ClubWPT Player of the Day Chino Rheem

Level 21: 15,000-30,000, 5,000 ante

Chino Rheem Leads a Tough Final Eight Into Day 5

Level 21: 15,000-30,000, 5,000 ante

The Money Bubble burst as the WPT World Championship entered the money on Day 4. The unfortunate bubble boy was Hyon Kim, who finished 16th but received nothing to show for it.

When the dust settled at the end of five 90-minute levels, these were the results:

Seat 1.  Jonathan Roy  -  1,987,000  (66 bb)
Seat 2.  David Peters  -  858,000  (28 bb)
Seat 3.  Erick Lindgren  -  2,518,000  (83 bb)
Seat 4.  Rocco Palumbo  -  680,000  (22 bb)
Seat 5.  Brandon Steven  -  1,235,000  (41 bb)
Seat 6.  Daniel Negreanu  -  545,000  (18 bb)
Seat 7.  Matt Hyman  -  1,940,000  (64 bb)
Seat 8.  Chino Rheem  -  4,839,000  (161 bb)

9th:  Amir Babakhani  -  $70,300
10th:  Sam Goldman  -  $57,998
11th:  Dan Shak  -  $57,998
12th:  Emil Ohlsson  -  $57,998
13th:  Byron Kaverman  -  $49,210
14th:  Steven Silverman  -  $49,210
15th:  Jeffrey Ishbia  -  $49,210

Chino Rheem (pictured above) entered the day 21st in chips with 24 players remaining, but he caught fire shortly after the field reached the money to take the chip lead, and he never looked back. Rheem, who won a WPT title here at Bellagio four seasons ago, has nearly twice as many chips as anyone else.

Erick Lindgren finished the day second in chips behind Rheem, but it was not an easy road for him to get there. Lindgren was short-stacked most of the day, and was the shortest stack throughout most of the two-hour Money Bubble. But once Lindgren reached the money, he doubled up twice, including a big hand to cripple Dan Shak.

Lindgren, who has two WPT titles under his belt and was the Season II WPT Player of the Year, is hoping to become just the third player to win three WPT titles, alongside Gus Hansen and Carlos Mortensen.

Another player seeking his third title is Daniel Negreanu, who was the Season III WPT Player of the Year. Negreanu is on a heater of his own lately, winning the first-ever WSOP-APAC Main Event last month and adding a fourth-place finish in the EPT Grand Final a couple weeks ago.

This season's WPT Player of the Year race is still undecided, as WPT Montreal champion Jonathan Roy is third in chips and can pass POY points-leader Matt Salsberg if he wins this event. If Roy falls short of a victory, Salsberg will win the Player of the Year title.

With eight players remaining, five of them already have their names engraved on the WPT Champions Cup: Erick Lindgren, Daniel Negreanu, Rocco Palumbo, Chino Rheem, and Jonathan Roy.

Action resumes tomorrow at 12:00 noon PT, with the blinds at 15,000-30,000 and a 5,000 ante. Rocco Palumbo has the button in seat 4, and action will pick up right where it left off this evening.

Return to WPT.com tomorrow for complete hand-for-hand coverage as they battle for the six seats at the televised WPT Final Table.


Photo: Daniel Negreanu (center) photobombs his buddy Erick Lindgren while he's being interviewed by WPT reporter Jeanine Deeb.

Hand #34: Amir Babakhani Out in 9th Place ($70,300)

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #34  -  Matt Hyman raises UTG+1 to 50,000, Chino Rheem reraises from middle position to 125,000, and Amir Babakhani (pictured above) moves all in from middle position for about 470,000.

Hyman folds, and Rheem calls with KK. Babakhani turns over 77, and he'll need to improve to stay alive.

The board comes A83J4, and the pocket kings hold up for Rheem to win the pot and eliminate Amir Babakhani in ninth place.

Chino Rheem  -  4,839,000  (201 bb)
Amir Babakhani  -  Out in 9th Place  ($70,300)

Level 20 comes to an end, and the remaining eight players bag up their chips for the night. Official chip counts will be posted soon.

Hands #31-33: Final Nine Players

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #31  -  Amir Babakhani moves all in from the button, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #32  -  Brandon Steven raises UTG+1 to 55,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #33  -  Daniel Negreanu raises UTG+1 to 54,000, Chino Rheem calls from middle position, and Rocco Palumbo calls from the big blind. The flop comes KQ7, and action checks to Rheem, who bets 75,000. Palumbo and Negreanu both fold, and Rheem takes the pot.

Hands #28-30: Trip 8s Not Good Enough for Babakhani

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #28  -  Everyone folds to Chino Rheem, giving him a walk in the big blind.

Hand #29  -  Jonathan Roy raises under the gun to 50,000, and Amir Babakhani calls from the big blind. The flop comes 862, Babakhani checks, Roy bets 57,000, and Babakhani check-raises to 125,000. Roy calls.

The turn is the 4, Babakhani checks, Roy bets 182,000, and Babakhani folds. Roy takes the pot.

Jonathan Roy  -  2,120,000  (88 bb)
Amir Babakhani  -  935,000  (38 bb)

Hand #30  -  Matt Hyman raises from the cutoff to 50,000, and Amir Babakhani calls from the small blind. The flop comes 984, Babakhani checks, Hyman bets 60,000, and Babakhani check-raises to 125,000. Hyman calls.

The turn is the 3, Babakhani bets 225,000, and Hyman calls. The river card pairs the board with the 8, Babakahni bets 250,000, and Hyman calls.

Babakhani shows 85 for trip eights, but Hyman turns over A8 for trip eights with an ace kicker to win the pot.

Matt Hyman  -  1,840,000  (76 bb)
Amir Babakhani  -  420,000  (17 bb)

What Did Lindren Have Against Goldman?

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

After Sam Goldman's elimination in 10th place, the other players offered their "congradudolences," including Erick Lindgren. When Lindgren shook his hand, he appeared to tell Goldman what he was holding in the hand where Goldman laid down trip kings, assuring him that he made the correct fold.

However, a short while later, when the players at the table were talking about the hand, Lindgren said, "I might have lied."

Daniel Negreanu laughed and said, "I know you lied!"

Hands #24-27: Chopped Pot For Rheem and Palumbo

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #24  -  Daniel Negreanu raises under the gun to 54,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #25  -  Chino Rheem raises UTG+1 to 50,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #26  -  Brandon Steven raises from the button to 55,000, and Daniel Negreanu calls from the small blind. Both players check to the river on a board of AQ78J, Negreanu bets 113,000, and Steven folds. Negreanu takes the pot.

Hand #27  -  Rocco Palumbo min-raises from the hijack to 48,000, Chino Rheem reraises from the big blind to 200,000, and Palumbo moves all in for about 700,000.

Rheem calls with AK, and Palumbo turns over AK -- a probably chopped pot.

The board comes 65383, and it's a chopped pot.

Hand #23: Sam Goldman Out in 10th Place ($57,998)

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #23  -  Sam Goldman (pictured above) moves all in from middle position for 96,000, and Amir Babakhani calls from the hijack with KQ. Goldman turns over AQ, and he is a dominant favorite to double up here.

The board comes 954K4, and Babakhani pairs his king on the turn to win the pot and eliminate Sam Goldman in 10th place.

Amir Babakhani  -  1,255,000  (52 bb)
Sam Goldman  -  Out in 10th Place  ($57,998)

The remaining nine players are guaranteed at least $70,300.

Hands #18-22: Final 10 Players

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #18  -  Erick Lindgren raises from middle position to 50,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #19  -  Rocco Palumbo min-raises from middle position to 48,000, and Amir Babakhani calls from the big blind. The flop comes QQ9, Babakhani checks, Palumbo bets 50,000, and Babakhani folds. Palumbo takes the pot.

Hand #20  -  Erick Lindgren raises UTG+1 to 50,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #21  -  Rocco Palumbo min-raises UTG+1 to 48,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #22  -  David Peters raises from the small blind to 65,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #17: Sam Goldman Lays Down Trip Kings w/ Flush Draw vs. Erick Lindgren

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #17  -  Chino Rheem raises under the gun to 50,000, Erick Lindgren calls from middle position, and Sam Goldman calls from the big blind.

All three players check to the turn on a board of KK910, and action checks to Lindgren, who bets 80,000. Goldman check-raises to 255,000, and Rheem folds. Lindgren three-bets it to 480,000, and Goldman tanks for a bit, saying, "So sick. So sick." Goldman calls.

The river is the 3, Goldman checks, Lindgren bets about 700,000, and Goldman folds K6 face up (trip kings with a king-high flush draw). Lindgren takes the pot.

Erick Lindgren  -  2,550,000  (106 bb)
Sam Goldman  -  120,000  (5 bb)