IN THE MONEY AT WSOP! (Update)
17 July 2009
Day 4 of the Main Event sees the money bubble
burst
The weekend has seen more intense action in the World
Series of Poker Main Event, with Day 4 whittling a
starting field of 789 hopefuls down to just 407 in seven
hours and three levels that included close on two hours
of tense hand-for-hand play before the money bubble
burst on the 649 elimination mark.
That 649th
departing survivor was a part-time player and investment
broker from Los Angeles, Kia Hamadani (26), who was
blinded down to his last 500-chip ante before busting
out. His elimination triggered a big cheer from the
remaining players, who were now officially "in the
money" and stood to cash at least $21 365.
For
Hamadani it was a bitter-sweet experience to just miss
more than doubling his buy-in investment, but he has the
consolaton of a $10 000 buy-in to the 2010 Main Event,
courtesy of main WSOP sponsor Jack Link's Beef Jerky.
Bursting the bubble seemed to re-energise the
Amazon room, as the action picked up and the next 77
players to be eliminated took only 39 minutes.
Starting Day 4 action at the head of a still
star-studded field was Bertrand Grospellier with over
1.3 million in chips - well ahead of his countryman
Ludovic Lacay. Tournament Director Jack Effel reminded
players that Day 4 was to consist of four levels or
until 400 players were eliminated. His audience included
three members of the 2008 final table, Dennis Phillips,
Peter Eastgate and Kelly Kim, along with pros like Phil
Hellmuth, Blair Hinkle, Phil Ivey, Joe Sebok, Justin
Bonomo, Tom Schneider, Hevad Khan, Vitaly Lunkin, Dan
Harrington, Kenny Tran and Paul Wasicka. Although none
of those were in the top ten chip counts, all began the
day with above average stacks and were clearly keen to
get to work.
The longest surviving celeb player,
actor Lou Diamond Phillips started with a healthy stack
after some outstanding play on the previous day.
The UK contingent entering Day 4 was substantial,
featuring James Akenhead in the top ten cip counts, and
Adam Latimer, Kara Scott, Neil Channing, James Keys and
Jamie Roberts. Andy ‘Little Big Card’ Fields, attracted
plenty of attention by wearing a large (and probably
hot) Indian chief's feathered headdress.
Other
than the Bubble Boy, 11-bracelet holder Phil Hellmuth's
unexpected elimination in the closing stages of the
day's play was one of the highlights of Day 4. Despite
starting with a healthy stack, the high profile poker
star lost a bundle to Abraham Mourshaki, and then went
on to get involved in another clash in the last moments
of the day and was eliminated - clearly to his
frustration and surprise.
Other big names to
fall in Day 4 included Greg “FBT” Mueller, John Racener,
Brian Lemke, Andy ‘Little Big Card’ Fields, J.C.
Alvarado and Thierry van den Berg. David Daneshgar,
Isaac Baron and Hevad Khan were taken out before the
money bubble was reached, and others headed for the exit
included Kristy Gazes, Chris Ferguson, Paul Wasicka,
Alexander Kostritsyn, Justin Bonomo, Christina Renz,
Jesper Hougaard and 2008 WSOP Main Event eighth place
finisher Kelly Kim.
By 8pm Vegas time it was the
end of a day full of action and not a few surprises that
had lasted for three levels instead of the four planned,
with 407 survivors ready to move on to Day 5, starting
at noon Vegas time on Sunday.
Still in the hunt
and well positioned are Blair Hinkle, Bertrand 'ElkY'
Grospellier, Theo Tran, Mickey Mills, Dan Harrington,
Kenny Tran, Tom Schneider, Nick Schulman and Lou Diamond
Phillips, who ended the day with a creditable stack of
607 000.
Aces to watch are Phil Ivey, in 15th
position on 1.276 million and 16th placed Bertrand
Grospellier on 1.25 million
With over 1.8 million
in chips, Matt Afflek heads the chip counts going into
Day 5, followed by Team Winamax pro and European Poker
Tour star Ludovic Lacay on 1 608 000. They are followed
by the following top eight other players so far:
Tom Lutz 1,600,000
James Akenhead 1,572,000
Charlie Elias 1,540,000
Miika Puumalainen 1,492,000
Jordan Morgan 1,489,000
Bernhard Perner
1,426,000
Blair Hinkle 1,399,000
Benjamin Jensen
1,394,000
Online Casino News Courtesy of
Infopowa
More news here.
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