2009 World Series of Poker

Event 2 - $40,000 No Limit Hold'em
Day: 4
Event Info

2009 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aa
Prize
$1,891,012
Event Info
Buy-in
$40,000
Entries
201
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000

Hand #96 - Dani Stern

Vitaly Lunkin has the button in Seat 9. Dani Stern opens for 300,000 and gets a call from Isaac Haxton in the small blind.

The flop is {10-Hearts} {7-Clubs} {6-Clubs} and Haxton leads out for 600,000. Stern min-raises to 1.2 million, Haxton folds and Stern takes it down.

Building an Oak Tree from an Acorn

The size of the big blind -- 120,000 chips -- is exactly the number of chips with which each of these four players started the tournament. After having collected the other 197 entrants' chips, the average stack among these four is now just over 6 million.

That's about 50 big blinds. Stern, the current short stack with 3.335 million, has almost 28 big blinds with which to work.

Hand #95 - Greg Raymer

Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. Greg Raymer opens for 300,000 and Isaac Haxton calls from the big blind.

The flop is {10-Diamonds} {5-Diamonds} {4-Spades}. Haxton checks, Raymer bets 450,000, Haxton folds and Raymer wins the pot.

Hand #94 - Greg Raymer

Greg Raymer has the button in Seat 5. He raises to 300,000 and Vitaly Lunkin calls.

The flop is {K-Spades} {Q-Spades} {8-Spades}. Lunkin checks to Raymer, who bets 450,000. Lunkin mucks and Raymer wins the pot.

Hand #93 - Vitaly Lunkin

Isaac Haxton has the button in Seat 4. Vitaly Lunkin makes it 300,000 to go and gets a call from Dani Stern in the big blind.

The flop is {10-Hearts} {7-Hearts} {7-Spades} and both players check. The turn is the {K-Spades}. Check-check again. The {Q-Diamonds} lands on the river and earns a third check from Stern, but Lunkin bets 350,000. Stern folds and Lunkin wins the pot.

For the Record

Cameras Everywhere
Cameras Everywhere
This event is being recorded for future broadcast on ESPN. According to the schedule, there will be two hours devoted to showing this final table on Tuesday, July 28th.

Between now and then, ESPN will be editing footage simultaneously shot from numerous cameras positioned around (and inside of) the table. Four are situated on the floor covering all sides of the table. Operators sit with the cameras on platforms with wheels, with a couple of colleagues pushing them around from time to time to reorient their shots.

Two more cameras attached to a moveable cranes are capturing high angle shots of the table and crowd. And a seventh camera, located directly above the table, is capturing the "bird's eye" view of the community cards.

There are also the hole card cameras built into the table positioned before each player's seat. Those of us here watching the event live are catching glimpses of what all of the cameras are capturing except for those.

Hand #91 - Greg Raymer

Dani Stern has the button in Seat 8. Greg Raymer opens for a 300,000 raise, and Stern calls.

Raymer leads out for 500,000 on the {A-Spades} {4-Clubs} {3-Spades} flop and Stern smooth-calls. The turn falls the {4-Diamonds} and Raymer checks over to Stern, who checks behind. The river is the {8-Clubs} and Raymer fires again for 1,000,000. Stern calls.

Raymer shows {2-Diamonds} {5-Diamonds}, having flopped the wheel and rakes in the 3.8 million pot. He's up to 8,265,000.

Hand #90 - Dani Stern

Greg Raymer has the button in Seat 5. Dani Stern raises to 360,000 from the small blind and Vitaly Lunkin makes the call from the big blind.

The flop is {10-Spades} {9-Spades} {3-Hearts} and Stern leads out for 500,000. Lunkin calls and the {J-Diamonds} lands on the turn. Stern checks and Lunkin bets 1,000,000. Stern moves all in for 3,090,000, Lunkin folds, and Stern drags the pot. He's now up to 5,870,000.