2008 World Series of Poker

Event 27 - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info

2008 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aj
Prize
$628,417
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$3,693,690
Entries
2,706
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
15,000

Seat Assignments and Chip Counts

Seat 1: Philip Yeh - 1,360,000
Seat 2: Robert Brown - 310,000
Seat 3: Tony Gargano - 285,000
Seat 4: Vitaly Lunkin - 1,030,000
Seat 5: Trevor Donaldson - 265,000
Seat 6: Barry Schultz - 1,340,000
Seat 7: Kenneth Terrell - 650,000
Seat 8: Richard Alm - 500,000
Seat 9: Bobby Firestone - 920,000
Seat 10: Brett Kimes - 1,500,000

One Table

We're down to 10 players now so players are re-drawing seats and will all be seated on one table. We still need to lose one more player before we have our official final table. The clock has been paused momentarily as players move and fill in their final table bio forms.

Jordan Smith Eliminated in 11th Place ($36,567)

Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith
Jordan Smith's day is over, just short of the final table. After Bobby Firestone opened the pot with a raise to 75,000, Smith pushed all in from the big blind for 330,000. Firestone quickly made the call, tabling {8-Hearts} {8-Diamonds}. He was in good shape against Smith's {A-Spades} {5-Hearts}. The board ran out {6-Clubs} {Q-Clubs} {6-Spades} {4-Diamonds} {9-Spades}, giving the pot to Firestone. Smith quietly headed out of the Amazon Room to collect his $36,567.

Tags: Jordan Smith

Firestone Doubles, Crippling Gargano

Tony Gargano raised preflop to 70,000. Two players behind him, Bobby Firestone, sporting a navy blue sweatshirt and black baseball cap, moved all in for 330,000. Action folded back to Gargano, who tanked for two minutes before making the call. Each player opened his hand:

Gargano: {5-Clubs} {5-Diamonds}
Firestone: {A-Diamonds} {K-Clubs}

It was a classic race. The flop killed the drama, coming {K-Spades} {7-Diamonds} {A-Clubs}. Gargano couldn't find either of the remaining fives on the turn or river. Firestone won the pot to chip up to about 700,000, while Gargano was crippled to just 143,000.

On the next hand, action folded to Jordan Smith in the small blind, who open-raised all in against Gargano in the big blind. Gargano made the call with two live cards: {8-Clubs} {7-Spades} against Smith's {A-Hearts} {9-Spades}. Both players flopped a pair on the {Q-?} {9-?} {7-?} flop, but running eights gave Gargano a full house to Smith's two pair. He chips back up to about 300,000.

Carl Jerome Eliminated in 13th Place ($36,567)

Carl Jerome
Carl Jerome
Carl Jerome wasn't able to hang on forever. He is out of the tournament on a hand that wasn't raised preflop.

Jerome completed the small blind, and Barry Schultz checked his option in the big blind. Both players checked the board all the way to the river. At the river, the board showed {2-Diamonds} {A-Spades} {Q-Spades} {10-Clubs} {J-Clubs}. Jerome checked again, and finally Schultz bet 120,000. Jerome check-raised all in for about 660,000, and Schultz almost beat him into the pot. Jerome had flopped two pair with {Q-Clubs} {2-Clubs}, but Schultz caught up with runner-runner Broadway for the nuts when he table {K-Clubs} {5-Diamonds}. Jerome is out, collecting $36,567 to ease the blow.

Tags: Barry SchultzCarl Jerome

Betting into a Dry Side Pot

Jordan Smith opened the pot with a raise to 65,000 from the hijack before Tony Gargano called from the button. Then Bobby Firestone moved all in for 106,000 from the big blind, a raise that both his opponents called.

The flop came {4-Clubs} {2-Diamonds} {J-Spades} before Smith checked. Gargano then bet 190,000 into the dry side pot, enough to get Smith to fold.

'I guess I need a ten' says Firestone as he shows {J-?} {10-?}.

He's ahead though as Gargano shows {8-?} {8-?}.
The turn comes {10-Spades} and river {2-Clubs} confirms the triple up to 330,000 for Firestone.

Gargano down to 490,000.

Tags: Bobby FirestoneJordan SmithTony Gargano

Jerome Doubles Up

Carl Jerome continues to hang around. He got all in preflop for his last 77,000, holding {10-Diamonds} {8-Clubs}, against the {A-Clubs} {J-Clubs} of Jeffrey Brown. Jerome flopped a pair of tens on a flop of {2-Diamonds} {Q-Spades} {10-Hearts} and dodged all of the remaining kings, jacks and aces in the deck when the turn and river came small: {4-Spades} {6-Clubs}. He doubles up to about 180,000, while Brown slips to 230,000.

Slowing Down?

Although we have not lacked for eliminations so far today, it seems that play may be slowing down a bit as stacks consolidate. We are also approaching the final table bubble, which is surely contributing to the slowdown.