|
Live: $25,500 WPT World Championship
Live: $100,000 WPT Super High Roller
| Earnings | $455,840 |
| Cashes | 7 |
| Final Tables | 3 |
| Titles | 0 |
| Tournaments Played | 28 |
Est. Current Chipcount
Est. Average Chipcount
20,430,000
Current Chipleader
-
Day 1
65,275
Day 2
99,800
Day 3
595,000
Day 4
584,000
Day 5
2,275,000
Day 6
6th
Level 26: 20,000-40,000, 5,000 ante
by BJ Nemeth
Now that the WPT Celebrity Invitational has wrapped up, attention returns to the $10,000 buy-in WPT L.A. Poker Classic, with an impressive lineup that includes Carlos Mortensen going for his record fourth WPT title. Here's a photo recap of Day 5, as 18 players battled for six seats at the televised WPT final table.
Kathy Liebert (left) came into Day 5 in 17th position with 18 players left, but she couldn't overcome her short stack. Within the first few hands, Liebert moved all in from late position with A
10
, but ran into the J
J of Darryll Fish (not pictured). Liebert earned $50,340 for her 18th place finish.
With the board showing KQ
94 on the turn, Matthew Berkey (left) calls a bet from Carlos Mortensen. The river card would be the 3, and Berkey would fold to Mortensen's all-in move, saying, "Queens are good, Carlos." Berkey would eventually be eliminated in 15th place, earning $56,880.
After a flop of KQ3, David Baker (standing back from the table, center) moved all in against Jason Dewitt. Baker had K10 for a pair of kings against Dewitt's 109 (flush draw with a gutshot straight draw). The last two cards were blanks, and Baker would double up.
With the board showing Q8446, chipleader Vivek Rajkumar makes a huge bet (605,000) against Carlos Mortensen.
After the big river bet from Vivek Rajkumar (foreground, right), Carlos Mortensen (top, left) would fold, showing one card -- the 3. Rajkumar would also show a card -- the 7. Rajkumar took this pot to extend his chip lead to more than twice as much as anyone else with 15 players remaining.
Jason Dewitt (seated, left) three-bet all in after a flop of K43, and Allen Cunningham (standing, right) called with KQ for a pair of kings. Dewitt was caught bluffing with A6, and Cunningham doubled up.
Jason Senti was all in preflop with QQ against the KJ of Gregory Brooks, but luck wasn't on his side -- a king on the flop gave the pot to Brooks as Senti was eliminated in 14th place, earning $56,880.
The key pot of the tournament happened with 12 players left, when James Carroll (seated, left) four-bet all in, Carlos Mortensen (seated, center) moved all in over the top, and Shannon Shorr (foreground, left) called. They all had premium hands -- Shorr had AA, Carroll had KK, and Mortensen had QQ.
But the flop came J82, changing the dynamics of the hand dramatically, as Mortensen was the only player with a spade in his hand.
The turn card was the 10, clinching the three-way pot for Carlos Mortensen (seated, center). Shannon Shorr (foreground, left) and James Carroll (standing, center left) were eliminated, and since Jesse Yaginuma (not pictured) busted at the same time at the next table, it created a three-way tie for 10th place ($63,410 each).
Jason Dewitt (right) was short stacked and moved all in preflop with K10, and he was racing against the 77 of Carlos Mortensen (left). The board came A5343, and Mortensen won the pot to eliminate Dewitt in ninth place ($94,800).
Vivek Rajkumar (left) and Darryll Fish (right) played quite a few pots against each other on Day 5. Rajkumar was the massive chipleader with 15 players left, but fell back with the rest of the pack as they approached the final table.
A look at the table -- and the chip sculpture of chipleader Carlos Mortensen (foreground, right) -- with eight players remaining.
Amir Lehavot (left) four-bet all in with Q10, but he was dominated when Allen Cunningham (center) called with A10.
Allen Cunningham (center) motions his hands as if to say, "What can you do?" when his A10 can't hold against the Q10 of Amir Lehavot (left). The board came JJ495, giving Lehavot a flush, and moving him up to second in chips behind Carlos Mortensen. Cunningham was eliminated in eighth place, earning $130,750.
On his way out of the room, Allen Cunningham (left) receives a handshake of congratudolences from chipleader Carlos Mortensen.
Gregory Brooks stares down David Baker (foreground, left) during a hand with seven players remaining on the TV bubble.
Carlos Mortensen is tied with Gus Hansen for most WPT titles with three each. As chipleader with seven players left, Mortensen is within sight of a record-setting fourth WPT title. Mortensen is already the all-time money winner on the World Poker Tour, and his lead continues to grow every time he moves up a spot in the money.
With seven players battling for the six seats at the televised WPT final table, the situation takes on added importance.
WPT Commentator Mike Sexton (standing, in red) checks out the action with seven players remaining. In this hand, five players have seen a flop of A97, including Steve Gross (seated, left), Carlos Mortensen (seated, center), and Vivek Rajkumar (foreground, right).
After Carlos Mortensen (left) raised from the button, short stack David Baker (right) moved all in from the small blind. Mortensen would fold here, but they did it again the next hand -- Mortensen raised, and Baker reraised him to take the pot.
The next hand, Baker would four-bet all in against Vivek Rajkumar (not pictured). Baker turned over KK, and he was a favorite to double up against Rajkumar's A10. But the board came AJ8104, giving Rajkumar the pot with a pair of aces. David Baker was the unfortunate TV bubble boy, earning $176,520 for seventh place. That pot propelled Rajkumar to second in chips, closely behind chipleader Mortensen.
As the chipleader going for his record fourth WPT title, Carlos Mortensen is awarded the RISE Clothing Player of the Day from WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing.
The six final tablists were invited by the Commerce Casino to an NBA game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Houston Rockets. With two tables remaining, the players were told that the chipleader would get to go down on the court at halftime for the traditional win-money-by-making-a-series-of-baskets contest.
Though several players said they would love to see Vivek Rajkumar make that attempt, Carlos Mortensen got the honor as the chipleader. Mortensen went down to the court at halftime, and had to make a layup, a free throw, a three-pointer, and a half-court shot in 30 seconds.
How did he do? Well, you'll need to watch the video that ClubWPT uploaded to YouTube -- Click Here.
The Final Table begins Thursday at 4:00 pm PT. Return to WorldPokerTour.com for complete live coverage, including hand-for-hand updates, chip counts after every hand, and a video of Kimberly Lansing interviewing the winner.
Here's a look at the official seating and chip counts for the final table:
Seat 1. Vivek Rajkumar - 5,185,000 (104 BBs)
Seat 2. Darryll Fish - 2,275,000 (46 BBs)
Seat 3. Gregory Brooks - 2,300,000 (46 BBs)
Seat 4. Amir Lehavot - 4,115,000 (82 BBs)
Seat 5. Steve Gross - 1,320,000 (26 BBs)
Seat 6. Carlos Mortensen - 5,235,000 (105 BBs)
Level 26: 20,000-40,000, 5,000 ante
Hand #8 - Carlos Mortensen raises to 100,000, winning the blinds and antes.
Hand #9 - Steve Gross raises to 100,000 from the cutoff and Carlos Mortensen calls on the button.
The flop comes down 1063, Gross bets 120,000 and Mortensen calls. The turn is the 10 and Gross checks. Mortensen bets 225,000, Gross folds, and Mortensen takes the pot.
Hand #10 - Vivek Rajkumar raises to 130,000 out of the small blind and Darryll Fish defends out of the big blind. The flop comes down KQ3 and Rajkumar bets 185,000. Fish folds and Rajkumar takes the pot.
Hand #11 - Vivek Rajkumar raises to 105,000 on the button, winning the blinds and antes.
Hand #12 - Vivek Rajkumar raises to 105,000 from the cutoff and Darryll Fish makes it 280,000 to play on the button. Rajkumar folds and Fish takes the pot.
Hand #13 - Vivek Rajkumar raises to 105,000 from late position and Darryll Fish calls in the cutoff. The flop comes down Q98, Rajkumar bets 155,000, Fish fold, and Rajkumar takes the pot.
Level 25: 15,000-30,000, 5,000 ante
Darryll Fish raises from the button to 75,000, and Vivek Rajkumar calls from the big blind. The flop comes 654, Rajkumar checks, Fish bets 105,000, and Rajkumar calls. The turn card is the 9, and both players check.
The river card is the 3, Rajkumar checks, Fish bets 170,000, and Rajkumar folds. Darryll Fish takes the pot.
Darryll Fish - 1,870,000 (62 BBs)
Vivek Rajkumar - 2,730,000 (91 BBs)
Level 25: 15,000-30,000, 5,000 ante
Vivek Rajkumar raises from middle position to 75,000, and Darryll Fish calls from the big blind. The flop comes KQ10, Fish checks, Rajkumar bets 140,000, and Fish calls. The turn card is the 6, Fish bets 265,000, and Rajkumar folds. Darryll Fish takes the pot.
Darryll Fish - 1,720,000 (57 BBs)
Vivek Rajkumar - 2,850,000 (95 BBs)
Level 25: 15,000-30,000, 5,000 ante
Vivek Rajkumar raises from middle position to 75,000, Darryll Fish reraises from the big blind to 190,000, and Rajkumar calls. The flop comes 1087, Fish bets 185,000, and Rajkumar calls.
The turn card is the 3, Fish bets 255,000, and Rajkumar folds. Darryll Fish takes the pot.
Darryll Fish - 1,600,000 (53 BBs)
Vivek Rajkumar - 2,750,000 (91 BBs)
Level 24: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante
Carlos Mortensen raises under the gun to 52,000, Darryll Fish calls from middle position, and Vivek Rajkumar calls from the cutoff. The flop comes J109, Mortensen checks, and Fish bets 78,000. Rajkumar calls, and Mortensen folds.
The turn card is the 2, Fish checks, Rajkumar bets 185,000, and Fish folds. Vivek Rajkumar takes the pot.
Vivek Rajkumar - 4,250,000 (177 BBs)
Darryll Fish - 1,150,000 (47 BBs)
After the hand, Fish says to Rajkumar, "We're even now, right? I won one, you won one?"
Level 24: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante
Matthew Berkey limps from middle position for 24,000, Carlos Mortensen limps from the cutoff, Darryll Fish limps from the button, Amir Lehavot completes the small blind, and Vivek Rajkumar raises from the big blind to 189,000.
Berkey and Mortensen both fold, and Fish moves all in for 738,000. Lehavot folds, and Rajkumar asks for an exact count before he folds as well. Darryll Fish takes the pot, saying, "I had a small pair."
Darryll Fish - 1,030,000 (42 BBs)
Level 24: 12,000-24,000, 4,000 ante
Matthew Berkey limps from late position for 24,000, Darryll Fish limps from the button, Amir Lehavot completes the small blind, and Vivek Rajkumar checks his option in the big blind. (Four players in the pot.)
The flop comes 842, Lehavot checks, and Rajkumar bets 65,000. Berkey folds, and Fish and Lehavot both call. (Down to three players in the pot.)
The turn card is the 5, Lehavot checks, and Rajkumar bets 155,000. Fish calls, and Lehavot folds. (Down to two players in the pot.)
The river card is the A, Rajkumar bets 405,000, and Fish tanks for a while before he says, "I fold. Nice hand, Vee-vik." Fish folds, and Vivek Rajkumar takes the pot.
Vivek Rajkumar - 3,700,000 (154 BBs)
Darryll Fish - 840,000 (35 BBs)
Level 23: 10,000-20,000, 3,000 ante
Brandon Crawford raises from early position to 55,000, and Darryll Fish calls from the button. Both players check to the turn on a board of Q102Q, Crawford bets 85,000, and Fish calls.
The river card is the 4, and both players check. Crawford says, "Ace high," and Fish shows 88 to win the pot.
Darryll Fish - 1,150,000 (57 BBs)
Brandon Crawford - 800,000 (40 BBs)
Level 23: 10,000-20,000, 3,000 ante
Kathy Liebert moves all in from late position to 355,000, and Darryll Fish calls from the cutoff. Carlos Mortensen tanks for a while on the button before he folds.
Liebert shows A10, but she's in trouble against Fish's JJ. To make matters worse, Mortensen tells the table that he folded ace-nine, so there are only two aces left in the deck for Liebert.
The board comes K955K, and Darryll Fish wins the pot with his pocket jacks to eliminate Kathy Liebert in 18th place.
Darryll Fish - 900,000 (45 BBs)
Kathy Liebert - Out in 18th Place ($50,340)
