Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:55 PM Local Time
Action folded around to Tom Schneider in the cutoff seat and he raised to 35,000. The button, Erick Lindgren, took a peek at his cards and then announced a raise to 140,000. Action folded back around to Schneider and he eventually made the call. Schneider tossed out just one card, the
. Lindgren took one card as well.
After the draw, Schneider slowly checked his hand and then started to count his chips. After about 45 seconds, he announced "all in." Lindgren asked for a count and the dealer stacked up 166,000. Lindgren called and Schneider instantly turned up
. Lindgren's look quickly went from optimistic to disappointed as he tossed his cards in. Schneider doubled up and is now working with 651,000 chips.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:49 PM Local Time
It was a short, rough day for David Benyamine. Each time he made a move, somebody played back at him. He moved in for his last 146,000 after Erick Lindgren opened the pot for 40,000 and was called by Tony G. Lindgren was the only caller of Benyamine's raise. He drew one card while Benyamine stood pat.
Lindgren: 8-2-4-5-?
Benyamine: J-8-7-4-2
Lindgren pulled a seven for his draw card to make an 8-7 and knock Benyamine out of the tournament. Benyamine earns $58,990 while Lindgren increases his stack to over 1.4 million.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:46 PM Local Time
With his hand in the muck and nothing to do, Mike Matusow just chimed in "so who would rather win the 50K H.O.R.S.E. this year rather than the Main Event?" Most of the replies were inaudible but Erick Lindgren let it be known he'd rather take down the World Championship. "Really?" said Matusow. "You'd rather win the Main Event, huh?" Lindgren replied "Definitely. Then again, you're talking to a guy that's never even cashed in the Main Event." Matusow smiled and said, "Well, that's true."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:41 PM Local Time
Action folded around to Tom Schneider in the cutoff and he raised to 35,000. Erick Lindgren called from the button as did Tony G from the big blind. Each player drew one card. After the draw, action was on Tony G and he checked. Schneider took his time before stacking 80,000 and pushing it out. Lindgren folded quickly as did Tony G. Tom Schneider, who came in as the short stack, is now up to over 300,000 chips.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:34 PM Local Time
Mike Matusow is proving his strength in today's game to the rest of the table. After Barry Greenstein opened the pot for 30,000 and David Benyamine called from the cutoff, Matusow declared a raise to 145,000. Benyamine made the call.
Matusow stood pat. Benyamine drew one card. After the draw, Matusow quickly checked the action to Benyamine, who checked behind and motioned to throw his cards in the muck. Matusow declared, "ten-high" and showed 10-9-6-4-2. That was enough to win the pot and take a big chunk out of Benyamine.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:32 PM Local Time
Action folded to Erick Lindgren in middle position and he raised to 30,000. Barry Greenstein called from the cutoff as did Tony G from the button. The blinds passed and they went to the draw. Lindgren and Greenstein both took one card and Tony G stayed pat. All three players checked and Tony flipped up
which had his opponents quickly mucking. Tony G takes down the 126,000-chip pot.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:30 PM Local Time
The players have come to play power poker for today's final table. After action folded to Barry Greenstein on the button, he raised to 30,000. Tony G quickly made the call from the small blind. David Benyamine considered his option from the big blind. He tanked for over a minute, casually shuffling a stack of pink (T5,000) chips in his hand before reraising to 83,000. Greenstein silently folded. For his part, Tony G asked for a count of Benyamine's remaining stack (about 200,000) then re-checked his cards and stared up at the ceiling of the Amazon Room. Finally he said "Good move," and folded his hand face up: 3-3-5-4-2. Benyamine obliged and showed his hand as well: J-T-9-x-x.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:25 PM Local Time
David Benyamine raised to 30,000 from under the gun. Action folded around to Tom Schneider and he moved all in from the button for 126,000. The blinds folded and Benyamine went into the tank. He thought for just shy of one minute before pushing out the call. Benyamine threw one discard, the
, face up. Schneider tapped the table and stayed pat. The players showed:
Schneider:
Benyamine:
Benymaine slowly peeked at his drawn card, then tossed it into the muck without showing. Tom Schneider won the pot and doubled up to 288,000 chips.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:22 PM Local Time
"If you never draw, you're in good shape in this game," said Mike Matusow. "But we both played that last hand pretty bad. I took too long to call [before the draw], so I can't bet. Even if I make my hand, you can raise me right off it."
"I thought about betting 30 at the end --"
"I might have raised you!" said Tony G.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:20 PM Local Time
Action folded around to Tony G in the cutoff and he raised to 30,000. Mike Matusow called from the big blind. Both players took one card. After the draw, Matusow checked. Tony G slowly checked his cards and then tapped the table himself.
"What you got?" said Guoga. "A pair," groaned Mike Matusow. "How big?" smiled Tony G. "Fives," declared Matusow with a hint of optimism. Tony quit with the dialogue and just turned up his
. Matusow mucked, Guogo smiled and said "that was a nice value check."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:15 PM Local Time
On the first hand of the day, Erick Lindgren raised from the button to 30,000. Tony G called out of the big blind and drew two. Lindgren stood pat.
After the draw, Tony G checked it over to Lindgren, who fired out a bet of 45,000. Tony G went into the tank for over a minute, staring at Lindgren and trying to get a read off of him. Lindgren was stone-faced, and eventually Tony G laid down his hand.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:09 PM Local Time
With 24 minutes remaining in level 16 and the button starting in seat 4, play is officially underway.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:06 PM Local Time
Play should be underway in a few minutes. There was a long discussion between executives from the Rio, Bluff magazine and ESPN as to whether the final table should be moved into the Milwaukee's Best Light No-Limit Lounge and be broadcast on ESPN360. There apparently was an insurance issue with moving the final table into the lounge and so, for now, players have taken their seats at a table just outside the lounge. Nolan Dalla was overheard saying that if the issue can be resolved during the course of play today, we will move into the lounge.
As to be expected for such a star-studded final table, the rail is full of spectators.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:03 PM Local Time
Despite a reputation as primarily a cash game specialist, Jeffrey Lisandro has an impressive tournament poker resume as well. He learned how to play poker at the age of five and has been dominating games ever since. The proud owner of one World Series of Poker bracelet as well as 21 other cashes at the series, Lisandro has over $2.8 million in career tournament earnings. His most recent cash was just a few days ago right here at the WSOP where he finished 16th in the $ 2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event. Lisandro’s biggest cash to date came in 2006 when he finished 17th in the WSOP Main Event.
Born in Perth, Australisa, Jeffrey has one daughter and currently resides in Salerno, Italy. Lisandro starts the day with 461,000 chips and will take seat 1.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:02 PM Local Time
Born in Los Angeles, CA, but currently residing in Henderson Nevada, Mike Matusow lays claim to two WSOP bracelets. The 40-year-old has 21 WSOP cashes and dozens of other notable finishes. With earnings totaling just over $6 million in his career, Mike “The Mouth” Matusow is a generally feared opponent in any game he sits in. Currently 24th on the all-time money list, Matusow has two $1 million cashes to his name. He made the final table of the 2005 WSOP main event, finishing in 9th place, then a few months later, bested 35 of the game’s greatest at the Tournament of Champions. This will be Mike’s first cash of this year’s WSOP. Despite a history of well-documented personal issues, Matusow has been working hard to transform himself. He recently lost 60 pounds in a prop bet with Ted Forrest, and is effectively controlling what he calls his patented “blow-ups.” In seat 2, Matusow starts this final table with 520,000 chips.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:01 PM Local Time
To the casual poker fan, Tom Schneider might be the least recognizable player in this field of greats. In any other lineup, that would likely not be the case. The generally quiet and well mannered Schneider has not yet marketed himself as a "poker personality," but instead lets his results do the talking for him. Schneider holds the distinct honor of winning two WSOP bracelets in the same year, an accomplishment that earned him the 2007 WSOP Player of the Year award. Despite two first-place finishes in WSOP events, Schneider’s biggest cash came when he placed 3rd in the 2006 WPT $ 5,000 Championship Event - No Limit Hold'em in Reno, NV. With over $1.3 million in career tournament earnings, the 48-year-old Phoenix, AZ native has even written a book on poker. A former C.P.A., Schneider’s non-poker background includes careers as a president and C.F.O. of multiple high-profile Arizona companies. Schneider has ten career WSOP cashes, the most recent of which was just a few days ago when he finished 64th in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em event. In seat 3, Schneider comes in as our short stack with 162,000 chips.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:01 PM Local Time
31-year old Erick Lindgren is one of the winningest tournament players at today's final table, with over $6 million in career tournament earnings. He earned his first WSOP gold bracelet just a few weeks ago in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em (Limit / No-Limit) event and has several WPT titles to his name. He is one of the name members of Team Full Tilt, a team of 11 poker professionals that are the primary owners and sponsors of online poker site Full Tilt Poker.
Lindgren is widely known for accepting a $350,000 prop bet at the 2007 World Series of Poker from Gavin Smith, Phil Ivey and a syndicate of other people. To win the bet, Erick had to play four consecutive rounds of golf at Las Vegas' "Bear's Best" golf course between sunrise and sunset. He had to carry his own bags and shoot under 100 in each of the four rounds. Temperatures reached 106 degrees during the height of the day, but Lindgren won the bet. He is our chip leader entering the final table and in prime position to win his second WSOP gold bracelet in as many weeks.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:00 PM Local Time
Barry Greenstein brings two WPT titles and two WSOP gold bracelets to today's final table, including one in 2004 in this very event. Sometimes called the Robin Hood of poker, Greenstein is best known for periodically donating his tournament winnings to various charities, the primary of which is Children, Incorporated, a non-profit international organization assisting children of all races and creeds, administering to their physical, emotional, and educational needs. Greenstein has a degree in computer science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and studied for a PhD in mathematics that he never completed. He was engaged in the information technology industry with Symantec before retiring at age 36 to play poker for a living. He has also written a critically acclaimed poker book, Ace on the River.
Greenstein has almost $6 million in career tournament earnings, and is remembered fondly by the poker media for dedicating his win in the 2005 $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha WSOP event to Charlie Tuttle, a friend of PokerListings.com reporter Jason Kirk. Tuttle died of cancer a few days later.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2:00 PM Local Time
Tony 'G' Guoga is no stranger to WSOP success. He has cashed in nine WSOP events, most recently finishing in 32nd place in this year's Event #11 - $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout for a $16,920 payday. His poker tournament career earnings exceed $2.5 million and he has several first-place finishes to his name, including the 2007 Moscow Millions, where he cashed for over $200,000. Tony G also has several poker-related business interests, including being one of the principal owners of PokerNews.com.
Tony G is perhaps best known for employing a very jovial, verbal style of play at the poker table. That style has provoked some controversy in the past, but at the end of the day Tony G is incredibly good-natured and generous to a fault. We expect to see that humorous, verbal style and good nature on display today as Tony G vies for his first WSOP gold bracelet.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:59 PM Local Time
35-year old David Benyamine, from Paris, France, has had several successful professional careers before migrating to the green felt. His first career saw Benyamine as one of France's top-ranked tennis players. A back injury cut short his promising career, and so Benyamine turned his attention to billiards, quickly becoming a top-ten billiards player in France. He has enjoyed similar success at the poker table, with one WPT title under his belt (the 2003 Grand Prix de Paris), a first-place finish in the WPT's 2005 Battle of Champions, and total career tournament earnings exceeding $1 million. He is one of the big names at today's final table looking for his first WSOP bracelet to add to his impressive poker resume.
Benyamine is a specialist in pot-limit Omaha but has made a name for himself playing no-limit hold'em tournaments and as a winning player on Game Show Network's High Stakes Poker. Benyamine has one daughter and is currently engaged to poker professional Erica Schoenberg.