blonde poker forum

It's final table time here for the European Poker Tour event here in the Bahamas, Europe sure seems to be growing fast... The chip counts are below and it's difficult to see beyond 'The Dragon' who has about a third of the chips in play and is the clear favourite here. "ElkY" might be in 2nd place, but he has less than half of Pham's stack, but he's still hoping to go one better than last years' event in Copenhagen where he was pipped at the post. Speaking of pips, British hopes rest with Craig 'The Apple' Hopkins who was one of the short stacks around the money bubble of 120 players but has slowly been building up his stack and taking advantage of his looser opponents, a win here certainly would be golden delicious... ::)

Chip counts:

David Pham    7,390,000
Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier    3,060,000
Joseph Elpayaa    2,755,000
Hafiz Khan    2,560,000
Kris Kuykendall    2,150,000
Richard Fohrenbach    1,855,000
Craig Hopkins    1,770,000
Christian Harder    905,000

Play begins at 3pm (UK time) or 10am EST (which is what we're running under).

See you there.

come on"the apple"everyone in chesterfields proper proud pal!

sorry floppy, haven't been following, what are the prizes?

Hi Snoopy & Floppy.

Not sure what info your after for his profile but heres some:

Started playing around 10 years ago amongst friends. Quickly realised he enjoyed the game and started playing on betfair poker (in its crypto days). Was a regular on the £50 stts, which seems very low stakes compared to the games available on line today.

Now plays the high stakes stt's across various sites as well the bigger Mtt's. Has won several big mtt's but his 'bread & butter' is the stt's where he continues to perform well.

Has some live experience after qualifying for Singapore and Monte Carlo via the internet. Also I do believe he did get some Uk ranking points after cashing in one of his rare live tournys in this country (Brighton i believe)

Genuine nice guy and allround good egg (or should that be Apple)  

I've told him you've looked after us, so you may get an exclusive with the winner :)

taxi for G0drun anyone?

Come on the Northern lad!!!

come on the Spireites then, crooked spires and all that

Laptop hooked up to the big plasma in our local. Team Hops are ready to rumble!!!

COME ON THE APPLE MAN!!

"I wish I wasn't dying," cries my fatigued Canadian press friend opposite, our bet the day prior surely causing him to lose one or two of those forty winks. Meanwhile, I must thank Craig Hopkins for defying the odds (when I took the 2-1 bet there were 10 Canadians and 4 Brits) and remaining sturdier than a line of bouncers locked arm in arm. In that sense, I wish The Apple the very best of luck.

It's not going to be easy for our plucky flag flier though, if only for the presence of The Dragon, David Pham, whose record is second to none. There was a big debate in the pressroom as to whom would win in a fight between a dragon and an apple. The debate rattled back and forth with one side claiming that the dragon would just burn the apple to ashes whilst the other suggested that the Dragon would be banished from the Garden of Eden if he even touched the apple. However, I think it was decided that the apple would ultimately triumph due to the simple fact that dragons don't exist. In that sense, it would merely say, "Hold on, I'm not real", disappear and thereby leave the static apple triumphant in victory. Let's hope that rings true today.

Another player to look out for, of course, is online wizard and former pro gamer Bertrand Grospellier, better known in the cyber world as ElkY. He seems to be in great form at the moment and has EPT final experience in the bag. He came second in Copenhagen, so he'll be eager to go just that one place better. But let's not count out the other players, Christian Harder in particular appears to have a huge following and is believed to be an immensely talented player. I've been keeping a keen eye on him over the last few days and he certainly seems to be the coolest of cucumbers with a sack of potential. One to watch out for, I'm sure.

Floppy and I were discussing the potential of you guys doing this, great to see you followed through. Say hello to all the locals from the Beagle. Pint of Guinness for me please. (http://www.meniketti.com/vforum/images/smilies/icon_drinking.gif)

Re. the Apple nickname.

I bet Craig is glad he didn't bring a bunch of plums to the table that day.

Errr...aren't we missing something?

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7728&g2_serialNumber=1)

Dealer button?

I'm interviewing Barry Greenstein at 2pm today so will be leaving you solely in the capable hands of Sir Floppy. Does anyone have any good questions they would like me to ask the Robin Hood of Poker?

Questions? No.

Telll him he has a nice beard. And 'L, O, L - donkaments'.

Still no sign of a start. And to think they may me get up at 9am!  ;grr;

yep remember my book question! see if he'll give some free copies!

Gd luck the apple

when was the last time he Made Marion?

The book quesiton has been etched in as has the "Can I have some money please?" one.  :)

Ask him if he has any regrets about marrying Liza Minnelli.

(http://www.pokernews.com/files_en/cnt/4726666daa390.gif) (http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42437000/jpg/_42437743_gest_getty_203.jpg)

Snoops whilst we are thinking of questions for you to ask Barry perchance we could have a few more Kara Scott norkage pics to set us up nicely for this final table.

Introduction time, and these words the words of announcer Lee Jones:

"In Seat 6 we have Craig 'Apple' Hopkins."  :D

I'm a bit scared now as last time I took a photo, she threatened to sort me out.... and in the bad way.

Just tell her a Beagle is for life and not just for Christmas

Just to clarify, the brand spanking new orange/brown chips are worth 100k each. Aye carumba!

Seat 1: Kris Kukendall -- 2,150,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7730&g2_serialNumber=1)

Kris, who turned 25 yesterday (January 9),  graduated with a business degree from the University of Cincinatti and coaches wrestling in his spare time. He has only been playing poker for two years and turned pro after six months. He specialises in online cash games – 2/4 and 5/10 No Limit – and when he won his seat to the PCA, it was the first satellite he had ever played. The PCA is also his first ever live tournament but he says he found the transition from online to live pretty easy. This is his biggest result to date. He added: “I’ve had an up and down tournament so far. “

Seat 2: Christian Harder -- 905,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7732&g2_serialNumber=1)

Christian Harder, a student from Annapolis, Maryland, is playing in his first live big buy-in event.   After studying business last semester at Salisbury University, he decided to take this semester off to play poker.  He’s getting off to a pretty good start after qualifying on PokerStars in a $650 multi-table satellite.  Known as “charder30” online, Harder is no stranger to tournament poker.  He spends most of his time playing the biggest buy-in tournaments online with $8ok in a $1k event his biggest win to date.  Although the shortest stack at the table, Harder still feels confident going into final table play.

Seat 3: David Pham -- 7,390,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7734&g2_serialNumber=1)

David 'The Dragon' Pham enjoyed having odds on his side at an early age, when the 17-year-old was one of only 46 (out of 145) people to survive a boat journey fleeing his native Vietnam for the United States. He joined the cleaning business of his cousin Men 'The Master' Nguyen, who had registered some success at the Las Vegas poker tables. He studied the game under his cousin and learned well from the master, as he was soon wiping the floor with his opponents at the table. His breakthrough year was 2000, when his consistent performances saw him named Cardplayer's Player of the Year. The following year saw him claim his first WSOP bracelet on the $2,000 SHOE event, and he would add his second in a NL Hold'Em shootout event in 2006. He’s had five WPT final tables in all and two WSOP bracelets. Pham is considered one of the most aggressive pros in the game and lies 23rd on the all-time money list - with $5.4 million in career earnings.

Seat 4: Betrand "ElkY" Grospellier -- 3,060,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7736&g2_serialNumber=1)

ElkY was a famous professional gamer until a friend suggested he try his luck at poker seven years ago. He quickly proved his skills by qualifying for the WSOP two years running. He joined Team PokerStars in 2006. Rarely without his trademark sunglasses, poker has proved a profitable career switch for the young Frenchman. In EPT Season 3, he cashed three times including his second-place finish in Copenhagen for €309,000. ElkY is a prolific online player and said: "With gaming, I could practice 12 hours a day, but if I lost the game, the value would be zero. However, in poker every hour has some benefit”.

Seat 5: Joseph Elpayaa -- 2,755,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7738&g2_serialNumber=1)

Joespeh “bigegypt” Elpayaa, 19, from Chicago, has played a few big live events in Europe  - including last year’s EPT Grand Final and the Irish Open - but this is his first big cash. Online, he has had a lot of success and says he has won “several “ $100k prizes in various events. Joseph was in the top 1% of those who took the ACT college exams last year but he only attended for a week before deciding to focus on poker. He learned poker in home games with his brother Adam and friends. His preference is cash games but he says “being deep in a tournament beats anything else.”

Seat 6: Craig Hopkins -- 1,770,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7740&g2_serialNumber=1)

Craig, a professional sports bettor from Chesterfield in the UK, has been playing poker for years with friends but only four years online.  He played in last season’s EPT Grand Final but didn’t cash. He also qualified with PokerStars for last summer’s WSOP but couldn’t go because it clashed with his honeymoon. He said: “My wife Lindsey is here supporting me. She’s been brilliant. I got made redundant from work two years ago and decided to take up sports betting full-time. A lot of girlfriends wouldn’t be happy about that but she has been really supportive.” Craig has also had tons of support from friends and family back home – some friends even had champagne delivered to him at the Atlantis. His friends now call him “The Apple” after a picture of him eating fruit appeared on blondepoker on the first day of the PCA.

Seat 7: Richard Fohrenbach -- 1,855,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7742&g2_serialNumber=1)

College student Richard, from Milford, Connecticut, says he played around 20 Double Shoot Out satellites for the PCA before finally winning a seat in October. “I came second in one, and then won one later the same day.” He said he doesn’t consider himself a pro but is taking some time off from studying at Boston College to focus on the game. “This is by far my biggest win to date. I’ve only ever cashed once in a live tournament before this, and that was for £2,000.” Richard has already bought in to EPT Dortmund at the end of January, as well as the Season 4 EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo.

Seat 8: Hafiz Khan -- 2,560,000

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7744&g2_serialNumber=1)

Former software analyst Hafiz Khan, from Stockton, Northern California, has been playing poker for four years and turned pro two years ago. Hafiz normally plays online. He said: “I’ve been enjoying the PCA. It’s been long and gruelling, but fun. I expected to do well. This is my best result so far.”

And finally, here's the group shot of the class of '08

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7746&g2_serialNumber=1)

7h 3h 3c flop is seen between Hafiz Khan and David Pham.

Pham bets out 250k and takes the pot.

Next hand Christian Harder moves all-in and takes the blinds down.

Elky raises from the button, Craig 'The Apple' calls from the big blind.

Jc Aspades Jd

Craig checks, Elky bets 200k, Craig folds.

At the moment, this final has yet to catch fire, it's just gently simmering...

A pot between Hafiz Khan and Kris Kuykendall.

Kh 6d 4s

Hafiz check/calls a 210k pot from Kris, before leading out for 450k more on the Kd turn. Kris gives it up.

Hafiz and Kris again in the next hand, Qc 5s 9s Ad 4c is checked to the river where Hafiz takes the pot with a 100k bet.

Feel free to add your own thoughts, comments on the final guys.

Prizes remaining:

1    $2,000,000
2    $1,094,976
3    $800,000
4    $600,000
5    $450,000
6    $300,000
7    $200,000
8    $150,000
9    $120,000

"No one makes a reluctant call better than Christian Harder," claims Conrad from the commentator booth. "Everyone has a special skill."

Make of that what you will.  :dontask:

David Pham is your current chip leader with 8,085,00 whilst Christian Harder will be looking for a spot in the very near future as he's down to 655,000.

For anyone watching the EPT live feed with the map on the side, is it just me or is Nassau a little closer to Europe than you first imagined? Is that map geographically accurate?

If it was that close I'd have a weekend villa out there lol.

Kris in Trap 1 looks like he's gonna tilt quite soon.

Kris Kuykendall makes it 175k from the cut-off, Elky re-raises to 420k from the big blind.

Hafiz Khan raises to 165k. There's a call from Kris Kuykendall and Joe re-raises to 625k. Hafiz moves all-in and both Kris and Joe pass sharpish.

No-one wants to be the first player out it seems. People are so wary of David Pham's re-raising power that they're all avoiding him, but someone will have to draw a line in the sand soon.

When I was watching yesterday he reluctantly called on the river with his flopped fullhouse.
In his defence their may have been a bigger one but he wouldn't have been too low on chip had he lost.

"One time," demands Kris.

(http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q229/freshhiphopnews/wyclef-jean-roving-ambassador.jpg)

Ks Qc 7h board

David Pham bets out and Joseph Elypayaa makes a pot-sized raise, David looks like he's going to set him in but reluctantly folds. Joe's railbirds let out a cheer.


His Mum and Dad have been railing him solid for the last two days or so, I think. He's a pretty solid player, probably one of the tighest on the table.

Richard Fohrenbach moves all-in for about 1.1 million. Joe Elpayaa calls.

Fohrenbach: Jd Jh

Elpayaa: Td Ts

Board: 5h 3h Ks 2h Ahrt

The railers on the right side of the stage are silent and Richard's railers on the left cheer in delight. Richard up to 2.2 million and Joseph Elpayaa is down to 1.6 million.

"Two time!"

(http://www.rnb.cz/storage/200710012318_wyclef_jean.jpg)

Elky raises to 160k and a more confident Richard Fohrenbach makes it 500k more, Elky moves all-in.

Richard calls!

Richard: Jd Jh

Elky: Aspades Ks

Board: Kd Td 4s 9h 6s

Richard Fohrenbach is OUT in 8th place winning $150,000

Grandad Tikay needs to watch ElkY to learn how to play AK lol.

I think it's quite noticeable that Elky tends to play Ace King very aggressively, he doesn't seem to ever pass it, even against other big stacks. Yesterday, he knocked out Connor Allisen calling off half his stack instantly and getting lucky against Kings and today he was shoving against Fohrenbach very quickly. Is it a possible leak and could it yet be his undoing? Or is he the Anti-Ironside and playing it well?

3h 6c 9d 8c 3s

David Pham bets 715k on the river, Elky instantly calls with Th 7s, way ahead of David Pham 9-4.

Was that river bet too thin from Pham?

I think that's why Elky was yoyoing yesterday. He's happy to race as a slight dog and then play 10 7os

Christian Harder moves all-in. Elky instantly calls from the small blind and everyone else gets out the way.

Harder: 7s 7d

Elky: Jc Jh

Board: 3d Th Js 8h 5d

Christian Harder is OUT in 7th place winning $200,000

Pham raises to 180k, Elky calls.

4s 4h 5s

Check check.

9c

David bets 310k, Elky calls.

5c

Check check.

David announces "Ten high." Elky shows A-K and takes the pot. Obviously I was wrong about Elky's A-K play. :D

Just caught up:

Top Performance from Craig, Well played that man.

All week, and during previous EPTs in fact, our roving reporter Mr Floppy has been continually putting his name forward for the live EPT feed commentary. Unfortunately, his offers have been constantly rejected and Floppy's talents outrageously overlooked. Perhaps if well sent an email to the EPT site putting Floppy's name foward for the live commentary we could maybe sway their decision...

As Floppy said, "What has Moneymaker ever done?"

"One tournament," he continues, "I won a tournament once, a 180 player multi on Stars!"

I've heard a rumour that Daniel Negreanu and Greg Raymer specifically asked for me to commentate...

I also think I started that rumour....

Floppy is better in the thick of the action where he can control the quality of updates we receive. ;) ;whistle;

David raises to 180k. Hafiz and Kris call.

Jh Qh Td

Checked around.

2c

Kris bets 225k. David folds, Hafiz calls.

7c

Kris moves all-in. Chris Moneymaker is absolutely convinced he has 'bubkiss', which I guess is like the American version of Bagpuss. Hafiz passes.

If you know anything about anyone other than David Pham or Elky you can't have the job.

We're back and the commentary team of commenting that Craig Hopkins hasn't played a single hand as of yet and is going to have to start making his move with 12 big blinds.

As I write that, he moves all-in and takes the blinds uncontested. His image is so tight at the moment that nobody is going to play back at the apple unles they have the goods, so let's hope he can advantage of that.

Ahh, bugger.

can we have a chip count for tikay please?

Admittedly I wasn't paying attention and didn't have the sound on, but did they have a welsh flag beside Richard Fohrenbach's name in the list of prizes?

A couple of final table photos, hiding just behind the plants there in the second one, is Alan Vinnicombe who is over here to play the $2,500 event which starts at another nearby Casino tomorrow.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7748&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7750&g2_serialNumber=1)

Hafiz raises to 175k, Elky calls, and Joseph Elpayaa moves all-in behind. The first two pass, Joe wins the pot and shows Ace King.

No, he's American.

He's about level with you at the minute   rotflmfao

As well as being given the alias "the apple" this week, I think Craig's performance can quite rightly earn him the crown of

image removed

They've changed the flag on the live feed prize board to what appears to be a welsh flag.

With just around 1 million chips, Craig Hopkins is our short stack now, unless he open-shoves, it's very likely that any over the top push will be called by the other players.

Yeah, I see that. Slightly bizarre!

2s 3d Tc 8c board:

Hafiz Khan checks twice after Joe Elpayaa called his raise preflop. Joe takes a stab on the turn for 275k into the 540k pot and Hafiz folds.

Coincidentally, they made that change when he got eliminated.  ;carlocitrone;

Not sure why this grabbed my attention...

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7256&g2_serialNumber=1)

Whilst we await the next big hand, feast your eyes on these exterior pics which will hopefully give you a better idea of what the surrounding area is like.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7270&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7262&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7268&g2_serialNumber=1)

Four-way limped pot between David Pham, Elky, Joe and Hafiz.

7s 2h Jc

Checked to Joe, who bets 200k. Hafiz calls. David calls too and Elky passes.

Qc

David and Joe check. Hafiz bets 350k which is only 1/3 of the pot. Q-J perhaps? David calls and Joe passes.

Js

David checks, Hafiz bets 800k into a 1.7 million pot. Richard Fohrenbach (doing the commentary) is sure he's value betting there, and I think it's very hard to disagree with him.

Bertand Grospellier is the current chip leader with 8,885,000.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7692&g2_serialNumber=1)

To much of the
image removed I expect!!!

Craig moves all-in and takes the blinds.

Next hand, Elky just limps on Craig's big blind.

It's checked until the turn of a 6c Jd 2h Qd where Elky bets 100k and takes the pot.

Elky raises and Joe pushes for another 1.5 million or so, Elky calls.

Elky: Aspades Qc

Joe: Kh Jh

Board: 3d 8c 4s 6c 2s

Joseph Elpayaa is OUT in 6th winning $300,000

Another shove from 'The Apple' gets through but he's only got the core of his chips left now. A double up is needed soon.

is there any site that does live betting on this?

David Pham raises to 240k. Hafiz calls from the big blind.

2d Jh 6s

Hafiz checks, David bets 340k, Hafiz calls.

9d

Hafiz checks. David checks.

Kd

Hafiz bets 900k. David calls. Hafiz shows 6d 4d which takes the monster pot.

huge visual tell by khan on that last hand saying the river hit him. Very surprised Pham called there

Don't think so I'm afraid.

Hafiz raises to 225k, David Pham, no doubt a little burnt, calls from the big blind.

Qs Js 6h

Check check

8c

David bets 375k. Hafiz calls.

4h

Check check.

Hafiz's Ahrt Qd wins against David's Aspades 4s.

Craig Hopkins pushes all-in. David Pham calls.

Craig: Kd 8d

David: Td Ts

Board: 9h Th 7s Kh 2c

Craig Hopkins is OUT in 5th place winning $450,000

Well played Craig, Great result.

We're now on a 30 minute break.

Chip Counts, thanks to Howard from Stars:

Kris Kuykendall -- 2,665,000
David Pham -- 5,045,000
Elky -- 9,550,000
Hafiz Khan -- 5,720,000

We've now restarted. Snoops is still interviewing Barry Greenstein so you'll have to do with out his wit for the moment. ;D

1    $2,000,000
2    $1,094,976
3    $800,000
4    $600,000

David (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) Pham (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) raises to 360k and takes the blinds.

Elky raises to 325k, Hafiz Khan makes it 1025k. Pham and Kuykendall folds as does Elky. Khan shows Kings.

Hafiz raises to 330k and takes the blinds.

Lee Jones talking about David (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) Pham (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826), "Does he look like a Vietnamese Jack Nicholson?"

Drat. As soon as I exit the press room for my Barry interview, we lose The Apple. My congratulations to Craig though, nonetheless, a sterling performance I'm sure you'll agree.  ;tightend;

Nice pot for Khan. I only caught the end of the hand, but a 750k called bet on a K-6-Q-7-7 rainbow board saw a heap of chips go in the direction of Khan and his K-Q, Pham and his inferior K-4 not quite realising how strong Khan was.

Yes well done..

Elky raises to 325k, Kris Kuykendall re-raises to 925k. Elky instantly moves-in and "A-K!" is the cry from the pressroom. Kris Kuykendall looks a bit miserable and folds.

Hafiz raises to 325k. Kris Kuykendall moves all-in. Hafiz wants a count, lets out a long deep sigh, and mucks his cards.

It appears as though I may be on the wrong end of some slapped wrists because my interview with Barry, which went on longer than expected, actually kept him away from his commentary duties that he'd been signed up to do. However, if you've ever spoken to Barry, you'll understand how easy it is to go over schedule. Like Greg Raymer, you only have to fire one question at him and he'll talk for long periods of time, whether he goes off on a tangent or not. I had a number of questions in my arsenal, but in the end, only a handful were required, and we still spoke for circa 60 minutes!

I won't give away too much, but a few topics we discussed were his relationship with his son and fellow pro player Joe Sebok, the importance of charity in poker and the pros and cons of being a 'celebrity' poker player. What seemed to keep us occupied for many a minute was the topic of High Stakes Poker, but you're just going to have to wait until I publish the interview before you can feast your eyes on that gem.

Overall, a very interesting man who made for a fascinating interview.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/images/photos/photo_3016.jpg)

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7752&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7754&g2_serialNumber=1)

great updates guys!

Th 9h 4d flop in a 3-way pot between Elky, Hafiz and Kris.

Elky bets 450k, Hafiz calls and Kris folds.

Ahrt

Elky bets 775k and Hafiz folds.

Elky has over 10 million in chips now.

Elky bets 150k into a 300k pot on a 8d 7d 3c. Hafiz raises to 450k. Elky folds the 7c face up.

8d Td Tc flop between small blind Hafiz and big blind Kris.

Hafiz bets 120k, Kris flat-calls. Barry Greenstein says Kris has the best hand.

Qs

Hafiz fires out 300k. Kris announces, "Raise." He then pushes out 550k more. Hafiz calls fairly quickly.

Ac

The action goes check check. Hafiz has a queen but flings his cards down in digust as Kris announces he's hit an Ace with Ad 3d.

Elky raises to 360k, Hafiz Khan adds another 500k more on top and the Frenchman is sent scurrying for the hills.

Kris raises to 320k and takes the blinds.

Kris raises again, 320k once more and takes them chips and them blinds.

360k from David Pham. Elky calls, Hafiz Khan moves all-in. Kriss passes. Pham and Elky fold. Hafiz adds another 800k or so to his stack.

Hafiz raises to 325k from UTG/CO. Kris calls on the button. David Pham reaches for stacks of whites, but then just calls. And Elky is priced in and makes the call also.

Jh 5d 2h

Everyone checks.

Qh

Everyone checks again.

2c

David Pham bets 600k on the seemingly blank river card. Elky folds. Kris says, "I played this hand so poorly," sighing before throwing his chips in like he's expecting to lose.

Pham turns over Qd 9d but weirdly, Kris shows Ac Qc to win the pot and leave 'The Dragon' as the short stack.

That was a truly bizarre hand from what I saw. The way Kris was speaking, I was sure that he'd checked a flopped pair of Jacks with, say, A-J and subsequently allowed an overcard in the Queen to hit the Turn. As Barry Greenstein said, it didn't quite make sense that he'd worry about the two on the River and actually think he was beat.

We're on a short break.

Good to see blonde poker getting a mention in Craig Hopkins post-elimination interview with EPT hotty Kara Scott, and even better to hear the topic of the Apple nickname crop up. "It just snowballed," claimed Craig. "If I could have had a shirt made with an apple on, I would have."

I think you should accept the challenge of personally making sure at least one new nickname (preferably vegetable/fruit based) is stuck to a player per EPT update.  Proofs include but are not limited to:  Mention on EPT Live feed, Mention by TV host/ess, Sticker/badge on player.

Yours would be the gooseberry.  ;D

David Pham a Vietnamese Jack Nicholson? Hmm, I've heard better lookalikeys.

David (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) Pham (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) is OUT and becomes the 4th place finisher winning $600,000

When you're hot, you're hot, and David (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) Pham (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) just felt the wrath of the ElkY form to eliminate the Vietnamese veteran in 4th place.

After Pham had called ElkY's pre-flop raise, both players checked a 5d Kh Qh Flop only for a Jd to hit the Turn.

"ElkY will surely bet here," commented Lee Jones from the commentary booth, "two checks, he just can't resist."

And he was right, as ElkY did indeed bet out, but after glancing briefly at his stack, David (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) Pham (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=826) confidentially announced all-in for what was believed to be just over two million.

With ElkY mulling over his decision, Lee Jones, referring to earlier ElkY hands, continued, "Well, I guess it's not A-K then seeing that he hasn't snap called."

However, dwell or no dwell, ElkY still called, saying a surely verbally binding "I have to call" in the process, and although it was suspected that Pham would have the draw, it was ElkY looking for help with Ad 2d. Pham, however, had the goods with Qc 5s.

With 11 outs left in the deck, it was the 7d that drowned Pham on the River to make ElkY a massive chip leader and the clear favourite to win this year's PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Hafiz raises to 400k, Kris raises 1.2 million more. Elky folds. Hafiz moves in. Kris Kuykendall calls getting 2-1 and the big hands expected, show up.

Kris: Ad Qd

Hafiz: Ks Kd

Board: 9h 9s 4d 2h 5h

Kris is crippled and Hafiz gets a big double-up.

Yours the Durian.

"In Southeast Asia the durian is said to be "king of fruits" but when you sit down to try it for the first time you might be tempted to call it the "king of foul odors." Spiky on the outside the inside of the durian is a soft consistency and has the odor of rank cheese. The smell of this fruit is so bad that hotels in Southeast Asia do not let guests bring them inside. Even unopened durians smell like decomposing zebras.

To be fair, (a Roadjunky first), it is said that once you acquire the taste for durian the eating experience is divine. Papaya, too, tastes like it was fomenting in a septic tank the first time you try it. It is even said that durian contains psychoactive chemicals, like chocolate, that make the fruit addictive to people who indulge. "

(http://dannydang.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/durian1.gif)

Kris at the moment is LOL shovements. But it's working as he's getting 270k per hand.

Elky raises to 500k.

"Big raise," exclaims Hafiz, but he and Kris pass.

Hafiz raises to 400k, Kris moves all-in and Elky gets out of the way. Hafiz dwells but calls.

Hafiz: Aspades 5h

Kris: Ad Kd

Board: Ac Qc Qs Ahrt Th

"Ah jeez..." says Kris.

Weird moment in the pressroom too though, we're all on different speeds for the feed so you here a "Whoa" from the Canadians first seeing the turn, then the French like 10 seconds later, finally us lame Brits get to see the Ahrt for the chop.

;kc;

I stopped at this bit, that's good enough for me.

For what it's worth, Dana's the plum for obvious reasons.

I'm a jackfruit.

"It looks exactly like sheep intestines turned inside out like stuffed tripe."

Kris Kuykendall is OUT in 3rd place winning $800,000

He was all-in with Kd Qs against Hafiz Khan's Ahrt 7h

Board: 4d 4h 6h, Daniel Negreanu on the commentary says, "That's a death flop right there." Js 3s.

We're now heads up.

Bertrand Grospellier is the current chip leader with 13,100,000. Hafiz Khan, meanwhile, has 9,145,000.

Deal or No Deal??

There has been no mention of a deal, but I really wouldn't be surprised if a chop had been agreed somewhere down the line, especially after Pham's exit. It's just so much money! However, ElkY may feel that he is in so much control that his name is virtually already etched on the trophy and thus it would be a -ve move to make.

Deals afoot...

Believed to be $1.45 million for Elky and $1.35 million with about $300k to play for.

Thoughts please. Elky has 13 million to Hafiz's 9 million or so, roughly a 60/40 advantage.

Well, they're not messing around, because on the very first hand back, ElkY raises up the first hand and bets 550k on the 5h Jd 8h Flop. Hafiz makes a deep reach for 2 million more and ElkY swiftly folds. The chip counts now pretty even.

Clever Mr Pham asking to be paid out in £ instead of $.

He didn't come down on the last boat!  ;sark;

Just as soon as the chip counts balance out, ElkY fights back by winning a chunky pot of his own.

Raising it up pre-flop to 400k (this seems to be his favourite figure), Hafiz calls and checks an Ac Ad Jd Flop. ElkY checks behind, and the two players see a 3c Turn, and one that triggers a bet from Hafiz.

Daniel (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=515) Negreanu (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=515) was suspicious of the bet, and so wasn't too surprised when ElkY made it another 550k to play. After a brief dwell, Hafiz made the call.

A check from Hafiz on the 9d River led to a 1.1 million value bet from ElkY, one that was called by Hafiz who quickly mucked when shown a victorious Ahrt 7h.

"ElkY played that hand well," commented Negreanu.

The two see another Flop of Qc-2d-5h. Hafiz check calls 500k but folds to an 850k bet on the Ad Turn.

And that's all she wrote!

All in with 93?

I wonder if there was a chat before the heads-up.

I'm not quite sure how it happened, and the commentary team (including Greg (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=561) Raymer (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=561) who stepped in for just the one hand) are just as dumbfounded as I am, but Habiz decides to make his move pushing all-in over the top of ElkY, the Frenchman calling in relative quick time.

Habiz = 9c 3h

ElkY = 8h 8d

Board = 2d 5c 7h 4d...

and although we couldn't quite see the River, it was a blank, meaning that...

Habiz Khan is OUT and becomes the 2nd place finisher winning $1,094,976

Bertrand (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=485) Grospellier (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=485) IS THE POKERSTARS CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE CHAMPION WINNING $2,000,000

River was another 4

Hafizzle is a very crazy aggressive player online and probably had enough of Elky's button raises I don't think he realised how many chips he had when he pushed all in!

Breaking News

The trophy is bigger than ElkY.

Superb updates again guys, appreciated.

Geo

Perhaps he thought he was Monkey Matt...

I've gone snappy-happy. So a load of photos to come shortly. Snoopy is off to 'Cronos' to the press conference, though why he's going to the Klingon homeworld is beyond me...

 ;hattip;  Great updating as usual most enjoyable.

           many thanks
               neves.

Heads-Up Action. Brief and Bloody.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7756&g2_serialNumber=1)

Runner-Up Hafiz Khan. Afterwards I heard him say, "I made one really stupid move and it was the last hand of the tournament..."

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7758&g2_serialNumber=1)

Kara Scott hands Elky the trophy but fails to have a 'Jon Raab' moment.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7760&g2_serialNumber=1)

"No, Elky! It's not a broadsword..."

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7762&g2_serialNumber=1)

The winner with his booty.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7764&g2_serialNumber=1)

More booty. Think he gets to keep the security guard too.

(http://www.blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=7766&g2_serialNumber=1)

During the press conference, the creme de la creme of the media (ahem - I was present) fired questions at ElkY who answered in double quick time, either naturally a fast talker or simply still pumped full of adrenalin following his recent triumph. The first question of the day came to me when Mad Harper shone the spotlight on my vulnerable frame. With all eyes locked on my notepad and I, I could only recall the question that Floppy had requested before I left the press room... "Now that you have won all the money, are you going to buy the latest edition of Starcraft?" Confessing that it wasn't my question and that it was admittedly very geeky, I threw the question ElkY's way and the response was as follows: "Buy a copy? I'm going to buy a thousand!."

ElkY made a few other comments during the conference, including his views on how his tournament went as a whole, saying that he had 900k at one point but dropped to 130k which was a worry, but then doubled up twice in a row to get back in the game. He also spoke about Pham, who he was highly complimentary of, but then said he was able to control his aggression due to him being positioned on his right. "I didn't want to play a huge pot against him," said ElkY, "but I stopped worrying about him when I took out Joe with the A-Q. I felt I had control then and was confident of winning."

The Frenchman also spoke about his deal, admitting that it was a lot of money and that he was simply focussed on the title. He also believed that his opponent may have played differently as a result, which gave him a better shot at glory.

Parting ways, he finished by saying that he would spend the money on partying and would buy everyone a drink at the club. Joy!

Just back from the pub - great night. Sorry the Apple couldnt go deeper but he was never in a position to challenge and got as much of the loot as he could; i believe.

Anyway, a great big thank you to Snoopy and Floppy who kept us upto date, way before the live stream became available.

Glad he gave you a shout out in the interview and i think you've contributed to a 'nickname' that has stuck now. :)

Chers Guys

I just want to echo what snowbed said.

As always you've delivered an excellent update.

Thank you very much gentlemen.

Quality updates throughout the whole tournament:

William (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=960) Hill (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=960) will be Justifiably proud that they have decided to sponsor what are without doubt the best Live Tournament Updates available to man or beast.

To Snoopy and Floppy I say

image removed

Nice updates fellas cheers, good result for the Stars publicity machine.

Very enjoyable coverage guys.


Good work!

Great updates as usual from the Blonde team. Hopefully Snoops & Flops are now back in blighty and we can look forward to the holiday(beach & poolside norkage) pics soonish. I just hope that for the last couple of days they managed to find their way to both the beach and some of the numerous pools in the Atlantis complex, having stayed there myself some years back it is a truly amazing place and 1 of my favourite spots was the marina(norkage views weren't bad there either  ;) ) so hopefully the pair of you managed some downtime before returning home.

Only just read the updates but a cracking bit of journo-age there and well worth reading :)