2009 World Series of Poker

Event 34 - $1,500 No Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info

2009 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
1010
Prize
$521,932
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Entries
2,095
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000

Chip Counts

As the players walk off to break, they find themselves in a dead heat for the chip lead. With more than 9.3 million chips in play, the two men are separated by just 300,000.

Eric Baldwin - 4,865,000
Jonas Klausen - 4,565,000

Heads Up Begins

Eric Baldwin has an advantage as we begin heads up, with about 5.1 million to Jonas Klausen's 4.5 million.

Before the level concluded, we saw five hands of heads up play. The first four ended in small pots and little incident.

In the fifth, Eric Baldwin raised from the small blind/button, and and Jonas Klausen called. The flop came {8-Spades}{4-Clubs}{K-Clubs}, and both checked. The turn was the {J-Hearts}. Klausen bet 245,000, and Baldwin let it go.

James Taylor Eliminated in 3rd Place ($213,046)

James Taylor
James Taylor
With Jonas Klausen folding the button, James Taylor came in with a raise from the small blind, making it 180,000 straight. After a long stare and a bit of chatter, Eric Baldwin made the call out of the big.

The flop came down {3-Spades} {5-Diamonds} {7-Clubs}, and Taylor continued out with a bet of 175,000. Baldwin took his time eyeing up his opponent before turning his gaze toward his own chip stack. After a minute or more, he announced, "All in." Taylor sunk back into his chair, frustration over Baldwin's aggression maybe just now starting to become visible on his face. After a few minutes of deep thought, he made the call to put his tournament life on the line.

Showdown
Taylor: {K-Hearts} {Q-Spades}
Baldwin: {9-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}

Baldwin was ahead with top pair, and Taylor was looking for one of his six overcard outs to stay alive. The turn was a blank {10-Hearts} though, and the {3-Hearts} that filled out the board would be the last river card of the night for Taylor.

After running over the field on Day 1, Taylor took the overnight chip lead into the second day. His stack was middling for most of yesterday's action, but Taylor won some big key pots to run deep into the final table. In the end though, his king-queen couldn't find any help, and he has exited in 3rd place.

Tags: Eric BaldwinJames Taylor

River Club Sends Klausen Into Chip Lead

Jonas Klausen's fans erupt into song
Jonas Klausen's fans erupt into song
It was another blind-vs.-blind battle between Eric Baldwin (small) and Jonas Klausen (big). The pot was 365,000 when the flop came {3-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{10-Clubs}. Baldwin bet 185,000, and Klausen made the call.

The turn was the {9-Clubs}. This time Baldwin bet 540,000. Klausen took a couple of minutes, then announced he was all in. Baldwin instantly called.

Baldwin {7-Clubs}{3-Clubs}
Klausen {K-Clubs}{K-Hearts}

Baldwin had the flush, but Klausen had outs to survive. And the river brought the {J-Clubs}, sending Klausen's colorfully-dressed Danish cheering section into song.

Klausen doubles up into the chip lead with more than 5 million, while Baldwin tumbles back close to 2 million.

Tags: Eric BaldwinJonas Klausen

Baldwin Means Business

Eric Baldwin raised to 130,000 from the button, and Jonas Klausen reraised to 430,000 from the small blind. James Taylor folded, and Baldwin didn't take too long to move all in.

Klausen took about fifteen seconds to think about it, then folded. Baldwin has more than 5 million now, while Klausen has slipped back around 2.5 million.

Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stack

James Taylor folded from the button, Eric Baldwin completed from the small blind, and Jonas Klausen checked.

The flop came {4-Hearts}{9-Spades}{K-Hearts}. Baldwin bet 90,000, and Klausen promptly raised to 205,000. Baldwin took about a half-minute, then quietly announced he was raising. He pushed out a tall stack of green chips, topped by three orange ones -- a total of 590,000.

Klausen looked at the board for a moment, then let it go.

Baldwin moves up to 4.75 million, while Klausen has 3.275 million. Taylor still has 1.4 million.

Klausen Checks Behind

On a flop of {Q-Spades} {10-Clubs} {10-Hearts}, Eric Baldwin led out with a bet of 120,000. His lone opponent was Jonas Klausen, and he quickly made the call. Both players checked the {5-Diamonds} on the turn, and the action repeated when the {8-Spades} hit the river.

Baldwin looked disappointed when Klausen checked behind him on the river. He turned over {J-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds} for the straight, winning that small battle.

Tags: Eric BaldwinJonas Klausen

Final Table Tension

Eric Baldwin, new chip leader
Eric Baldwin, new chip leader
Jonas Klausen folded from the button, and James Taylor raised to 180,000 (3x) from the small blind. Eric Baldwin called from the big blind.

The flop came {2-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}{9-Spades}. Taylor bet 235,000 (about two-thirds the pot), and after shuffling his chips for a bit Baldwin made the call.

The turn was the {4-Hearts}. With great deliberation, Taylor carefully set out a bet of 425,000. Baldwin took about five seconds to announce he was raising all in. As Baldwin had Taylor well covered, Taylor had a big decision to make.

And he took his time. About five minutes' worth, in fact. Most of that period he spent staring at the board, though occasionally would look to his left and ask brief questions of Baldwin, none of which did his opponent answer.

Finally, though it obviously pained him to do so, Taylor let it go. After that hand, Taylor dips down to about 1.4 million. Baldwin is up to 4.34 million, the new chip leader, pushing past Jonas Klausen who has 3.68 million.

Tags: Eric BaldwinJames Taylor