2016 Global Poker League Week 9

AMERICAS 6-max
Day: 2

AMERICAS 6-max

Day 2 Completed

Jason Mercier wins GPL Match 120, Scores Big for New York Rounders

Jason Mercier
Jason Mercier

This first day of Week 9 of the Global Poker League, was a very good day for Jason Mercier. The New York Rounders player finished second in heat one of the Americas conference, before taking home the victory in the second match.

It looked like the second heat would start in the same fashion as the first one did. Xuan Liu was crippled in the beginning of the match, but unlike the heat before, she wasn't the first one to go.

She had some luck and doubled up a couple of times, before Scott Ball finished in sixth position. It wasn't really Ball's day and his final hand was an example of that. He made the right decision calling Kaverman's all-in with queen-five, but still lost to the jack-six of his opponent. Ball only scored two points for the Las Vegas Moneymakers. Leaving them dead last in the Americas conference, far away from the playoff spots.

Like Ball, Kitty Kuo couldn't get much going today. She scored her second fifth place finish of the day, when her sixes couldn't hold up against Maria Ho's queen-ten. Ho flopped quad tens and Kuo was on her way out.

Ho also eliminated Xuan Liu in fourth place. Liu called all-in with nine-ten but couldn't beat the queens Ho was holding. Like Ball and Kuo, Liu also scored two points today, but it was just enough to keep her Montreal Nationals on top of the leaderboard.

Maria Ho ended up third after losing two big pots against Jason Mercier. In the last hand, her {5-Hearts}{4-Hearts} was no competition for Mercier's {A-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}, when the board ran out {A-Hearts}{K-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{K-Spades}{3-Diamonds}.

Mercier was heads up for the second time today. This time he took home the full seven points by beating Byron Kaverman thanks to a seven on the river. Kaverman got it all-in on a {6-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}-flop while holding four-five. Mercier had four-eight and rivered a straight for the win.

Results GPL Match 120

PlacePlayerTeamPoints
1Jason MercierNew York Rounders7 points
2Byron KavermanSao Paulo Metropolitans5 points
3Maria HoLA Sunset3 points
4Xian LiuMontreal Metropolitans2 points
5Kitty KuoSan Francisco Rush1 point
6Scott BallLas Vegas Moneymakers0 points

There are no position changes in the Americas conference after today, but the top four teams are a lot closer together now. The Montreal Nationals hold on to their first position, but only with a three-point lead on the LA Sunset. The Sunset's are closing in on the top position, thanks to Maria Ho's ten points.

Jason Mercier helps his New York Rounders to a tied third place with the Sao Paulo Metropolitans of Byron Kaverman. The San Francisco Rush and Las Vegas Moneymakers are falling behind. They have to score big in the upcoming weeks to make it into the playoffs.

GPL Americas Conference League Standings

PlaceTeamPoints
1Montreal Nationals147
2LA Sunset144
3Sao Paulo Metropolitans120
3New York Rounders120
5San Francisco Rush107
6Las Vegas Moneymakers97

That's it for today's Global Poker League. Tomorrow we will be back with the coverage of three heads-up matches from the Eurasia conference. Play will commence at 12pm EDT (6pm CEST) with the heat between the Rome Emperors and the Hong Kong Stars. Followed by the Paris Aviators - Moscow Wolverines match and the battle between the London Royals and the Berlin Bears.

Tags: Byron KavermanJason MercierKitty KuoMaria HoScott BallXuan Liu

Kaverman Ends Up Second in Second Heat

The heads up part of this last heat of the day didn't take long. There were already 12,800 chips in the middle and the {6-Diamonds}{2-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}-flop was dealt, when Byron Kaverman put in a bet of 3,900, holding {4-Spades}{5-Spades}. Jason Mercier, who had a big chiplead, decided to move in with his {4-Clubs}{8-Clubs}, for an overcard and a straight draw.

The turn was the {10-Diamonds} which did no harm for Kaverman, but the {7-Spades} landed on the river which gave Mercier the straight and the win in this heat.

Kaverman didn't manage to get a win today, but he still performed well for the Sao Paulo Metropolitans. He scored a third place and a second place collecting a total of eight points.

Player Chips Progress
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
150,000
39,000
39,000
WSOP 6X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Byron Kaverman us
Byron Kaverman
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Byron KavermanJason Mercier

No Double Victory For Ho, Eliminated in Third

Maria Ho
Maria Ho

Winner of the first heat, Maria Ho, has just been eliminated in third place. Ho lost an all-in earlier against Jason Mercier and now she got her last 34,000 chips in with {5-Hearts}{4-Hearts}. Mercier held {A-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}.

The flop gave Mercier top pair when the {A-Hearts}{K-Clubs}{10-Hearts} hit the felt, but Ho had a flush draw. The {K-Spades}-turn wasn't a heart and neither was the {3-Diamonds}-river.

Maria Ho was out in third place, but she scored a total of ten points for the LA Sunset in today's two heats. Bringing them very close to the top position in the Americas conference.

Player Chips Progress
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
111,000
77,320
77,320
WSOP 6X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Byron Kaverman us
Byron Kaverman
39,000
-16,600
-16,600
WSOP 1X Winner
Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
Busted

Tags: Jason MercierMaria Ho

Liu Eliminated in Fourth Place

Xuan Liu was the shortest stack at the table with only 12,000 chips left. She decided she had to call with {9-Diamonds}{10-Spades} from the big blind, when Maria Ho shoved from the small blind.

Unlucky for Liu, Ho was holding {Q-Diamonds}{Q-Spades}. The board was an uneventful {K-Hearts}{4-Spades}{7-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{4-Hearts} and Liu was out in fourth place.

She earned two points for the Montreal Nationals.

Player Chips Progress
Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
61,500
12,839
12,839
Xuan Liu ca
Xuan Liu
Busted

Tags: Xuan LiuMaria Ho

Mercier Gets Unlucky, than Double Back Up

Jason Mercier first lost with {K-Hearts}{J-Diamonds} against the {K-Clubs}{5-Clubs} of Maria Ho, when the board ran out {9-Clubs}{10-Spades}{4-Clubs}{j-Clubs}{a-Diamonds} giving Ho a flush.

He was left with only 16,000 chips in the 1,200/2,400-level, but doubled right back with {K-Diamonds}{K-Hearts} against the {9-Clubs}{J-Spades} of Byron Kaverman. The board bricked out and Mercier was back in the game.

Player Chips Progress
Byron Kaverman us
Byron Kaverman
55,600
-10,323
-10,323
WSOP 1X Winner
Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
48,661
18,753
18,753
Jason Mercier us
Jason Mercier
33,680
11,865
11,865
WSOP 6X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Xuan Liu ca
Xuan Liu
12,030
-16,416
-16,416

Ho Flops Quads, Busts Kuo in Fifth

Kitty Kuo had just 9,000 in chips left and got it all-in with {6-Spades}{6-Clubs} against the {Q-Spades}{10-Spades} of Maria Ho.

Kuo was immediately drawing dead when the flop hit the table. Ho flopped quads on the {10-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}-board. The {5-Hearts} on the turn and the {4-Clubs}-river where irrelevant.

Kuo raked in just one single point for the San Francisco Rush in this heat. She did the same in the first match by finishing fifth.

Player Chips Progress
Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
29,908
5,803
5,803
Kitty Kuo tw
Kitty Kuo
Busted

Tags: Kitty KuoMaria Ho

Ball Eliminated in Sixth Place

Scott Ball was one of the shorter stacks of the table with just 11,000 chips left in the 800/1,600-level. He was in the big blind with {Q-Clubs}{5-Spades} and decided he would call if Byron Kaverman shoved from the small blind.

"I think he's shoving extremely wide here, and he shoved six-eight earlier, so I'm definitely calling", Ball said.

Kaverman did shove with {J-Spades}{6-Clubs} and indeed Ball called.

He had the best hand, but he was unlucky with the run out of the board. The {J-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}-flop gave Kaverman a pair of jacks and that sealed the deal. Because neither the {7-Clubs} turn or the {2-Hearts} river could help Ball.

"This was not our day", was Ball's final comment before he left the table in sixth place.

Player Chips Progress
Byron Kaverman us
Byron Kaverman
65,923
26,117
26,117
WSOP 1X Winner
Scott Ball us
Scott Ball
Busted
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Byron KavermanScott Ball

Another Lucky Double For Liu

Just 20-minutes ago it looked like Xuan Liu was leaving today heats with no points at all, but now she is second in chips in this heat.

Like last time, she had some help from kings on the board to give her a double up. With the big blind of 1,200, Liu shoved all-in for 12,948 with {K-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}. Scott Ball re-pushed dominating Liu with his {A-Clubs}{10-Clubs} and the rest of the table folded.

Ball was in good shape, but the {K-Spades}{2-Hearts}{2-Clubs}-flop put Liu in front. The {K-Clubs} turn sealed the deal, although Ball was thinking he could hit a flush for a second. The {6-Spades} irrelevant tho and Liu doubled for the third time.

Player Chips Progress
Xuan Liu ca
Xuan Liu
28,446
15,446
15,446
Scott Ball us
Scott Ball
23,395
-3,063
-3,063
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Xuan LiuScott Ball