Kimberly Congratulates Our New Legend of Poker Andy Frankenberger

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Legends of Poker Photo Recap

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Less than a week ago, the WPT took the Bicycle Casino by storm for both the Main Event of the Legends of Poker and the open casting call for the WPT's new Raw Deal correspondent. The Royal Flush girls (from left to right Katrina, Sunisa, Melanie, Jen) were on hand all week and even found some time to see the California sights, including a trip to the beach.



WPT hosts Vince Van Patten and Mike Sexton were on hand for the Raw Deal auditions along with Kimberly Lansing. The trio of WPT veterans interviewed auditioners and offered critcism a la American Idol.



The Raw Deal open auditions drew a mix of actors, pros, and poker fans. Oh, and Allen Kessler.



The Legends of Poker began with a toast to Kathy Liebert, who was playing in her 100th career WPT event. Liebert's first event was the Season I Legends of Poker tournament. Liebert made the final table of that event, finishing in sixth place. Her 100th event did not go so smoothly. She was eliminated late in the day on Day 1, but did get to take home a chip commemorating her milestone (Kimberly Lansing is holding the chip in the photo).



Even though it was only his fifth poker tournament, November Niner Soi Nguyen turned heads early on Day 1A when he vaulted to the top of the counts in the first two levels of play. Nguyen wasn't able to match Kevin Schaffel's second place finish at last year's event, but he did cash, finishing in 34th place.



Royal Flush Girl, Melanie, has fun with 'Downtown' Chad Brown on Day 1A of the Legends of Poker.



Phil Hellmuth was one of the very last entrants in the Legends of Poker field. He took his seat shortly after registration closed and played for only a couple of hours before taking an extended dinner break. While everyone else in the event took 60 minutes to eat, Hellmuth's dinner lasted over two and a half hours.



This season the WPT is expanding its coverage of the earlier days of tournaments. Kimberly Lansing sat down with Season VII Legends of Poker runner-up Amit Makhija midway through Day 2 to discuss Makhija's second run in the event.



Day 3 brought the money bubble and several tough decisions for the players remaining in the field. Adam Schiffer had arguably one of the toughest decisions of the day. He clashed with Jared Jaffee in a massive hand that lasted well over 15 minutes. According to observers Ali Eslami and Darryll Fish, Schiffer folded pocket kings after Jaffee shoved all-in on a jack-high flop.



Erica Schoenberg was the last woman standing, and the only woman who survived to Day 3 of the WPT Legends of Poker. Schoenberg would bust out in 30th place, earning $11,500.



Phil Collins isn't going to let a little thing like food poisoning keep him from a poker tournament. Collins battled through illness and a short stack on Day 2, ending the day with a massive chip lead. He was unable to carry that momentum through to the final table though, busting out late in Day 3 in 29th place.



Day 3 ended with 15 players and two big chip leaders--Andrew Frankenberger and Jonathan Little. The Season VI WPT Player of the Year was looking to win a record-tying third WPT title. Day 4 would not be so kind to Little though. He drew the seat to Frankenberger's immediate right and the two clashed in several pots, including two crucial hands in which Frankenberger backdoored flushes to take the pot, leading to Little's 12th place finish.



Little was not Frankenberger's only knockout on Day 4. The former options trader busted a number of players and won five hands in a row before doubling up Kyle Wilson at the unofficial final table. That hand diminished Frankenberger's chip stack, but he was still the chip leader headed into the televised final table.



Kimberly Lansing gets a birds-eye view of the final table from high atop her anchor desk.



The Royal Flush Girls look on as the final six players get ready to play for the WPT Legends of Poker title.



What are they playing for? $750,000 in cash, a custom made Wild Bill Hickok trophy, a WPT bracelet, and the title Legend of Poker.



Franco Bruenetti would be the first to bust after being crippled in a hand where Tom Braband rivered a gutshot straight againt his top pair top kicker. Bruenetti would then be eliminated in 6th place by Kyle Wilson, earning $63,000.



This was Jared Jaffe's second WPT final table of 2010. Jaffe finished 4th at the Southern Poker Championship in Biloxi back in January. Unfortunately, he couldn't better that finish as he ran jacks into Kyle Wilson's trip sevens to bust in 5th place, earning $68,000.



Tom Braband, better know in the online poker world as Titan Tom, tried to hold onto the shortstack by doubling up twice, but the third time was not the charm and Braband was eliminated by Kyle Wilson in 4th place. Braband's 4th place finish earned him $109,000.



Kyle Wilson (left) and Tom Lee (right) were not afraid to play pots against each as three-handed play centered around the action of these two players. In the end, Tom Lee would bust in 3rd place earning $174,722 while Kyle Wilson would move on to face Andy Frankenberger heads up for the title.



Heads-up play came down to Andy Frankenberger and Kyle Wilson. While Wilson, who finished 6th in this event just two years ago, had experience on his side, it was not enough to overcome Frankenberger's substantial chip lead. Heads-up play was a short-lived affair, lasting only six hands before Frankenberger took it down.



In only his second WPT event, Frankenberger captured $750,000, a WPT bracelet, the Jon Hair-designed Legends of Poker title, and the honor of being called a WPT champion.

Well Done, Frankenberger

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

The pivotal hand of Day 4 play came when Kyle Wilson and Andy Frankenberger clashed in a massive pot in which Wilson turned the nut flush holding pocket aces and Frankenberger called his all-in with a baby flush of his own. From that point forward, the two were the big stacks to be reckoned with at the table. It was only fitting then to have the two going tete-a-tete for the Legends of Poker crown.

For Wilson, this was a second chance at Bicycle Casino success. Both he and Tom Lee final tabled this very event in past seasons of the WPT. Each hoped to improve over their 6th place showings, but Frankenberger and his chip lead stood in the way. Frankenberger’s monster stack would prove to be an insurmountable force for Wilson, as it was the untested amateur who prevailed over the seasoned pro in the end.

When the final table began, Frankenberger, Wilson, and Lee were closely grouped together at the top of the counts while Jared Jaffee, Tom Braband, and Franco Brunetti were sitting on the shorter stacks looking for a double up.

Braband was the first to get his double up when he moved all-in on a 763T board holding just J9 for a gutshot. Brunetti called with AT and was looking at a near-double up of his own until the 8 on the river made Braband’s straight and left Brunetti with just a handful of chips. Wilson finished Brunetti off a few hands later, eliminating the restaurant owner in 6th place.

Jaffee was the next to hit the rail when he ran jacks up into Wilson’s trip sevens to exit in 5th place. This was Jaffee’s second WPT appearance of 2010. He previously finished in 4th place at the Southern Poker Championship at the Beau Rivage earlier this year.

Braband was unwilling to leave the Legends final table without a fight, doubling up twice to stave off elimination. The third time would not be the charm for the online pro though. He got it all-in preflop in a coinflip, holding KJ to Wilson’s pocket nines and the queen-high board meant a 4th place finish for the man known to his poker friends as TitanTom.

Braband’s elimination left the three big stacks to duke it out and the trio was at a stalemate for a number of hours. Frankenberger spent much of three-handed play as the short stack, but a momentous double up through Wilson and several other big pots saw him go from short stack to chip leader in a matter of minutes. Lee would rally to reclaim the chip lead, but a massive pot between the two would see all the chips and momentum swing in Frankenberger’s direction.

The two got in a raising war on a flop of Q75 that resulted in the two getting it all-in with Frankenberger’s tournament life on the line. Frankenberger held J5 for a pair and a straight draw while Lee flopped two pair with his Q5. The 4 on the turn made Frankenberger’s flush and when the river failed to pair, Lee as left with only a couple of big blinds to his name.

The very next hand Frankenberger made a flush to eliminate Lee and set up a heads-up battle in which Frankenberger held a more than 3-1 chip lead over Wilson. Heads-up play lasted only a matter of minutes before the two got it all-in with Frankenberger holding A9to Wilson’s A3. Wilson managed to flop a flush draw, but failed to hit that third diamond for a double up. Instead, Frankenberger claimed the pot and the title in only his second World Poker Tour event. While it may only be his second WPT tournament, Frankenberger has already assured Mike and Vince it won’t be his last and he will be a face we’ll be seeing a lot of over the course of Season IX.

Hand #184: Andy Frankenberger Wins WPT Legends of Poker! ($750,000)

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Frankenberger raises to 275,000, Wilson moves all in for 2,650,000, and Frankenberger calls with A9. Wilson shows A3, and he'll need to improve to stay alive.

The flop comes 975, and Frankenberger takes the lead with a pair of nines to Wilson's diamond flush draw.

The turn card is the J, and Wilson needs to catch a diamond on the river to stay alive.

The river card is the 6, and Andy Frankenberger wins the pot -- and the tournament -- with a pair of nines.

Kyle Wilson finishes as the runner-up, earning $370,000.

Andy Frankenberger wins the WPT Legends of Poker, earning $750,000, a WPT bracelet, and a trophy of Poker Hall of Famer Wild Bill Hickok. Frankenberger's prize includes his $25,500 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Bellagio in May, 2011.

Congratulations to Andy Frankenberger!

1st:  Andy Frankenberger  -  $750,000
2nd:  Kyle Wilson  -  $370,000
3rd:  Tom Lee  -  $174,772
4th:  Tom Braband  -  $109,000
5th:  Jared Jaffee  -  $86,000
6th:  Franco Brunetti  -  $63,000

Hand #183: Kyle Wilson

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Wilson raises to 260,000, and Frankenberger folds.

Kyle Wilson  -  2,670,000
Andy Frankenberger  -  8,890,000

Hand #182: Kyle Wilson

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Frankenberger raises to 250,000, and Wilson calls. Both players check to the turn on a board of K543, Wilson bets 250,000, and Frankenberger folds. Wilson takes the pot.

Kyle Wilson  -  2,530,000
Andy Frankenberger  -  9,030,000

Hand #181: Andy Frankenberger

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Wilson moves all in, and Frankenberger thinks for a while before he folds.

Kyle Wilson  -  2,260,000
Andy Frankenberger  -  9,300,000

Hand #180: Kyle Wilson

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Frankenberger folds, and Wilson gets a walk.

Kyle Wilson  -  2,120,000
Andy Frankenberger  -  9,440,000

Hand #179: Andy Frankenberger

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

Wilson raises to 240,000, and Frankenberger calls. The flop comes K105, Frankenberger bets 300,000, and Wilson calls. The turn card is the 8, Frankenberger bets 800,000, and Wilson thinks for a while before he folds. Frankenberger takes the pot.

Kyle Wilson  -  2,040,000
Andy Frankenberger  -  9,520,000

Heads-Up Play About to Begin

Level 30: 60,000-120,000, 20,000 ante

The Royal Flush Girls (Jennifer, Katrina, Melyssa, and Sunisa) carry the money, the trophy, and the WPT bracelet to the table, and heads-up play is about to begin.