Local Time
On the very first hand since play resumed, Jeff Wiedenhoeft opened the pot for 125,000. Mike Ngo, in the small blind, was the only caller. Ngo checked the flop of
, then called after Wiedenhoeft pushed all in for over 700,000 chips.
Wiedenhoeft:
Ngo:
Wiedenhoeft immediately started shaking his head. He came over to his family on the rail and said, "First final table and I screw up! I read my cards wrong. How do you make a final table at the World Series of Poker and misread your cards?"
The turn
meant the only card that could help Wiedenhoeft on the river was a 9 for a chop. The river instead came
and Wiedenhoeft was bounced, $52,021 richer for the experience.
Despite being beside himself for misreading his hand, Wiedenhoeft showed true grace and class and shook Ngo's hand after the river came down.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 6:41 PM Local Time
After player introductions, play resumes.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 6:32 PM Local Time
After a lengthy delay, players have been allowed back to the table and have taken their seats. We should be re-starting play within a few minutes.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 6:07 PM Local Time
There has been a slight delay as we've relocated to the ESPN featured table. However, most of the players have been spotted in the area and play should commence within a few minutes.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 4:13 PM Local Time
Here are the remaining players' updated chip counts:
James Akenhead - 1,995,000
Aaron Coulthard - 1,510,000
Theo Tran - 1,420,000
Mike Ngo - 1,375,000
Melvin Jones - 1,280,000
Chris Ferguson - 1,235,000
Jeff Wiedenhoeft - 880,000
Joe Rutledge - 785,000
Grant Hinkle - 680,000
David Bach - 675,000
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 4:02 PM Local Time
It has been decided that the players will take a 120-minute break. This will give them adequate time for dinner and to conduct their ESPN interviews. Play will resume at 7:00 pm PDT. Accurate chip counts will be posted in a moment.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:53 PM Local Time
With the end of level 22, play has paused so tournament officials can race off the yellow (T1000) chips. With just one table remaining, this process shouldn't take long. Expect the cards to be in the air soon.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:53 PM Local Time
The Cinderella story continues for Chris Ferguson, who was down to just 7,500 chips when we were at blinds of 4,000 / 8,000 / 1,000 and had to post a small blind of 4,000 and an ante of 1,000.
On this hand, Theo Tran opened the pot for 90,000. Ferguson, slow and deliberate as always, took approximately twenty seconds before moving his whole stack of 539,000 chips into the middle. Action folded to Aaron Coulthard on the button, who tanked for at least a minute before raising all in for over 1.5 million. A gasp went up from the crowd as the blinds and Tran folded and got out of the way.
Ferguson was in the lead with
but had to dodge the
of Coulthard. He did so when the board came
. After the end, Theo Tran pounded the table in anger, suggesting that he may have folded ace-jack.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:51 PM Local Time
With just one table remaining, and one more elimination before moving to the ESPN feature table, players are taking their time. Whether it's making decisions, moving chips, or looking at their cards, the actions of these players would be best described as "slow and deliberate."
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:43 PM Local Time
With one table remaining, we have our first big pot in a while. Theo Tran opened in late position for 80,000 and was called by James Akenhead from the big blind. Both players checked the flop of
. Akenhead bet 200,000 on the turn
, which Tran called. When the river came
, Akenhead fired again for 280,000.
Tran went into the tank for several minutes. "Jack or nothing," he pondered aloud. He tried to stare down Akenhead, but Akenhead remained motionless, his gaze fixated on the felt. Tran finally threw 280,000 chips in the pot. Akenhead opened
for a pair of nines, which was enough to take the pot after Tran mucked.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:29 PM Local Time
With Perry Friedman's elimination, the tournament staff have decided to collapse the two remaining tables into one ten-handed table and have redrawn for seats. We will play for another 17 minutes before racing off the yellow (1,000) chips. Seat assignments are as follows:
1 - Jeff Wiedenhoeft
2 - David Bach
3 - Aaron Coulthard
4 - Mike Ngo
5 - Joe Rutledge
6 - Melvin Jones
7 - Theo Tran
8 - Chris Ferguson
9 - James Akenhead
10 - Grant Hinkle
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:28 PM Local Time
Action folded around to Theo Tran in the cutoff seat. He raised to 90,000. When it got to Perry Friedman, he postured momentarily, then declared "all in." Tran instantly said "Call," and rolled over
. Friedman grimaced and flipped up
. Tran had Friedman well covered so it was the latter who was at risk. The flop came
and Friedman shouted "Jack! Jack!" It was not to be, however, as the turn and river bricked for the Full Tilt pro, and he finished in 10th place and will leave with a cool $52,021 to show for it.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:25 PM Local Time
Players continue to play every hand extremely slowly after the flop. This time, it was Joe Rutledge and Theo Tran involved in a 200,000 pot out of the blinds. The flop was all babies:
. Rutledge bet 150,000 and Tran thought, then called. Both players checked the rest of the way
. Rutledge said, "You got me," as he turned over
. Tran opened
to take a 250,000-chip bite out of Rutledge.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:21 PM Local Time
Theo Tran raised to 80,000 from the cutoff and Perry Friedman made the call from the big blind. The flop came down
and both players checked. The
on the turn had both men checking again. When the
hit the river, Friedman pushed out 100,000. Tran made a quick call and Friedman showed
. Tran then flipped up the
. Friedman smiled and said "I guess that was not a good card to bluff at."
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 3:10 PM Local Time
As we approach the final table bubble, play has tightened considerably, with a raise usually taking the blinds. James Akenhead tried to take a different tack by limping in on the button. Perry Friedman quickly completed his small blind, and Joe Rutledge checked his option from the big blind.
Friedman, with a glance at Akenhead, said, "I check dark -- just in case you're slowplaying." The flop came
with action checking to Akenhead, who fired a bet of 85,000. Only Rutledge called. Both players checked the turn
and the river
.
"King," declared Rutledge, opening
. Akenhead rapped the table and mucked his hand.