The man who drifts seamlessly between Wall Street and poker leads the final seven players of the first major event of 2014, as Dan Shak has a hairs breadth of a lead against last years $30,000 PCA High Roller winner Vanessa Selbst.
Selbst dominated the day’s proceedings until Shak managed to find a fortunate double up to put the brakes on the fearless PokerStars Team Pro late in the competition.
Antonio Esfandiari opened to 120,000 from middle position and Selbst (SB) and Shak (BB) both made the call. The flop was [Jc] [Td] [6c] and Selbst led for 165,000, Shak raised to 400,000, Esfandiari folded and Selbst called. The turn was the [6h], Selbst checked, Shak moved all-in for 1.21m and Selbst called. It was [Ah] [Jd] for Selbst – for two pair – and Shak held [Tc] [9c] for the flush draw and lower two pair. The river was the [Th], and Shak had rivered a full house to move him from elimination station and into the chip lead.
There were four additional re-entries on the second day of action, taking the final number up to 52 entrants, and that created a first place prize of $1,629,940 with eight places getting some dough.
One of those last minute re-entries belonged to Daniel Negreanu – his third in fact – and he was also the first player eliminated after getting it in 55<AA of Dan Shak, leaving a nasty bruise of $300,000 to start the new year.
Then the rest of field withered away just like this….
Bryn Kenney bust Tobias Reinkemeier KK v AJ and Chris Klodnicki bust Dan Smith KQ v J7hh. Smith took the lead when he flopped a jack but Klodnicki got his just desserts when he hit a straight on the river.
Justin Bonomo eliminated Jason Koon 66 v AQ. An ace on the flop handing Koon the advantage, but the run out included four clubs, and only Bonomo was holding one, which meant bye-bye for the man with the muscle.
Philipp Gruissem eliminated Jason Mercier 55 v A9 to send him off to the bar for what we expect to be a non-alcoholic drink; and we lost our reigning champion after Scott Seiver got terribly unlucky in a hand involving Guy Laliberte.
Seiver and Laliberte were both staring at a board of [Qd] [Th] [7c] when the Cirque du Soleil founder made the move for stacks holding nothing but a gutshot. Seiver called instantly with bottom set, but Laliberte sucked out on the turn to cripple the reigning champion, and he was eliminated by Max Altergott QJ<KT just moments later.
Chris Klodnicki was eliminated KK v Max Altergott holding A7dd on [Ts] [7h] [5h] [Ah]; Kenney took care of Timothy Adams AK v A9hh, and Ole Schemion eliminated the dangerous Isaac Haxton.
The German raised and Haxton called from position. The flop was [Ad] [Qc] [9c] Schemion bet 40,000 and Haxton called; the turn was [8h] Schemion bet 111,000 and Haxton called; the river was [Kh] Schemion moved all-in and Haxton called. Schemion showed queens for the set and Haxton mucked.
Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald eliminated Sorel Mizzi 77 v AQ; and then he took out the Day 1 chip leader Martin Finger. The German making a move on [6h] [5h] [5c] [7h] – holding [9h] [9d] – and Timex calling with [Js] [5s] for trips. The [Kc] on the river changing nothing.
Matt Glantz started to enter the live reporting after a series of eliminations starting with Laliberte: 77 v QThh, and then Noah Schwartz ATcc v 22. Tony Gregg busted Justin Bonomo AQss v KJ, before Vanessa Selbst put her foot on the gas with a series of eliminations that started with Philipp Gruissem – the pair getting it in with Gruissem ahead: 77 v AThh; he improved on the turn when he hit a set, but Selbst rivered a higher set to send the German to the rail.
Glantz eliminated Tom Marchese AA v KK; Selbst eliminated Kenney A9cc v AK when she hit her flush on the turn; and then sent Igor Kurganov in the same direction AK v 44.
Max Altergott was next out versus the tag team of Ole Schemion and Vanessa Selbst. The latter pair checking all the way down to the river on an un-exciting board. It was queen high for Altergott, ace high for Selbst and a pair of sevens for Schemion.
Then the final table was set after Fabian Quoss bulldozed his way through Paul Newey and Mike McDonald. It was AQcc for Quoss, KQ for Timex and 96hh for Newey – an ace on the flop confirming our final table.
Final Table
1. Dan Shak – 3,700,000
2. Vanessa Selbst – 3,645,000
3. Antonio Esfandiari – 2,830,000
4. Fabian Quoss – 2,650,000
5. Matt Glantz – 480,000
6. Tony Gregg – 410,000
7. Ole Schemion – 280,000
Photo courtesy of World Poker Tour Flickr
