EVENT UPDATES
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:56 PM Local Time
Everyone has their own way that they like to look at their cards. Some peel one at a time, others look at them with protection from their chips. Sometimes you'll even see people illegally take them off the table or put them perpendicular and slide out the card from behind without much protection at all. But all in all, people usually look at their cards in ways that have been done a million times before and will be done a million times again.
Well Justin Cohen has his own very distant way of looking at his cards and he does it every single time. We've been calling it "The Swimmer" but it could probably be called "The Prayer", "The Dive", or even "The Touch your Tippy-Toes". Regardless, it is definitely unique to Cohen and with the way he has been running and playing so far this tournament, we don't suggest he changes it any time soon. His chiropractor might disagree though.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:49 PM Local Time
Mark Schmid raised to 140,000 on the button and Trevor Vanderveen re-raised to 375,000 in the small blind. Schmid made the call as the players saw a flop where Vanderveen led out for 410,000. Schmid came back with a raise to 900,000 total and Vanderveen laid his hand down. The pot gave Schmid a sizeable lead and he now has a little over one third of the chips in play.
| Mark Schmid | 3,240,000 | 1,140,000  |
| Justin Cohen | 2,275,000 | 565,000 |
| Trevor Vanderveen | 1,630,000 | -470,000  |
| Jonathan Clancy | 1,400,000 | -100,000 |
| Andrew Rudnik | 1,075,000 | -1,075,000 |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:43 PM Local Time
Since the last elimination, the action has really slowed down. We haven't seen a showdown in quite a while and with all the stacks at least 30 big blinds deep, we've been seeing more postflop betting and folding as opposed to the preflop shovefest from before.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:36 PM Local Time
Level: 28
Blinds: 30000/60000
Ante: 10000
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 10:15 PM Local Time
First to act, Benjamin Volpe raised all in for his final 735,000. It folded around to Jonathan Clancy in the small blind who asked for a count. After a couple of moments, he announced he was all in for slightly more. Andrew Rudnik quickly folded his big blind and the hands were turned up.
Volpe:
Clancy:
This became the battle of the rails. Each player has had about 15 guys or more sweating him at all times today and each group let the entire Amazon Room know they were here. The flop was and the sweat was on. The turn was one of the only cards that didn't increase Volpe's equity when it landed the . Still, he could hit a Jack or Queen to double up and cripple Clancy. But the river was the and Volpe's dreams of glory will have to wait for another day.
With that pot, Clancy reaches his high mark for the day with 1.6 million chips. Afterwards, a member of his rail could be heard asking, "How did that hold?!"
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:51 PM Local Time
First to act, Andrew Rudnik raised to 125,000. It folded around to Robbie Verspui who looked down at his cards and quickly announced he was all in. Rudnik snap-called and Verspui knew he was in trouble.
Rudnik:
Verspui:
The flop gave us a sweat when it came . Verspui could now catch one of the two remaining Jacks to stay alive. This is ironically something that his opponent, Rudnik, accomplished just a few hands ago. The turn was the and for a moment Verspui thought he had it. The river was the which brought less of a pause and Rudnik chipped up to 2 million. Verspui was crippled and left with just 125,000.
Although he had come back from this figure earlier at our final table, he would be unable to do it again. On the very next hand, he moved all in from the small blind and Rudnik put him at risk from the big blind. In order to stay alive, Verspui's would need to catch up on the of Rudnik. He would find no such luck on the flop. The turn and river would brick twice and Verspui is our 7th Place finisher.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:43 PM Local Time
There was just an announcement made for Johnathan Clancy to please come to the tournament table since the cards are in the air. But Clancy just strolled in midway through the first hand.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:42 PM Local Time
Level: 27
Blinds: 25000/50000
Ante: 5000
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:31 PM Local Time
| Mark Schmid | 2,035,000 | -165,000 |
| Trevor Vanderveen | 1,845,000 | -255,000 |
| Justin Cohen | 1,735,000 | 35,000 |
| Robbie Verspui | 1,055,000 | 55,000 |
| Benjamin Volpe | 955,000 | -45,000 |
| Andrew Rudnik | 930,000 | -170,000 |
| Jonathan Clancy | 880,000 | -120,000 |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:23 PM Local Time
The players are now on a 20 minute break as they all take in the craziness that has occurred over the last two hours.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:23 PM Local Time
On the last hand before the break, Benjamin Volpe raised to 85,000 and Justin Cohen moved all in for 820,000 as the next to act. Volpe asked for a count and then made the call as the players turned up their hands.
Volpe:
Cohen:
Volpe was in commanding lead to knockout his opponent and it was still looking that way after the came out on the flop. The landed on the turn however to vault Cohen into the lead and he jumped up and yelled before going over to his rail. The on the river bricked out Volpe and Cohen doubled though him.
| Justin Cohen | 1,700,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Benjamin Volpe | 1,000,000 | -500,000 |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:18 PM Local Time
In contrast to final table of Event #8 and #20, the first two $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Events, there has been very little postflop action tonight. The blinds aren't defending and three-bets don't find calls. With effective stacks actually deeper than we started the day, it will be interesting to see if players continue to only raise/fold preflop or if they adjust and start to play more pots.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 9:01 PM Local Time
Andrew Rudnik moved all in for 510,000 from under the gun and Justin Cohen immediately said call when it was on him in the hijack.
Cohen:
Rudnik:
Rudnick stood up and gathered his belongings like a deafeated man even though there were still five cards to come. The flop changed nothing and neither did the on the turn meaning Rudnik was down to one of the two remaining jacks left. The river came the however and the crowd gave a huge gasp as Rudnik hit the two-outer to stave off elimination and double up while Cohen took a hit. After the hand, a railbird yelled "Is this for real?" and indeed it is!
| Andrew Rudnik | 1,100,000 | 580,000 |
| Justin Cohen | 500,000 | -500,000 |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:55 PM Local Time
Action folded around to Benjamin Volpe in the small blind. After some thought, he decided to move all in. Justin Cohen looked at his cards and immediately asked for a count. The dealer stacked out 730,000 chips and Cohen made the call.
Volpe:
Cohen:
The flop came out which was no help to either player. It was our all in player, Volpe that needed it and the turn only helped give him some extra outs. Now any seven would chop the pot. The river was not a seven but it would hit him hard.
The was peeled off and he gave a mini fist pump before looking at his rail, 20 deep, who were going crazy. After the cheer was over, they immediately began yelling "Cocktails!" like roosters at a barn. Volpe doubles to 1.5 million while Cohen is still alive with 1 million in chips.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:51 PM Local Time
| Mark Schmid | 2,200,000 | 0 |
| Trevor Vanderveen | 2,100,000 | 0 |
| Justin Cohen | 1,700,000 | -100,000 |
| Robbie Verspui | 1,000,000 | -200,000 |
| Jonathan Clancy | 1,000,000 | 0 |
| Benjamin Volpe | 720,000 | -55,000 |
| Andrew Rudnik | 520,000 | -110,000 |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:49 PM Local Time
Mark Schmid raised in the cutoff to 90,000 and it was folded around to Robbie Verspui in the big blind who made it 225,000 to go. Schmid thought for a bit before finally moving all in and Verspui insta-folded his hand. Schmid made good use of his big stack to win the pot.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:47 PM Local Time
As we mentioned earlier, alcohol has been a big part of today's rail. There are at least a dozen or two people that have been following the action here at the Rio all day, always drink in hand. And wouldn't you know it, it's starting to catch up to them.
Recently, the tournament director announced that we would be having a new dealer and for no particular reason they erupted in cheers. They also keep asking for chip counts every few hands to the chagrin of the tournament director. Everyone seems to having fun with it though, especially the players who keep looking back and smiling.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:39 PM Local Time
Just moments ago, Robbie Verspui was cut down to 120,000 chips, just four big blinds at the time. However, less than an hour later he has just doubled again to 1.2 million!
Our chip leader, Mark Schmid, raised from middle position to 90,000. Verspui was waiting on the button and quietly told the dealer he was all in. The blinds got out of the way and Schmid had it counted down. It was 555,000 which was apparently a good price for Schmid as he decided to risk about a fifth of his stack.
Verspui:
Schmid:
The flop was a clean but it did give Schmid a backdoor flush draw that became much more powerful when the turn was the . Any spade or Jack would send home Verspui but it bricked with the and the comeback is on.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:23 PM Local Time
Level: 26
Blinds: 20000/40000
Ante: 5000
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 8:22 PM Local Time
At least according to the floor man who just announced them on the mic that is
| Mark Schmid | 2,700,000 | 0 |
| Trevor Vanderveen | 2,100,000 | -100,000 |
| Justin Cohen | 1,800,000 | 200,000 |
| Jonathan Clancy | 1,000,000 | -450,000 |
| Benjamin Volpe | 775,000 | -25,000 |
| Andrew Rudnik | 630,000 | -170,000 |
| Robbie Verspui | 450,000 | -50,000 |