Saturday, July 3, 2010 8:40 PM Local Time
Well, if the first twenty minutes of this level are any indication, then we could be here a while just trying to reach the final table, let alone playing down to a winner.
There hasn't been much to report on at all as the chips are being passed around the table.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 8:31 PM Local Time
After an extended dinner break that, in the end, didn't achieve much other than queues at the dessert buffet, we're now back underway with a full two tables still in action.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:55 PM Local Time
The players are now taking a ninety-minute dinner break. The extended break is to help assist the circus that is developing over at the TOC and the involvement of Phil Hellmuth in that tournament.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:46 PM Local Time
After limping and then folding to raises on the two previous hands, Phil Hellmuth decided to come in for a raise from under the gun to 47,000. Blair Rodman made the call in the cutoff and Alessio Isaia came along in the big blind.
They took a flop of and Isaia checked to Hellmuth who moved all in for his last 140,000 chips. Rodman went into the tank before folding as Isaia also let it go.
"Very close Phil," remarked Rodman.
"I had the aces that hand!" replied an excited Hellmuth. He's up to 239,000.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:43 PM Local Time
From early position, Tom Dwan raised to 42,000. Dmitry Stelmak called from the cutoff, the button and blinds folded, and the flop came down . Dwan bet 53,000 and Stelmak raised it, only making it 110,000 total. Dwan called and the hit the turn. Dwan checked and Stelmak bet 61,000. Dwan took his time, before making the call.
The river was the and Dwan checked it over to his opponent. Stelmak calmly went all in for for 260,000 and sent Dwan deep into the tank. After a good three minutes, Dwan called, only to muck when Stelmak table for quads.
Dwan: Down to about 640,000
Stelmak: Up to about 970,000
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:25 PM Local Time
Secondary Feature Table
Seat 1: Stephen Pierson - 420,000
Seat 2: Jason Mercier - 810,000
Seat 3: Daniel Alaei - 590,000
Seat 4: Tony Cousineau - 85,000
Seat 5: Tom Dwan - 1,120,000
Seat 6: Miguel Proulx - 1,930,000
Seat 7: Danny Wong - 645,000
Seat 8: Matthew Wheat - 560,000
Seat 9: Dmitry Stelmak - 470,000
Table 375
Seat 1: Ville Mattila - 571,000
Seat 2: Trevor Uyesugi - 335,000
Seat 3: Blair Rodman - 190,000
Seat 4: Ben Blackmore - 460,000
Seat 5: Alex Kravchenko - 365,000
Seat 6: Alessio Isaia - 425,000
Seat 7: Phil Hellmuth - 275,000
Seat 8: Jason Lester - 235,000
Seat 9: Ludovic Lacay - 805,000
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:22 PM Local Time
We didn't catch details of the action, but Seamus Cahill's last chips were all in on the turn against Miguel Proulx on a board of .
Cahill:
Proulx:
The river was the and Cahill can't get past the sent of tens for Proulx and is eliminated in 19th place for $24,815.
There will now be a brief pause as the players are now redrawing for the final two tables of play.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:19 PM Local Time
Jason Lester limped in from middle position before Ludovic Lacay made it 56,000 to go from the cutoff. Lester called and they took a flop of . Lester moved all in at the pot for his last chips with Lacay making the call.
Lester:
Lacay:
Lester would need some help but it didn't come on the turn. However the river was the to complete Lester's flush for the double up. He's up to 270,000 with Lacay back to 817,000.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:19 PM Local Time
It seems that the rail is merely a suggestion at the moment as the tournament floor is currently terribly overcrowded and littered with the following interested onlookers:
Phil Hellmuth's parents
Barry Greenstein
Mike Matusow
Bertrand Grospellier
TJ Cloutier
Huck Seed
Johnny Chan
Tony Hachem
Not to mention the three-deep rail of fans watching the action, it's making life pretty difficult for media and tournament directors to get around these tables at the moment.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:12 PM Local Time
Tom Dwan raised to 42,000 in the hijack and Daniel Alaei called from the cutoff. David Ulliott called from the small blind and the three of them saw a flop.
Ulliott sang as he went all in for 103,000 and Dwan raised the pot. Alaei folded and the hands were turned over.
Ulliott:
Dwan:
The turn was the and kept Ulliott ahead, but the river was the and gave Dwan a winning set. Ulliott is out while Dwan is up to about 1,200,000.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 6:00 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth limped under the gun before Trevor Uyesugi raised to 40,000 from the small blind. Hellmuth responded by instantly re-potting to 96,000, leaving himself 69,000 behind.
Uyesugi went into the tank and eventually folded.
"Limp-raise Mikey!" Hellmuth shouted to the nearby Mike Matusow.
"I wonder what you had Phil..." came the sarcastic reply from Matusow.
Hellmuth then flashed what everyone already knew - . Hellmuth is up to 236,000.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:56 PM Local Time
Matthew Wheat raised to 46,000 from middle position and Blair Rodman re-raised all in for about 130,000 total from the hijack. Action folded back to Wheat and he called.
Wheat:
Rodman:
The board ran out and Rodman doubled to about 275,000.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:56 PM Local Time
Dmitry Stelmak raised to 30,000 from middle position before John Racener moved all in for his last 90,000 on the button. Stelmak made the call.
Stelmak:
Racener:
The board ran out to give Stelmak two pair to collect the chips and send Racener to the rail in 21st place.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:40 PM Local Time
Mike "The Mouth" Matusow is lurking in the tournament area to watch his buddy Phil Hellmuth while chewing the ear off Nolan Dalla about Tournament of Champions scheduling. He was also recently joined by TJ Cloutier fresh from the Ante Up For Africa tournament.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:37 PM Local Time
Under the gun, David Ulliott raised to 25,000 and was called by Blair Rodman in the hijack and Tom Dwan on the button. Daniel Alaei re-raised, making it an additional 112,000 to play from the small blind. Ulliott called, Rodman folded, and Dwan made the call.
The flop fell and Alaei went all in for about 320,000. Ulliott gave it up, as did Dwan after thinking it over for about 30 seconds.
Alaei: Up to about 720,000
Dwan: Down to about 990,000
Ulliott: Down to about 130,000
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:37 PM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth raised from the hijack position to 27,000 and Jason Mercier was the lone caller in the big blind. They saw a flop of and Mercier led out with a bet of 37,000. Hellmuth made a quick call.
The turn brought the and Mercier checked to Hellmuth who fired 45,000. Mercier made the call and the river brought a repeat . Mercier checked and Hellmuth quickly tapped the table behind.
"Ten..." said Mercier.
"It's good," came the reply from Hellmuth, and Mercier opened . Hellmuth is now down to 180,000.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:18 PM Local Time
The players over at the secondary feature table, led by Tom Dwan, have requested that the dinner break be pushed back to enable the players to watch the big UFC fight later this evening.
The tournament directors were okay with that as long as all players agree, so the other two tables are currently mulling it over.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:13 PM Local Time
Stephen Pierson raised from the cutoff position before Leandro Pimentel re-potted from the big blind. Pierson moved all in and Pimentel made the call for his last chips.
Pierson:
Pimentel:
The board ran out and Pierson made aces full of treys to eliminate Pimental in 22nd place for $24,815.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 5:08 PM Local Time
It seems like the sickness meter has been turned up as some big pots are starting to develop and players are starting to hit the rail.
Miguel Proulx is the latest benefactor of the carnage as he eliminated two players in the one hand to storm to our chip lead.
All the action went down on a flop of . Stephen Ladowsky led out with a pot-sized bet of 75,000 before Daniel Harmetz re-potted. Miguel Proulx then moved all in over the top with both Ladowsky and Harmetz making the call!
Proulx: - aces with straight and flush draws
Harmetz: - top pair, straight wrap and inferior flush draw
Ladowsky: - pair and straight wrap
The on the turn was a huge card as it gave the short stacks a straight but Proulx made a set, which then improved to a full house on the river.
Ladowsky is out in 24th, Harmetz gets 23rd while Proulx is up to 1.45 million in chips.
Saturday, July 3, 2010 4:52 PM Local Time
The players are back and the cards are once again in the air!