Wednesday, June 23, 2010 3:10 AM Local Time
"BOO KA YA! YA! YA! BOO KA YA YA YA!" cheered Valdemar Kwaysser's throng of supporters, embracing their man as they collectively jumped up and down to celebrate his victory. We're not exactly experts in Eastern European languages, but from here it looked genuine, emotional, and utterly thrilling for the young man from Hungary who just captured his first WSOP bracelet.
Matt Marafioti literally had to kiss the bracelet goodbye when his flush draw failed to come in on that final hand. As Kwaysser celebrated, Marafioti quietly walked back to the table, picked it up and stared at it longingly before walking offstage.
Kwaysser has been wearing a plaid newsboy cap for the duration of this tournament and we're virtually guaranteed to see more of his lucky hat in the coming days. Hailing from Budapest, Kwaysser had already captured two major titles before today, winning the first-ever Latin American Poker Tour Event back in 2008 and taking down the Italian Poker Tour-San Remo main event last February. This is his seventh cash overall at the WSOP, his third this year, and at his first final table, he was able to close it out and come away with the win.
Congratulations to Valdemar Kwaysser on a dominating short-handed performance and a spectacular victory. For all of us at PokerNews, thanks for following along. The sun is about to come up and our beds are calling.
From the Rio in Las Vegas, good night and good luck.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 3:06 AM Local Time
Matt Marafioti raised to 200,000 before the flop, and Valdemar Kwaysser made the call to see a flop.
It came out , and Kwaysser checked to the raiser. Marafioti tried to bet 425,000, and the dealer flicked one green chip back as a rebate for his pot-sized bet. Without wasting much time, Kwaysser announced, "Pot," and Marafiotti got his chips into the pot in a hurry, putting himself all in for a total of 1.995 million. With Marafioti once again at risk, the cards were turned over:
Kwaysser:
Marafioti:
Marafioti was behind, but he had a ton of outs to draw this match back to even at four million chips apiece. The turn wasn't one of his out cards, but the was a good miss as it gave him another six outs to make a straight. Marafioti was smirking nervously at the weight of the moment as the dealer dropped the river card on board.
It was the , and that was another miss for Marafioti with his very last shot.
Unable to get over the hump, he has become the final elimination of this event, finishing in 2nd place for $381,507. It was a patient and measured final table for Marafioti, and he's been rewarded with a sweet payday -- the largest of his career -- to soothe his near-bracelet blues.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:56 AM Local Time
Marafioti limped in from the button, Kwaysser raised, Marafioti reraised, Kwaysser set him all-in and Marfioti called.
This time, Marafioti turned over . Kwaysser needed some serious help on the board with .
The flop was , Marafioti's aces holding. Kwaysser picked up a gutshot straight draw on the turn when the fell, but the river was the and Marafioti scored another double-up, this time to 1.8 million. Kwaysser is down to 6.2 million.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:50 AM Local Time
On the second hand of heads-up play:
Valdemar Kwaysser raised from the button, and Marafiotti reraised to get all 575,000 of his chips in there. He couldn't wait to turn over his , but he would need to fade Kwaysser's live in order to survive.
He would. The dealer ran him out a friendly board of , and Marafioti draws first blood in this battle. He's back to 1.15 million now, giving Kwaysser the other 6.925 million.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:47 AM Local Time
Well, it's a little lopsided...
Valdemar Kwaysser - 7,385,000
Matt Marafioti - 655,000
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:47 AM Local Time
James Calderaro opened for 200,000, Valdemar Kwaysser re-potted, Calderaro moved all-in for 1.7 million and Kwaysser called.
Calderaro
Kwaysser
Kwaysser's jacks held up on the board, leaving him heads-up with a very short-stacked Matt Marafioti. For his third-place finish, "Caldo" will take home nearly $285,000.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:40 AM Local Time
Action has resumed. There are 21 minutes remaining in Level 28.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:33 AM Local Time
Our three remaining players have gone off on a ten-minute break.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:29 AM Local Time
For the second time in just a couple hands, a big preflop raising war between Valdemar Kwaysser and Konstantin Bucherl left the latter all in, this time for a hefty 2.165 million chips. Kwaysser still had that covered, and he had Bucherl dominated when the cards were turned up:
Kwaysser:
Bucherl:
There was an unfortunate king on the flop for the at-risk player, but he did pick up a gutshot straight draw as it came . The was a miss, though, and the that rivered failed to save Bucherl from the cashier's grasp. He's out in 4th place, but he'll be rewarded with more than $200,000 for his three-day effort
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:28 AM Local Time
Valdemar Kwaysser completed the small blind, Konstantin Bucherl raised to 230,000 from the big blind, Kwaysser reraised to 690,000, Bucherl moved all-in and Kwaysser called.
Bucherl
Kwaysser
The board ran out and Bucherl doubled up.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 2:03 AM Local Time
Valdemar Kwaysser opened for 175,000, Konstantin Bucherl re-potted, Kwaysser set him all-in and Bucherl called. They turned over the same hand.
Kwaysser
Bucherl
The only way this pot would not end in a split would have been if the board had four-flushed. Each player's camp, of course, started screaming for various suits.
The flop left that door slightly open, as Bucherl could catch running hearts. The Germans screamed for one at the top of their lungs. The turn was the and the screaming intensified even more. The river, however was the and they chopped the pot as the energy level in the room deflated.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:47 AM Local Time
Konstantin Bucherl button-raised to 210,000 to open the put, putting about 40% of his stack out there in the middle of the table. In the small blind, Matt Marafioti raised the minimum to 360,000, and Bucherl moved all in. As he was doing so, Marafioti said, "Don't do it, bro. You're way behind. Don't do it. Bucherl did, and Marafiotti called the extra bit to put his opponent at risk.
Showdown
Bucherl:
Marafioti:
There was a five peeking right in the window, and the board of saved Bucherl from extinction. He's doubled up over a million now, leaving Marafioti back on the shortest stack with less than 800,000
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:41 AM Local Time
Matt Marafioti raised to 185,000 and the action folded around to Konstantin Bucherl in the big blind. Bucherl eyeballed Marafioti's stack before setting him all-in for 495,000. Marafioti called.
"Esperanza and Daniela!" Marafioti said to his supporters on the rail as he tabled pocket queens. Bucherl showed .
The board ran out and Marfioti doubled to just over 1 million.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:40 AM Local Time
Valdemar Kwaysser and James Calderaro had built themselves a little pot by the time we got the sense something was brewing on the flop. There was 800,000 in the middle going to the turn, and Calderaro bet that much with the word, "Pot." He cut the chips out of his stack, and Kwaysser just grinned and stared at them. After a minute or so, he said, "Okay, take it," and released his hand.
Calderaro flashed as he pulled in the pot, moving his way to the two-million chip mark or very close to it.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:27 AM Local Time
First to go, Konstantin Bucherl opened the pot to 75,000, and big blind Valdemar Kwaysser reraised to 240,000 total. After a quick sideways glance, Bucherl called to see a flop.
It came , and Bucherl faced a continuation bet of 360,000. Bucherl thought it over carefully, and he eventually slid the calling chips from his stack and into the pot.
That brought them to the raggy turn. Not slowing down now, Kwaysser grabbed two full stacks of greens and carefully slid out a bet of 1 million straight. That sent Bucherl deep into the tank, and he counted down his remaining chips. Our eyeballs counted 1.135 million in his stacks, so he was faced with a big all-or-nothing proposition. He stared at the board and slid the hoodie off his head to get a better look. After maybe four minutes, Kwaysser called the clock. It seemed just a tad quick by our internal timer, and Bucherl didn't seem to like it either as he eyed up the floor man, then stared at Kwaysser out of the corner of his eye. When the click ticked down to zero, Bucherl shook his head, uncapped his cards, and mucked them.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:18 AM Local Time
1. The Germans have a bullhorn. They use it to start chants and sing songs. We don't know what any of them mean but they're... festive. Or at least they were two hours ago.
2. As we noted in the previous post, Dan Smith was sweating Dani Stern while wearing a red sequined hat accented with a tall black feather and a Full Tilt patch. Not sure what the lost prop bet was there.
3. James Calderaro has placed a second chair behind his own to hold all his stuff. This includes an empty bottle of Sobe Life Water, a Starbucks cup, a pack of gum, a bottle of Purell, a pack of Marlboro Ultra Lights, a small bottle of aromatherapy oil, and seven or eight sugar packets.
4. Valdemar Kwaysser has requested that the tournament director announcing the action call him "Luigi." True story.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:13 AM Local Time
Dani Stern opened for 130,000 and the action folded around to Valdemar Kwaysser, who three-bet to 300,000. Stern moved all-in and Kwaysser called.
Stern
Kwaysser
Kwaysser's supporters began screeching for an ace, which in their native tongue sounds more like a three-letter synonym for "donkey." The dealer complied, spreading out an flop. Stern needed a ten to survive, his own rail rallying behind him. Dan Smith even climbed up on a friend's shoulders (he was also wearing a red sequined hat with a black feather, but that's another story) and held his arms out, trying to conjure up a ten for his buddy.
The turn, however, was the and the river the . Stern headed to the rail in fifth place and was trailed out of the Amazon Room by his sizable cheering squad.
Kwaysser has a commanding chip lead with 3,730,000.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 1:00 AM Local Time
The table folded around to the blinds, and Konstantin Bucherl raised to 150,000 from the small. Matt Marafioti was in the big, and he sat statue still in the tank for several minutes. It was long enough that someone, quite possibly Bucherl, called the clock on him. A few seconds later, Marafioti surrendered his hand, and Bucherl steals his big, flashing the as he does.
It's not very exciting, but it's the most that's happened this level. Other than that, lots of folding, and every now and then a random loud bark from LuckyChewy on the rail.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 12:32 AM Local Time
James Calderaro 2,425,000
Valdemar Kwaysser 2,325,000
Konstantin Bucherl 1,620,000
Dani Stern 900,000
Matt Marafioti 760,000
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 12:27 AM Local Time
We've played another two levels of poker, and it's time for a twenty-minute break. We'll be back for more shortly.