Three Great Live Reported Hands: Bilzerian, Riess, and Brummelhuis

Mo Nuwwarah

May 17, 2018 3 min read

This is Volume 2 of an ongoing series in which PokerNews will look back on some of the most memorable hands recorded in the long history of live reporting on this site. To read more about the concept and which hands make the cut, check out Volume 1.

Bilzerian's Lone Cash

Original title:	Dan Bilzerian Eliminated
Date:	07-13-2009
Reporter:	Dave Behr
Tournament	WSOP 2009 $10,000 Main Event
Players involved:	Dan Bilzerian, Jonathan Tamayo

If you ask a random person on the street to name a poker player, Dan Bilzerian might be one of the first names that pops into the person's head. Bilzerian boasts over 23 million Instagram followers, the medium through which he most frequently documents a lifestyle ostensibly filled with celebrity meetings, world travel, and parties with scantily clad women.

However, Bilzerian's poker playing mostly comes in undocumented and unconfirmed home games. He often claims to win outrageous sums into the seven figures, but nobody besides those present at the games could ever really say whether there's truth to these claims. Bilzerian does have one solitary tournament cash, and it came in the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event.

He navigated his way to Day 6 of the Main along with 184 other players including brother Adam. However, Bilzerian had one of the shorter stacks in the room as he came in with just over 30 big blinds. He didn't waste any time getting them in as one of the first reported hands of the day featured Bilzerian jamming with A♥6♦. Jonathan Tamayo called him with pocket tens, and, a board of 9♣K♥3♣J♣K♦ later, Bilzerian's first and still only cash was in the books as he bowed out in 180th place.

Brummelhuis' Moment at the Main Event Final Table

Original title:	Hand #53: The Dutchman Flies to a Double
Date:	11-04-2013
Reporter:	Donnie Peters
Tournament	WSOP 2013 $10,000 Main Event
Players involved:	Michiel Brummelhuis, Ryan Riess, JC Tran

The 2013 WSOP Main Event final table featured live poker star JC Tran and online crusher David Benefield. One of the less-heralded players was Dutchman Michiel Brummelhuis, who entered as one of the shorter stacks.

After laddering past short stacks Benefield and Mark Newhouse, Brummelhuis was the shortest left and badly needed a double after slipping to about 15 big blinds while staying out of most of the early action. He had faced early resistance on his opens in the form of three-bets and been forced to fold a few times already.

On the 53rd hand of the November Nine, Brummelhuis didn't give anyone a chance to three-bet him as he open ripped for 7,525,000 from under the gun at 250,000/500,000/50,000. Chip leader Riess called from the next seat over and everyone else folded.

Brummelhuis: 9♥9♦
Riess: A♦Q♦

Considering the action, Brummelhuis likely felt good to be flipping. The 6♣5♣4♠ flop kept him best, and the 8♥ and 4♥ secured his double up to over 16 million. Riess slipped into second place for the time being, but history would ultimately see to it that the chips were merely borrowed for a few minutes.

Michiel Brummelhuis — Brummelhuis celebrating his November Nine berth.

Riess Takes 'Em Back

Original title:	Michiel Brummelhuis Eliminated in 7th Place ($1,255,356)
Date:	11-04-2013
Reporter:	Donnie Peters
Tournament	WSOP 2013 $10,000 Main Event
Players involved:	Michiel Brummelhuis, Ryan Riess

Just two hands after Brummelhuis grabbed his double and appeared to be on the upward swing; he'd butt heads with Riess again.

This time, action folded to the Dutchman in the small blind at the same level, and he made it 1.5 million. Riess put in a tiny three-bet to 3.2 million from the big blind, and Brummelhuis responded by shoving all in for 15,550,000. Riess instantly called as he held A♠A♥.

Brummelhuis again had nines, this time 9♦9♣, and he needed help to avoid the seventh-place finish he had dodged moments earlier. A board of K♠7♣4♦2♦7♥ meant the rockets held up and Riess was back in command of the final table while Brummelhuis had to settle for $1,255,356.

Brummelhuis has never quite reached the same heights since as his best year live has seen him bank $45,000, but he's still doing well online if a recent PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker is any judge — he just won an event there for nearly $200,000.

Riess, of course, went on to place his name on a banner forever and has become one of the top regulars in the live tournament scene.