2009 40th Annual World Series of Poker
World Championship NL Texas Hold'em (Event 57)
Date:
Friday, July 03, 2009 to Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Buy-In:
$10,000
Prize Pool:
$61,043,600
Entrants:
6,494
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:11:36
Players Take a 20-Minute Break
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:11:00
Billy the Bully
Antoine Saout raised to 350,000 from under the gun, Billy Kopp reraised to 1.3 million from the hijack seat, and Saout called.
The flop came 
. Saout checked, Kopp bet 1.3 million, and Saout folded.
Kopp goes the break the chip leader with a whopping 27.8 million, and Saout has 8.43 million.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:10:09
Nick Maimone Doubles, Cripples Marco Mattes
Marco Mattes raised to 300,000, Nick Maimone reraised to 835,000, Mattes moved all in for an additional 4,515,000, and Maimone made the call. Mattes had him covered.
Maimone 
Mattes 
The flop was 
, Maimone's queens holding. The turn was the 
, the river was the 
and Maimone scored a massive double-up to 9.35 million. Mattes was crippled, left with only 795,000.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:10:00
Akenhead Doubles Through Vedes
James Akenhead certainly has been dealt more than his share of premium hands today. He got all his chips in with pocket queens against Tommy Vedes.
The preflop action started with a raise to 355,000 by Vedes that Akenhead reraised to 975,000. This was the second time in short succession that Akenhead had reraised Vedes preflop. That may have factored into Vedes' decision to shove all in, having Akenhead well covered. Akenhead gave only short thought before calling for his last 4.0 million with 
. Vedes showed down .
There was no help for Vedes on a board of 
. After paying off Akenhead, Vedes tumbled to 4.5 million. Akenhead is back up to 10.0 million after a rough start to the day.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:10:00
Momentum with Begleiter
Ben Lamb raised to 285,000 from under the gun, and Steven Begleiter, fresh off of having eliminated Antonio Esfandiari, called from the big blind.
The flop came 
. Begleiter checked, Lamb bet 325,000, and Begleiter called.
The turn was the 
, and this time Begleiter fired 950,000 into the middle. Lamb paused a beat, then let it go. Begleiter continues to hover around 15 million, while Lamb has 6.2 million.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:05:16
Antonio Esfandiari Eliminated in 24th Place ($352,832)
Antonio Esfandiari opened with a raise to 310,000 from under the gun, and Steven Begleiter called from middle position. The others got out of the way, and the flop came 
.
Esfandiari continued with a bet of 535,000, then Begleiter raised to a total of 1.61 million. Esfandiari pulled out a column of chips, then announced he was all in. It was about 2.5 million more for Begleiter to call, and he thought a bit before saying he was willing to commit the chips.
Esfandiari
Begleiter 
Begleiter clapped his hands once when he saw Esfandiari's cards. The turn brought the 
, giving Esfandiari an inside straight draw. "No three, no five," said Begleiter. The river was the 
, and Esfandiari is out.
Begleiter is up around 15 million now.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:02:35
Maimone Chips Up with Three-Bet
Andrew "Luckychewy" Lichtenberger raised to 325,000 from UTG, Nick Maimone reraised to 850,000 from the big blind, Lichtenberger tanked for about three minutes before folding and Maimone took it down.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:58:52
Calderaro Can't Find a Fold
A four-way limped pot at the outer table was checked through on a flop of 
. When the turn fell , small blind James Akenhead bet 360,000 chips. James Calderaro was the only caller.
The river was the 
. Again Akenhead bet 360,000.
"Wow," said Calderaro. "He's milking me." Despite that sense, Calderaro was unable to fold his hand. He called the last 360,000 to see that he was right -- Akenhead showed down 
for flopped trips.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:57:50
Ivey Rebounds a Bit
Phil Ivey opened for 320,000 from the button, Jeff Shulman called from the small blind, and George Carargiorgas called from the big blind.
The flop was 
. Shulman checked to Caragiorgas, who bet 500,000. Ivey came in with a raise to 1.1 million, Shulman folded, Caragiorgas folded, and Ivey took the pot.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:52:03
Vedes Calls, Calls, Calls and Calls to Winner
Tommy Vedes never once made an aggressive action in a pot against Warren Zackey and still wound up winning the pot. Warren Zackey opened for 350,000 preflop, 550,000 on the flop, and 1.2 million on the turn. Each time Vedes just called.
At the river, the board showed 
. Zackey softly called the amount of his bet as "1.8" and then slid out, one at a time, three stacks of twenty green (25,000) chips and three Hawaiian Flowers (100,000). Vedes didn't hear the bet declaration and immediately called for a string bet.
A floor was summoned to the table. He listened to his dealer say that she had heard Zackey declare 1.8 million, and Jonathan Tamayo also piped up that he heard the same. Zackey's bet was allowed to stand. Vedes called anyway and won the pot with 
against Zackey's 
.
New counts:
Zackey: 4.1 million
Vedes: 10.1 million
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:51:29
Marco Mattes Doubles Through Phil Ivey
Nick Maimone opened his second consecutive pot, making it 290,000 to go and was met with an all-in reraise from Marco Mattes for 2,470,000. Ivey flat-called the all in and Maimone folded.
Mattes 
Ivey 
The flop was 
, Mattes' queens still leading. The turn was the 
, the river was the 
and Mattes doubled to 5.41 million while Ivey fell to 6.3 million.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:49:23
Saout Over Esfandiari
Antoine Saout open-raised to 350,000 from the hijack seat, and it folded to Antonio Esfandiari who called from the big blind.
The flop came . Esfandiari led out for 535,000. Saout then raised to 1.8 million total. Esfandiari thought for about a minute, then tossed his cards dealerward.
Saout chips back to 8.7 million, while Esfandiari is now sitting with 4.6 million.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:43:52
Small One for Maimone
Nick Maimone opened for 290,000 and Jordan Smith made the call.
Smith checked the 
flop to Maimone, who bet 340,000. It was enough to induce a fold from Smith and Maimone took it down.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:39:22
Caragiorgas Squeezes Out a Pot
Joe Cada made it 300,000 to go from UTG, Phil Ivey called, and George Caragiorgas put the squeeze on with a reraise to 900,000. Both Cada and Ivey folded and Caragiorgas took it down.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:38:15
Zackey Can't Stand the Heat
With the blinds as big as they are, every pot seems like a huge pot now. Warren Zackey opened for 350,000, then called when Tommy Vedes reraised an additional 690,000 chips on top of that raise. That put 2.1 million chips in the pot for a flop of . Zackey checked to Vedes, then folded to his shove of roughly 2.7 million chips.
Zackey falls in the counts to 7.8 million. Vedes climbs to 4.8 million.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:33:51
More for Kopp, Saout Slips
Billy Kopp raised to 275,000 from early position, and it folded all the way around to Antoine Saout who called from the big blind.
The flop came 
. Saout checked, Kopp bet 600,000, and Saout called. Both checked the 
turn.
The river brought the 
. Saout checked, Kopp bet 1.7 million this time, and Saout made the call.
Saout showed 
, but Kopp had and had made a straight. Kopp chips up some more, moving past the 21 million mark. Saout is at about 8 million now.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:33:48
We're Curious Too
Action passed around to Ian Tavelli. With blinds at 60,000 and 120,000, he opened to 750,000 by throwing three almond (250,000) chips into the pot. The table was slightly confused.
"Did you throw in the wrong color?" Tommy Vedes asked Tavelli. Tavelli didn't respond but did wind up winning the pot when everyone else folded.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:33:45
Treys are Good for "Luckychewy"
Andrew Lichtenberger opened for 325,000 and Joe Cada made the call.
The flop came down and Lichtenberger led out for 550,000. Cada made the call and they went to the turn, which fell the 
. Both players checked. The landed on the river and Lichtenberger checked over to Cada, who checked behind.
Lichtenberger's was good and he raked in the pot.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:27:51
Saout Takes Some from Lacay
Antoine Saout raised to 350,000 from middle position, and it folded around to Ludovic Lacay who called from the big blind.
The flop came . Lacay checked, Saout bet 400,000, and Lacay called. The turn brought the 
, and both checked.
The river was the . Lacay checked, and Saout pushed out a bet of 700,000. Lacay made the call.
Saout showed 
for the rivered pair of aces, and Lacay mucked. Saout is up to 11 million, while Lacay has slipped to 3.1 million.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:26:42
Ace Slows Down Akenhead
James Akenhead opened the pot for 280,000 preflop and was called by small blind Warren Zackey. Both players checked to the river on a board that developed 
. When Zackey checked a third time, Akenhead finally felt it was safe to throw out a bet of 300,000. Zackey called and was shown Akenhead's pocket kings, , the second time Akenhead has shown down kings today. This time they were good for a small pot.
Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:25:45
Dangerous Board Ahead
Phil Ivey opened for 320,000, Jordan Smith raised to 1,000,000 and Ivey made the call.
Smith checked the flop over to Ivey, who checked behind. The fell on the turn and both players checked again. The on the river prompted an excited "oooh" from the crowd, but they checked it down again.
Smith turned over 
for two pair and Ivey mucked.
