Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:18 PM Local Time
Here are the chip counts for the remaining five players.
Robert Price - 2,000,000
Ming "Joy" Reslock - 1,050,000
Thang Luu - 600,000
Ed Smith - 300,000
Pascal Leyu - 100,000
Luu is still looking for back to back titles after making this final table three years in a row!
Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:15 PM Local Time
Just minutes after doubling up by taking the low half of the pot in three-way action, Rich found himself all in again. This time, he was up against just one single preflop raiser in Thang Luu.
[u]Showdown[/u]
Luu:
Rich:
The flop came down
to give Rich some outs to make a low and lock up half of this pot. The turn was a bad card for him when the
fell off. The
hit the felt on the river, giving Luu a full house and making Rich our sixth-place finisher.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:10 PM Local Time
Jordan Rich didn't take that last beat too well. After the hand, Ed Smith and Thang Luu shared an off-hand comment, and Rich assumed they were talking about him.
Smith said it was nothing, but Rich wouldn't let the matter go. "You said something about 26-year olds and poker players. What was it?"
"Nothing," Smith said.
Rich kept pressing the matter and Smith finally suggested he go read a book.
"Which one?" Rich asked.
"Anyone you want," Smith responded.
Not happy with the response, Rich then challenged Smith to play heads up after the tournament. Smith laughed him off and turned to a young spectator at the rail.
"If you ever act that way, I'll slap ya," Smith said laughing.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 8:03 PM Local Time
Ming "Joy" Reslock raised from the button after action folded to her and Jordan Rich reraised from the small blind. Reslock called.
The flop came down
between the two players. Joy fired a raise after Rich led with a bet. Rich called.
The
fell on the turn, qualifying the board for a low hand. Reslock bet after Rich checked to her. Rich called again.
The river was the
to pair the board and Rich checked again. Joy fired a bet and Rich called.
"Queens up and a lock low," announced Reslock.
"Queens and what draw?" questioned Rich.
Reslock turned up
to best Rich's
in both the high half and the low half of the pot. Rich was left with a measly 35,000 chips.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 7:53 PM Local Time
Thang Luu and Ming "Joy" Reslock raised back and forth on a flop of
until Luu was all in. When the hands were revealed, the flop proved to be monstrous for both players.
Luu flopped two sets with
and Reslock flopped a royal flush draw with
.
The turn came the
as Luu yelled, "Pair the board!"
The river produced the
and gave Luu quads and the pot. He doubled all the way back up to 500,000 chips on this hand.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 7:47 PM Local Time
Pascal Leyo got all his chips in the middle against Ming Reslock on the first hand back from the break.
Reslock had a pair of aces and a nut flush draw while Leyo had a straight draw and a pair of sevens. He asked for a seven or a nine on the river, and got what he wanted when a seven hit the board.
He's now sitting on about 140,000 chips.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 7:47 PM Local Time
The remaining six players have returned from dinner break and the cards are back in the air.
Just a reminder once again that Thang Luu is STILL in the field. Two years ago, he placed second in the event behind Frankie O'Dell and last year, Luu took down the title. If he wins this one, the WSOP might have to think about renaming this event the Thang Luu Classic.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:43 PM Local Time
The six remaining players are now on an hour long dinner break.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:42 PM Local Time
Jim Geary got his final chips in the pot after a flop of
vs. Ed Smith and Thang Luu.
Smith and Luu checked the turn and river, which brought the
and
. Luu mucked, while Geary showed aces and 8s for two pair and Smith showed the
for the flush.
Geary left the tournament with $32,404.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:37 PM Local Time
Ming "Joy" Reslock raised and Thang Luu called from the big blind. The
flop induced a check from Luu. Reslock fired and Luu called.
The turn brought the
and the same action occurred, check, bet, call.
The river was the
and Luu fired first this time. Reslock tanked for a few minutes and then mucked her hand, giving the defending champion the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:35 PM Local Time
Thang Luu raised preflop and Robert Price called from the big blind. The flop came down
and Price checked. Luu fired and Price called.
The turn was the
and Luu bet after Price checked. Price then called.
The river was the
and Price led out. Luu made the call.
Price showed
for two pair on the river and Luu looked disgusted while mucking his hand.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:30 PM Local Time
Just one hand after Senovio Ramirez busted, Freddy Deeb made his exit from the tournament.
According to Tournament Director Robert Beck, Freddy pushed all in preflop and got called by Thang Luu. When the hand played out, Luu showed two pair of 3s and 4s, which were enough to beat Deeb's pocket aces.
Deeb earned $27,029.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:22 PM Local Time
Ming "Joy" Reslock raised from middle position and Senovio Ramirez III called from the big blind with only 15,000 chips behind. After the flop came
and Ramirez shoved all in for his last 15,000. Reslock called.
Reslock held
against Ramirez's
. The turn brought the
and the river the
. That was all she wrote for Ramirez, as he earned over $23,000 for his effort.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:18 PM Local Time
Here are updated chip counts for the remaining nine players.
Ming Reslock - 900,000
Jordan Rich - 500,000
Pascal Leyo - 115,000
Robert Price - 250,000
Freddy Deeb - 50,000
Senovio Ramirez - 75,000
Thang Luu - 590,000
Ed Smith - 1,450,000
Jim Geary - 115,000
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:14 PM Local Time
After Thang Lee raised and got called by Jordan Rich, Pascal Leyo re-raised all in.
Lee and Rich checked the board down and, when all was done, Leyo showed pocket 3s to hit a full house on a board of
and claim the high, while Rich showed ace-2 for the low.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:07 PM Local Time
On a flop of
, Ming "Joy" Reslock fired a bet and Jordan Rich raised. Reslock made the call and the two players would see the turn come the
. Reslock checked and Rich bet. Reslock called.
The river was the
and Reslock led out. Rich sat in the tank for a few minutes before Ed Smith announced that he wanted a clock called. Rich waited until the staff informed him that he had ten seconds left before mucking. Reslock showed him
.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 6:00 PM Local Time
Jim Geary pushed preflop and got called by Ming Reslock and Ed Smith, who both checked the flop of
.
Smith check-called the
on the turn and both players checked the
on the river. Reslock showed bottom two pair and Smith mucked. Geary then revealed his hand and showed ace king for Broadway, scooping the pot.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:55 PM Local Time
Thang Luu raised from under the gun and action folded around to Freddy Deeb in the small blind. He thought about his decision with a very short stack and eventually decided to stick it in. Luu made the call.
[u]Showdown[/u]
Deeb:
Luu:
The flop came down
. The turn fell the
and Deeb locked up a low. The river was the
. Luu's ace-king high was good enough for the high with Deeb taking the low to stay alive and get a few thousand more chips. He now has around 75,000.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:38 PM Local Time
Ming "Joy" Reslock raised preflop and Freddy Deeb made the call. The flop came down
and Reslock fired. Deeb raised and she called.
The turn brought the
. A check from Reslock was followed by a bet from Deeb. Reslock called. Both players then checked after the
hit the felt on the river.
"Flush." announced Reslock as she tabled
. Deeb studied the hand and then mucked his holding, dropping to 225,000. Reslock increased to 400,000.
Sunday, May 31, 2009 5:34 PM Local Time
In a heads-up pot with Robert Price, Geary bet a flop of
and got a call. He was then raised after betting the
on the turn.
After calling all in, Geary showed
while Price also showed an ace 3 along with two hearts. When a blank hit the river, Price took the high with a flush and chopped the low, quartering Geary who is now the short stack.