The WSOP on ESPN: Well-known Players Fall While Contenders Rise on Day 7
Only 78 players returned for Day 7 of the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event including Theo Jorgensen (9,295,000) from Copenhagen, Denmark, who began the day as chip leader, and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi (7,535,000), who held the second largest stack in the room. John Racener (7,200,000), who started third in chips, also returned at the featured featured table alongside Tony Dunst (1,550,000) and Jean-Robert Bellande (685,000). By the end of the broadcast, only 49 players remained.
Big Slick for Bellande: In the first hand, with blinds at 25,000/50,000 and a 5,000 ante, Jean-Robert Bellande moved all-in with A♥K♦from early position. Action folded to John Racener (on the button) who looked down at K♠Q♣. He asked for a count and looked as if he might call. Even though it would have cost less than 10 percent of his stack to do so, Racener opted to muck. After action folded around, Bellande showed his hand and announced, “Come on John, I need a call buddy.”
The Tribe has Spoken: Jeff Banghart, an amateur from Nebraska, looked down at J♥J♠ and raised to 130,000 only to have Jean-Robert Bellande move all in for his last 815,000 with Q♦10♦ on the button. Duy Le looked down at A♥Q♣ in the big blind and made it 1,080,000 to go, enough to put Banghart all-in if he made the call. Instead, Banghart folded his hand face up and it was heads-up between Bellande and Le. The board ran out K♠4♠3♥5♣J♦, and Bellande’s flame was snuffed. He was eliminated in 78th place ($94,942).
Jorgensen vs. Hansen: ESPN featured an interview with Theo Jorgensen who discussed his infamous boxing match with the “Great Dane,” Gus Hansen. As the story goes, Jorgensen lost a game of squash to his good friend, Hansen, who proceeded to shadow box in celebration. Jorgensen, who admitted he was in a pretty bad mood, suggested that if he wanted to act like that, they should just arrange a three-round fight for $35,000. Hansen agreed, a ring was rented, and 2,500 people showed up to watch. In the end, Jorgensen was declared the winner. You can watch a clip of the fight here.
Runner-Runner for Bardah: Action folded to Ronnie Bardah in the small blind when he raised to 140,000 with A♥9♠. In the big blind, Jakob Toestesen looked down at 6♦4♦ and made the call. The flop came down 7♣3♥{Q}, Bardah bet 155,000 and Toestesen called. The 5♥ on the turn gave Toestesen a straight and Bardah continued to bet, this time 295,000. Toestesen simply called as the K♥ peeled off on the river, giving Bardah the nut flush. He fired out 500,000 and Toestesen, getting 3 ½-1 on his money, paid off Bardah.
Double for Dunst: Hasan Habib was in early position and raised to 155,000 with A♠K♦, only to have Tony Dunst move all-in for 930,000 directly behind him with Q♠Q♦. Action folded back to Habib who made the call. The K♠4♠5♦ flop put Habib in the lead, and the 3♣ on the turn kept him there. Things looked bleak for Dunst until the Q♥ hit the river, giving him his two-outer and the 2,030,000 pot.
Battle of the Blinds: In a battle of the blinds and a board reading 9♣Q♠6♠2♥Q♥, Matt Affleck bet 725,000, and Evgeny Shnayder made the call. Affleck turned over Q♦8♣ for trips and took the pot.
Bye-bye Baldwin: Pascal LeFrancois, who held 9♠9♥, called Eric Baldwin's all-in preflop bet. With 1,945,000 in the middle, Baldwin needed help with his K♦8♦. The 9♣5♣6♣ flop gave LeFrancois a set and left Baldwin in bad shape. The K♠ on the turn did not help Baldwin and neither did the 2♠ on the river. He was eliminated from the tournament in 59th place ($,138,285) while LeFrancois, who won a bracelet in Event #8 $1,500 No Limit Hold’em earlier in the series, took down the pot.
Benyamine Out the Door: David Benyamine moved all-in with Q♠10♠ from the button and was called by the big blind, Pascal LeFrancois, who held A♥Q♥. The 3♥10♥9♥ flop gave LeFrancois the nuts and Benyamine needed to catch runner-runner to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, the 4♥ turn left him drawing dead, and he was eliminated from the Main Event in 58th place ($138,285).
New Chip Leader: In the second hour of the broadcast, Filippo Candio called the all-in bet of Jared Ingles and was in good shape with A♦K♣ against J♥10♥. The board ran out 8♣8♥A♣J♦10♦ and Ingles was eliminated from the tournament in 56th place. Meanwhile, Candio took down the 2.9 million pot and became the tournament chip leader with 10,245,000.
Jetten Crippled: After losing 99 percent of his stack by doubling up Dag Palovic, Peter Jetten was left with just 15,000 in chips. At this point in the tournament, the “chip and a chair” mantra is the about the only thing he has going on.
Pay Jump: Josh Brikis, who was extremely short-stacked, was all-in preflop with A♣6♦ and called by Jerry Payne who held J♣10♣. Brikis was out in front headed to the flop, which came down 2♠J♦5♥. Payne took the lead, and the 8♦ turn was no help to Brikis. It was down to the river for his tournament life. The dealer burned and revealed the 3♣ to eliminate Brikis in 55th place ($138,285). This was good news for Peter Jetten, who was eliminated right afterward in 54th place, because it meant a $15,000 pay jump.
Quads to Stay Alive: Jason Senti was all-in preflop with K♠K♣ and ahead of David Assouline’s J♥J♦. With 3.75 million in the pot, the flop came down 5♠K♥K♦, giving Senti quads for a double up!
Off to the Races: In a pot worth 7.3 million, Alex Kostritsyn was all-in with K♠K♦ against the A♥Q♥ of Bryn Kenney. The flop read 3♥7♠J♥ — essentially a coin-flip situation. The 3♦ on the turn made Kostritsyn a 3-1 favorite, but the 5♥ on the river gave Kenney a flush. Kostritsyn was eliminated from the Main Event in 52nd place ($168,556)
Dunst Dusted: William Thorson was under the gun and raised to 200,000. Tony Dunst raised to 1,000,000 from the big blind, and Thorson moved all-in. Dunst only had 75,000 more and made the call.
Dunst: A♣Q♥
Thorson: A♠K♥
“Alright, we’ll see if you can slap out a queen,” Dunst said to the dealer. The flop came out 7♦2♥9♥, providing Dunst with no help. The 9♣ gave him some chop-outs but the K♠ on the river sent Dunst to the rail in 50th place ($168,556).
The 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event airs Tuesday evenings on ESPN. Check your local listings.
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