Live Tournament Updates
John Phan Put to the Test by Ayaz Mahmood
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
This was the last hand before the break, and it extended about ten minutes into the break.
|:img:4725,L:|Ayaz Mahmood raises from middle position to 4,700, John Phan reraises from the cutoff to 14,000, and Mahmood thinks for about 30 seconds before calling. Phan asks, "Five-seven again?" (Apparently referring to an earlier hand.)
The flop comes J
10
4, and both players check. The turn card pairs the board with the 10
, Mahmood checks, Phan bets 12,000, and Mahmood raises another 30,000. Phan, who has about 42,500 left behind, goes into the tank. For a looong time.
Phan raises up his sunglasses, resting them on the top of his head so he can study Mahmood more closely. After a minute or so, he asks the dealer to spread out the pot so he can estimate it. He thinks for a while longer, talking himself through the betting to more accurately estimate the pot.
He drops his sunglasses on the felt in frustration, and he looks at his cards rather openly, allowing those behind him to see what he has. He then props them up behind his chips -- Mahmood can't see his cards, but most of those gathered around the table can.
Phan has QQ
.
Phan tries to engage Mahmood to get him to talk, at one point placing his half-empty bottle of Corona on the edge of Mahmood's cards to jinx them. Mahmood asks him to remove the beer because he doesn't drink, and Phan quickly complies with an apology.
Phan pulls out his Buddha, which he uses as a card protector, and shows Buddha his cards. Phan says, "Buddha says my hand's no good." Mahmood laughs with a smile.
A crowd has gathered around the table, and Phan spots T.J. Cloutier. "How much you got, T.J.?" Cloutier responds, "Don't worry about me. Do what you've gotta do." Phan says, "If I knew what to do, I'd have done it ten minutes ago."
Refocusing all of his concentration on the hand, Phan looks at Mahmood and asks, "Why 30,000? Why didn't you just put me all in?" Mahmood says nothing, and in another ten seconds or so, John Phan folds his pocket queens face up so Mahmood can see.
Mahmood waits for the dealer to push the pot, and Phan asks, "You gonna show?" Mahmood slides his cards face down to the dealer, who drags them into the muck.
After his interview with Kimberly Lansing, Phan somehow learned what Mahmood claimed to be holding -- pocket jacks. That would have given Mahmood top full house, making the fold the right move for Phan (if Mahmood is to be believed).
Freddy Deeb saw the end of the hand, and commented that Mahmood is a very straightforward player that doesn't make crazy moves. As Deeb said with a laugh, "He's no Barry Greenstein."
To hear the hand from John Phan's perspective, stay tuned for a video interview he did with Kimberly Lansing during the break.
03:50 PM, 01/22/08
Henry "Nghi" Tran Eliminated
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
Henry Tran, who you may remember for winning a televised WSOP circuit event, has just been eliminated from the tournament.
Sorted In: World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Season VI03:40 PM, 01/22/08
Nam Le Eliminated
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
Nam Le, who had his chip stack crippled shortly before the break, has been eliminated from the tournament.
Sorted In: World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Season VI03:37 PM, 01/22/08
Field Update
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
There are currently eight ninehanded tables left on day 2. Approximately 66 players remain.
Sorted In: World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Season VI03:32 PM, 01/22/08
Blinds Increase
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
The players return from break to increased blinds of 800-1,600, with a 200 ante. With 66 players remaining, the average stack is about 78,500.
Sorted In: World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Season VI03:28 PM, 01/22/08
Break Time
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
The players are on a 15-minute break.
Sorted In: World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Season VI03:13 PM, 01/22/08
Nam Le Takes A Big Hit
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
On a flop of K98 Seat 2 bets 5,000 and Nam Le raises to 13,000. Seat 2 moves all in and Le makes the call for 27,700. Seat 2 shows AA but Le is ahead with K8. The turn and river come Q9 and Le is counterfeited and crippled down to 16,500.
03:12 PM, 01/22/08
E Dog Gets Some Value on the River
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
On a board of AQJ38, Erick Lindgren bets 6,000 on the cutoff and Tom McCormick hems and haws before he makes the call from middle position. Lindgren turns up A7 and takes down the pot when McCormick folds.
03:11 PM, 01/22/08
Sean Burstein Doubles Into the Chip Lead
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
Sean Burstein raises under the gun, and two players call. The flop comes 5-3-2 with two clubs, Burstein bets, one player calls, and the other folds. The turn card is an offsuit king, Burstein checks, his opponent bets 5,000, Burstein raises to 15,000, and his opponent moves all in. Burstein calls with 2-2 for a set of deuces, and his opponent shows K-Q for a pair of queens. The hand is effectively over, but the 5 on the river pairs the board to give Burstein an unnecessary full house. The chip stacks are counted down, and Burstein had only a few thousand less than his opponent, doubling up to 195,000 or so. His opponent was crippled down to 4,100, and eliminated a few hands later.
Sorted In: World Poker Open, Gold Strike Casino, Season VI02:59 PM, 01/22/08
Kido Pham Eliminated
Level 24: 80,000-160,000, 20,000 ante
With the board showing 9423 on the turn, there is some betting between Kido Pham (cutoff) and his opponent in the big blind, and Pham moves all in. The big blind doesn't have to call too much more, so he does, saying, "I'm a little embarrassed to show my hand." Pham asks, "Do you have a spade?" The big blind shows A3, and he's on the flush draw. Pham shows 22 for bottom set.
The river card is the 5, and the big blind wins the pot with an ace-high flush. Kido Pham is eliminated from the tournament.
02:54 PM, 01/22/08
