Sunday, June 20, 2010 6:33 PM Local Time
Cards are in the air! Both semifinal matches are being played at the main feature table (one on each end). For the semifinals, players will start with 1,920,000 chips. Levels will last 40 minutes for this round and for the final.
Here in the semis, blinds will increase as follows: 8,000-16,000, 10,000-20,000, 12,000-24,000, 15,000-30,000, 20,000-40,000, 25,000-50,000, 30,000-60,000, 40,000-80,000, 50,000-100,000, 60,000-120,000, 80,000-160,000, 100,000-200,000.
Losers here will each earn $214,289. Winning a semifinal match guarantees a player a $386,636 payday, and if that player wins the final, too, he'll get $625,682.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:59 PM Local Time
Following that last elimination we are down to the semi finals.
Just two matches remain with play kicking off at 7:30 pm PST, with PokerNews providing continuous live updates as we play down to a firstly a final two and then a champion.
Here are your matchups for the next round:
Jason Somerville vs. Ayaz Mahmood
Ernst Schmejkal vs. Alexander Kostritsyn
Back in a little while with all the action.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:56 PM Local Time
Ernst Schmejkal moved all in and after some deliberation Vanessa Rousso made the call for her last 407,000.
Schmejkal:
Rousso:
The flop kept Rousso in the lead with her ace-high, but when the landed on the turn, Schmejkal completed his flush.
The meaningless landed on the river to send Rousso to the rail in equal 5th place for a $92,580 payday as Schmejkal progresses through to the final four.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:51 PM Local Time
With Vanessa Rousso short-stacked, we're starting to see all-in bets more often than not.
In the last three hands, Rousso open-pushed all in and Ernst Schmejkal folded. Then Schmejkal raised all in and Rousso folded, after which Schmejkal showed his .
On the third one, Rousso again open-raised all in and Schmejkal folded once more, showing the . Rousso showed her .
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:45 PM Local Time
The blinds have gone up once again -- to 20,000/40,000 -- meaning Vanessa Rousso is down to less than a dozen big blinds.
We've just seen two hands in short succession here in which Rousso limped in from the button and Ernst Schmejkal responded by raising all in, forcing Rousso to fold. She is now down to about 400,000, while Schmejkal has about 1.52 million.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:36 PM Local Time
Vanessa Rousso limped for 30,000, Ernst Schmejkal made it 100,000, and Rousso called. The flop came , and Schmejkal quickly continued with another 100,000 bet.
Rousso took a couple minutes, then announced she was all in. Schmejkal thought for about 15 seconds and called.
Schmejkal showed while Rousso tabled for a double-gutshot draw. The turn was the and the river the , and Schmejkal survived.
That hand swings the advantage back to the German. He now has 1.43 million to Rousso's 490,000.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:26 PM Local Time
Vanessa Rousso opened to 60,000 from the button only to have Ernst Schmejkal bump it to 160,000 total.
Rousso made the call before the board was checked down.
Schmejkal:
Rousso:
With Rousso making top-pair, she raked in the pot to climb to 1,160,000 as Schmejkal slips down to 760,000 in chips.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 5:07 PM Local Time
Vanessa Rousso limped in from the button and Ernst Schmejkal checked his option to see a flop fall.
Both players checked to see the land on the turn and Schmejkal fire out 30,000 only to have Rousso raise to 60,000.
Schmejkal made the call and checked the on the river as Rousso went deep into the tank.
Firstly she cut down a bet of 175,000 and baulked at sliding into the pot before resting her head and hands on the rail for nearly four minutes before eventually making the 175,000-chip bet.
Schmejkal took off his dark sunglasses and placed them on the table as he looked visibly frustrated with the decision that was upon him.
Eventually he made the call, only to be shown the of Rousso as he quickly flashed his to slip to 1,255,000 in chips.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:59 PM Local Time
Ernst Schmejkal was down for much of the early portion of his battle with Vanessa Rousso, but hung tough to even the match and then eventually take the advantage.
Just now Schmejkal raised to 50,000, and Vanessa Rousso called. The flop came . Rousso checked, Schmejkal bet 47,000, and Rousso made the call. Both then checked the turn.
The river brought the , and both players checked once again. Rousso showed for a pair of treys, while Schmejkal had for nines.
Schmejkal then open-shoved on a subsequent hand, forcing a fold from Rousso. Schmejkal now has about a 3-to-1 advantage, pushing to 1.445 million versus Rousso's 475,000.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:48 PM Local Time
Ernst Schmejkal opened to 50,000 from the button only to have Vanessa Rousso three-bet to 150,000 from the big blind.
Schmejkal made the call to see a flop fall and Rousso continue with a 175,000-chip bet.
After a few moments of deliberation, Schmejkal moved all in to prompt a fold from Rousso as she tabled her to slip to 670,000 in chips.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:46 PM Local Time
Ernst Schmejkal had just taken a hand to push back to about 760,000 when the following one occurred.
Schmejkal raised to 40,000 from the small blind/button, and Rousso called. The flop came . Rousso checked, Schmejkal bet 32,000, and Rousso called. The turn was the . Rousso again checked, Schmejkal bet 85,000 this time, and Rousso called once more.
Rousso said she was checking dark as the dealer burned a card and delivered the river. Schmejkal pushed out 200,000 this time, and Rousso went into the tank. She carved 200,000 out of her stack, then meticulously counted the rest to see what she'd have left if she were to call. She then removed her sunglasses and asked Schmejkal how much he had behind.
Finally, after about four minutes' worth of consideration total, she let it go.
With that one, we're moving back close to an even match once again. Rousso currently has about one million, and Schmejkal 920,000.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:30 PM Local Time
Ernst Schmejkal minimum-raised to 40,000 from the button, and Vanessa Rousso called.
The flop came . Rousso checked, Schmejkal bet 36,000, and Rousso called. Both players then checked the turn.
The river brought the . Rousso casually tossed out two green (25,000) chips into the middle, and Schmejkal thought a bit then called. Rousso showed for queens, and Schmejkal mucked.
Rousso has 1.315 million now, and Schmejkal 605,000.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:21 PM Local Time
Players are back in their seats and the last heads-up battle of the Round of 8 has resumed.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:14 PM Local Time
Now that we've entered the third hour of play here, our two players just requested a quick restroom break before proceeding.
The count at the break: Vanessa Rousso 1.257 million, Ernst Schmejkal 663,000.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:12 PM Local Time
With around 120,000 in the pot, Ernst Schmejkal fired out a bet of 45,000 only to get raised to 90,000 by Vanessa Rousso on the flop.
Schmejkal then bumped it to 160,000 with Rousso making the call as the landed on the turn.
Schmejkal checked and Rousso fired out 200,000 to prompt a fold from Schmejkal.
Rousso is now up to 1,235,000 in chips as Schmejkal slips to 685,000 in chips.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 4:07 PM Local Time
We've moved into the fifth half-hour level here in our fourth and final quarterfinal match, with Vanessa Rousso and Ernst Schmejkal still relatively close in chips. Schmejkal just won a short sequence of small pots in a row, and has pushed to 1.04 million to Rousso's 880,000.
The word previously was that if this last match ended by 5 p.m., we'd start the semis at 6 p.m. But we've crossed that now, so unless things suddenly wrap up here, the semis may get going at the previously scheduled start time of 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 3:52 PM Local Time
Ernst Schmejkal opened to 35,000 from the button and Vanessa Rousso made the call to see a flop fall.
Rousso fired out 35,000 only to have Schmejkal bump it to 125,000.
After a few moments of deliberation, Rousso tossed in her cards to slip to 921,000 as Schmejkal climbs to 999,000 in chips.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 3:44 PM Local Time
Vanessa Rousso limped from the button, and Ernst Schmejkal checked. The flop came . Schmejkal bet 14,000, and Rousso called.
The turn brought the . Schmejkal bet 35,000 this time. Rousso thought for about a minute, rechecked her cards, then pushed out a raise to 85,000. Schmejkal quickly called.
The river was the . Schmejkal checked this time, and Rousso grabbed some green (25,000) chips and set them to one side. She leaned forward and asked how much Schmejkal had left -- about 650,000. She then bet 150,000
At that Schmejkal sat back and exhaled. But he didn't take too long to call. Rousso very quickly flashed her cards -- , a busted flush draw. Schmejkal tabled for the straight, and took the pot.
With that one Schmejkal takes the lead back from Rousso for the first time since we began. He has about 1,000,000 to Rousso's 920,000.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 3:30 PM Local Time
Vanessa Rousso entered the pot with a raise on the button to 26,000 with Ernst Schmejkal making the call.
The flop fell down and Schmejkal check-called a 31,000-chip bet as the and was checked through by both players on the turn and river.
Rousso tabled her , and Schmejkal his to see the pot chopped up.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 3:09 PM Local Time
Ayaz Mahmood opened to 72,000 from the button only to have Faraz Jaka move all in for 216,000 from the big. Mahmood made the call and we were off to a showdown.
Jaka:
Mahmood:
The board ran out a rather undramatic to see Jaka eliminated in equal 5th place for a $92,580 payday as Mahmood progresses to the final four.
Ayaz Mahmood will now face off with Jason Somerville in the semi finals; which has just been moved forward to 6:00 pm PST, depending on the duration of the final match.