Monday, December 12, 2011 10:08 PM Local Time
After nearly ten hours here on Day 3, Tuan Phan is the 2011 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah's Atlantic City Main Event champion! Phan bested a field of 618 runners, which included pros like Erik Cajelais, Chris Tryba, Chad Brown, Amanda Musumeci, Jamie Kerstetter, and Roland Isra, and eventually defeated Hao Le heads up to win $188,830, the coveted WSOPC gold ring, and a seat in the National Championship.
Phan started the day as our chip leader, carried that lead into the final table, and proceeded to knockout seven of his nine opponents entering heads up play. "I am not afraid of anyone," he told us on the dinner break. Thanks to his fearlessness and a good run of cards, Phan was the first and only player to cross the five million-chip mark. Phan woke up with queens against Mike Devinsky's jacks, jacks against Larry Riggs' fives, and hit a killer two outer with deuces against Manh Nguyen after Nguyen had flopped a pair of aces.
In the end, it was Phan's killer aggression that pushed him over the hump and led him to victory. It all began on Day 2, when he won a huge pot against WSOP bracelet winner Chris Reslock. Phan flopped a set of eights against Reslock's flush, and the board paired on the river. Phan then began steamrolling his opponents, crossing the million-chip mark before night's end and bagging up more chips than any other player in the field. He showed up fashionably late this morning, but got to work early and often, dominating on his way to victory.
Also, this was Phan's first ever WSOP event – we're sure we'll be seeing him around in the future.
Le will walk away with $116,796, which isn't chump change. He won a monster pot at the beginning of Day 3, flopping a ten-high flush draw against Jeff Fielder's two pair. There were over 1.5 million chips in the middle, and Le slammed a diamond on the river to make a flush, eliminating Fielder from the tournament. Le later made a 943,000-chip hero call for his tournament life with just a pair of eights. That takes a lot of guts. Unfortunately he fell short in the heads-up match, but there was nothing stopping Phan today.
Here's how the final nine finished:
| Place | Name | Prize |
|---|
| 1st | Tuan Phan | $188,830 |
| 2nd | Hao Le | $116,796 |
| 3rd | Marc Andre Roy | $85,405 |
| 4th | Larry Riggs | $63,375 |
| 5th | Manh Nguyen | $47,684 |
| 6th | Anthony Zinno | $36,372 |
| 7th | Kevin Kaikko | $28,127 |
| 8th | Denis Gnidash | $22,048 |
| 9th | Mike Devinsky | $17,516 |
Congratulations are in order for all of these players, but especially for our winner; Tuan Phan. We'll see you in Las Vegas next May for the WSOP National Championship.
Good night from Atlantic City!
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:57 PM Local Time
Tuan Phan limped from the button and Hao Le raised to 200,000. Phan called and the flop came . Le lead out with 200,000 and Phan min-raised to 400,000. Le took a breath announced a raise to 1,000,000 straight. Phan called and the crowd on the rail rose to their feet.
The dealer peeled off the on the turn and Le announced 900,000. Phan quickly announced all in and Le called.
Phan:
Le:
Phan was in the lead with his trip threes but Le could take the pot with an ace on the river. Le bricked when a came on the river. After the stacks were counted Phan had Le covered by only 100,000.
It's worth noting that Phan scored eight of the nine knockouts of the final table.
| Tuan Phan | 12,360,000 | 5,660,000  |
| Hao Le | 0 | -5,600,000  |
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:43 PM Local Time
Hand #1: Hao Le called with the button, and Tuan Phan raised to 260,000 from the big blind. Le called, and the flop came down . Phan fired 300,000, Le raised to 800,000, and Phan folded.
Hand #2: Phan had the button and raised to 200,000. Le re-raised to 800,000, and Phan folded.
Hand #3: Le limped with the button, Phan raised to 260,000, and Le called. The flop was , and Phan led out for 300,000. Le folded.
Hand #4: Phan raised to 200,000 with the button. Le folded.
Hand #5: Le gave Phan a walk.
| Tuan Phan | 6,700,000 | 600,000 |
| Hao Le | 5,600,000 | -600,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:24 PM Local Time
Level:
30
Blinds:
30000/60000
Ante:
10000
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:20 PM Local Time
| Hao Le | 6,200,000 | 2,100,000 |
| Tuan Phan | 6,100,000 | -1,250,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:18 PM Local Time
Hao Le started the action by making it 200,000 to go from the button. Tuan Phan popped it to 600,000 and Le called. The flop came and Phan continued out with 600,000. Le took a few moments to measure his action and raised to 1.6 million.
As Le was putting his chips in the middle Phan folded and sent 1.2 million of his stack over to Le.
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:12 PM Local Time
There have been very few flops, and a lot of raise-folding thus far. We did see one flop when Tuan Phan opened to 150,000 with the button and Hao Le defended his big blind. The dealer fanned , both players checked, and the turn was the .
Le checked, Phan fired 200,000, and Le check-raised to 500,000. Phan tank-folded, and Le took the pot.
Monday, December 12, 2011 9:02 PM Local Time
The two remaining players have returned from their dinner break and cards are back in the air.
Monday, December 12, 2011 7:55 PM Local Time
After Marc Andre Roy's elimination Tuan Phan and Hao Le agreed to take the dinner break with 24 minutes remaining in the level. We'll be back in action in an hour.
Monday, December 12, 2011 7:54 PM Local Time
Tuan Phan opened on the button for 150,000 and Marc Andre Roy called from the big blind. The flop came , Roy checked and Phan bet 150,000. Roy called and the turn produced the . Both players checked to the river.
The river came , Roy checked and Phan bet 300,000. Roy snap-shoved and Phan called even faster.
Roy:
Phan:
Roy's two pair was bested by Phan's full house and Roy made the long walk to the cage to collect his third place payout.
| Marc Andre Roy | 0 | -2,050,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 7:44 PM Local Time
Tuan Phan opened to 150,000 with the button, and Larry Riggs moved all in for just over 400,000 from the big blind. Phan snap-called.
Showdown
Phan:
Riggs:
"Come on baby," Riggs said. "Put a five out there!"
There was no five on the board however, eliminating Riggs from the tournament in 4th place.
| Tuan Phan | 7,350,000 | 1,750,000 |
| Larry Riggs | 0 | -620,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 7:34 PM Local Time
| Tuan Phan | 5,600,000 | -1,750,000 |
| Hao Le | 4,100,000 | 1,750,000 |
| Marc Andre Roy | 2,050,000 | 820,000 |
| Larry Riggs | 620,000 | -830,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 7:32 PM Local Time
Larry Riggs started the action by opening for 150,00 and brought Tuan Phan and Hao Le along with him. The flop came , Phan checked, Le bet 200,000 and Riggs folded. Phan called to see the come on the turn. He checked a second time and Le pushed out 400,000. Phan called and the fell on the river. Both players checked and Phan turned up for a pair of fives. Le showed him bad news when he tabled for a pair of jacks.
Monday, December 12, 2011 7:25 PM Local Time
Manh Nguyen opened to 150,000, and Tuan Phan called out of the small blind. The flop fell , and Phan immediately said, "All in."
"Call," Nguyen said instantaneously.
Showdown
Phan:
Nguyen:
Phan looked like he'd been sucking on lemon for an hour when Nguyen called. "Three!" he pleaded to the dealer.
The on the turn was a brick, and there was a beat before the dealer delivered the river - the !
The fans exploded in a chorus of cheers and groans. Nguyen had been eliminated in 5th place, earning him $47,684, while Phan crossed the 7 million-chip mark.
| Tuan Phan | 7,350,000 | 850,000 |
| Manh Nguyen | 0 | -910,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 6:57 PM Local Time
Level:
29
Blinds:
25000/50000
Ante:
5000
Monday, December 12, 2011 6:56 PM Local Time
Manh Nguyen opened to 100,000 from middle position, Tuan Phan three-bet to 400,000 from the small blind, and Hao Le cold-called from the big blind.
"Are you serious?" Nguyen said through laughter. "I didn't expect that."
He mucked, and the flop fell .
"Four-hundred," Phan announced. He slid chips forward, and Le made the call.
The turn was the , and Phan announced, "Five-hundred." He slid chips forward, and again Le called.
The river was the , and Phan slowed down, checking to Le who immediately checked back. Phan tabled for a pair of aces, and, after a beat, Le mucked his hand.
| Tuan Phan | 6,500,000 | 2,200,000 |
| Hao Le | 2,350,000 | -2,110,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 6:33 PM Local Time
The past fifteen minutes has seen some very tight action. They've seen one flop and a preflop raise has been enough to pick up the blinds and antes. But 85,000 is up for grabs each hand, which is pretty substantial.
Monday, December 12, 2011 6:22 PM Local Time
Tuan Phan opened to 100,000 from under the gun, Manh Nguyen called from the small blind, and the flop came down . Nguyen checked, Phan instantly fired 200,000, and Nguyen called.
The turn was the , and Nguyen checked again. "Three-hundred," Phan said instantly. Nguyen thought for half a minute, then called the 300,000-chip bet.
The completed the board, and Nguyen checked a third and final time. Phan tanked for the first time in the hand, then fired 700,000. Nguyen eventually called.
"Aces up," Phan announced .
"Aces up beats me," Nguyen told him. "Nice hand."
Phan clapped with excitement as his rail burst into applause, and after shipping the more than 2 million-chip pot, he's back over 4 million chips.
| Tuan Phan | 4,300,000 | 1,300,000 |
| Manh Nguyen | 910,000 | -1,340,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 6:11 PM Local Time
| Hao Le | 4,460,000 | 790,000 |
| Tuan Phan | 3,000,000 | -750,000 |
| Manh Nguyen | 2,250,000 | 50,000 |
| Larry Riggs | 1,450,000 | 670,000 |
| Marc Andre Roy | 1,230,000 | -120,000 |
Monday, December 12, 2011 6:04 PM Local Time
Manh Nguyen opened for 100,000 on the button and Tuan Phan called from the big blind. The flop came and both players checked. The turn brought the and both players checked again. The river brought the and Phan put out 250,000. Nguyen announced a call and before he could put the calling chips in Phan tossed his cars in the muck and said, "Nice call."
Nguyen tabled to take the pot.