Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:42 AM Local Time
After battling their way through two ten-handed tables to get to today's final day of play, 14 players came with a theoretically equal shot of taking the bracelet. All started with the same stack size -- sort of like a 14-person sit-n-go -- and in the end it was Steven Kelly with all the chips. Kelly earns his second cash of the summer, and his first ever WSOP bracelet.
A total of 1,397 players entered this one, and after two days the final 14 included two-time bracelet winner J.C. Tran, another WSOP bracelet winner in Justin Scott, and 2007 WSOPE Main Event champion Annette Obrestad. Tran ran into some bad fortune early today and went out in 13th. Then Obrestad came up shy of the final table when both she and Michael Pesek were knocked out in a hand by Derric Haynie.
Scott would be the first to depart from the final table in 9th. As others hit the rail, Jeffrey King took the chip lead and maintained it for much of the evening. This was King's fifth WSOP final table and it looked as though this might be the one where he would break through.
Finally Dustin Dirksen -- once a WSOP runner-up -- went out in fourth, and Haynie in third, by which point King had relinquished the lead to Kelly. With a 3-to-1 lead in chips to start heads-up play, Kelly pushed his advantage from the start, and within about 15 hands it was over.
Congratulations to Steven Kelly, Event #39 champion! Come back to PokerNews tomorrow to see who wins the next bracelet as we continue our march toward the Main Event.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:34 AM Local Time
Jeffrey King open-shoved for just shy of 1,500,000 with the button. Steven Kelly sweated his cards, thought for a moment and made the call.
Showdown
King:
Kelly:
The remaining spectators in the ESPN final table area crowded around the table as the dealer wrapped the tabled and delivered the flop.
A good sweat.
The on the turn took away King's backdoor flush draw though, and the on the river ended the hand completely.
King, very gentleman-like, stood from his chair, shook Kelly's hand and congratulated him on the momentous accomplishment. This was King's fifth final table at the World Series of Poker, and although he couldn't clinch his first bracelet he does walk away with a hefty second place prize; $236,819.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:26 AM Local Time
Following that last hand, Jeffrey King pushed all in three times within five hands, but got no call from Steven Kelly.
We're a little over a dozen hands into heads-up play now, with Kelly maintaining about a 3-to-1 chip advantage over King. Kelly has about 4.9 million to King's 1.4 million.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:20 AM Local Time
After walking, Jeffrey King just won his first legitimate hand heads up.
King limped in witht he button and Steven Kelly checked his option. The flop fell and Kelly checked to King who bet 60,000. Kelly released and King raked in the pot.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:18 AM Local Time
After winning that first hand of heads-up play, Steven Kelly took the next five hands in a row as well -- all relatively small pots, with just one flop seen.
He's edged out further to more than 5 million versus Jeffrey King's 1.25 million.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:13 AM Local Time
On the first hand of heads up, Jeffrey King limped from the small blind/button and Steven Kelly checked.
The flop came , and both players checked. The turn was the . Kelly bet 115,000, and King called.
The river was the . Kelly checked, King bet 160,000, and Kelly quickly check-raised to 750,000. King didn't take long to let it go.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:13 AM Local Time
We're heads-up! Steven Kelly begins heads-up play with about 4.6 million to Jeffrey King's 1.7 million.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:12 AM Local Time
Steven Kelly opened to 165,000 from the button and Derric Haynie moved all in for just about 1,000,000 from the big blind. Kelly thought for a second before making the call.
Showdown
Kelly:
Haynie:
There were shouts for a queen or a jack, but the flop missed Haynie. The on the turn didn't give him a winner either, but it did give him three extra outs to counterfeit Kelly.
The dealer wrapped the table and delivered paint on the river, but the did not improve Haynie and he was eliminated in 3rd place.
We are now heads up in Event #39 for the bracelet and $381,922.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:05 AM Local Time
On the second hand back from the break, Derric Haynie open-raised all in from the small blind, and chip leader Steven Kelly conceded his big blind.
Haynie is still hovering right around 1 million, well behind Kelly with 3.6 million. Jeffrey King has about 1.7 million.
Thursday, June 24, 2010 12:03 AM Local Time
Steven Kelly -- 3.72 million
Jeffrey King -- 1.64 million
Derric Haynie -- 940,000
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:43 PM Local Time
For 20 minutes!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:43 PM Local Time
Steven Kelly limped in from the small blind and Jeffrey King raised to 140,000 from the big blind. Kelly re-raised to 300,000 and King called.
The flop fell and Kelly led for 260,000. King folded and Kelly extended his chip lead.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:38 PM Local Time
Jeffrey King limped in from the small blind and Derric Haynie checked his option in the big blind.
The dealer flopped and King led for 50,000. Haynie called.
The turn brought the and King checked to Haynie who bet 110,000. King called.
King checked again after the rivered and Haynie double-fisted 260,000 into the middle. King folded and Haynie chipped up to 940,000.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:33 PM Local Time
Derric Haynie folded on the button, then Steven Kelly raised to 100,000 from the small blind. Jeffrey King checked from the BB, and the flop came . Both players checked.
The turn was the . Kelly checked, then King promptly pushed out 120,000. Kelly then check-raised to 240,000, and King decided against pursuing the matter.
Kelly is up over 3 million now. King is second with about 2.2 million, and Derric Haynie has 940,000.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:28 PM Local Time
Steven Kelly raised to 100,000 with the button and Derric Haynie defended from the big blind.
Haynie check-called bets on both the flop and the turn.
After the rivered, he checked a third time and Kelly put out a big bet; 675,000. Haynie cut out enough chips to call and paused for a moment before sliding them in.
Kelly opened for two pair and Haynie mucked his hand.
Kelly is our new chip leader with 2,900,000 chips and Haynie is our short stack now with just 830,000.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:21 PM Local Time
It folded to Derric Haynie in the small blind who open-shoved, then Dustin Dirksen called with his remaining 700,000 or so.
Haynie
Dirksen
"Queen! Queen! Queen!" shouted Haynie's cheering section. The dealer burned one and complied with the request, delivering a flop. Haynie's supporters continued to petition for more queens, though were likely plenty satisfied with the turn and river.
Dirksen was less satisfied, obviously, although a six-figure payday for fourth place will help with that, one imagines. Haynie chips up over 2 million.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:12 PM Local Time
Action folded to Derric Haynie in the small blind who raised to 115,000. Dustin Dirksen defended his big blind and the flop fell .
Haynie led for 150,000, Dirksen folded and Haynie took down the pot.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 11:08 PM Local Time
Jeffrey King completed from the small blind, and Derric Haynie checked from the big blind. The flop came . King checked, Haynie bet 40,000, and King called. Both then checked the turn.
The river was the . King bet 80,000 this time, and Haynie called. King tabled for sevens, and Haynie mucked.
King has 2.83 million, while Haynie is now fourth of four with about 700,000.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:58 PM Local Time
Action folded to Jeffrey King in the small blind who raised to 80,000. Derric Haydie called from the big.
The dealer fanned and King led for 165,000. Haydie called.
Both players checked the on the turn, and King again checked after the rivered. Haydie took the opportunity to bet 300,000 and King folded.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:55 PM Local Time
Derric Haynie raised to 90,000 from under the gun, and Dustin Dirksen quickly pushed all in from the button for 910,000.
Steven Kelly tanked for some time from the small blind, but stepped aside. And Jeffrey King and Haynie both skedaddles with less contemplation.
Dirksen moves to 1.18 million.