Live Tournament Updates
A Rough Start For Former WPT Foxwoods Champions
Level 12: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante
When play began today, there were five former WPT Foxwoods champions still in the field -- Howard Lederer, Hoyt Corkins, Mike Vela, Erik Seidel, and Jonathan Little.
We're still in the opening minutes of the second level of the day, and we've already lost Seidel, Vela, and Little.
Jonathan Little was the most recently eliminated, moving all in with K-J and running into Sorel Mizzi's A-K.
Out. Pushed KJ into Sorels AK and lost. Pretty sad about it.
Jonathan Little
JonathanLittle
02:12 PM, 10/30/10
Four-Bet Works for Hoyt Corkins
Level 12: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante
Bryon Springer raises to 5,700 on the button, Miami John Cernuto makes it 17,100 to go from the small blind, and Hoyt Corkins makes it 35,000 to go out of the big blind.
Springer folds without much thought, while Cernuto tanks for several minutes.
"You must have a pair," Corkins tells Cernuto after a couple of minutes of tanking. Cernuto thinks a while longer and eventually lays his hand down.
Corkins tells him "I didn't want to reraise that, but I had to. I was scared of both of you boys. You had enough 
ip
to hurt me."
Hoyt Corkins - 170,000 (85 big blinds)
Miami John Cernuto - 87,000 (44 big blinds)
02:11 PM, 10/30/10
Gavin Smith Gets Political
Level 12: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante
Have 250k, just got rivered for 100k pot by a nice old guy who is running for congress in RI, he lost my vote :)
Gavin Smith
oleGSmith
02:07 PM, 10/30/10
Level 12 Begins
Level 12: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante
The players return from break to begin Level 12, with increased blinds of 1,000-2,000 and a 300 ante. With 62 players remaining, the average stack is about 117,000.
Play will continue until the end of Level 15 today, with no dinner break. We expect to reach the money today, as the top 25 players are guaranteed at least $27,779.
02:05 PM, 10/30/10
Former WPT Foxwoods Champion Mike Vela Eliminated
Level 11: 800-1,600, 200 ante
Mike Vela moves all in from middle position for 15,400, and the button calls with AQ. Vela shows 99, and it's a race situation. Vela says, "Oh great, that hand has been killing me all day."
The board comes AJ3J2, and the button pairs his ace on the flop to eliminate Mike Vela from the tournament.
Mike Vela - Eliminated
02:02 PM, 10/30/10
Josh Arieh Folds Queens Preflop
Level 11: 800-1,600, 200 ante
After some preflop action with about 28,000 already in the pot, the small blind reraises an additional 30,100. Josh Arieh tanks from late position, and asks for a count of the small blinds remaining chips. (He has an additional 34,700 behind.)
Arieh, who just eliminated David Peters in the previous hand, says, "Do I want to gamble the whole 70,000 I just won?" Arieh thinks for a moment and says, "I don't know what to do." Mike Vela, who just moved to the table but isn't involved in this hand, quietly says to his neighbor, "If he doesn't know what to do in this spot, what chance do I have?"
Arieh tanks for less than a minute and says, "Go ahead and call the clock. I could think about this for 20 minutes." A floorperson is called over, and verifies that Arieh called the clock on himself before beginning the countdown.
After about 30 seconds, Arieh says, "I fold," and he flashes Q-Q. The small blind shows A-K, and it would have been a raise situation. Arieh says, "I only had 10,000 in the pot," and added that he didn't want to risk an additional 70,000. The small blind says, "I figured you'd gamble since you just won that pot."
Josh Arieh - 310,000 (193 bb)
01:57 PM, 10/30/10
More Chip Controversy
Level 11: 800-1,600, 200 ante
Mohsin Charania raises to 3,600 from middle position and Carlo Sciannameo reraises to 8,100 from the cutoff. Action folds to Howard Lederer on the other side of the table, and this is where the trouble begins.
Charania put out three orange 1,000 chips, one purple 500 chip, and one black 100 chip to make his bet. Sciannameo put out three orange 1,000 chips, one gray 5,000 chip, and one black 100 chip to make his raise. Because the purple and gray chips look incredibly similar and there are a lot of shadows in the tournament area and because Lederer did not hear Sciannameo say "raise," he believes Sciannameo called and puts out 3,600 to call.
A floorman is called over and Lederer is told he can either call the 8,100 or forfeit the 3,600 chips he put in the pot. As one of the shorter stacks, this represents an almost 10% hit to his stack. Lederer pleads his case, requesting the floorman come look at how similar the bets look from his point of view. The floorman does not relent and Lederer mucks his hand.
"You all need to fix your chips," Lederer tells the floor man.
Charania calls Sciannameo's raise and the two go heads-up to a flop of 542. Charania checks, Sciannameo bets 11,000, and Charania check-raises to 37,000 and Sciannameo calls.
The turn brings the 7 and Charania announces he is all-in, having Sciannameo's remaining 130,000 covered. Sciannameo thinks for a couple of minutes as the level expires and players go on break. After some thought, Sciannameo folds and Charania takes the pot.
Mohsin Charania - 275,000 (172 big blinds)
Photo: The grey 5,000 chips are on the left, and the light purple 500 chips are on the right. Now imagine looking at them from across a poker table.
01:56 PM, 10/30/10
David Peters Eliminated by Josh Arieh
Level 11: 800-1,600, 200 ante
David Peters raises under the gun to 3,800, a player calls from early position, another player calls from late position, and Josh Arieh reraises from the cutoff to 14,100.
Peters moves all in for 55,900, and the player on his left tanks for about a minute before he folds. The second player quickly folds, and then Arieh asks for an exact count and thinks for about a minute before he calls with AQ. Peters shows 1010, and it's a race situation.
The board comes A
K498, and Arieh pairs his ace on the flop to win the pot and eliminate Peters from the tournament.
Josh Arieh - 320,000 (200 bb)
David Peters - Eliminated
A few players were talking about the hand afterward, and Arieh was critical of his own play, saying, "I'll have the best hand like 10% of the time there." Another player compliments him on the call anyway, and Arieh says, "No, I made a huge mistake and got lucky."
Photo: Josh Arieh (left) contemplates the all-in bet from David Peters (foreground, right).
01:38 PM, 10/30/10
Jeff Forrest Doubles Through Kyle Bowker
Level 11: 800-1,600, 200 ante
Bob Courtney raises to 4,000 from early position, Jeff Forrest calls from the cutoff, Kyle Bowker calls from the small blind, and Jason Somerville calls out of the big blind.
The flop comes down J65 and action checks to Forrest, who bets 7,600. Bowker check-raises to 21,500, prompting folds from Somerville and Courtney. Forrest thinks a minute before announcing he is all-in for 83,900 total. Bowker calls with A9 for the nut flush draw and Forrest turns over AA.
The turn brings the K and the river the T and Forrest doubles up.
Jeff Forrest - 190,000 (119 big blinds)
Kyle Bowker - 96,000 (60 big blinds)
01:32 PM, 10/30/10
Gavin Smith Nears the Chip Lead
Level 11: 800-1,600, 200 ante
The flop comes down AK10, Hoyt Corkins checks in the small blind, Ben Klier checks in the big blind, and Gavin Smith checks from middle position.
The turn brings the J and Corkins checks again. Klier bets 4,400, Smith calls, and Corkins calls as well. The river is the 3 and Corkins bets out 15,000. Klier folds and Smith thinks a minute before calling.
Corkins flips up 68 for a busted flush draw, Smith shows AQ for a Broadway straight, and Smith takes the pot.
Gavin Smith - 350,000
Hoyt Corkins - 125,000
01:14 PM, 10/30/10
