2009 40th Annual World Series of Poker
Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better (Event 53)
Date:
Sunday, June 28, 2009 to Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Buy-In:
$1,500
Prize Pool:
$657,455
Entrants:
467
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:53:32
David Halpern Wins Event 53 - $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo 8-Or-Better ($159,390)
A relatively epic heads up battle with the chip lead dancing back and forth between our deserving two has finally been decided, and it is jovial New Orleans resident David Halpern who takes first prize and the coveted bracelet.
Three days ago Mr. Halpern attempted to buy into a cash game but it was full, so finding himself at a loose end and in the mood to play some poker, he bought himself into Event 53 instead on a last-minute whim. He's now converted his $1,500 and a dull afternoon into the highest accolade in poker, and will be taking home a nice bunch of money to go with it -- once he's finished drinking with his new buddy second place finisher William Kohler, of course.
Many congratulations to all of our Day 3 players, and from the Amazon Green Section, it's goodnight.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:47:57
William Kohler Eliminated in 2nd Place ($98,550)
"This could be it, this could be the last hand," said William Kohler -- actually for three hands in a row, but this time he was right. "Get your poker pad out," he advised your blogger; your blogger took heed.
Kohler bet on 4th street and Halpern called. Kohler bet again on 5th and this time Halpern raised. "Oh, you raise?" said Kohler. He called. Kohler bet again on 6th street, and come 7th he went all in. Call.
Kohler: 
(
)
Halpern: 
(
)
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:34:09
It's Not Over Yet
Kohler got his last in but managed to scoop the pot with aces, putting him up to around 300,000.
Halpern: 
Kohler: 
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:31:59
Kohler in Trouble
Kohler bet on 5th street but come 6th and 7th it was Halpern who bet. Kohler called, but mucked, leaving himself down to just 200,000.
Halpern: 
(
)
Kohler: 
(muck)
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:27:27
We Have An All In!
...But obviously they chopped it. Excitement for a while though!
Kohler bet all the way and come sixth street Halpern raised. Kohler reraised all in, and a call! And then the chop.
Halpern: 
(
)
Kohler: 
( )
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:22:51
Taking Turns
Yup, it's Halpern's turn to be chip leader again -- this time it was Halpern doing the betting and Kohler doing the calling/mucking.
Halpern: 
( 
)
Kohler: 
(muckerama)
Halpern: 1,200,000
Kohler: 900,000
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:18:52
...And Back It Goes to Kohler
That was a brief stint at the top for Halpern.
All we managed to spot of the action was David Halpern betting on 5th street and then the rest of the hand being checked down, but come 7th, Halpern mucked to Kohler's two pair and Kohler is back up to 1.25 million, while Halpern once again languishes on 850,000.
Halpern: (muck)
Kohler: 
( 
)
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:14:07
Chip Lead Changes Hands
Perhaps the Scotch is not having the effect on William Kohler that he'd maybe hoped for -- he's now down to 900,000 while sober, sensible David Halpern has snuck into the lead on 1.2 million.
The more astute reader, however, will notice that those counts are still roughly even...
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:08:19
We're Not Going Anywhere Just Yet
David Halpern, the more sober one of our heads-up twosome, is up to 800,000 after making Kohler fold on 6th street.
Halpern:
Kohler: 
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:04:04
Lay-Deez at the Rail
A couple of rather young lovely blondes at the rail seem to have become, for one reason or another, somewhat enamoured of William Kohler. Perhaps it's because he's had six Scotches now.
"What's your name?" one of them asked.
"John Holmes," replied Kohler.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:54:42
Back They Go
Bladders relieved, back at the felt.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:49:26
Bathroom Break
Wow, maybe too much all-in juice or coffee or something for our final two -- they've taken 5 to go visit the little poker players' room. Back shortly.
Current counts:
Halpern: 690,000
Kohler: 1,410,000
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:43:31
Halpern Stages a Comeback
David Halpern dwindled still further, but he's now back up to the heady heights of 725,000 after forcing a fold from Kohler on seventh street.
We caught up with the action on fourth street, when Kohler bet and Halpern raised. Halpern bet out on fifth and both players checked on sixth; another bet from Halpern on seventh and the aforementioned fold from Kohler.
Halpern:
Kohler: 
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:27:52
Halpern-ament Vacation?
Wow, more movement here, and it's been in the direction of Kohler's stack.
David Halpern seems to have called all the way down, ending up with two pair, deuces and sevens -- but his low draw didn't come in and Kohler's two pair, eights and fives, just pipped him, to leave Halpern on a decidedly chip-lagging 550,000.
Halpern: 
( )
Kohler: ( )
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:12:52
Early Post-Dinner Pot for Kohler
Well, there's been some chip-movement juice consumed while we've been off on our dinner break -- David Halpern was just now forced to fold, and is down to an admittedly still more or less even but less even than actually even 975,000.
It looks as though there was some betting on third street but mostly checking after that until sixth.
Halpern:
Kohler:
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:01:58
Back We Go
Let's hope our final two have had themselves a big bowl of all-in soup.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:02:39
BFFs and Dinner
We could be in for a very long night here, so it's just as well that our two heads-upsers are getting on famously.
They're already planning to go for drinks together later when they've both collected their cash, and generally, despite the lack of any real chip movement, seem to be having a really good time.
In fact we are beginning to be concerned that they are having so much fun that they just don't want it to end.
And on that note, we're on a one hour dinner break.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:00:01
...And Back to Even
The stacks are once again even -- David Halpern bet all the way, until William Kohler eventually folded on seventh street, saying he's missed. Halpern told him he'd had a straight.
Halpern: (muck)
Kohler: (fold)
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:41:28
Kohler Still Leads
Halpern managed to claw his way back up to 970,000, but now he's back down to 810,000.
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:28:24
Kohler Takes the Lead
Kohler was not going to take that lying down, and spent a good few hands whittling away at Halpern before seizing the lead in one big hand to put him up to 1.3 million, while Halpern languishes on 800,000.
Halpern: 
(muck)
Kohler: 
( )
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:13:40
No Low for Kohler
Another scoop for Halpern as Kohler's low fails to come in and Halpern picks up the pot with two pair.
Kohler: ( )
Halpern: ( )
Halpern: 1,280,000
Kohler: 890,000
