WPT $25,000 Final: Day 5 - At A Glance

[Djinn]

Short stacked since the beginning of the day, Raymond Davis is now non-stacked, finishing 22nd, winning $92,820.

He held and was called by Guy Laliberte (all in preflop) who held .
Flop:   
Turn:  What's the most interesting card that could come here?  Yep - the
River:    killing the nicely-developed tension and sending Raymond to the rail as it came face-up.

[Djinn]

Can Hua vs. Ben Johnson: 
Can under the gun betting out 120k on the turn: the board.  Call from Button Ben.
River:    Can bets out 150k, call again.  Can has the ... "Straight is good," wearily comments Ben, mucking his hand.  They're both very calm; it's like all the emotion on the table has been attracted to the Hellmuth vortex.  He was still talking about that hand Snoopy reported while this one was going on...

[Djinn]

Now down to 673k exactly, Ben Johnson moves it all in preflop over the top of Kirk Morrison.  Morrison dwells for exactly 4mins 35 seconds (I know because the hand started just before they announced the current 15 minute break). 
"If I had a different stack, this would be an easy laydown," Kirk mutters, in what looks like physical discomfort.
"I can't hear you" says Ben, removing an ipod earphone.
"Call," says Kirk, in reply...
Ben Johnson shows
Kirk Morrison shows , banging the table in annoyance when he sees how likely he his to be about to lose a big chunk of his stack.

Flop: 
Turn: 
River:    People in the audience actually flinched.

Benjamin Johnson is eliminated in 20th place, winning $123,760

[snoopy1239]

To the elation of his onlooking fans, Jimmy Tran has just eliminated veteran Tom Pniak, who finished in a highly commendable 21st place.

Shortstacked, but still able to afford a pre-flop raise without pushing, Pniak raised it up from late position with , only for Tran to call from the big blind.

Flop =

Jimmy checks, Pniak bets 70k and Jimmy smooth calls.

Turn  =

Both players check.

River =

Tran announces all-in leaving the decision on Pniak for the 290k chips in front of him and his tournament life in this year's WPT Final.

"This'll be a tough one to fold," reports Pniak, and it clearly was as he eventually decides to call, showing in the process.

In celebratory fashion, Jimmy rises from his seat, shouts out his own name and reveals for quads.

[Djinn]

Poor old Sorel Mizzi - he just can't get a hand to hold up.  Another favourable situation for the online-trained aggressor - this time holding pocket Jacks against David Levi, a shortstack who pushed on a 8-6-5 flop with 8-9.
Turn:  Q
River:  8 

Their chips level out, about a million for Mizzi, about 900k for Levi, and Sorel looks like, what's that Snoopy always says, a wasp chewing a nettle?  (see pictures)

[Djinn]

Loi Phan is eliminated in 19th place...

The majority of his chips are all in on the turn with the board:  ... that's when we heard the shout, "All in and a call!" which attracts the press like ants to Nutella.  So I don't know whether Loi had flopped two pair with his , but Guy Laliberte's was now comfortably in front, and he was the caller, and, when the came on the river, the eliminator of one of the early days' chip frontrunners.

Redraw for two tables...

[snoopy1239]

The clock is now paused with 18 players left, but moments before they froze the screen, Grant Lang doubled up off Can Hua with A-J vs. Tens, Jack on the Turn.

[snoopy1239]

Phil Hellmuth is OUT.

Check-raising Thomas Wahlroos' 300k bet on ten high flop, but swiftly called by The Finnish star.

Flop =

Hellmuth =

Wahlroos =

Turn =

River =

[snoopy1239]

David Levi -- 785,000
Jake Minter -- 840,000
Thomas Wahlroos -- 5,150,000
Paul Lee -- 6,790,000
James Worth -- 300,000
Can Hua -- 1,250,000

[Djinn]

15k/30k blinds ante 4k

Counts from Table Jimmy Tran Fan Club:

Guy Laliberte    2,600,000+
Tommy Vu      1,050,000
Sorel Mizzi        1,085,000
Mike Wattel     1,350,000
Carlos Mortensen  1,760,000
Richard Anthony  400,000
Scott Fischman   885,000
Jimmy Tran        2,220,000
Kirk Morrison      3,000,000

[Djinn]

Action has slowed down somewhat, I guess the idea that we're into the nitty gritty and the really big prizes has tightened people up.

Either way, still 17 players remaining.

oops

we have an all-in...

Yes, 200kish counts as a very short stack, and it belonged to Richard Anthony, all-in with against Scott Fischman's .
Flop: 
Turn: 
River:    So we lose Richard Anthony in 17th place - he wins $123,760 (pictured standing, while Scott stacks his stack in his stack)

N.B. Photos in Interactive Thread, e.g: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=22885.msg468883#msg468883

[snoopy1239]

Table Eggman:

Grant Lang -- 885,000
Tim Phan -- 880,000
David Levi -- 1,060,000
Jake Minter -- 625,000
Thomas Wahlroos -- 5,500,000
Paul Lee -- 6,400,000
James Worth 190,000
Can Hua -- 990,000

[snoopy1239]

James Worth is OUT.

Leaving himself with just over a pot raise, Krazy Kanuck (as he is referred to by the announcer and the back of his hockey shirt), moves all-in from early position for 160k.

Tim Phan makes the minimum raise and reveals Tens when everyone else moves out of the road.

"This is where I need it," exclaims a begging Worth as he slams down his Eights.

However, nothing of use came as the board dealt out a rainbow K-Q-9-4-6.

[Djinn]

Carlos Mortensen's stack has been threatened twice more in direct succession - the first hand saw him raise under the gun to 120k and get called by both Kirk Morrison and button Tommy Vu.  His bet out on the flop of 300k (leaving him around 500k behind - an estimate asked for by Tommy, who insisted, "Just a guess!  Don't count..." won him that one and then...

Then next hand Sorel Mizzi raised when it passed to him on the button.  Now, necessarily, Carlos is in the big blind, and re-raises.  All-in...Call!  It takes an understandably long time to work out who covers whom - the TD must despair when he sees Carlos going deep - but it's Sorel Mizzi with his tournament life on the line.  Sorel has but he's walked into Carlos Mortensen's . 
A flop of looks bleak for Sorel...and it is - the on the turn brings what must have been a frustrating day for the Canadian to an end.  But the end is 15th place in the WPT Championship and $154,705.  After his success at the Irish Open just weeks beforehand, he's probably planning his next high-buy-in tournament stop already.

[Djinn]

Jake Minter makes his last short stand with 7-8, all in preflop against the pocket Tens of Thomas 'I'll never complain again' Wahlroos which were happy to take him on...  No change, or real drama from the board cards, and an expressionless Minter heads out in 14th place, collecting $154,705.