blonde poker forum

We will be covering, as best we can, the action on the H.O.R.S.E. final table, where the eight remaining players fight for a prize pool divided as follows:

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

Start time we reckon will be around 3pm (11pm UK time) but we'll be here from noon (8pm) bringing you the latest developments from the $5,000 Short-handed NLHE event, stocked with online whizkids and a multitude of British players, blondeites and other players from around the globe.  So whenever the televised H.O.R.S.E. final kicks off, we'll be poised, notebooks in hands, to report on it.

1st   Amnon Filippi -- $4,015,000
2nd  Freddy Deeb -- $3,500,000
3rd  Kenny Tran -- $2,445,000
4th  John Hanson -- $1,995,000
5th  David Singer -- $1,330,000
6th  Bruno Fitoussi -- $895,000
7th  Barry Greenstein -- $750,000
8th  Thor Hansen -- $40,000

Will the final table revert to NL Holdem like last year or will they continue the HORSE format? I hope they do the latter

HORSE

Yep, HORSE as far as we know, so I guess WSOP should be commended for making that change.

The players have been called to the TV stage, and we got a couple of minutes' access while they were being miked up - pictures to follow. 

It looks like Thor Hansen might have one hand to play after that confrontation with Freddy Deeb last night - he certainly isn't optimistic about his three-chip comeback as he's already playing the $5k Short-handed!

Seat 1:  Kenny Tran - 2,445,000

Seat 2:  David Singer - 1,330,000

Seat 3:  Bruno Fitoussi - 895,000

Seat 4:  John Hanson - 1,995,000

Seat 5:  Freddy Deeb - 3,500,000

Seat 6:  Thor Hansen - 40,000

Seat 7:  Amnon Filippi - 4,015,000

Seat 8:  Barry Greenstein - 750,000

And, with the unsurprising inevitablility of it never being quite a comfortable temperature in Las Vegas, Thor Hansen has finished in 8th place.  His prize - $188,256 - enough for the $5k he's goodnaturedly attacking right now and to spare.

H

A selection of hands for you, as the blinds rocket up to 30k/60k with betting limits 60k/120k... a few taken down with preflop raises, then:

John Hanson and Kenny Tran both take some blinds, then Tran raises preflop again (to 120k, for those whose limit rules are a bit shaky) with big blind Freddy Deeb calling.  The flop comes Kd Js Jh, and Freddy bets out, gets a call.  Freddy bets out again, 120k on the Qh turn, and now Kenny gives it up.
__________________________

Barry Greenstein raises under the gun, called by big blind Amnon Filippi, who loses interest in the 7s Jc 7d flop.
__________________________

Amnon Filippi raises on the button, called by small blind Barry Greenstein.
Flop:  Kc 6c 8c  Barry check-raises Amnon's 60k here, but gets a pretty swift call.
Turn:  Aspades.  Barry bets out 120k, gets an insta-raise, and lets it go.  Nice try though...
__________________________

John Hanson raises pre...Freddy Deeb, in position, makes the first preflop re-raise I've seen so far, and gets called.  They don't get further than the 5c 7d Ahrt flop, though, Freddy taking it there.
__________________________

Kenny Tran raises on the button, called by Bruno Fitoussi on the big blind.  The Frenchman was pretty quiet during this half hour I was watching, as was Freddy Deeb, who along with Filippi has a tidy chunk of the chips in play.  Anyway, he woke up here, check-raising the Ks 3h 2h flop and getting a caller.  He abruptly stopped betting, however, and the Jd 5d turn and river were checked down, with Bruno's 7h 7c taking the pot.

O

On a 9h 9s Qh 9d board, Barry was too short to pass against Amnon Fillipi

Barry:

Ahrt Tc 5h 4s

Amnon:

Aspades Js Qd 6h

So Barry needed a heart otherwise Amnon's Ace Queen high would scoop.

River:

4c

Barry Greenstein is OUT in 7th place winning $259,256

6 people left.

Best shot I could get of the horse final table.

O

The last few hands before the fifteen minute break started:

Amnon Filippi raises on the button, called by Bruno Fitoussi in the big blind.  Flop:  9h 3h 3c.  Check-check.
Turn:  2d  check-check
River:  Qc  Bruno bets out 120k and Amnon passes; the small but fervent pack of French supporters clap, whether he wins a small pot or a big one, whether there was tension or nail-examining tedium.  The two main clapping-factions seem to be for Bruno and Freddy, I believe there's someone in the audience who came with a home-made 'GO FREDDY' sign...
________________________

Kenny Tran raises on the cutoff, called by big blind John Hanson.  They check the 7d Ts Qd flop.
Turn:  4h  John bets 120k, call from Kenny.
River:  Ahrt  John bets 120k, call from Kenny, who shows the 5-3 low, while John Hanson takes the high with a turned set of fours (his hand:  A-4-4-5).
________________________

Kenny Tran flat calls under the gun, small blind Freddy Deeb makes it up and big blind Amnon Filippi checks.
Flop:  6s Ad 3h  Check to Kenny, who bets 60k, double call.
Turn:  Ks  Check to Kenny, who bets 120k, again, double call.
River:  Check to Kenny, who declines to bet, showing instead A-3-4-4 which ends up winning the high somehow with two pair...
...while Freddy takes the low with J-5-5-4  [6-5-4-3-A his low]
and Amnon doesn't win anything with his A-2-7-Q.

Chip counts, courtesy of worldseriesofpoker.com

Freddy Deeb -- 4,030,000
Amnon Filippi -- 3,585,000   
Kenny Tran -- 2,540,000   
John Hanson -- 2,235,000   
Bruno Fitoussi -- 1,340,000   
David Singer -- 1,140,000

is this televised liev anywhere?

No, but there is live audio on the WSOP site.

Correct - the ESPN crew are busy filming it from every conceivable angle for broadcast according to their schedule (you can find it on their page or the WSOP one)...you just have to wait a bit.

S

Stonking 20k ante with 20k bring-in and 80k/160k

First hand, Freddy raises when last to act with a 9h after Amnon had brought in with the 2c. Amnon doesn't give it up, betting 80k on the 4s and then 160k on the 6s getting Freddy to fold his 9h 3s Th.

Amnon takes the next one too, raising the Qh and betting the 5d and Ad at which point Bruno, who had called the raise, folds his 7d 5h 3h board.

John Hanson raises the 3d to 80k and Freddy re-raises to 160k with a Ks, John picks up the Ac and check calls Freddy's 80k bet, the latter picking up the 7s. But when Freddy gets the Aspades and bets 160k, John folded his 5c.

S

John Hanson, Freddy Deeb and Kenny Tran get involved.

John:

(?) (?) Th 6s

Freddy:

(?) (?) Tc 3h 2c 5s (?)

Kenny:

(?) (?) Qc Ad 5c Ts (?)

Hanson folds on 4th street when Kenny bets his Ace, Freddy called Kenny down though all the way, before both checked the river and Kenny won almost a million chip pot with just a pair of Aces.

S

Bruno raises with the Aspades, John Hason re-raises with the 8s. Bruno quickly mucks.

Next hand:

John:

(?) (?) Kd 3s 5s Aspades (?)

Freddy Deeb:

(?) (?) Th 8s 6s Js (?)

John raised it up and Freddy Deeb called. John check/raised on 4th street but then both checked the hand down til the river when John bet 160k, Freddy made it 320k and John instantly mucked.

E 

Kenny Tran brings in for 20k, it's completed by John Hanson showing the Jh, called by Amnon Filippi with the Ad and Bruno showing something which wasn't announced and I couldn't see...
Fourth street, it was Amnon's bet with Ace-high and he did so, with both his opponents calling. On fifth street:

Bruno Fitoussi:  X X ? 2d Kd
John Hanson:  X X Jh Th 3h
Amnon Filippi:  X X Ad 7c 9s 

This time Amnon checked, and it was Bruno who bet the 160k with both calling.

Bruno Fitoussi:  X X  ? 2d Kd 4c
John Hanson:  X X ? Jh Th 3h 8d
Amnon Filippi:  X X Ad 7c 9s Tc

Both checked to John Hanson this time, who dwelled for a while before betting 160k.  Again, two callers (such being the nature of limit...)
The river was checked round and Bruno found to his delight that his King-high flush and 7-5-4-3-2 low scooped.

H

Back to Hold'em, on the rollercoaster of limit poker that is H.O.R.S.E...  a few hands from this last hour:

John Hanson raises preflop to 200k, with Amnon Filippi calling.  Amnon check calls the 2d 9c Aspades flop and the 4d turn as well.  The river, 5h, is checked by both players.  Amnon shows 6c 6s - no good against the out-flopping 9d Tc of Hanson.
_______________________

Short stack Bruno Fitoussi has had a good hold'em level, firstly getting a few hundred thousand off Kenny Tran, who called his preflop raise and flop (Tc Qc 9s) bet but folded on the 2d turn, and then check-raising another flop seen with John Hanson.
It was:  2h 2c 9h.  John called his checkraise, and his bet on the 5c turn.  The 2s river saw Bruno betting out once more, called again...he showed only the Ahrt Ac, picking up some much needed chips.

John Hanson -- 4,095,000   
Amnon Filippi -- 3,465,000   
Freddy Deeb -- 2,585,000   
Bruno Fitoussi -- 2,380,000   
Kenny Tran -- 2,340,000   

These are some more uptodate chip counts, from worldseriesofpoker.com...

I have to say that until the last few hands it really looked like Fitoussi was struggling around the 1.5 mil mark, but now the chips are evening out.  I am delighted to have estimated these stacks around these numbers (oh what two years' practise will do for you) for a lady who was studiously texting someone the latest from the beer stall at the top of the viewer stand.  I was surprised to find the Official Beer of the WSOP right there up some stairs overlooking the Final Table, but there it was, cheap, chilled and foamy and in lots of people's hands.  I think the GUKPT could benefit from an Official Beer.  Any suggestions?

(http://www.merchantduvin.com/images/brewery_art/rochefort_art/rf_10.gif)

Beer that'll knock you out...

And it's for and by 'Trappistes'...you win the poker related beer contest with no further entries accepted.

The biggest chip movers have been, today, John Hanson (upwards) and Freddy Deeb (downwards).  In fact, Mr. Deeb was on under 700k just now, and I thought this round might see him all-in.  Yes, it happened, like so:

O

Having laid down the hand before on the flop to John Hanson, Freddy was seriously low as he saw a Qc Jd 5s flop against Kenny Tran - a bet there left him with just 80k, which was always going in on the 5h turn.  Call from Kenny, who showed A-Q-T-2, drawing stone cold dead against Freddy Deeb's 5d 5c.

Quads for the Hawaiian-shirted Deeb, and we are still five-handed.

*************DINNER BREAK - 1hr 30.  Back at 9pm (5am UK time...)***********

Kenny Tran finishes in 5th place, winning $444,000

As seems to be the case with this kind of poker, there's often not one huge deciding hand, but a succession of hands which, at the level of blinds they're playing now, quickly decimate and then finish off a stack.  Damage was done in the last Razz round, with Amnon Filippi officially knocking out the popular player.  Amnon Filippi himself, however, has gone right down in chips, while it is unpredictable Frenchman Bruno Fitoussi who's surged ahead. 

R

Now taking his turn as a short stack, Amnon Filippi completes showing the 2s, Freddy Deeb calls.  Amnon bets fourth and fifth streets, with Freddy calling him down (raising a small amount on 5th, actually, to get him all in).  Amnon shows at this stage [Ad 7s] 2s 6c 3h and improved with a 4c to a six-perfect low, while Freddy had paired a Ten on 5th and had no chance on the river.  Double up. 

S

With Kenny Tran gone, there is no contest for who has the loudest supporters - it's Freddy Deeb, who's taken down four out of the first five Stud hands played this round, with his railing fans getting more and more excited.

The blip in his recent success has come from John Hanson, who's been pretty agressive, completing most initial bets or raising straight away.  It's worth taking down the antes (30k each) and bring-in (30k) and he seems quite good at it.  In this hand, Freddy brought in showing the Aspades, and called when John made it 120k.  Freddy bet out on fourth street, and was called.  Then with the boards looking like:
John Hanson:  X X 6s 3h Ac
Freddy Deeb:  X X Aspades Jh 6d  John's check-raise to 240k took it off Deeb.

But the next hand, it was John calling Freddy's complete bet with 3d, Freddy showing the Ahrt.
Fourth street:  Freddy:  X X Ahrt 2c  vs.  John:  X X 3d 4s     Freddy check-called the 120k.
Fifth street:  Freddy:  X X Ahrt 2c 7h vs.  John:  X X 3d 4s Jd   Now Freddy bet out 240k, call from John.
The next card paired Freddy's Ace while giving John the 7c, at which point another bet out of 240k saw off his adversary, and the crowd goes wild... "GO ON Freddeeeee..."

Incidentally, while Freddy Deeb and John Hanson were playing pot after pot against each other, the bring in was falling to Amnon Filippi every time.  He was passing to the complete or the raise, but this was effectively seeing him ante 60k a hand for about six hands.  Not good when you're the short stack with what looks like under a million in chips left...

S

Bruno brings in with the 9c for 30k. Freddy raises to 120k with the Ks. Amnon calls with the Qs, Bruno calls too.


Bruno:

(?) (?) 9c 7s 5c 3c (?)

Freddy:

(?) (?) Ks 7h 4h 8h

Amnon:

(?) (?) Qs 6s Qc 6d (?)

On fourth street, Freddy checks and Amnon bets and both Bruno and Freddy call. The same occurs on 5th street with a double bet of 240k called in both spots. On 6th street, Amnon bets 240k with just 20k back, Bruno raises to 480k and Freddy reluctantly mucks. Amnon calls and shows Aspades Ts for Queens and Sixes with an Ace high flush draw! Bruno shows 7c 4c for a Nine-High Flush, meaning Amnon would have to hit a Queen, Six or Spade to win. They both receive their final card face down, Bruno's card is incidental and he flips a useless Jd. Amnon takes a slow long squeeze at his final card before turning over the Tc with a hint of frustration. The two players embrace and Amnon Fillipi, whose birthday it is tomorrow finishes in 4th place winning $586,080

E

Very slow, this round.  We didn't get past the initial raise of the bring-in more than three times while I was watching.  One hand where we did, just, involved Freddy Deeb who brought in showing the 3c and called Bruno Fitoussi's bet of 120k showing the 7s.  Fourth street brought Freddy a Kd and Bruno a 3s, with which he bet Mr. Deeb off after he'd checked.

That's about it, really, for the last 15 mins.  Break at the moment, and it will be back to Hold'em when they return.  I am going to grab one of those bar stools round the edge of the viewing platform while the audience members have followed each other out into the corridor for no reason.

H

Chip counts before the Hold 'Em started

John Hanson -- 1.5 million
Freddy Deeb -- 2.2 million
Bruno Fitoussi -- 11.175 million

Blinds 75k/150k with 150k/300k

Bruno is raising most pots, (as he should). John re-raises to 450k from the small blind, Freddy gets out of the way and Bruno calls

Flop:

2h 5c 3h

Bruno calls a 150k bet

Turn:

Qc

Bruno calls a 300k bet.

River:

Qh

John Hanson bets 300k again, Bruno dwells for ages before calling. Hanson shows 7s 7h, Bruno mucks his Ad Kh face up.

Shortly afterwards they are sparring again, John calling a preflop raise in the big blind from Bruno in the small before calling the frenchman's bet on a Qh Ac 7c board and then betting 300k on the 3d turn when Fitoussi checked to take the pot.

Deeb has been fairly inactive, preferring to let the other two trade blows. He's taken the blinds a couple of times, but is probably the lowest stacked.

O

Bruno has now been raising nearly every hand preflop through the end of the hold'em round and into the Omaha 8/b.  A raise now, incidentally, takes it up to 300k (blinds 80k/150k).  He let a couple go after the flop, however, mainly to John Hanson, who is second in chips.

But the amount he lost in the couple of smallish pots he conceded to Hanson he took back of Freddy Deeb, raising to 300k preflop and getting a call.
Flop:  6c 7c 3h  Here Bruno called Freddy who bet out 150k, and they checked thereafter as the Jh and Tc came down.
Bruno showed:  9h Td 5h 2h which somehow managed to scoop.
______________________________

Then Bruno raised again to 300k in the small blind, called by big blind Hanson.
Flop:  2d Qs 7c  Bruno bet 150k, call from John.
Turn:  4c  Bruno bet 300k; call.
River:  Aspades  Bruno damage-limits by check-calling, only for John to show the 5s 3c 4d 3s for the wheel.  Scoop back.

The short stack is now Freddy Deeb...raised off after flat calling Bruno's big blind, and then this:

O

John Hanson raised on the small blind, and Freddy called on the big blind.  Flop:  3s 5h Kc  Freddy called John's 150k bet.
Turn:  Td  John checked, Freddy bet 300k - call.
River:  9c  Check-check.  John Hanson's nice-looking but non-improved Ahrt Aspades 2d 2h took it all.

O

Bruno has given away a few chips in this level. The most was to Freddy Deeb on the river of a 4d 8c 5h 6h Jh board who bet 300k, was called by Fitoussi and the Deebster showed Ad 2h Th x (last card not shown or announced) for an A-2 low and a Ten-high flush which scooped ahead of Bruno's 2c 3c for a 2-3 low with a straight.

The last hand before a 15 minute break was a split pot between Bruno and John on a 5-K-2-7-Q board, Bruno taking the low with A-3 and John the high with two pair, Sevens and Fives.

top updating as usual guys...

I've just caught up, great updates guys, tyvm.

Rumour has it Bruno is down to 6 milion and has somehow passed off 5 million or so chips to the other two.

Before the few hands I've recorded here, at the start of the Razz round the stacks were:

Bruno Fitoussi  6,605,000
John Hanson  5,155,000
Freddy Deeb  3,110,000

R

But Freddy is a fair bit shorter after these two (ante 40k, bring-in 50k, small bet 180k big bet 360k!):

Folding on fifth street after completing to 180k with the 6s, Bruno calling him with the 8c.  Freddy paired the Six on fourth, and received the 9d on fifth, at which point he gave it up to Fitoussi's 360k big bet showing X X 8c Kc 4d.
__________________________

John Hanson brought in with the 9c, Freddy called, and called the full 180k when Bruno completed the bet showing 6c; Freddy showed 4c.
Fourth street:  Freddy Deeb:  X X 4c 8c
Bruno Fitoussi:  X X 6c 9d  Freddy bet out 180k, Bruno called.
Fifth:  Freddy Deeb:  X X 4c 8c 9s  vs.  Bruno Fitoussi:  X X 6c 9d 9h  Freddy bet out 360k, Bruno called.
Sixth:  Freddy Deeb:  X X 4c 8c 9s Js  vs.  Bruno Fitoussi:  X X 6c 9d 9h 5s  Now Freddy checked, Bruno bet the 360k, Freddy called.

On the river both players checked and Bruno showed the low of 9-7-6-5-2...Freddy flashed a 9-8 and that was that, another one to the chip leader.

Now come on, I would have thought that was obvious!!   rotflmfao

S

If I said that there has been lots of action this round, play down all streets and lots of big pots, I would be lying, and how.  With one exception:  A pretty chunky pot developed between rapidly-coming-back Freddy Deeb and continual third-street bettor Bruno Fitoussi.
Freddy called showing the 3c vs. Bruno's Qd.  They both paired fourth street, where Freddy called Bruno once more.  On fifth street, which brought the harmless looking 7d and 8c to Bruno and Freddy respectively, Freddy called the 360k bet.
On sixth street their hands looked like this:
Freddy Deeb:  X X 3c 3s 8c Kc
Bruno Fitoussi:  X X Qd Qs 7d 3h  Bruno bet 360k once more; call.
The river card was dealt to both players, and Bruno checked it at this point, facing a pretty quick bet from his opponent.  He went into the tank for longer than I've seen anyone do so all day.  The pot, including Freddy's bet, was now a large 2.64 mil.  And with his eventual call (after a stand up, hands on hips, a good long stare at everything on the table, and a firm sit back down) a 3,000,000 pot went Freddy Deeb's way as he revealed the case 3d, beating Bruno's Ac Ahrt over Queens.

E

Freddy takes a chunky pot off John.

Freddy:

(?) (?) Qc Tc Kd 2d (?)

John:

(?) (?) Ks Jc Jh 7c (?)

Freddy check-called the whole way before both checked the river and Freddy's Queens and Tens beat John's Jacks and Sevens.


Bruno vs John

Bruno:

(?) (?) Qc Aspades 3d 8d (?)

John:

(?) (?) 6d 4c Ac 3s (?)

John called Bruno's completion and his bet on 4th street. When John hit his Ace though, he took over the aggression and Bruno check-called to the river. Bruno's Queens and Eights took the high against John's Sixes and Twos, but John's 6-4-3-2-A took the low half.

Morning, anyone waking up in the UK.  Action dragging a bit for you?  Here's a giant and artfully arranged stack of money, for which they are playing.  It'll be going on the table, I bet, as soon as it gets heads up.

H

Back to hold'em after a break and the blinds are now 100k/200k with betting increments 200k/400k.  Pretty hefty.

Bruno is still raising more preflop than either of the others - the first hand it didn't go his way as his 400k was called by Freddy Deeb in the big blind who also check-called his 200k bet on the Kd 3s 6s flop.  It was checked all the way after that - a 6h Ahrt coming which left Freddy's Kc 5d still in the lead.

But then...

Bruno raised to 400K, big blind John Hanson re-raised (a preflop re-raise!) to 600k.  Call.
Flop:  6c Th Js Bruno checked, John bet 200k, call.
Turn:  2d  Bruno checked again, John bet 400k, and found a raise to 800k.  John called.
River:  9s  Now Bruno bet out 400k and John raised to 800k.  This was interesting - Bruno had check-raised the turn and now found himself being raised on the river.  He called, however, as one does with a set of Jacks.  John's T-9 two pair were no good, and the big stack is firmly in front of Fitoussi.

Play briefly stopped in the Hold'Em when Phil Hellmuth swanned over like Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator...

Seriously, the general fauning over Hellmuth is quite embarrassing. He's treated with more respect than his childish, petulant table attitude deserves. Yes, he maybe the best NL tournament player around, but he's no champion human being, that's for sure.

H

Bruno raises to 400k, Freddy calls in the big blind.

Flop:

4s Ts 7h

Freddy checks, Bruno bets 200k, Freddy calls.

Turn:

Tc

Freddy checks, Bruno bets 400k, Freddy calls.

River:

Td

Freddy announces check in the dark before the river was dealt, Bruno bets 400k anyway and Freddy calls. Bruno shows Qh Qc for the house and takes the pot.

O

John Hanson was all-in just as I re-accessed the Final area:  the flop and turn were out, so the board read:  Jc 4c 8d 7h.
John held:  Ks 6s 7d 9d
drawing against Freddy Deeb's Qc Qs 7c 3s

The river:  Th  and the straight got there.  "Next hand," sighed Freddy.

R

The chip stacks at this point:

Bruno Fitoussi  6,000,000
John Hanson  4,180,000
Freddy Deeb  4,690,000

But just look at the limits:  ante 50k, bring-in 70k, bet sizes 250k/500k.

Six hands pass without getting further than fourth street, John Hanson winning two, Freddy Deeb winning four.  Then John brings in with the 8d showing, and Bruno completes.  It gets back to John, who then raises to 500k - Bruno calls.  Fourth street brings John a 2h and Bruno an Ac - the latter check-called 250k, but when he received a 9s on fifth street (John getting a 5c) he gave the pot up to John.

R

Nevergoingtoendments.

John:

(?) (?) Ahrt 9c Td 8s

Freddy:

(?) (?) Jh 8c 2h Aspades

Freddy raised to 1 million on 5th street and bet 500k on sixth after John had previously been in charge of the betting. John folded and Freddy showed the Ac in the hole.


Bruno completely Freddy's bring in. John and Freddy call

Bruno:

(?) (?) 6d 2c 8s

John:

(?) (?) 9s 3h Qc

Freddy:

(?) (?) Js 8d Qh

Bruno bet all the way and both others pass on 5th. Bruno shows K-J in the hole.

Finally, another 3-way pot.

John:

(?) (?) 8h 3c

Freddy:

(?) (?) 3c Ts Ahrt 2h (?)

Bruno:

(?) (?) 7d 2s 8s Kd (?)

Both Bruno and Freddy call the raise, Bruno bets 4th street, is called by Freddy and then Freddy bets all the way to the river and Bruno calls him down.

Freddy shows a wheel for a big pot. Bruno mucks what looked like an A-2-3-4-7.

R

A few more hands before another Action One popped up:  Bruno brought in with the Tc, but got out of the way after the 250k from John and the raise to 500k from Freddy.  On fourth street:
Freddy Deeb:  X X 6h Ad
John Hanson:  X X 8h 7d  Freddy bet 250 - call from John.  Freddy received the Jh, John the 3h.  Now John became first to act, and bet out 500k - Freddy called.
On sixth street:
Freddy Deeb:  X X 6h Ad Jh 4h
John Hanson:  X X 8h 7d 3h 5h  John bet out 500k, and Freddy made it an even million...this was effectively going to polish off his stack if he called and lost.  He made the call, and the rest of his stack was all-in on the river.  And polished it was - Freddy Deeb revealed what the announcer announced as a 6-5-4-2-A which was good.

So John Hanson finishes in 3rd place, winning $852,480

Hands were shaken all round at this most recent elimination, and Bruno jumped up - they've gone for a cigarette break, but not before Freddy exhorted, "Come on buddy, sit your ass down!  You come all the way from France...OK...enjoy your cigarette before I bust you!"

These two aren't exactly strangers, and a sudden outbreak of good-natured heckling signalled the heads up being about to start..."You smoke a cigarette, I'm gonna smoke a cigar."  "You know where I can shove that cigar..."

Any minute now, restart...Razz...heads up.

Good luck Bruno!

Congrats on staying awake! I've managed a full nights play and 8 hours sleep since you started this update!

S

I watched pretty much all of the Stud half hour, and, again, it was back and forth, with many small, brief hands, the (slight) majority of which went to Bruno.  But there was a pretty important hand right before the game changed - Freddy's Jc brought in, and Bruno completed with the Ks.  Freddy called, and paired his Jd on fourth street, immediately betting out 500k.  Bruno, who'd received the 3c, leaned back in his chair, hands behind head (pictured) deciding what to do.  After a good long while he called, and then much quicker on fifth and sixth streets as Freddy bet each time.  Their hands then:
Freddy Deeb:  X X Jc Jd 2h 6d
Bruno Fitoussi:  X X Ks 3c 6h 7s 
The river card saw yet another 500k go in from Freddy, and Bruno grimly pondered for a good five minutes.  No one made a murmur, cameramen, audience, Freddy.  For once the dwell was just watched with bated breath - no wise guy could throw out, "Come on, it's not the World Series Main Event."  Clearly paiined by the decision, Bruno folded in the end, leaving himself with what looks like just 1,500,000....

Ah, spent a year training for it.  And nothing compares to the 7 hour heads up at last year's H.O.R.S.E. following the previous day's 20 hours of play.  I've sent the boys to bed, though, they're delicate flowers.

And not getting a day off tomorrow like me :)

And within three hands of the Stud 8/b Freddy Deeb has finished off his friend Bruno Fitoussi, who finishes in 2nd place, winning $1,278,720...

Which makes Freddy Deeb the 2007 Bracelet Winner of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. winning $2,276,832...

Here he is pictured as his money is neatly arranged...and being interviewed, while somewhere to the left runner-up Bruno has been whisked off to do his own set of interviews...

Among other things, the glib Deeb mentioned a very interesting thing - apparently last year's winner Chip Reese and he swapped 5% - and again this year!  So Mr. Reese has come out slightly ahead... ;) 

It's the second WSOP bracelet for Freddy, and he said he played the best poker of his life to get it.  An articulate winner, with nothing but praise for his opponents, I am sure that he will be celebrating with Bruno when the camerapeople are done with them.

Congratulations to him, and I'm toast.  Join Snoopy and Homer tomorrow for continued coverage of the $5k.

;stickaforkinme;

Ta muchly!  ;hattip;

top stuff guys!..this event must be a pain in the neck to update on with all the switches in games and this was top class!

And a nice cash for Isabelle Mercier, who did a Thewesque 5% swap.

What a WONDERFUL Update, thanks!

Not surprised to see Bruno (smashing guy) & Isabelle have some swaps, they go back a long way, Isa learned her craft at the Aviation, & thery remain close friends.

 
 Nice work team , y'all must be knackered. or did you have a sneaky nap rota going ?

 well done anyway , cant wait for the ME now.   ;applause;

finally caught up, thank you Jen, Snoops & Floppy  ;hattip;

A news item summarising this event can be found on the Main Site homepage by clicking the link below...

http://www.blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/10714 (http://www.blondepoker.com/index.php?q=node/10714)