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Archive for May, 2009

WSOP Event #2: Raymer’s rocky rockets

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

Getting dealt pocket aces and then losing to an all-in push from a short stack is a bit unlucky. Getting dealt the rockets twice and losing again to a short stack push, all within just a few table orbits, could be considered downright nasty. Well, Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer has just found out what it's like - and nasty it is.

First he found two aces, raised to 90,000 and got a 250,000 push from Brian Townsend holding [as][qs]. The board ran out [ks][10h][9s][js][3d], sending the double up Townsend's way. Then, to rub salt into the Fossilman's wounds, Keith Lehr repeated the trick, this time pushing for 300,000 with [kc][9s] from the big blind. [3c][7d][ks] came on the flop, the [2d] on the turn... and the [9h] on the river. Ouch.

Greg Raymer

But Raymer is made of stern stuff, and still has 2.1 million with blinds at 20,000-40,000 (5,000) so is not in too bad a shape. And let's face it, he's been able to manouevre his way around these big events before.

With just 13 players left, the $40,000 no limit event is homing in on the final table - and Team PokerStars Holland Pro Lex Veldhuis is leading the chase with 5,200,000.

Top ten chip counts:

Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 5,200,000
Noah Schwartz, 2,950,000
Justin Bonomo, 2,700,000
Alec Torelli, 2,630,000
Greg Raymer, Team PokerStars Pro, 2,560,000
Ted Forrest, 1,740,000
Dani Stern. 1,700,000
Vitaly Lunkin, 1,450,000
Isaac Haxton, 1,150,000
Matthew Marafioti, 820,000

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009wordseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, gregraymer, lexveldhuis | Comments Off

WSOP Event #3: When four cards are quieter than two

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

While all the roller-coaster no limit excitement bounces off the Amazon Room's walls, there's a quieter bunch of players crafting away in one corner. This is the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Low 8 or Better crowd who, with only a few exceptions, tend to go about their business in a more controlled fashion. When you have four hole cards to study, and have two possible ways to win with each hand, concentration really is the name of the game.

They started this limit marathon yesterday with 918 entries, and are now down to 142, with the money kicking in at 90th. But there's still an awful long way to go before they get down to a final table, which is scheduled to run tomorrow afternoon.

Andre Akkari

Still playing are Team PokerStars Pros Chad Brown (37,000) and Andre Akkari (28,600), as well as Team PokerStars Germany Pro Sebastian Ruthernberg (26,000) - with the latter two now sharing the same table. But they're all a mile behind current chip leader Eli Elezra, who sits atop 91,000.

Brown had been further up the leaderboard but dropped back when he tangled with Chip Jett. They saw a flop of [kc][qc][5d], and Jett check-called Brown and one other player. On the [jc] turn Jett bet out and only Brown called - as he did on the [6d]. But he mucked when Jett turned up [ac][5c][2c][2h] for the nut flush.

Chad Brown

Posted in 2009, 2009worldseries, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, andreakkari, chadbrown | Comments Off

WSOP Event #4: Ivan, the terrible hair

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

As bad hair days go, this one is a bit of a shocker. Now I'm no expert on the male hairstyle, but I'm told Ivan Demidov has quite a nice head of hair - long and flowing, the ladies call it. But today he has pitched up for the $1,000 No Limit sporting something that can only be described as, well, odd.

Gone are the free-flowing locks, replaced by a curious bead effect that makes the Russian Team PokerStars Pro, who final tabled last year's main event, look like a cross between a tyre tread and a corn dolly. The reason for this monstrous makeover? A prop bet gone bad. That's his excuse anyway.

Ivan Demidov

Someone with a bit more style, and well known to PokerStars, is rap star Nelly. Having gotten the bug for playing poker when he joined us at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo earlier this month - initially for the Ante Up for Africa tournament, but then he stayed on to play the main event - he's back for more in Vegas.

I think it would be fair to say Mr Nelly is normally quite "full-on", but as he takes his place among the heaving masses of players in the $1,000 jamboree he's gone for the covered-up look, complete with shades and hoody. Having met him a few weeks back, I recognised the tell-tale mega diamond earrings, and the blingy diamond-encrusted watch peeking out from the hoodie sleeve.

Nelly

He might be famous for singing "It's getting hot in here", but today he's been putting on all his clothes.

Gone from the $1,000 are Barry Greenstein - shoving from the small blind with K-8 but being looked up in the big blind with 3-3 - and Vanessa Rousso, who's pocket tens were overtaken by A-2.

We'll bring more news of the $1,000 in later days of the tournament - for now we'll be concentrating on Team PokerStars Pros Greg Raymer and Lex Veldhuis, who are down to the last two tables in the $40,000 No Limit event.

And we'll be keeping an eye on Chad Brown and Andre Akkari, both still slugging it out at the Omaha Hi/Low 8 or Better.

Posted in $1,000 No Limit Hold'em, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, ivandemidov, nelly | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Lex be having you

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

He's made quite a name for himself in the online poker battleground - 'RaSZi', for the record - but Team PokerStars Holland Pro Lex Veldhuis has yet to chalk up a bumper score in a live event. All that has changed in the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em event, where he is already guaranteed $96,171 - and looking a good bet to make tomorrow's final table.

Into the second level today, and level 19 overall, the Dutchman is sitting fifth in chips with 1.8 million. It's one tough field, but our man is in good spirits.

"I am feeling really good," he said as he unbagged his mountain of chips for today's play. "I survived two of the toughest tables yesterday, so the good news is it can't be any worse today.

"I'm pretty sure I know how the people at my table today play, so that makes me feel more confident. It's going to be a good day."

Lex Veldhuis

Things got off to a rocky start, however, when he dropped a big pot against Tony G, who got all in with [10c][10s], called by Veldhuis with [kh][qc]. The low board meant Tony G doubled up to 880,000.

Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer is going about his business on the next table, and has already accounted for Andrew Robl. The Fossilman is up to 2 million - currently fifth in chips.

Veldhuis, foreground, with Greg Raymer sitting behind

The early going saw us lose five of the shortstacks: Andrew Robl, Frank Kassela, David Chui, Neil Channing, and moments ago Andy Black

Top ten chip counts in level 19, blinds 12,000-24,000 (3,000). 18 players left:

Justin Bonomo, 3,100,000
Ted Forrest, 2,300,000
Alec Torelli, 2,240,000
Greg Raymer, Team PokerStars Pro, 2,000,000
David Baker, 1,970,000
Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 1,800,000
Isaac Haxton, 1,400,000
Noah Schwartz, 1,300,000
Brian Rast, 1,030,000
Matthew Marafioti, 850,000

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseries, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, lexveldhuis | Comments Off

WSOP Event #4: Madness and carnage… it can only be the $1K

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

After the casino staff played event #1, the high rollers coughed up $40,000 for event #2, and folk who play tricky games like Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better played event #3, the seething masses today got what they wanted to kick off their WSOP - the $1,000 no limit hold'em "Stimulous" event, so called because tournament staff wanted something big to help the first weekend go with a bang.

Well, let me tell you, it's not so much a bang as an explosion... an incredible 6,000 have registered, with half of them sitting down today for 1A, and the other half coming tomorrow for their shot at World Series glory.

With the relatively small buy-in attracting such huge numbers, some have cruelly called this a donkfest. That's a little unkind, and a quick walk around the rooms (yes, the throng means the players are spread around four rooms, from the main Amazon all the way up to the Rio casino area) shows big names are taking this as seriously as they would any event. And why not? There's a bracelet to be won, after all.

So joining the 6,000 or so "Joe Publics" are some of the game's stars. There's Team PokerStars Pros Barry Greenstein, Vanessa Rousso (fresh from her $78,000 cash in the $40,000 event), Ivan Demidov and there was Maridu Mayrinck, but word reaches us of her early demise.

And while all this blood-letting is going on, day three of the $40,000 event is due to start soon, with Team PokerStars Pros Greg Raymer and Lex Veldhuis in the hunt for big money, as well as day two of the Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better, where Chad Brown and Andre Akkari are still going strong.

It's going to be a busy day!

Posted in $1,000 No Limit Hold'em, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Raymer, Veldhuis riding high – Rousso cashes

Saturday, May 30th, 2009

Team PokerStars Pro Greg Raymer is in familiar territory. The Fossilman is very much at home in the Rio as his WSOP record testifies: the world championship in 2004 and an amazing run one year later that so nearly saw him reach the final table again. And there's been other significant WSOP cashes since, all of which confirm his status as a WSOP big-game specialist - and explain why he looks so comfortable near the top of the end-of-day-two, $40,000 no limit event leaderboard.

Greg Raymer

Earlier today many in the poker community were willing on Chris Moneymaker - who started the day second in chips - reasoning a victory in this high-profile tournament would do wonders for the game's popularity among the masses. Yet it was not to be for the man from Tennessee, who busted shortly after the dinner break - first losing a huge coinflip with Tony G, and then soon after fatally running his pocket tens into Ted Forrest's kings. He walked away from the table in disgust - had he stayed for the flop the first card he would have seen was a ten... the second, a king.

Chris Moneymaker

With Moneymaker's demise, the general backing turned to Raymer - as a victory for him would also bring welcome publicity to the game seeing as he is a popular figure, an ambassador and more proof that poker must indeed need educated craft and not rely heavily on luck as so many detractors would have us believe. As play drew to a close tonight, Raymer was dancing merrily to the community's tune, fourth in chips on 2,287,000.

The bubble - an expensive one at that - burst just ten minutes before the end of play when Neil Chriss bust in 28th. Moments later, Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso went in 27th, picking up the first of the $71,858 prizes, another creditable result following her audacious victory in the EPT Monte Carlo €25,000 high roller event. Her day had been a tale of holding on, then securing two key double ups to carry her into the money, before falling in a classic race when her Q-Q fell to Keith Lehr's A-K, with the winning ace falling cruelly on the river.

Vanessa Rousso

Another Team Pro who looked capable of cashing was Humberto Brenes, but he, like Moneymaker, was to fall soon after dinner, when his A-7 failed to catch up with Raymer's 9-9.

Raymer has more PokerStars expertise for company near the top of the leaderboard, where online star Lex Veldhuis, a member of Team PokerStars Holland Pro, has been flirting with the chip lead for two days. The chip counts show he ended the night fifth in chips, with 2,103,000 - a good day's work for the Dutchman, who is looking here to secure his biggest live cash result to date.

But both Raymer and Veldhuis still have a mountain to climb to pick up the bracelet and the $1,891,012 first prize. With 23 players remaining, the top of the leaderboard tonight is Justin Bonomo on 2,678,000, just ahead of Ted Forrest, who had overslept on the dinner break and was half an late returning to his seat. How Moneymaker must wish he had napped for just a little longer.

Lex Veldhuis

We'll be back tomorrow for day three of the $40,000 event, plus day two of the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better, and the start of event number four, the $1,000 no limit event which has already surpassed 5,000 registrations. Who was it who said poker had reached its peak?

Official overnight chip counts, end of day two. 23 players left:

Justin Bonomo, 2,678,000
Ted Forrest, 2,586,000
David Baker, 2,367,000
Greg Raymer, Team PokerStars Pro, 2,287,000
Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 2,103,000
Alec Torelli, 1,725,000
Keith Lehr, 1,257,000
Vitaly Lunkin, 1,166,000
Matthew Marafioti, 1,003,000
Brian Rast, 912,000
Suresh Doshi, 771,000
Daniel Stern, 762,000
Clark Hamagami, 691,000
Matthew Glantz, 671,000
Brian Townsend, 671,000
Noah Schwartz, 541,000
Isaac Haxton, 539,000
Tony G, 481,000
David Chui, 318,000
Neil Channing, 270,000
Andrew Black, 210,000
Frank Kassela, 167,000
Andrew Robl, 112,000

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseries, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, gregraymer, lexveldhuis, vanessarousso | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Team PokerStars Pros on a roll

Friday, May 29th, 2009

There was never any doubt that players in the elite Team PokerStars Pro were awash with talent, but just to emphasise the point they are currently taking the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em event by storm. With just 40 players left from the 201 who sat down yesterday, two of our big guns are in the top ten, and three more are in a good position to join them.

Heading the pack, and indeed the whole field, is 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer who, after spending the first few levels of the day treading water, has burst into life and now tops 1.6 million chips - the latest chunk of them coming from busting James "Mig.com" Mackey - when his [as][kc] remained ahead of [kc][qs].

Lex Veldhuis

Not far behind, and currently second in chips, is Team PokerStars Holland Pro Lex "RaSZi" Veldhuis, now on 1,250,000. He had been quiet for a level, then lost a pot to Sorel Mizzi sitting to his left, but since building a big stack yesterday he has never really looked back.

Then there is Chris Moneymaker, who won the WSOP the year before Raymer, still going strong on 730,000 and just outside the top ten. He had been nudging one million, but fell back a bit after doubling up Noah Schwartz when his 7-7 was no good against K-K. Moneymaker said he was now able to slow his game down when it mattered, and so far today he's making it work.

On top of these three, Vanessa Rousso is breathing new life into her tournament hopes. Down to 80,000 not so long ago, she's clawed her way back to just under 300,000. And then there's Humberto Brenes. while never actually looking like he was getting anything significant going today, he's actually quietly put together a 400,000 stack.

Top ten chip counts, level 16, blinds 8,000-16,000 (2,000), 39 players left:

Greg Raymer, Team PokerStars Pro, 1,612,000
Lex Veldhuis, Team PokerStars Holland Pro, 1,250,000
Keith Lehr, 1,080,000
Matthew Marafioti, 1,080,000
Matthew Glantz, 1,058,000
Brian Townsend, 1,015,000
Justin Bonomo, 980,000
Ted Forrest, 915,000
Vitaly Lunkin, 915,000
Steve Zolotow, 845,000

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Strassmann falls to Moneymaker, Raymer soars

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Johannes Strassmann has become a force to be reckoned with in tournament poker, but he ran into the wrong man at the wrong time costing him his place in the $40,000 No Limit event. That man was Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker, who soars close to the one million chip mark as a result.

Strassmann, a member of Team PokerStars Germany Pro, has built up $820,000 in tournament winnings in EPT and WSOP events, and was deep here, inside the last 50 players with the money looming at 27th. But Moneymaker is a man rejuvinated, and it would take something special to set him back.

Johannes Strassmann

As it was, the pair were locked in a pot with the board showing Q-6-4. Strassmann led out, and Moneymaker re-popped another 55,000. The German moved all in, insta call, and they were on their backs:

Moneymaker: [ks][kh]
Strassmann: [ac][qd]

Moneymaker waked away, not liking the option of watching the remaining two cards come from the deck. But the turn was a 9 and the river a K - and Moneymaker raked in another 200,000.

"You could'nt bear to watch, hey?" shouted a member of the nearby rail.

"No. If I watch bad things tend to happen," came the reply, as Moneymaker stacked up the goods.

Greg Raymer

Also happy right now are Greg Raymer and Vanessa Rousso. Raymer shot through the million mark by busting Huck Seed and then Chad Batista soon after. Seed pushed from the button once too often with [6c][7c]. Raymer pondered, then made the call with [kh][9d], which held up. "I had to call," said the Fossilman. "He'd been pushing with so many hands."

The 2004 WSOP champ then accounted for Batista. The pair saw a flop of [2d][3h][jd] and Batista pushed with [kd][7d] for the flush draw to Raymer's [8h][8c]. Nothing changed and Raymer moved up among the chip leaders.

Rousso, meanwhile, found the golden double up she'd been waiting for when her [ks][4h] overtook fellow short-stack Bruno Fotoussi's [ad][qc] - and then doubled again with 10-10 v A-K to take her to 360,000 on the dinner break.

Vanessa Rousso

When they come back, blinds will be 6,000-12,000 (1,000). With just 45 players left, the average stack is 548,000 - just 45 big blinds. Tournament staff say the plan is to play four more levels after dinner, or down to 18 players, whichever comes first.

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, chrismoneymaker, johannesstrassmann | Comments Off

WSOP Event #3: No luck for Naujoks, Negreanu flying

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Sandra Naujoks proved her poker prowess by winning her home EPT in Dortmund back in March, a spectacular performance that also happened to net her $1.3 million. So what's a girl to do with all that money? Head to Vegas and try and make some more, obviously. But her mission stuttered soon after it started today when she busted from the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Low 8 or Better event.

Sandra Naujoks

The Team PokerStars Germany Pro had dwindled down to just a few hundred chips from her 4,500 starting stack, and lost those on the first hand after moving from the table she had been sharing with Chad Brown for nearly four one-hour levels.

Having watched her play in Dortmund, it's a fair bet she'll be back on the money-making trail here at the WSOP very soon.

Team PokerStars Pros Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein and Brown are faring much better. Negreanu has eased up to 12,500, Brown is on 11,000 and Greenstein is on about 7,000.

Negreanu and Greenstein are both updating their Twitter pages, so you should take a look here, and right here, for news of their progress.

Posted in 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, sandranaujoks | Comments Off

WSOP Event #2: Brenes waits… and waits

Friday, May 29th, 2009

There's nothing worse than being card dead, particularly in a tournament such as this. When your stack is trickling away and the blinds are moving north, you're praying for the type of hand that can double you up and get you going once more. When all you are dealt is drivel, it's like the poker gods are sucking the life out of you... painfully and slowly.

Humberto Brenes

Judging by the expressions of Team PokerStars Pro Humberto Brenes, this is exactly what's happening to him on day two of the $40,000 No Limit Hold'em event. He's chewing on his gum faster and harder than ever (there are four packets in front of him), and each time he's dealt two cards, the response seems to be the same.

He looks down at the dealer's offering, the shoulders slump and he glances at the sky in a "not this garbage again" sort of way. The cards go in the muck and he waits patiently to repeat the process again. And it's starting to cost - he's down to little over 150,000, still plenty of play with blinds at 3,000-6,000, but it's a great test of his mental strength.

During all this he had to watch Brian Townsend, sitting to his right, hoovering up chips that sent him over 1,000,000, then got moved to the same table as Chris Moneymaker. Chris, who told us earlier of his improved game, needs to use his new-found patience after dropping 200,000 in the first few levels of play. He's still on over 600,000, so no need to panic.

No need to panic either for Team PokerStars Pro John Duthie. No need to do anything, in fact, because like Friend of PokerStars Bill Chen, he's out. Both fell holding the same hand, pocket tens.

Duthie was particularly unlucky. Starting the day with 188,000, he was in the big blind and when the small blind - Frank Kassela - raised it up, Duthie put out 50,000 more. Kassela insta called. The flop was 2-3-J and Duthie, pushed with 10-10 ("I did not put him on jacks"), and was called by 8-8. But an 8 on the turn ended Duthie's day early.

Meanwhile Greg Raymer was playing a patient game, but has now risen above 400,000 after his A-J overtook Ville Wahlbeck's pocket kings.

Now challenging the chip lead is Team PokerStars Holland Pro Lex Veldhuis, who has broken the one million mark. We'll have more news of his progress soon.

65 players remain in the event, and the money kicks in at 27th place with $71,858.

*******

STOP PRESS: The magic of the blogger works again. No sooner had we put up this post when Humberto Brenes finally found a hand, pushed, and got a caller. His A-K was up against Antonio Esfandiari's A-J - and stayed ahead, putting him on nearly 300,000.

He's a happy Humberto now.

Posted in $40K No Limit, 2009, 2009worldseriesofpoker, Pokerstars, World Series of Poker, humbertobrenes | Comments Off

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Archive for May, 2009

WSOP Event #2: Raymer’s rocky rockets

WSOP Event #3: When four cards are quieter than two

WSOP Event #4: Ivan, the terrible hair

WSOP Event #2: Lex be having you

WSOP Event #4: Madness and carnage… it can only be the $1K

WSOP Event #2: Raymer, Veldhuis riding high – Rousso cashes

WSOP Event #2: Team PokerStars Pros on a roll

WSOP Event #2: Strassmann falls to Moneymaker, Raymer soars

WSOP Event #3: No luck for Naujoks, Negreanu flying

WSOP Event #2: Brenes waits… and waits