Wednesday, July 2, 2014 2:12 AM Local Time
Mike Kachan Wins $403,483 In Event #56: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em
Congratulations to Mike Kachan who has come out on top of a field of 2,525 on his way to winning a WSOP gold bracelet and a huge payday of $403,483.
Sixteen players returned today and they got off to a fast start. In short order the tournament lost Michael Spegal (16th), Robert Merulla (15th), Justin Schwartz (14th), Daniel Riley (13th) and Michael Marckx (12th )in the first two levels and Bastian Fischer finished in eleventh soon after.
The two tables then merged to an unofficial table of ten before Matt Salsberg shoved with on a flop of into the of Raymond Henson and his gutter ball didn't arrive sending Salsberg home in tenth.
From the very first level of the tournament two days ago the action was fast and furious but as soon as the final table of nine was formed it was anything but. From then on it was the story of an extraordinary sequence of double ups as the short stacks came back from the dead time and time again, and a raise would often lead to the blinds and antes being won.
Stacks were mostly evenly distributed, and never very deep, so multi-street action was few and far between. No player wanted or could afford to make a mistake, and if they did it seemed as if a double up wasn't that far away.
One by one though they were eventually eliminated. Ray Henson called a shove with a nut flush draw but couldn't get there so was gone in ninth. Richard Milne fell eighth with a shove from the button running into Egan's small blind . Seventh place went to Steve Gross when he picked up a losing pair of pocket fives for the second hand in a row and shoved them into Jeff Blenkarn's tens to end his participation.
Neo Hoang was sixth when his three-bet shove with was eventually called by the of Viktor Skoldstedt. It then took nearly two more hours before Viktor Skoldstedt was felted when he picked what looked like a good three-bet shove spot with but Jeff Blenkarn was going nowhere with his and Skoldstedt had to be satisfied with fifth and $93,940.
More swapping of chips followed until Andrew Egan got short and his move with the was picked off by Mike Kachan with . Egan left in fourth with $128,032 having come back from a short stack several times.
Three handed play began with fairly even stacks again but the pace picked up considerably as players seemingly opened up their ranges. A shove from Eric Shanks with a strong three handed was unlucky to run into the of Blenkarn who claimed another victim and sent Shanks out in third to collect his $177,527 winnings.
Heads up play would last just fourteen hands as both players refused to back down and when Kachan turned two pair in position he instantly called the shove of second place finisher Blenkarn and held on for the win. Blenkarn desperately wanted that bracelet but had to console himself with second place prize $ 250,815.
A tumultuous and gruelling three days play had finally come to an end in the early hours of Wednesday morning as a delighted Kachan celebrated with friends and basked in the attention of the media. He held up the gold bracelet as the winners photographs were taken, promising to put in on the wrist of his baby as soon as he could.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 1:23 AM Local Time
Jeff Blenkarn Eliminated in 2nd Place ($250,815)
Hand #187:
Mike Kachan opened for 250,000 and Jeff Blenkarn thought for a while before calling and checking in the dark.
The flop came .
Mike Kachan bet 215,000 and Blenkarn raised him to 615,000. Kachan made the call.
The turn was the and Blenkarn moved all in. Kachan couldn't have called any quicker and the cards were turned over.
Blenkarn had but Kachan held the for two pair.
The river was the and Kachan shook the defeated Blenkarn's hand before celebrating with his cheering rail.
Mike Kachan | 7,575,000 | 3,595,000 |
Jeff Blenkarn | 0 | -3,605,000 |
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 1:16 AM Local Time
Hands #183-186: Both Players Going For It
Hand #183: Mike Kachan limped and Jeff Blenkarn checked. The flop was . A bet of 150,000 from Kacham took it down.
Hand #184: Blenkarn raised to 240,000, Kachan made it 510,000 and Blenkarn moved all in. Kachan laid it down.
Hand #185: Kachan opened to 300,000 and Blenkarn moved all in. Kachan folded.
Hand #186: Blenkarn opened to 240,000 and Kachan called. The flop was and a 125,000 bet from Kachan was called. The turn was the and Kachan fired again for 175,000. The river was the . Kachan checked and Blenkarn showed and the of Kachan was good for the one pair on the river.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 1:04 AM Local Time
Hands #178-182: Better Two Pair for Kachan
Hand #178: Jeff Blenkarn raised to 360,000 and won the pot.
Hand #179: Mike Kachan raised to 240,000 and Blenkarn called. On the flop, Blenkarn bet 325,000 and Kachan quickly grabbed into his stack, making the call. Blenkarn checked the turn and Kachan bet 275,000.
Both opponents stared at each other and Blenkarn folded after about one minute of consideration.
Hand #180: Blenkarn announced a raise and made it 240,000 to go, Kachan called. Kachan checked the flop, Blenkarn quickly bet 400,000 and his opponent already placed the chips for the call while it was announced.
The turn was checked through and Kachan announced 395,000 only moments after the completed the board. Blenkarn quickly called with but that was only second best to the of Kachan.
Hand #181: Blenkarn got a walk.
Hand #182: Kachan also received a walk.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:55 AM Local Time
Level 31 started
Level: 31
Blinds: 60000/120000
Ante: 15000
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:50 AM Local Time
Hands #173-177: Heads-Up Play Begins
Hand #173: Mike Kachan made it 235,000 on the button and Jeff Blenkarn called. The flop was . They both checked and the turn was the . Kachan bet 255,000 and Blenkarn called. The river was the and Blenkarn led out for 220,000 and took it down.
Hand #174: Kachan got a walk.
Hand #175: Blenkarn got a walk.
Hand #176: Blenkarn opened for 250,000 and Kacham called. The flop was which was checked. The turn was the and Kacham bet 105,000. Blenkarn considered and called. The river was the . Blenkarn won with .
Hand # 177: Blenkarn got a walk.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:41 AM Local Time
Heads-Up Chip Counts
Mike Kachan | 3,980,000 | 1,530,000 |
Jeff Blenkarn | 3,605,000 | 755,000 |
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:39 AM Local Time
Eric Shanks Eliminated in 3rd Place ($177,527)
Hand #172: Eric Shanks moved all in from the button and Jeff Blenkarn did so as well, Mike Kachan quickly folded his cards.
Blenkarn:
Shanks:
Shanks was the player at risk and he also had the worse hand preflop. The flop only improved his hand slightly and the turn brought no change.
With the as final community card, Shanks was eliminated in 3rd place and there will be a short break to re-seat the players.
Eric Shanks | 0 | -2,375,000 |
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:36 AM Local Time
Hands #169-171: Three-Way Action
Hand #169: Eric Shanks raised to 205,000 and Jeff Blenkarn in the small blind as well as Mike Kachan in the big blind called. The flop got checked to Shanks and he made a continuation bet of 200,000. Blenkarn moved all in and both opponents folded. "I should have checked," said Shanks.
Hand #170: Benklarn limped from the button, Kachan raised to 255,000 in the small blind and Shanks folded from the big blind. Blenkarn reached for chips, double checked his cards again and made the call. The two players headed to the flop and Kachan immediately bet 175,000.
Benklarn checked the board again, looked at his opponent and asked "Why so much?" before mucking his cards.
Hand #171: Shanks moved all in out of the small blind. Blenkarn took about two minutes before he released the cards.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:26 AM Local Time
Hands #163-168: Kachan Making Moves
Hand #163: Eric Shanks opened for 205,000 and Jeff Blenkarn called in the small blind. Mike Kachan made it 500,000 from the big blind and when Kachan released his hand so did Blenkarn.
Hand #164: Blenkarn opened for 210,000 and won the antes and blinds.
Hand #165: Kachan made it 200,000 and Blenkarn called in the big blind. The flop was and Blenkarn led out for 250,000. Kachan called and the turn card was the . Blenkarn checked and Kachan bet 145,000. Blenkarn folded his hand.
Hand #166: Kachan got a walk.
Hand #167: Blenkarn opened for 210,000, Kachan made it 600,000 and took it down.
Hand #168: Kachan limped, Shanks came along in the big blind and Blenkarn in the big blind checked. The flop was . Kachan bet 300,000 and took it down.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:16 AM Local Time
Hands #161-162: Back To Square
Hand #161: Jeff Blenkarn on the button and Eric Shanks out of the big blind were all in preflop and Shanks was at risk for 1,100,000.
Shanks:
Blenkarn:
The flop delivered one of the two over cards for Shanks and Blenkarn had only one out left after the turn. The river saw Shanks double up and both exchanged the roles.
Hand #162: Mike Kachan raised to 215,000 from the button and Blenkarn moved all in for 1,350,000 out of the big blind. It was no snap call but Kachan eventually announced the call and then sighed when he saw the cards of his opponent.
Kachan:
Blenkarn:
The flop reduced the odds of an elimination dramatically and Blenkarn locked up the hand with the turn. The meaningless river completed the board.
Jeff Blenkarn | 2,850,000 | 1,000,000 |
Mike Kachan | 2,450,000 | -1,090,000 |
Eric Shanks | 2,375,000 | 775,000 |
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:08 AM Local Time
Andrew Egan Eliminated in 4th Place ($128,032)
Hand #160:
Andrew Egan moved all in for his last few big blinds and Mike Kachan called.
Egan had got it in with and big blind Kachan had .
The board ran out . The damage had been done a few hands earlier and now Egan was finally out.
Andrew Egan | 0 | -480,000 |
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:07 AM Local Time
Hands #159
Hand #159: Eric Shanks opened for 250,000 from the small blind and Jeff Blenkarn called. The flop was . Shanks bet 220,000 and Blenkarn called. The turn card was the and they both checked. The river was the and the both checked. Blenkarn won it with .
Wednesday, July 2, 2014 12:00 AM Local Time
Hands #156-158: Kachan and Egan Clash
Hand #156: Eric Shanks raised to 205,000 from the button and Jeff Blenkarn called in the small blind to check in the dark. On the flop, Shanks bet 165,000 and was called. The turn was checked through and Blenkarn then won the pot with a bet of 225,000 after the river completed the board.
Hand #157: Mike Kachan raised to 200,000 out of the small blind and Andrew Egan folded. Kachan showed his opponents the .
Hand #158: Kachan raised to 265,000 from the button, Egan announced all in and Kachan quickly called. Both players shook hands after they tabled their cards.
Kachan:
Egan:
Both players were almost even in stack and the flop gave Kachan, who was the player at risk, the lead. Egan asked for a jack to get a sweat and sure enough the appeared on the turn. The river saw him reduced to less than five big blinds.
Mike Kachan | 3,540,000 | 1,275,000 |
Andrew Egan | 480,000 | -1,390,000 |
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 11:50 PM Local Time
Hands #151-155: Kachan Getting Shoved Around
Hand #151: Andrew Egan opened for 200,000 and won the antes and blinds.
Hand #152: Eric Shanks moved all in and got no calls.
Hand #153: Mike Kachan opened for 245,000 from the small blind and Egan moved all in. Kachan let it go.
Hand #154: Kachan limped the button and Eric Shanks checked the big blind. The flop was . Kachan bet 105,000 when it was checked to him and Shanks re-raised to 270,000. Kachan called and the turn card was the . Shanks moved all in and Kachan folded.
Hand #155: Kachan opened for 265,000 and got a little back winning the antes and blinds.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 11:41 PM Local Time
Level 30 started
Level: 30
Blinds: 50000/100000
Ante: 10000
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 11:27 PM Local Time
Chip Counts End of Level 29
Seat | Player | Chip Count |
1 | Andrew Egan | 1,870,000 |
3 | Eric Shanks | 1,600,000 |
4 | Jeff Blenkarn | 1,850,000 |
6 | Mike Kachan | 2,265,000 |
Mike Kachan | 2,265,000 | -285,000 |
Andrew Egan | 1,870,000 | 670,000 |
Jeff Blenkarn | 1,850,000 | -150,000 |
Eric Shanks | 1,600,000 | -800,000 |
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 11:22 PM Local Time
Break Time
Last twenty-minute break of the day.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 11:21 PM Local Time
Hands #146-150: Two All Ins Uncalled
Hand #146: Jeff Blenkarn raised to 160,000, Mike Kachan three-bet to 335,000 and they both folded after Andrew Egan four-bet all in.
Hand #147: Egan raised to 160,000 and Klenbarn called to see the flop. Blenkarn checked, Egan bet 225,000 and received a stare from his opponent. Blenkarn folded after giving it some fold. The rail still jokingly cheered for Victor (Skolmstedt).
Hand #148: Blenkarn limped from the small blind and Kachan checked his option in the big blind. After the flop, Blenkarn bet 160,000 and folded once his opponent raised to 400,000.
Hand #149: Eric Shanks raised to 165,000 and Kachan inquired about his stack behind, which would be 1.2 million in chips. Kachan then three-bet to 600,000 and that shut down all further action.
Hand #150: Blenkarn raised to 160,000 and Kachan called on the button. Egan folded his small blind and Shanks now moved all in out of the big blind. Both opponents quickly folded.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014 11:15 PM Local Time
Viktor Skoldstedt Eliminated in 5th Place ($93,490)
Hand #144: Jeff Blenkarn opened for 160,000 on the button won the antes and blinds.
Hand #145:
Jeff Blenkarn opened again for 160,000 and Viktor Skoldstedt moved all in from the small blind for 595,000.
The big blind folded and Blenkarn called.
Skoldstedt had shoved with and was dominated by the of Blenkarn.
The board ran out . Skoldstedt's run was at an end and he got a warm round of applause from the rail as he shook hands with his fellow players.
Viktor Skoldstedt | 0 | -580,000 |