Event #14: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better

We had a series of big hands go down in back-to-back-to-back hands. In the first hand, Greg Raymer would get crippled down to 120,000 when he would call Calen McNeil's pre-flop four-bet and then fold on the river on a       board.

The next hand would see McNeil crippled Steve Chanthabouasy when he would hit a wheel on a       board with his      to scoop the pot. Chanthabouasy would show     .

Chanthabouasy would double up the next hand against Alex Luneau with      against Lunea's      on a       board to give him a Broadway straight.

Calen McNeil	1,375,000	380,000
Alex Luneau	725,000	-125,000
Steve Chanthabouasy	240,000	-130,000
Greg Raymer	120,000	-155,000

Adam Coats limped from early position, Alex Luneau raised and it was folded back to Coats who made the call. The flop came     and Coats check-called a bet from Luneau. He would do the same on the   turn and the   river and would muck his hand when Luneau turned over      for two pair, kings and fours, and the nut low.

Alex Luneau	850,000	145,000
Adam Coats	290,000	-267,000

Konstantin Puchkov raised pre-flop and Steve Chanthabouasy made the call. The flop came     and Puchkov bet. Chanthabouasy made the call. The turn was the   and Puchkov would check-call Chanthabouasy's bet. The river was the   and Puchkov would check-call Chanthabouasy's all in bet of 43,000.

Chanthabouasy      for aces up with a live four was good enough to take the entire pot as Puchkow had     .

Steve Chanthabouasy	370,000	130,000
Konstantin Puchkov	130,000	-170,000

Nick Kost limped in as did Greg Raymer and Jim Bucci. Alex Luneau checked his option in the big blind. The flop came     and Luneau bet and was called by Kost and Raymer. The turn was the   and the action was the same with Luneau betting and Kost and Raymer calling. The river was the   putting three spades on the board and this time Luneau checked. Kost bet, Raymer folded, and Luneau made the call.

Kost turned over      for the nut spade flush. Luneau showed a king high flush which was 2nd best. Kost moves above the 700,000 chip mark while Raymer is now riding the short stack with less than 150,000.

Nick Kost	715,000	415,000
Alex Luneau	705,000	-207,000
Greg Raymer	145,000	-95,000

Kal Raichura opened the action for a raise and Nick Kost three-bet. Ralchura called and led out on the     flop. Kost raised, leaving himself with 13,000 and Ralchura called. The turn was the   and Ralchura bet out. Kost called and was all in for his tournament life with      against Ralchura's     . The river was the   and with no low hitting, Kost's pair of tens was enough to scoop the entire pot.

Kal Raichura	925,000	-275,000
Nick Kost	300,000	107,000

Greg Raymer raised from early position and Jim Bucci called from middle position. Calen McNeil raised from the big blind and Raymer and Bucci both called.

The flop came     and McNeil led out with a bet and was called by Raymer and Bucci. The turn was the   and McNeil checked. Raymer bet, Bucci folded, and McNeil called.

The river was the   and McNeil led out. Raymer called and McNeil said "good call, I was bluffing." Raymer turned over      for five and deuces with a seven low. McNeil mucked and Raymer said "that was a crying call." Raymer has gone from under 100,000 to near half a million in the first ten minutes of the final table.

Calen McNeil	670,000	-129,000
Greg Raymer	460,000	245,000

Greg Raymer raised and got calls from Konstantin Puchkov (late position), Jim Bucci (button), and Alex Luneau (big blind). Action checked to Puchkov on the     flop, and he bet. Raymer was the only caller, and a   prompted two checks. On the   river, Raymer moved in for 37,000 and was called.

Raymer showed      for a straight and the nut low, good for three-quarters against Puchkov's     .

Greg Raymer

215,000

133,000

On the one hand, it seemed unlikely. Down to less than four big bets to start Day 2 of this event, it didn't appear as though Calen "Big Wheel" McNeil would be around for long yesterday, let alone make it to today's final table with one of the bigger stacks among the final nine. But he's made it, and thus the defense of his $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Low title from a year ago continues.

Then again, knowing McNeil's even-keeled approach to the game, the comeback perhaps seems less surprising.

A few months back McNeil sat down with Josh Cahlik for an extended interview for Learn.PokerNews in which McNeil focused on the topic of keeping one's ego in check at the tables. In the interview McNeil conveys some worthwhile advice about being confident without letting ego get the best of you at the table. He also has some good things to say about conveying respect to others at the table, including sharing a wonderful story about a World Series of Poker Circuit event he played this year in which he finished runner-up to a recreational player — and couldn't have been happier for the fellow who won.

Check out what McNeil had to say in "Professional Opinions: Checking Ego at the Door with Calen McNeil."

Jim Bucci limped in early position, Michael Stewart raised leaving himself 13,000 behind. Steve Chanthabouasy called and then Bucci three-bet it. Stewart called and was all in and Chanthabouasy called as well.

The flop came     and Chanthabouasy check-called a bet from Bucci. He did the same on the   turn. On the   river he would check-raise Bucci's bet and Bucci would call. The hands were turned over as Stewart started to sing "some guys have all the luck":

Chanthabouasy:      — a six-high straight
Bucci:      — the nut low

Stewart's      caught neither end of the pot and he was eliminated. He smiled and said to the rest of the table "I know you all enjoyed playing with me. Old man gone."

Michael Stewart

0

-225,000

Jason, Donnie, and Rich celebrate National Doughnut Day and talk about final table railing, vuvuzelas, the recent bracelet winners, and more. They are then joined by RunGood Team Pro and WSOP bracelet winner Bryan Campanello to talk Texas high school football, grinding the live circuit, and more.

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