Sunday, June 14, 2009 1:37 PM Local Time
Action has stopped at our final table as all nine players are standing and watching the presentation of bracelets to yesterday's winners -- Panayote "Pete" Vilandos, winner of Event No. 24 ($1,500 No-Limit Hold'em), and Phil Ivey, winner of Event No. 25 ($2,500 Omaha/Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo) -- and the playing of the national anthems of Greece (for Vilandos) and the United States (for Ivey).
The stage for the bracelet ceremony is located just a few feet from where our final table is being played. Each of the nine players remaining hopes he will be the one on that stage tomorrow afternoon.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 1:17 PM Local Time
After that break to fill out the bios, the table's short stack, Dominik Kulicki got a much-appreciated walk in his big blind.
Then on the next hand, Demetrios Arvanetes raised from middle position, Kulicki reraised from the SB, Arvanetes four-bet, and Kulicki called with his last chips.
Kulicki turned over
, and Arvanetes
. The first card to appear on the flop was a queen --
-- and Kulicki was suddenly ahead. The turn was the
and the river the
, and Kulicki doubles back up to 190,000. Arvanetes has 295,000.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:58 PM Local Time
"Guys, guys... slide over," said Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri from Seat 8 with a smile. He's got reason to be smiling -- he's leading the final table. With Richard Brodie's elimination, there's a little more elbow room around the table. Responding to Barbieri's request, the other players duly shuffled their seats to the right.
The remaining nine players are taking a few minutes to fill out bio sheets for WSOP officials. It appears we will be playing this one out here in the Green section of the Amazon Room -- i.e., not on one of the feature tables.
With the stakes where they are, we may be losing a few more here before too long, creating even more elbow room.
Back in action in a moment.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:57 PM Local Time
Jason Tam raised from middle position and Richard Brodie flat-called from the button.
The flop came down
. Tam checked, Brodie bet and Tam called. The turn was the
and this time Tam bet out. Brodie raised all in and Tam made the call.
Brodie
Tam
Brodie had two pair, queens and jacks but Tam had both straight and flush draws. He got there on the river, making a king-high flush when the
hit, sending Brodie to the rail in 10th place.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:54 PM Local Time
Glenn Engelbert made a button raise, Richard Brodie three-bet from the small blind and Engelbert made the call.
Brodie led out on the
flop, Engelbert raised and Brodie called. When the turn fell the
, though, he check-folded to another bet.
Brodie is down to only 80,000 while Engelbert's stack is up to 485,000.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:48 PM Local Time
Seat 1 -- Glenn Engelbert (410,000)
Seat 2 -- Richard Brodie (195,000)
Seat 3 -- Demetrios Arvanetes (370,000)
Seat 4 -- Kim-Phong Duong (175,000)
Seat 5 -- Rep Porter (370,000)
Seat 6 -- Dominik Kulicki (95,000)
Seat 7 -- Cole Miller (180,000)
Seat 8 -- Al Barbieri (495,000)
Seat 9 -- Jason Tam (255,000)
Seat 10 -- Tomas Alenius (370,000)
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:43 PM Local Time
Ken Dickenson had lost all but 6,000 of his stack in a hand versus Glenn Engelbert. Both held ace-jack, but Engelbert had made a flush, thus crippling Dickenson.
"A chip and a chair, my friend," said Dickenson's neighbor, Richard Brodie. It would be two hands later that Brodie would raise, Dickenson would call, and the blinds would get out of the way.
Brodie
Dickenson
The flop brought an ace --
-- and Dickenson stood up, already resigned to his fate. The turn was the
and the river the
, and Dickenson is out.
They are now redrawing for a single ten-handed table.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:43 PM Local Time
Richard Brodie raised, Cole Miller made it three bets to go and Brodie made the call.
The flop came down
. Miller led out and Brodie called. The turn was the
and Miller put in the last of his chips.
"The water's warm, come on in," he said as he stood up from his chair.
Brodie frowned, clearly looking like a man who didn't want to call, but was forced to by the price the pot was laying him. Brodie resignedly tossed in his chips and flipped up
to Miller's
.
The river was the
and Miller earned the double-up while Brodie dipped to 135,000 in chips.
"Didn't hit your three outs," said Miller as he raked in the pot.
"Actually it was seven outs," replied Brodie, his opponent not realizing he had a gutshot straight draw and could have also caught a seven as well as a nine to win.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:35 PM Local Time
Richard Brodie raised from the cutoff, Yan Peng Li three-bet from the button (leaving himself 4,000 behind), Tomas Alenius called from the big blind and Brodie called.
The flop was
. Alenius led out, Brodie folded and Li called all in.
Li
Alenius
Li was drawing dead when a
hit the turn and exited in 12th place.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:32 PM Local Time
Rep Porter raised from middle position, and Andrew Kerstine three-bet from the button. Porter called.
The flop came
. Porter checked, Kerstine bet, and Porter took about 20 seconds before check-raising. That sent Kerstine into the tank, and after he emerged he announced he was reraising. Porter called.
The turn was the
. Porter led with a bet, and Kerstine called with his remaining chips. Porter turned over
, and Kerstine
. The river was the
, and Kerstine is out. Porter is nearing the 300,000-chip mark.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:27 PM Local Time
On his next to last hand, Mike Schiffman had lost a sizable pot in a blind-vs.-blind battle against Glenn Engelbert. The board had come
, and Schiffman ended up calling Engelbert down only to see his opponent turn over
. That hand left Schiffman with about 40,000.
On the next hand, it folded to Schiffman in the small blind and he raised, and Richard Brodie called from the BB. Schiffman had already tossed out chips to bet before the flop came
. Brodie raised, and Schiffman committed his last chips.
Schiffman turned over
, and Brodie
. The turn was the
and the river the
, and Brodie won the pot, moving up to 190,000. Schiffman is out in 14th place.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:19 PM Local Time
Jason Tam raised from the cutoff, John Varner three-bet all in from the button and Tam made the call.
Varner
Tam
Varner and Tam were off to the races, but Tam's hand went the distance, the board running out
to make him nines full and send Varner to the rail.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:14 PM Local Time
Another small tête-à-tête here early on. Of course, in limit hold'em, these small ones can add up in a hurry, especially with the ever rising stakes.
Ken Dickenson bet out on a flop of
, and Tomas Alenius raised. Dickenson made the call. The turn brought the
. Dickenson bet again, and this time Alenius just called.
The river was the
. Dickenson eyed Alenius, then checked. Alenius checked behind. Dickenson turned over
, while Alenius showed
for nines. Alenius is at 362,000, while Dickenson has 190,000.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:08 PM Local Time
Demetrios Arvanetes opened with a raise from the button, and John Varner called from the big blind. The flop came
. Varner checked, Arvanetes bet, and Varner called.
The turn brought the
. This time Varner led out with a bet. Arvanetes studied that second ten on the board for about 20 seconds, then raised. Varner quickly folded.
Arvanetes -- who goes by "Jimmy" -- is up to 390,000, while Varner quickly dips into the danger zone with 74,000.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 12:00 PM Local Time
Shuffle up and deal, our final fifteen are back in action.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 11:51 AM Local Time
We are about 10 minutes away from the restart of Event No. 26, the $1,500 Limit Hold'em event. A few of the remaining 15 players have already taken their seats and begun the process of unbagging and stacking their chips. Back shortly.
Sunday, June 14, 2009 3:55 AM Local Time
(Table 150)
Seat 1: John Varner - 110000
Seat 2: Rep Porter - 196000
Seat 3: Dominik Kulicki - 131000
Seat 4: Al 'Sugar Bear' Barbieri - 400000
Seat 5: Kim Phong Duong - 272000
Seat 7: Andrew Kerstine - 161000
Seat 8: Demetrios Arvanetes - 350000
Seat 9: Jason Tam - 144000
(Table 151)
Seat 1: Mike Schiffman - 110000
Seat 2: Richard Brodie - 152000
Seat 3: Yan Peng Li - 85000
Seat 4: Ken Dickenson - 230000
Seat 6: Tomas Alenius - 322000
Seat 8: Cole Miller - 67000
Seat 9: Glenn D. Engelbert - 173000