With the World Series of Poker Main Event playing down to the November Nine, Lee Davy gives you a blow-by-blow account of all the action of the final day level-by-level and here is Level 32.
Welcome to the round-up of the second level of Day 7. Blinds will be 120k/240k Ante 40k.
In the first level of play Michael Ruane took the chip lead after coming out on top in a hand against James Obst that lasted 18-minutes. Kenny Hallaert also had a good level doubling up through Valentin Vornicu.
William Kassouf eliminated Chris Kusha in 27th place, and James Obst sent Philip Postma to the rail in 26th place.
Level 32
Our Day 2 chip leader has not started well. Valentin Vornicu doubled up Kenny Hallaert in the previous level, and he lost more chips, this time to Michael Niwinski, at the start of play.
Vornicu opened to 525k on the button and Niwinski defended his big blind. The flop was QcJs7s, and Niwinski check-called a 575k Vornicu c-bet. The turn card was the 9h, and the same action ensued this time for 850k. The river was the 7c; both players checked, and Vornicu mucked at the sight of KcTc for Niwinski’s straight. Niwinski moved up to 15.3m, and Vornicu dropped to 7m.
Then we had the biggest moment of the level.
Adam Krach opened to 500k in early position; Antoine Saout (pictured) moved all-in for 3.2m on the button, Kakwan Lau four-bet from the small blind, Krach moved all-in for 5.84m, and Lau made the call. Lau turned over pocket aces; Krach tabled pocket queens, and Saout had the lowest of the lot when he showed pocket sevens.
The 9s8d8h flop missed both Krach and Saout, but the 7s gave Saout a full house. He needed to fade an ace or a queen to triple up, but the dealer burned and turned the Ah to hand Lau a bigger full house, sending both Krach and Saout to the rail in 24th and 25th place respectively. Lau moved up to 24.46m.
Of the 25 remaining players, only Antoine Saout knew what it was like to be a part of the November Nine. The Frenchman made it all the way to third in 2009, as well as reaching the final table of the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Main Event finishing seventh in the same year. He was many people’s pick for the title this year, but he won’t be following in the footsteps of Mark Newhouse.
It’s time to jam.
John Cynn moved all-in for 2.6m in mid-position and everyone folded. A short while later, Jerry Wong opened to 480k on the button and folded when Cynn moved all-in from the big blind. Then Cynn moved all-in for 3.98m from the small blind, forcing a fold from Joshua Weiss in the big blind.
Cynn wasn’t the only player jamming.
Thomas Miller opened to 550k from the hijack and then folded when Jeff Hakim moved all-in for 5.685m. Kenny Hallaert shoved on Gordon Vayo after Vayo had reacted to a Hallaert open by three-betting to 1.525m. Vayo folded. And Hakim was at it again, this time in a pot against the chip leader Michael Ruane. Hakim called a Ruane three-bet pre-flop before check-jamming the TcTh8h flop after Ruane had bet 875k. Hakim survived with 9.825m good for 41bb.
Vornicu moved below the 20bb mark for the first time in a very long time after a skirmish with William Kassouf. Kassouf made up the change in the small blind and Vornicu checked his option from the big blind. The flop was 6d4h3s, and Kassouf check-called a 420k Vornicu lead. The turn was the 5d; Kassouf bet 900k, and Vornicu called. The river was the 5c; Kassouf bet 1.28m and Vornicu called. Kassouf showed 72hh for the straight and Vornicu’s hand went into the muck unseen. Kassouf finished the hand with 15.83m and Vornicu dropped to 4.475m.
The eight-time World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC), gold ring winner, looked like he was heading for the coffin, and it was Jared Bleznick who hammered home the final nail. Bleznick called a Vornicu jam for 4m holding ATo, and Vornicu tabled the inferior A9o. Vornicu did pick up a flush draw on the turn, but it wasn’t his day. Bleznick’s hand held and as he moved up to 9.5m in chips, Vornicu left in 23rd place.
Vornicu wasn’t the only player shoving. James Obst picked up a bunch of chips taking the same line against Qui Nguyen. It was a three-bet pot with Nguyen, the aggressor. The flop was Kh9h4h, Nguyen bet 1,275m and then folded to a 5.35m Obst jam.
Then the two Brits clashed when Matthew Moss moved all-in over a William Kassouf open. Kassouf choosing to fold. And James Obst slipped below 20bb after Michael Ruane forced him to fold on the turn in a hand that saw the Australian lose 2.5m.
As the end of the level approached Andrew Christoforou doubled through Kakwan Lau. Christoforou opened to 525k in the cutoff, Kakwan Lau three-bet to 1.5m, and Christoforou made the call. The flop was 8s5h3h; Lau checked, Christoforou bet 2.5m, Lau check-raised to 6.5m, and Christoforou decided to call after five minutes of thought. It was a good call. Christoforou was ahead with pocket sixes; Lau was behind with AK, and that’s the way the hand stayed after the river. Christoforou moved up to 17.52m, and Lau dropped down to 13.3m.
The level ended with Michael Ruane in the lead for the second successive level. William Kassouf had a significant level moving into the third position, Tom Marchese is slowly creeping into contention, and the starting day chip leader Vojtech Ruzicka dropped out of the Top 10.
Level 32 Eliminations
25. Antoine Saout – $269,430
24. Adam Krach – $269,430
23. Valentin Vornicu – $269,430
Top 10 Chip Counts
1. Michael Ruane – 44,875,000
2. Cliff Josephy – 32,775,000
3. William Kassouf – 28,025,000
4. Kenny Hallaert – 21,375,000
5. Jerry Wong – 20,525,000
6. Tom Marchese – 19,700,000
7. Mike Shin – 17,875,000
8. Fernando Pons – 17,600,000
9. Joshua Weiss – 17,600,000
10. Andrew Christoforou – 17,025,000
22 players will begin Level 33.
