Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:54 AM Local Time
Well, that was a day. We're going to mince words here since they're shutting off the lights and sweeping the carpets on awesome little machines that resemble miniature Zambonis. It looks like they want us out of here.
Today was the third (and supposedly final) day of this Event #29, but like so many other events this summer, it's going to bleed over into a fourth day. Just three players remain from our starting field of 431, and all four of them have had their hands on the chip lead at one point or another today. Here's how they stack up at night's end:
| Player | Chips |
|---|
| Chris Lee | 1,425,000 |
| Brian Haveson | 997,000 |
| Travis Pearson | 813,000 |
Of the final four players today, Shaun Deeb must have had the most fun. He was in seemingly every pot during every game, and his chip stack showed signs of good use. After dinner, Deeb went from the chip lead with 650,000 to the short stack with 150,000, and back to the commanding chip leader at 1.02 million. All within an hour. It was a roller-coaster day, but the wheels finally began to wobble as the hours dragged on. A combination of bad beats and unfortunate spots left Deeb crippled, and he was eliminated by Travis Pearson on the final hand of the night.
That leaves Chris "Genius28" Lee atop the trio, and the four have a date with this stage tomorrow. The restart will be at 4:00 P.M., and we'll be back inside the mothership to bring you the conclusion of this inaugural ten-game event.
Until later on today, all that's left is goodnight!
The daily update...
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:49 AM Local Time
No-Limit Hold'em
Shaun Deeb had been on a downward spiral for the last couple of hours and in the last hand of the night, he succumbed to Travis Pearson in fourth place.
Chris Lee folded from under the gun before Deeb open-shoved his last 129,000 in from the button. Brian Haveson folded his small blind and Pearson called from the big blind, showing down against Deeb's measly-looking .
The flop of improved neither hand, but although Deebs' supporters cheered when the fell on the turn, that soon turned to groans as they realized that Pearson had the bigger straight. Needing a ten to chop, the blanked out on the river and Deeb's hopes of finally snaring his first WSOP bracelet were dashed.
And with that hand complete, it's time to wrap this one up and come back tomorrow with our final three!
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:41 AM Local Time
Chris Lee opened the button, and Brian Haveson three-bet from the big blind. Lee's response was a relatively quick reraise all in, and Haveson spent a minute in the tank. He's made it pretty apparent that he doesn't want to gamble for it all, and perhaps Lee has picked up on that. Haveson eventually open-mucked pocket eights, and Lee takes the pot.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:34 AM Local Time
2-7 Triple Draw
Travis Pearson raised from the small blind, and Chris Lee defended his big.
Pearson took one card, Lee two, and Lee called one of Pearson's bet. That was exactly how it went on the second draw too, and Pearson stood pat on the last round. Lee took one more card, and he liked what he pulled enough to bet it. Pearson called the 100,000 to see the cards.
Pearson:
Lee:
Lee's eighty-seven is the better eighty-seven, and it's earned him the pot and a chip boost up to 1.39 million. Pearson is back down to 860,000.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:18 AM Local Time
Pot-Limit Omaha
Under the gun, Travis Pearson limped in, and Chris Lee and Shaun Deeb both called in turn. From the big blind, Brian Haveson announced, "I'm gonna raise the pot," and he made it 250,000 to go. Fold-fold-tank/fold, and Haveson picks up 150,000 chips for free.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:15 AM Local Time
Omaha 8/B
After back-to-back hands between Shaun Deeb and Travis Pearson, Deeb has come off the worse for wear, now down to 525,000 in chips, while Pearson is up to 870,000.
Earlier, Deeb raised from the button and only got Pearson to call from the small blind, so they went heads-up to the flop of . Pearson check-called Deeb's bet, then both players checked the turn of the before Pearson check-called Deeb again after the river of the . Deeb tabled and that scooped the pot.
In the very next hand, Deeb raised again, Pearson called and both players checked the flop of before Pearson bet out on the turn of the . Deeb called, only to fold after Pearson bet out again on the river of the .
| Travis Pearson | 870,000 | 95,000  |
| Shaun Deeb | 525,000 | 55,000 |
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:09 AM Local Time
Omaha 8/B
We haven't had too much action between the final four players of late, but we have noticed that Brian Haveson was getting rather agitated. That is, until he just doubled up against Chris Lee.
Haveson raised from under the gun and the others got out of the way before Lee called from the small blind to make it heads-up to the flop of . Lee bet and Haveson called, then Lee bet again on the turn of the . Haveson moved all-in for 119,000 and Lee made the call.
Haveson:
Lee:
Despite Lee having made trips, Haveson had hit the full house and was drawing dead by the river, much to the disappointment of Lee's fans (or was that from being cut off by the servers?)
| Chris Lee | 1,200,000 | -225,000  |
| Brian Haveson | 688,000 | 183,000 |
Sunday, June 19, 2011 3:02 AM Local Time
| Chris Lee | 1,425,000 | 105,000 |
| Travis Pearson | 775,000 | -75,000 |
| Brian Haveson | 505,000 | -295,000 |
| Shaun Deeb | 470,000 | 135,000 |
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:49 AM Local Time
Stud
Shaun Deeb: / / -- FOLDED
Brian Haveson: / -- FOLDED
Travis Pearson: / /
Deeb raised it up on third street and both Haveson and Pearson called before Deeb and Haveson checked on fourth street. Pearson bet, but Deeb and Haveson called before all three players checked fifth street.
On sixth street, Pearson bet with his pair of jacks showing, Deeb called and Haveson folded before Pearson bet out again on the river. Incredibly, Deeb threw his hand into the muck!
| Shaun Deeb | 335,000 | -105,000 |
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:45 AM Local Time
Level: 28
Blinds: 0/0
Ante: 0
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:34 AM Local Time
Badugi
There hasn't been much action to speak of during the last part of this level, but it appears that if there's one game that's easily changing the fortunes of all these players, it's the new kid on the block - Badugi.
There's been quite a bit of chat amongst the final four players, who are still trying to work out the finer points of the game. However, in the last 10 minutes, we've just seen all four players contest a hand of the Korean lowball variant, contrary to the railbird who is holding up his iPad with a scrolling banner that reads - "Badugi! Chinese for degen".
Earlier, the action folded to Brian Haveson who called from the small blind; Travis Pearson checked and then took three cards, while Haveson took two and opened the betting. Pearson called, then drew two cards and checked after Haveson, who also checked after drawing one card.
On the third and final draw, both players took one card each and checked it down, but Pearson's ( ) scooped the pot.
A couple of hands later, Shaun Deeb opened from under the gun and Chris Lee called from the big blind before drawing one card and checking to Deeb, who stood pat and opened the betting. Lee check-raised and Deeb called before both players stood pat on the second draw.
Lee bet and Deeb called, but after both players stood pat again, Lee fired out a third shell. Deeb stood up in his seat, threw his hoodie off his head and moaned. He then turned his attention to tournament supervisor Dave Lamb.
"Am I allowed to show my hand?" Deeb asked. Lamb shook his head. "You don't need to."
"Told you I was going to make a move on you," said Lee, growing ever-confident that he had Deeb beat.
Deeb did call and Lee did have him beat, showing down a badugi of to take down the pot. With those hands complete, we have a new chip leader!
| Chris Lee | 1,320,000 | 470,000 |
| Shaun Deeb | 440,000 | -310,000 |
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:24 AM Local Time
No-Limit Hold'em
Shaun Deeb opened to 51,000, and Travis Pearson shoved all in for 411,000. Deeb wasted no time calling, and Pearson was at-risk as the cards were turned up. And he was in trouble.
Showdown
Deeb:
Pearson:
Pearson didn't find a five on the flop, but the did give him some chop outs.
Turn:
So much for your chop. Pearson spikes the three-outer to pull into a big lead with one to come. He just needed to dodge a jack, and the river was as blank as it gets.
It's good to be lucky, and that spell of good fortune has doubled Pearson into a dead-head for the chip lead with 850,000.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:17 AM Local Time
No-Limit Hold'em
Under the gun, Chris Lee open-shoved his last 414,000 chips into the middle. Travis Pearson was in the big blind, and he squeezed his cards and made the call to put Lee at risk. It was a flip.
Showdown
Lee:
Pearson:
The board ran out clean for Lee's pair, coming . Presto holds up, and Lee's doubled his way back into second place. He's got 850,000 now, essentially trading stacks with Pearson.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:13 AM Local Time
Stud 8/b
Shaun Deeb brought it in with the , and he called the completion from Brian Haveson's .
Deeb: (x-x) / / (x)
Haveson: (x-x) / / (x)
Haveson bet his lead on fourth street, but he checked on fifth. Deeb called fourth and bet fifth, and both players checked sixth street. On seventh, Haveson got one more bet in, and Deeb quickly called.
Haveson showed for queens up, but Deeb could beat it. He revealed for kings up, and that pushes him back in front of the pack with 1.195 million.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:08 AM Local Time
Stud 8/b
Chris Lee was the bring-in with the , and he called the completion from Brian Haveson and his .
Lee: (x-x) /
Haveson: (x-x) /
Haveson bet fourth and fifth streets with Lee calling, but the latter finally waved the white flag on sixth. When he folded, Haveson flashed a buried , having run down a full house already. He's up to about 960,000 now, and he's taken the overall chip lead.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 2:05 AM Local Time
2-7 Triple Draw
"All right," Kendall Fukumoto said, opening with a raise from the button.
"How much you got back?" Travis Pearson asked from the big blind.
"Ten thousand. And two water bottles."
Pearson made the call drawing three, and he put the 10,000 chips in after Fukumoto took two. Fukumoto threw them in, and he needed two cards again. Pearson took one, and he replaced it for another one on the last draw. Fukumoto reduced his needs to just one card.
With their last cards still down, Pearson tabled , and Fukumoto showed . The news wasn't good for the at-risk player, but Pearson's last card was a to keep the hope alive. Fukumoto needed to catch a non-pair ten or less to double up. He squeezed it and it was three across, so Fukumoto determined he was a 2:1 favorite to pull the six or the eight. He ripped it over:
That's no good for Fukumoto, and the pro from Hawaii has been sent to the exit in fifth place. He'll take home $45,839 for his work over these last three days, and you can buy a lot of foam fingers with that kind of cash.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 1:58 AM Local Time
2-7 Triple Draw
We picked up the action just after the first draw, heads-up between Brian Haveson and Shaun Deeb. We're not sure how many cards they drew, but Haveson check-called a bet, and he took two cards. Deeb was pat already, and he bet it again. Haveson check-called, and he checked after pulling one card on the last draw. Deeb patted and bet again, and Haveson liked his hand enough to check-raise. Deeb plunked the call into the pot with a frustrated knowingness.
Haveson rolled over the third-best hand, . It was good, and it knocks Deeb down under a million chips for the first time in a long time. He's got 904,000 now, while Haveson climbs to 860,000.
Sunday, June 19, 2011 1:52 AM Local Time
2-7 Triple Draw
The action folded around to Travis Pearson who raised from the button; Shaun Deeb was the only caller from the big blind, so they went heads-up to the first draw, where both players exchanged two cards. Deeb check-called Pearson's bet, then did the same after taking two on the second draw (Pearson took one).
On the third draw, Deeb took one card and Pearson stood pat; both players checked, but Pearson took down the pot after tabling .
| Shaun Deeb | 1,280,000 | -175,000 |
| Travis Pearson | 695,000 | 160,000 |
Sunday, June 19, 2011 1:42 AM Local Time
Level: 27
Blinds: 0/0
Ante: 0
Sunday, June 19, 2011 1:42 AM Local Time
| Shaun Deeb | 1,455,000 | 35,000 |
| Chris Lee | 590,000 | 85,000 |
| Travis Pearson | 535,000 | 28,000 |
| Brian Haveson | 510,000 | -67,000 |
| Kendall Fukumoto | 140,000 | -20,000 |