2009 WSOP: Hsiung Holds Sway over Final 12 in #33 LHE
Day 2 of the Event #33, $10,000 World Championship Limit Hold’em, had everything we’ve come to expect from a World Championship event: big names in the field, bad beats going down to the bubble, Ville Wahlbeck, and a 3AM finish. 116 runners returned to the Rio for a shot at WSOP gold, and when tournament officials called a halt to the evening’s festivities there were only 12 remaining. Day 1 chip leader Jennifer Harman made a remarkable comeback in the waning hours to see Day 3, while other big names headed to the rail all through the day. When the chips were bagged, it was Kenny Hsiung holding a sizable chip lead with 831,000; Michiel Brummelhuis finished in second with 687,000. Mark Klecan and Matt Hawrilenko (pictured) were next in line, closing the day on stacks of 603,000 and 601,000 respectively
Day 2 ended almost before it began for some players. Chris Ferguson came back with fewer chips than he started Day 1 with, and it took only minutes to get them all in the middle. He moved in on the A♦7♠6♦ flop with A-Q, but Josh Arieh had outflopped him with A♥7♣. No queen arrived on the board, and Ferguson headed out. Other early eliminations included Maya Gellar, Carlos Mortensen, Barny Boatman, and Erick Lindgren.
As the day wore on, more top pros busted as the tournament drew ever-closer to the final 18 and the money bubble. Among those missing the money were Annie Duke, Scotty Nguyen, Erik Seidel, and Eli Elezra. Elezra busted in a huge three-way hand with Todd Brunson and Vitaly Lunkin that saw Elezra call a preflop raise from Brunson, and then call Lunkin’s three-bet. Lunkin bet out again on the 10♠9♠3♦ flop, and Elezra and Brunson both called. The last of Elezra’s chips went in when Lunkin bet the K♦ turn, and Brunson called as well. Lunkin checked the J♠ river, then called Brunson’s bet. Brunson tabled Q♥9♥ for a rivered straight that sent Elezra packing and crippled Lunkin, who busted out a few hands later.
An unusual sight occurred as the money bubble approached: Ville Wahlbeck was not around. The Finn, who had cashed four times in four previous $10,000 events this year, busted well out of the money in Event #33. Other notable bustouts included Doyle Brunson, Barry Greenstein, Steve Zolotow, and Mimi Tran. As the night wore on and the field thinned, Jody Garaventa was ousted on the money bubble at the hands of Daniel Alaei when Alaei came from a dominated position to turn a full house on a three-outer and bust Garaventa. That elimination left only 18 players out of the 185-person powerhouse field that began the event.
Just after the bubble burst, Chad Brown took a huge bite out of Steve Kim’s chip stack when his K-9 caught a nine on the river to crack Kim’s Big Slick. Kim then got it all in on the turn with the board reading Q♥10♥10♠8♠, and got action from Kenny Hsiung and Soheil Shamseddin. Shamseddin gave up on the A♣ river, but Shamseddin tabled Q♠Q♦ for the flopped boat. Kim’s pocket nines were no good, and he picked up $27,824 for his 18th-place finish.
Howard Lederer outlasted his sister Annie Duke, but still fell short of a final table when he busted in 17th ($27,824). Lederer and Soheil Shamseddin capped the action preflop, and Lederer led out on the J♦10♠6♥ flop. Shamseddin raised, Lederer called, and the 8♥ turn brought an all-in bet from “The Professor.” Lederer showed A♥A♠, but was drawing to two outs when Shamseddin tabled 10♥10♣ for a set. The J♣ on the river was no help to Lederer, and he was done.
Phil Tom ducked and dodged bullets all night with his short stack, but finally succumbed in 16th place ($27,824) in a three-way hand with Mark Klecan and Michiel Brummelhuis. After four bets preflop, Tom’s last chips went in on the 5♦5♥7♦ flop. Both opponents predictably called, and Brummelhuis bet out on the J♠ turn. Klecan got out of the way, and Brummelhuis showed 7♣7♥ for the flopped boat. Tom showed 10♠10♥ and needed a lot of help to stay alive. The 7♠ on the river was not at all helpful as it gave Brummelhuis quads and showed Tom the door.
Another three-way pot, another elimination, was the story as Ralph Perry got it all in preflop against Mark Klecan and Daniel Alaei. The flop came down 3♠6♦2♥, and Klecan bet out. Alaei called into the side pot, and the turn brought the 4♠. Klecan fired another bullet, and Alaei gave up the ghost as Klecan showed A♣6♥ for top pair. Perry needed help with A♠10♠, but the river was the K♥ and Perry was done in 15th ($32,693).
Todd Brunson busted in 14th ($32,693) at the hands of Maria Ho when his flush draw didn’t come in, and then Mark Teltscher busted in 13th place ($32,693) to bring an end to Day 2. Teltscher lost most of his chips in a huge hand with Chad Brown, then got it all in preflop with 7♥8♦ and found three callers. Michiel Brummelhuis, Chad Brown and Matt Hawrilenko all joined Teltscher in seeing the 3♣9♥10♣ flop, and Brummelhuis and Brown both called Hawrilenko’s bet. Hawrilenko led out again when the turn brought the 10♥, and Brummelhuis called again. Brown went for the check-raise, and both opponents called. Brown led out when the river brought the 4♣, and Hawrilenko and Brummelhuis both called. Brummelhuis tabled A♣8♣ for the nut flush while Brown and Hawrilenko both mucked. Teltscher missed everything and was the final elimination of the day.
Join PokerNews at 1PM local time as the final 12 play down to the bracelet.
