blonde poker forum

It's back to the original A-squad for you today with Jen and Snoops taking over updating duties. Play begins at 2pm (10pm UK)

Join us for the last three tables.


This is the 'lite' thread.

Go to http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=25070.0 for the interactive thread.

Amnon Filippi - 2,343,000
Kenny Tran - 1,959,000
Bruno Fitoussi - 1,248,000
John Hanson - 1,215,000
David Singer - 1,017,000
Freddy Deeb - 963,000
Tim Phan - 889,000
Barry Greenstein - 700,000
Mike Matusow - 696,000
Gabe Kaplan - 625,000
Thor Hansen
Chris Reslock
Greg Raymer
Mark Gregorich
Justin Bonomo
Stephen Wolff
Dewey Tomko
Noah Jefferson
Daniel Negreanu
Patrick Pezzin
Max Pescatori

Down to 20. Shortstack Daniel Negreanu is the first scalp of the day, biting the dust on the TV table.

Bruno Fitoussi was the assassin and the game was Stud.

A couple of notes on the other events which are running simultaneously to the H.O.R.S.E - there are sometimes as many as three bracelet events on the go, and they start two at once if they are 'niche' i.e. fewer than 3,000 runners...

Seniors' Event

Mickey Wernick finished around the 30 mark yesterday in a wincing fashion after losing a huge pot all-in preflop with A-A vs. J-Q (he said he knew it was coming on the 8-9-J flop) and then racing 9-9 against A-Q and A-K.  Stoically collecting his money he was then to be found in the Voodoo lounge and the Bellagio Cafe at 5am...

Omaha 8/b Event

The final table is kicking off in about 15 minutes and whom should I run into in the corridor but George 'The Panzer' Danzer, complete with suit and scarf, heading for pre-final snacks with Jan Heitmann.  Jan is now apparently his bodyguard, fending off literally tens of fans who want his autograph, not because he's on a WSOP final today, but because of the time he spent on the televised table last year, which has apparently been rerun into the collective consciousness.  Good luck to him.

The table:

1. Mark Wilds 96,000
2. Dario Alioto 61,000
3. George Danzer 116,000
4. Thomas Hant 114,000
5. Chad Brown 390,000
6. David Bach 502,000
7. Lukasz Dumanski 358,000
8. James Tolley 282,000
9. Gene Timberlake 143,000

E

Stephen Wolff and Chris Reslock split a pot. Couldn't see Reslock's hand, but Wolff has 8d 4s 2s Kd showing with 2d 4h 6d behind for two pair, so Wolff obviously had a low.

--------------

Meanwhile, on the same table as Reslock and Wolff, Pat Pezzin, who is painfully shortstacked, split a pot with Max Pescatori, his A-2 culminating in a low, but Max's two pair (Aces & Eights  ;snoopy'sguns;) snapping up the high.

Moments later, Pezzin was involved again, adding vital chips to his stack by getting Kenny Tran to fold by betting (?)(?) Aspades 3s 8c

Current top ten courtesy of worldseriesofpoker.com

1st  Amnon Filippi -- $2,657,000
2nd  Kenny Tran -- $2,100,000
3rd  Bruno Fitoussi -- $1,450,000
4th  Barry Greenstein -- $1,100,000
5th  Freddy Deeb -- $963,000
6th  David Singer -- $940,000
7th  John Hanson -- $930,000
8th  Tim Phan -- $670,000
9th  Noah Jefferson -- $510,000
10th Mike Matusow -- $490,000

And just as the Stud 8/b half hour draws to a close, we lose Pat Pezzin.  The details eluded me as they were busy being snapped up by a team of eight cameramen, but there were handshakes all round as Pezzin left the roped area. 

H

Smiley as ever, lowly chipped Italian Pirate Max Pescatori makes his move from under the gun, only to be re-raised to 70k by fellow shortstack Chris Reslock in the small blind.

Of course, Max sets Chris all-in (only a few bit of shrapnel more) and sheepishly turns over his Kc Th.

In contrast, Reslock flips Ac Ad with all the confidence a intoxicated Fonz.

"Ace Queen Jack, dealer," demands Pescatori. "All hearts."

The flop was a buttock clenching one...

Jh Qc 2h

However, with the 2d Turn reducing Max's outs, the Js River pretty much sealed his fate, providing Reslock with a much needed double through in the process.

After three and a bit gruelling days they're still not in the money.  Which pays out like this:

1  $2,276,832
2  $1,278,720
3   $852,480
4   $586,080
5   $444,000
6   $337,440
7   $259,296
8   $188,256
9   $131,424
10  $131,424
11  $117,216
12  $117,216
13  $103,008
14  $103,008
15   $88,800
16   $88,800

After a tipoff from Snoops who was watching another table, I moved there just in time to see the bandannad Max Pescatori standing up as his bowl of rice facecard-9 all-in played against the A-3 of Kenny Tran.  No help and his tiny chips are added to Tran's stack as someone in the audience next to me mutters in a sinister fashion, "Justice is done..." - does anyone know if Max inflicted any horrific beats during this tournament?  :dontask:

H

Noah Jefferson called Barry Greenstein's raise in the blind, and check-raised him on the Kc Kh 6h flop.  They got to the 2s turn - Jefferson betting, Barry calling and 2c river, and then he showed what looked like 9c 9s only to find Barry Greenstein with the Aspades Kd to take a great deal of what he had left.

After calling Barry's raise the very next hand (along with Thor Hansen) only to pass on the Ac 4h Ts flop, he was then dangerously short, and the Grapevine tells us that Noah Jefferson was, just now, the Bubble Boy, meaning that there are 16 players left, who are in the money.

O

As they were announcing the redraw and that everyone is now in the money, a huge hand was unfolding on Table Reslock, Dave Singer and Stephen Wolff the men involved.

The game was Omaha Hi-Lo, but with a board of 6h 6d Kh Kc, this hand was only going to produce a high.

Sitting pretty with Pocket Sixes, last year's finalist, Dave Singer, confidently pushed in his chips, but was dismayed to find that Wolff had him locked up in a nasty cooler with Pocket Kings for bigger quads.

Harsh one for the Full Tilt man, but a corker of a double up for Wolff, and at a crucial time too!

Latest chip counts courtesy of worldseriesofpoker.com

1st  Amnon Filippi -- $2,300,000
2nd  Bruno Fitoussi -- $2,035,000
3rd  Kenny Tran -- $1,820,000
4th  Freddy Deeb -- $1,400,000
5th  David Singer -- $1,350,000
6th  Barry Greenstein -- $1,050,000
7th  Tim Phan -- $920,000
8th  Gabe Kaplan -- $670,000
9th  Mark Gregorich -- $625,000
10th Stephen Wolff -- $385,000

O

Back on the TV table, Mike Matusow is deadly serious, a far cry from his comedic performances and jovial demanour earlier on in the comp.

Meanwhile, a hand is being played out in front of the cameras, Stephen Wollf (Q-8) and Amnon Filipi (4-2) splitting a pot on an 8d Qs Aspades Qc 7c board, Amnon the agressor except on the River where he called a final 50k (I think) bet.

OUT in 16th place is Mike Matusow, winning $88,800

O

Matusow gets it all in on the flop in Omaha 8/b - the flop being 2c 4s 5d - against Stephen Wolff.
Matusow shows:  A-2-Q-9
Wolff shows:  A-3-Q-6 for a flopped Total Monster of nut low and top-end straight.

The turn:  Ac  Two pair for Mike...potential for the house, notes the TD...
River:  8s

No help and we lose our first money finisher.

worldseriesofpoker.com

1st  Amnon Filippi -- $2,352,000
2nd  Bruno Fitoussi -- $2,300,000
3rd  Kenny Tran -- $1,900,000
4th  Freddy Deeb -- $1,850,000
5th  Tim Phan -- $1,150,000
6th  Barry Greenstein -- $960,000
7th  David Singer -- $948,000
8th  Greg Raymer -- $820,000
9th  Mark Gregorich -- $810,000
10th Stephen Wolff -- $717,000

Chris Reslock finishes in 15th place, winning $88,800...

R

This Razz round has a bring in of 10k, a 30k complete, and 30k/60k limits.  With just 42k remaining, it is unsurprising that Chris Reslock pushed it in after Barry Greenstein completed the bet preflop.  Amnon Filippi called in the middle, and they saw a second card, at which point Barry's bet got rid of the other contender and they were on their backs:

Barry Greenstein:  [7h 4s] 7s 6d

Chris Reslock:  [4h 2c] 5d Tc

Fifth street brought Barry the Kc but a second Ts for Chris, and sixth street was crueller, bringing Chris another Th while Barry's hand just got better and better with the 5h and finally the Aspades.  Chris Reslock's final Qh gave him a Q-T-5-4-2 low against a lovely 7-6-5-4-A - and we're down to 14.

S

Barry Greenstein and Amnon Filipi clash on the feature table.

Barry = (?)(?) Ts Kd

Amnon = (?)(?) Qs 2d

Barry bets 30k, Amnon calls.

Barry = (?)(?) Ts Kd 2c

Amnon = (?)(?) Qs 2d Aspades

Barry bets 60k, Amnon calls.

Barry = (?)(?) Ts Kd 2c Td

Amnon = (?)(?) Qs 2d Aspades 8h

Barry bets 60k, Amnon folds.

worldseriesofpoker.com

1st  Amnon Filippi -- $2,212,000
2nd  Kenny Tran -- $1,857,000
3rd  David Singer -- $1,790,000
4th  Freddy Deeb -- $1,330,000
5th  Bruno Fitoussi -- $1,295,000
6th  Tim Phan -- $1,195,000
7th  Barry Greenstein -- $970,000
8th  Greg Raymer -- $850,000
9th  Gabe Kaplan -- $810,000
10th Mark Gregorich -- $810,000

Tomko, Wolff, Hansen & Hanson bringing up the rear.

S

A good 15 minutes of cagey Razz/Stud play on the not-so-featured table.  Just now we got to fourth street with Greg Raymer calling Freddy Deeb.  Showing X X 9c 6c he then passed, however, with Deeb lamenting, "Where are you going?" as he flipped the Aspades 8d to go with his showing Ac 9s.

S

Sandwiched in between two hands where Dave Singer took the pot uncontested by sliding his 30k across the line, a three-way pot emerged involving Singer, Kenny Tran and Amnon Filipi.

Singer is in for 5k, Tran 30k, Amnon and Singer match the 30k.

Singer = (?)(?) 4h Kc
Amnon = (?)(?) Ahrt 8h
Kenny = (?)(?) 5s 2s

Kenny bets 30k, Amnon and David call.

Singer = (?)(?) 4h Kc Qd
Amnon = (?)(?) Ahrt 8h 2c
Kenny = (?)(?) 5s 2s 8c

Kenny bets 60k, Amnon calls, David folds.

Amnon = (?)(?) Ahrt 8h 2c 2h
Kenny = (?)(?) 5s 2s 8c Kd

Amnon bets 60k, Kenny calls.

Amnon = (?)(?) Ahrt 8h 2c 2h (?)
Kenny = (?)(?) 5s 2s 8c Kd (?)

Both players check.

Amnon shows an Ace in the hole and wins the pot.

S

Barry comes in for 10k with the 2c showing, Singer puts in 30k with the 4h and Steve Wolff calls.

David = (?)(?) 4h 3s
Stephen = (?)(?) 7s 4s

David bets 30k, Stephen calls.

David = (?)(?) 4h 3s Ts
Stephen = (?)(?) 7s 4s Th

Stephen bets 60k, David raises to 120k, Stephen calls.

David = (?)(?) 4h 3s Ts 3d
Stephen = (?)(?) 7s 4s Th 3c

David bets 60k, Stephen calls.

David = (?)(?) 4h 3s Ts 3d (?)
Stephen = (?)(?) 7s 4s Th 3c (?)

David bets 60k, Stephen calls.

David wins with two pair, Eights and Threes.

Pictured is Greg Raymer, still holding his own although dwindling in chips (I estimate him on 370k).  He just lost quite a few to Gabe Kaplan:

On fifth street they went from threeway to heads up, with Raymer (who on the first round of betting was the raiser) calling Kaplan's 60k bet.
Raymer:  X X 3s 7h 6d
Kaplan:  X X 2h 9h Aspades
Sixth street brought a 6h for Raymer, who checked to Kaplan who'd received a 9c and bet it without hesitation a second time.  Quite a bit of hesitation from the former Main Event Champion, before a call of the 60k and a reluctant pass when the river brought him whatever unhelpful card it brought him.

Note that his Pokerstars-covered getup is of the .net rather than .com variety over here...

worldseriesofpoker.com

1st  Amnon Filippi -- $2,575,000
2nd  Bruno Fitoussi -- $1,315,000
3rd  Kenny Tran -- $1,305,000
4th  Barry Greenstein -- $1,220,000
5th  Freddy Deeb -- $1,120,000
6th  David Singer -- $1,093,000
7th  Thor Hansen -- $1,050,000
8th  John Hanson -- $930,000
9th  Stephen Wolff -- $909,000
10th Gabe Kaplan -- $770,000

Greg Raymer is OUT.

H  blinds 20k/40k

Bruno Fitoussi raises Kenny Tran's big blind, getting a call.  Flop:  Kh Kd Jh Double check.  Turn: 3d and the Frenchman, seemingly in disguise, foregoing his usual suave look for a red T-shirt and a fisherman's hat (why not go the whole hog, I say, and add the fake nose and glasses), takes it with an 80k bet. 
________________________

David Singer raises on the button to 80k.  Small blind Kenny Tran calls. 
Flop:  Qh 4h Aspades.  Tran checks, Singer bets 40k and gets instacalled.
Turn:  9h  Tran bets out 80k now, and Singer calls after some brief deliberation.
River:  2s  Check-check
Kenny Tran shows the Ks Js
David Singer shows the Jh 4c, which pair of fours takes it down.  The double check on the river was very quick - I wonder if David Singer could have called a second bet on the end from the persistent small blind...

O

For a slight change, I decided to go watch several hands of Omaha Hi-Lo at the feature table.

Not too much action (in fact, the most exciting moment was a deck change), but there a few swords clashing, the most eye-opening of which being a hand between Barry Greenstein, Dewey Tomko and Dave Singer, Dewey's pre-flop raise receiving two callers.

With the Flop bringing an 8s 5h Jc, Barry check-raised Dave Singer's 40k bet, only for both Dave AND Dewey to make the call.

The Turn came a Qd, and Barry bet again, once again receiving action from both players.

The River was the Th, and everyone checked, Barry taking the hand with a rather paltry A-J, although it took Dewey an absolute age to eventually muck his cards.

Still, A-J, didn't take much, I guess there were a few A-2s out there.

---------------

Apart from Dewi, Bruno and David Singer taking the blinds, not too much happened on the feature table, so I quickly glanced down at the other table, where I saw Freddie Deeb (or Mini Deeb as he has been referred to - well, once, and it was me), re-raising John Hanson's flop bet on a board of Ahrt 4d 2c, thus leaving the unknown with a painful look of despair and befuddlement on his face.

Eventually, Hanson did indeed fold and live to fight another day, but he appeared very eager indeed to learn what Deeb was playing. Deeb offered the showing of his hand for a grand, but, unsurprisingly, there were no takers.

Boy, that Mini Deeb don't half drive a hard bargain.

O

Bruno Fitoussi gets moved off the Major TV Table - in the process of changing mics he's dealt a hand in the big blind.  They kindly let him play it.  Thor Hansen has raised, and Gabe Kaplan callled in front of him.  He calls the extra 40k and they see the 4s 9s Kc flop.  It checks round and on the turn, which was a paint-y card (let's guess the Qd) Bruno bet out 80k and both his opponents folded.  Then he got back up and let them re-wire him. 

He lost back what he'd gained in that hand, however, in the next one he played (having raised from the button) against callers Freddy Deeb and Gabe Kaplan.  This time Bruno bet the flop, took the free-card option when it was checked to him on the turn, but laid it down when Freddy bet the river (the board perhaps something like 3-8-6-Q-9).

We have now hit the DINNER BREAK.  Restart at 9pm (5am UK time).

R

After Bruno and Freddie Deeb took the antes, we suddenly lost Mark Gregorich who had let himself get quite short again. "I wanted to be the one making the move," he said prior to the hand.

Couldn't see the full hand, but I know he re-raised John Hanson's 50k. (10k antes, 50k/100k limits), before shoving the rest in soon after.

Both player has a two showing at the start, but Hanson's obviously transformed into a winning hand, as Gregorich was soon tapping the table and shaking hands with his opponents.


The chip counts just prior to that exit were...

1st  Amnon Filippi -- $2,945,000
2nd  Barry Greenstein -- $2,300,000
3rd  Freddy Deeb -- $1,710,000
4th  David Singer -- $1,650,000
5th  Gabe Kaplan -- $1,185,000
6th  John Hanson -- $1,175,000
7th  Thor Hansen -- $1,175,000
8th  Kenny Tran -- $1,100,000
9th  Bruno Fitoussi -- $940,000
10th  Dewey Tomko -- $280,000

worldseriesofpoker.com

Dewey Tomko is OUT in 10th place, winning $131,424

R

He was all in in the Razz on third street with a 9 showing - Amnon Filippi was his opponent.  The cards (until the last) were dealt face up, and it looked right up until the river that there might be a double up, but no - his made 8-low on sixth street was beaten by Amnon on the river and there is just one more player to be eliminated before the H.O.R.S.E. final table is decided.

Prior to this exit, there was some very cagey Razz being played indeed - but with the limits getting a little steep (ante 10k, bring-in 15k, complete 50k, big bet 100k) it's not surprising.  Amnon Filippi seemed to win more than his share of these hands, picking up two in a row before the hand progressed past third street.  Then Barry Greenstein made it 50k and picked up the antes, showing a pair of Nines.  The hand after that, Amnon took down another one on fourth street from David Singer, showing 5-5-5... we are wondering if they changed the little sign to the correct game.

R

Been watching the feature table predominantly, which was a little wierd as there were only four players partaking, and just the two when Barry and Amnan left the table for a breather - David Singer and Kenny Tran being the men left to do battle.

Amnan had brought in for 15k, only for Dave Singer to makes it 50k with the 3s.

Tran then raised to 100k with the Ad, Singer re-raised to 150k and Tran called.

Tran = (?)(?) Ad 6d

Singer = (?)(?) 3s 5c

Singer bet 50k, Tran called.

Tran = (?)(?) Ad 6d 4d

Singer = (?)(?) 3s 5c Kd

Tran bet 100k, Singer calls.

Tran = (?)(?) Ad 6d 4d Ks

Singer = (?)(?) 3s 5c Kd Qd

Tran bets 100k, Singer calls.

River card dealt face down.

Tran bets 100k, Singer calls.

Tran takes a big pot with A-2-3-4-6

S

Bruno Fitoussi's a lively character. Benjo seems to think he's a regular at the mixed game tables in the Aviation Club, and with high success rate too, but here at the Rio, a few pro players, who shall remain unnamed, have questioned his ability as a HORSE player, suggesting that people are disappointed when he moves from their table.

From watching him at the felt, the Frenchman loves to play hands, and I just witnessed him get involved in 4 or 5 in a row.

The one that progressed the furthest was against Gabe Kaplan, the High Stakes Poker commentator folding to Bruno's 50k bet with Qs  Aspades Ks, adding, "I can't even beat Ace King".

The next hand, Bruno was the one doing the folding, this time to Thor Hansen, Bruno was showing Ace King, and as they hit the muck, he commented, "It's not easy folding a hand like that," to which the Norwegian replied, "No, not for you."

1st  John Hanson -- $2,950,000
2nd  Amnon Filippi -- $2,600,000
3rd  Kenny Tran -- $2,190,000
4th  Freddy Deeb -- $1,600,000
5th  Barry Greenstein -- $1,500,000
6th  David Singer -- $1,460,000
7th  Thor Hansen -- $1,000,000
8th  Gabe Kaplan -- $460,000
9th  Bruno Fitoussi -- $440,000

worldseriesofpoker.com

S

Barry Greenstein loses over half a mil to David Singer in one hand - Barry raised preflop to 100k, got re-raised and called.  So 160k each in the middle before they hit fourth street... on which Barry paired his Fives and bet out, called by David.  He continued betting until the river, when the 100k was raised to 200k by David, who showed two Aces underneath to make his single showing Ace part of three-of-a-kind, which took that large pot.  Wish I could bring you more detail, but I couldn't hear what the announcer was saying, and on the Stud games the screens don't give you shots of the boards.  In any case, that was a pretty big hit to his stack...

And Freddy Deeb ends the day in the same fashion, winning a huge pot, which at the same time knocked out Gabe Kaplan in 9th place, for $131,424...

E

Thor Hansen started it all off by completing preflop, but with a raise to 100k from Gabe Kaplan and a call from Deeb it was going to be interesting.  It was fourth street where the last of Gabe Kaplan's chips went in the middle, along with more of the other two's.  The betting didn't stop just because one player was all in, however, and a juicy side pot of several hundred thousand grew between Freddy Deeb and Thor Hansen.
The only player's hand I could see in its entirety as it was dealt was Hansens - on 7th street he was showing X X 3d Jc Qh 4c, which lost in both respects to Freddy, as did short-stack Kaplan.  Our angle as spectators is such that the other hands were totally invisible to me - such is the tradeoff for having a low-level badge.

It looked like Hansen was left with just a few stray chips, too, after the hand was over - will be interesting to see how the final table's chips are distributed now...