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2012 43rd Annual World Series of Poker

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 to Thursday, June 23, 2011

Event #36: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em

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  • Buy-in: $2,500
  • Prizepool: $3,944,850
  • Entries: 1,734
  • Remaining: 0

EVENT UPDATES

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Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:13 PM Local Time

Hassan Babajane

Thomas Miller opened to 65,000 in middle position, and Hassan Babajane called from the big blind to go heads-up to the flop. It brought      , and Babajane took the betting lead with 80,000. Miller called, and he called another 150,000 after the   turn. Babajane wasn't done barreling yet, though, and he fired another 225,000 after the   river put two pair on board. Miller thought it over for just an extra moment before sliding the call into the middle.

Babajane showed     for the full house, and it was good. Miller mucked, and Babajane is now up around 1.6 million. We'll get some hard counts on the upcoming break.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:13 PM Local Time

Matthew Berkey opened for 75,000 on the button and Eddy Sabat called from the small blind. The flop came       and both players checked. They both checked again on the   turn. The river came   and Sabat bet out 80,000. Berkey measured out a raise, making it 325,000 to go. Sabat thought for a few moments then called. Berkey turned over     for a rivered set. Sabat tapped the table and mucked his hand.

Matthew Berkey2,900,0001,030,000
Eddy Sabat950,000-300,000
Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:07 PM Local Time
Thomas Miller3,050,0000
Mikhail Lakhitov2,430,000230,000
James St. Hilaire2,235,000775,000
Matthew Berkey1,870,000-640,000
Thomas Middleton1,550,000-120,000
Eddy Sabat1,250,00015,000
Hassan Babajane1,065,00010,000
Conrad Monica440,000-140,000
Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:06 PM Local Time

Matthew Berkey check-called a bet from Mikhail Lakhitov on a       flop, and we joined the action as the   landed on the turn. Berkey checked again, then called 255,000 more chips to put over a million chips in the middle On the river, the   drew checks from both players.

Berkey tabled    , and that was good news for Lakhitov. He showed    , and top pair is good enough to send the pot his way. It moves him up into second place with 2.43 million now.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 9:00 PM Local Time

Kent Padgett 9th Place.

Thomas Middleton opened from the cutoff and Kent Padgett moved his short stack all in from the button. Action folded around and Middleton called.

Padgett:    
Middleton:    

Board:          

Padgett couldn't connect with anything and was eliminated in ninth position.

Gorilla Gaming
Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:58 PM Local Time

Under the gun, Thomas Miller raised from under the gun. It's the second consecutive pot he's opened, and he found calls from both Matthew Berkey and Mikhail Lakhitov. Action came to Hassan Babajane in the cutoff seat, and he squeezed all in for 300,000 on the nose. That folded Miller without incident, but both Berkey and Lakhitov called to try and team up for the knockout.

The board ran          , and the two live players checked it down. Berkey showed    , and Lakhitov could beat that with his    . Babajane had them both topped, though, turning up     to scoop the triple-up and then some. He's all the way back up to 1.055 million now.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:50 PM Local Time

Thomas Miller your chipleader.

Thomas Miller opened for 65,000 and James St. Hilaire raised to 150,000 behind him. Action folded back around to Miller and he called. The flop came       and MIller check-called 120,000 from St. Hilaire. They both checked the   turn and the   river.

Miller tabled     for top pair and took the pot, pushing his count to over three million.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:37 PM Local Time

John Zentner - 10th place

In middle position, Tom Middleton raised to 75,000, and John Zentner three-bet to 185,000, all in. Over in the big blind, Matthew Berkey flatted the shove, and Middleton called the extra 110,000 to go the rest of the way in side action.

The flop brought      , and Berkey put out the first bet of 150,000. Middleton flicked the calling chips off his stack, and Berkey checked to him on the   turn. Middleton took his cue to bet 250,000, and Berkey was the one doing the calling before the   filled out the board on fifth street. Berkey took the betting lead again, tossing in a tiny 30,000-chip bet. Middleton called.

Berkey showed up     for top two, and Middleton's     had been rivered. Zentner's     was third-best, and he's been eliminated on the bubble of the official final table. It was a fine run for the man in the Stanford hat today, and his efforts will earn him more than $40,000 as a consolation prize.

With that big pot, Berkey shoots up to 1.51 million, knocking Middleton down to about 1.29 million.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:30 PM Local Time

Except for one hand that was a chopped pot, we've just had our first flop at the table. Thomas Miller opened for 75,000 from the small blind and James St. Hilaire called from the big blind. The flop came       and Miller bet out 90,000 and St. Hilaire folded.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:15 PM Local Time

The players have moved to the secondary final table and are seated in the following order.

SeatPlayer
1Mikhail Lakhitov
2Hassan Babajane
3Thomas Middleton
4Kent Padgett
5John Zentner
6Conrad Monica
7Thomas Miller
8James St. Hilaire
9Matthew Berkey
10Eddy Sabat
Gorilla Gaming
Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:09 PM Local Time

We're down to our unofficial final table, and the chips have been racked up. We're migrating over to the secondary featured table to play another five levels.

Be right back!

Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:08 PM Local Time

Alexis Bouchiouane - 11th place

Alexis Bouchiouane was down around 600,000 when he took his stand, open-shoving from late position. Next door, Mikhail Lakhitov took his time considering before announcing the call, and Bouchiouane was officially at risk. The other folded out of the way, and the cards were on their backs.

Showdown
Bouchiaoune:    
Lakhitov:    

Bouchiaoune was in as good a spot as he could hope for with his cards, but he'd find no help from the dealer. The board ran          , and the ace holds to give Lakhitov the pot. For his efforts over the last three days, the last remaining Frenchman will take home more than $40,000.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 8:04 PM Local Time
Level: 26
Blinds: 15000/30000
Ante: 5000
Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:58 PM Local Time

We're on a quick non-break to race off and color up the yellow T1,000 chips. We'll be back in just a moment.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:45 PM Local Time
Thomas Miller2,480,0001,400,000
Thomas Middleton1,920,00070,000
Mikhail Lakhitov1,580,000610,000
James St. Hilaire1,460,000360,000
Eddy Sabat1,235,000-15,000
Matthew Berkey1,180,00030,000
Hassan Babajane929,000-111,000
Alexis Bouchiouane710,000-515,000
Conrad Monica580,000-60,000
Kent Padgett380,000-335,000
John Zentner300,000-765,000
Gorilla Gaming
Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:39 PM Local Time

Richard Gryko - 12th place

We're not sure how the money got in, but a flurry of action put Richard Gryko all in for close to a million chips with    . Across the table, his fellow Brit, Thomas Middleton was his enemy for this hand, and his     was a small favorite to come out on top in this pot worth about twice the average stack.

The       flop was good for Gryko, but the turn   was much, much better for Middleton. He was in front with one to come, and the river   kept him there. With aces up, Middleton takes care of the stack of Richard Gryko, nearly doubling up in the process. Gryko gets a pay bump up over $40,000 for his work here the last three days.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:36 PM Local Time

Michael Michnik - 13th place

Conrad Monica opened to 60,000 from the cutoff, and Michael Michnik three-bet shoved for about 470,000 total. We didn't know that yet, and Hassan Babajane moved all in from the big blind as well. It looked like Babajane had more chips, but it was hard to tell with the tall stacks. Monica laid it down, and the cards were on their backs.

Showdown
Michnik:    
Babajane:    

The       flop was good for Michnik's pair, but Babajane did add four outs to his arsenal. He'd add another eight more when the   hit fourth street, now looking for any club, queen, king, or ace to drag the million-chip pot.

River:  . Babajane let out a celebratory yell, and the dealer began counting down the stacks. In the end, Babajane's 572,000 was the covering amount, and Michnik hit the rail in 13th place, good for more than $30,000.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:36 PM Local Time

Alexis Bouchiouane and Mikhail Lakhitov got into a pot together and by the turn they had around 230,000 in the middle. The board read        , Bouchiouane checked and Lakhitov bet out 165,000. Bouchiouane called and the river came  . Bouchiouane checked again and Lakhitov bet 325,000. Bouchiouane called and tabled     for the six high straight. Lakhitov mucked his hand and Bouchiouane collected the pot.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:30 PM Local Time

Patrick Smith - 14th place

Matthew Berkey opened the pot to 55,000, and Patrick Smith shoved for 77,000 total. Conrad Monica flatted the shove, and Berkey called the remainder to head off to a side pot.

The board ran out           with the two live players checking through to the river. On the river, though, Monica bet 100,000 to force Berkey out. He had it, though, turning up     for the straight. The at-risk Smith started the hand with    , and it was second-best now. With that, he's been eliminated in 14th place.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:25 PM Local Time

Dwyte Pilgrim - 15th place

Richard Gryko raised to 53,000 from middle position, and Dwyte Pilgrim three-bet all in for all 277,000 chips he had left. Next door, Thomas Miller called the shove, and Gryko got the message to duck out of the way. Pilgrim was at risk, and he'd run into a monster.

Showdown
Pilgrim:    
Miller:    

Pilgrim had one overcard, but he'd find no help on board as the dealer ran out           to mark his exit. Pilgrim will pocket $33,294 for his 15th-place finish, but it looks like it's little consolation now as he stands around with a frown waiting for his payout slip.

Gorilla Gaming