Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:44 AM Local Time
These days, it's rare to see some genuine emotion at the tables. So often our game is marred by the excessive celebrations and fist-pumping that make so many of us cringe and roll our eyes, but moments after Ville Wahlbeck won his first WSOP bracelet, he shed more than a few tears of joy and had to take a moment in the corner of the final table area to collect himself and let his accomplishment sink in.
Wahlbeck already made it to one final table this week, finishing third in the $10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud event for a nearly $153,000 payday. He can now add $492,375 and a gold bracelet to his 2009 WSOP winnings.
A soft-spoken young man from Helsinki, Finland, 33-year old Wahlbeck is a regular on the European Poker Tour, but this is his first stateside tournament victory. His win tonight also marks the first WSOP bracelet for a Finnish player. Recently, he posted in his blog that he was thinking about quitting poker, but we have a feeling that after his win tonight, he'll be a force on the felt for a long time to come.
Congratulations to Ville Wahlbeck on a very well-deserved win.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:34 AM Local Time
Omaha-8:
David Chiu was all-in again preflop with
against Wahlbeck's
The flop came down
which looked good for Wahlbeck but the turn
put Chiu in the lead, the river was the
though, giving the Finn the straight to win the bracelet.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:22 AM Local Time
Limit Hold'em:
David Chiu raised, Ville Wahlbeck three-bet and Chiu called. Wahlbeck bet in the dark before the flop came down
. Chiu called and they went to the turn, which fell the
. Walhbeck bet, Chiu raised and Wahlbeck called. The river was the
and Wahlbeck check-called one more bet.
Chiu turned up
but it was no match for Walhbeck's
. Wahlbeck has now re-assumed his more than 5-1 chip lead.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:20 AM Local Time
Limit Hold'em:
On a flop of
, David Chiu checked, Ville Walhbeck bet and Chiu called. The turn fell the
and Chiu bet out. Wahlbeck raised and after a bit of a think, Chiu called. The river was the
and Chiu check-called Wahlbeck's bet.
Chiu showed
and Walhbeck mucked.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:13 AM Local Time
Ville Wahlbeck 5,250,000
David Chiu 750,000
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:11 AM Local Time
2-7 Triple Draw:
Scott Dorin raised from the button, Ville Wahlbeck three-bet, Dorin bet the last of his chips and Wahlbeck called.
On the first draw, Wahlbeck took two while Dorin drew one. They drew one apiece on the second draw and both rapped pat on the third.
Wahlbeck turned up 7-6-4-3-2. Dorin couldn't beat it with his 9-low and exited in third place. He'll take home $199,940 for a hard-fought battle.
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:06 AM Local Time
Scott Dorin -- 250,000
Ville Wahlbeck -- 5,000,000
David Chiu -- 750,000
Sunday, June 7, 2009 12:01 AM Local Time
PLO:
The board is reading
and Ville Wahlbeck is facing a 550,000 chip bet from Scott Dorin. It's the most substantial pot we've seen in a while, and Wahlbeck tanks for a few minutes before calling. Dorin mucks when Wahlbeck shows
for the straight.
Dorin is down to about 1 million chips and the Finn is the chip leader by some distance now.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:59 PM Local Time
Pot-Limit Omaha:
On a flop of
, David Chiu led out for 150,000 and Scott Dorin called. Both players checked the
on the turn and the
on the river.
Chiu turned up A-K-Q-9 for top two pair, besting Dorin's A-Q-9-3 to take down the pot.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:47 PM Local Time
No-Limit Hold'em:
On a flop of
, David Chiu bet 250,000 and Ville Wahlbeck called. Both players checked the
on the turn and the
on the river.
Wahlbeck turned up
for a turned pair of nines and Chiu mucked.
Chiu is now below a million in chips.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:37 PM Local Time
Stud-8:
David Chiu has been knocked back to 1.2 million after another hand didn't go his way.
Chiu:
Dorin:
Wahlbeck brought in, Dorin raised, and Chiu called with the Finn folding. Dorin continued to fire as his board got progressively better, the
on 6th street was too much for Chiu, who folded promptly.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:27 PM Local Time
After he took down a stud pot from David Chiu with a flush, the lead has swung around to Scott Dorin, but it's really still anybody's game.
Scott Dorin 2,700,000
Ville Wahlbeck 1,800,000
David Chiu 1,500,000
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:23 PM Local Time
Stud:
Ville Wahlbeck (X) (X)
Scott Dorin (X) (X)
David Chiu had the bring-in with the
, Ville Wahlbeck completed, Scott Dorin raised, Chiu folded and Wahlbeck called.
Wahlbeck led out on fourth street and Dorin called. With three suited Broadway cards, he led out again on fifth, but Dorin gave it up.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:14 PM Local Time
We're back...
First game is Stud.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 11:02 PM Local Time
David Chiu 3,205,000
Ville Wahlbeck 1,575,000
Scott Dorin 1,065,000
Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:46 PM Local Time
Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:45 PM Local Time
Omaha-8:
Scott Dorin is now down to about 800,000 after losing a few successive pots.
The latest being on a
when both checked the river and Wahlbeck showed him
and Dorin simply mucked.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:37 PM Local Time
Limit Hold'em:
On a flop of
Ville Wahlbeck led out and David Chiu called. The turn came the
and Wahlbeck fired again. Chiu raised and Wahlbeck called. Wahlbeck checked the
on the river, Chiu bet, and Wahlbeck looked him up.
Chiu showed
for the flush. Wahlbeck frowned and flashed the
as Chiu raked in the pot.
Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:21 PM Local Time
2-7 Triple Draw:
Scott Dorin raised from the cutoff, Mark Gregorich three-bet from the button, Dorin four-bet and Gregorich called all in.
Each player drew two on the first draw. On the second draw Dorin took two while Gregorich drew one. The third draw saw Dorin rap pat and Gregorich draw one.
Gregorich's T-8-5-3-2 was no match for Dorin's 8-6-5-4-2 and he headed to the rail in fourth place to a round of applause from his railbirds. (a rail that is now all but empty after his departure).
Saturday, June 6, 2009 10:09 PM Local Time
The following happened:
Matusow did not speak for approximately twelve seconds of the 10 minutes.
Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matusow signed a hat for someone.
Every pot (we're playing PLO at the moment) was raise/fold except one which Ville Wahlbeck called Mark Gregorich's raise and then set him in on the
flop. Gregorich folded.
Any pot Mark Gregorich won saw a ripple of applause from his rail.