Live Tournament Updates
Vivek Rajkumar Wins the LAPC $10K Heads-Up Championship ($350,000)
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Vivek Rajkumar won the LAPC's Heads-Up Championship by winning two matches in a row against the previously undefeated Chris Moore. With the first complete, this is what happened in the second:
Chris Moore took a nearly 2-to-1 lead early by winning a lot of small-to-medium pots, but the blinds were still 100-200 and there was plenty of room for Vivek to still maneuver.
Chris Moore - 26,000
Vivek Rajkumar - 14,000
After a flop of 6
6
5, Moore checked, Vivek bet 3,400, Moore raised to 9,000, and Vivek tanked for a while before saying, "If you've got it, you've got it. I'm all in." It wasn't a whole lot more for Moore to call, and he asked for an exact count before he called, saying, "Alright, but you're way ahead."
Moore showed Q
J for queen high, but he was dominated by Vivek's AJ -- they shared the jack, and Vivek outkicked him and had a flush draw as a bonus. The flush never came, but ace high was good enough to win the pot and double up to about 29,000.
Vivek Rajkumar - 29,000
Chris Moore - 11,000
It was around 4:45 am at that point. In the next ten minutes, Vivek would extend his lead even further:
Vivek Rajkumar - 34,800
Chris Moore - 5,200
Moore won a small pot, and then raised preflop to 800. Vivek called. The flop came 104
3, Vivek bet 1,100, Moore raised to 2,700, Vivek moved all in, and Moore called with A10 for a pair of tens. Vivek showed 107 for a pair of tens, smaller kicker. The turn was the 5, the river was the A, and Moore doubled up with two pair, aces and tens.
Vivek Rajkumar - 27,200
Chris Moore - 12,800
A few hands later, Vivek won a pot worth 5,200 to increase his lead to nearly 3 to 1:
Vivek Rajkumar - 29,600
Chris Moore - 10,400
With the board showing 9437 on the turn, Vivek bet, Moore raised an additional 2,600, and Vivek asked for a count of Moore's remaining chips -- 4,800. Vivek tanked for a minute or two before he moved all in, and Moore thought himself for a few moments before he called.
Moore showed J7 for a pair of sevens, but Vivek had the lead with 109 for a pair of nines. With one card to come, Moore needed a jack or a seven to stay alive.
The river card was the 3.
Pot, match, tournament. Vivek Rajkumar won all three with two pair, nines and threes.
Chris Moore was the undefeated champion of the Winner's Bracket, but he couldn't take one out of two against Vivek Rajkumar. Moore finishes in second place, earning $190,000.
Vivek Rajkumar is the LAPC's heads-up champion, earning $350,000, a very nice (and very heavy) Commerce trophy, and the white poster that was used throughout the tournament to track the brackets for all 111 players in the tournament. Vivek seemed to think that was the coolest prize of all. (Though to be fair, his thinking may not have been the clearest at 5:15 am.)
Vivek faced an extremely tough road to the title, winning his first three matches before losing to James Mackey in the fourth. He won six in a row, when he had to face Mackey again. But this time, Vivek came out on top. After beating Mackey, Vivek beat Chris Moore twice in a row heads-up to win the title. Vivek's overall record was an amazing 12-1.
When asked about his toughest match, Vivek said that Alec Torelli and David Oppenheim were the hardest to get past. Neither player ever forfeited a pot, contesting everything and putting Vivek to the test. Vivek said he had no edge against either of them, and just got better cards. Or, as he said it, he "ran like God."
For those who are curious, there were at least two discussions between Vivek and Chris Moore about making a deal, but nothing materialized. They played out the tournament for the prizes as they were originally listed: $350,000 for first and $190,000 for second.
The LAPC's $10,000 Heads-Up Championship was finally wrapped up less than seven hours before the WPT L.A. Poker Classic was scheduled to begin. Vivek and his friends all planned to play, and it didn't look like they would be getting much sleep.
Speaking of the WPT L.A. Poker Classic, it will likely be the largest field of the season for the World Poker Tour. Return to WorldPokerTour.com all week for live coverage of all the action, including video interviews with Amanda Leatherman.
05:40 AM, 02/21/09
Chris Moore Four Bets Preflop
Level 1: 100-200, ante
With blinds at 200-300, Chris Moore raises to 800, Vivek Rajkumar reraises to 2,600, Moore reraises to 6,500, and Vivek asks for an exact count of Moore's remaining chips. Moore has 14,600, which is slightly more than Vivek.
Vivek thinks for more than a minute before he folds, saying either "So close" or "So gross." Chris Moore takes the preflop pot.
Chris Moore - 23,700
Vivek Rajkumar - 16,300
04:41 AM, 02/21/09
Chris Moore Comes Back
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Chris Moore has won a series of small pots to reverse the counts and take the lead.
Chris Moore - 22,400
Vivek Rajkumar - 17,600
04:31 AM, 02/21/09
Vivek Rajkumar Takes an Early Lead
Level 1: 100-200, ante
There is a fair amount of preflop raising going on, but not much beyond that. Vivek Rajkumar has opened a small lead.
Vivek Rajkumar - 24,000
Chris Moore - 16,000
04:28 AM, 02/21/09
Vivek Rajkumar vs. Chris Moore, Part 2
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Now that Chris Moore has a loss on his record, it all comes down to this match. The players discussed a possible deal during the break, but didn't make one -- they'll be playing the game out for the prizepool as it currently stands:
1st Place: $350,000
2nd Place: $190,000
A small crowd of loyal friends and fans are still hanging around to watch the final match, including Justin Bonomo, Jimmy Fricke, Mike Watson, and Justin Filtz.
04:17 AM, 02/21/09
Vivek Rajkumar Defeats Chris Moore; Final Match Starting Soon
Level 1: 100-200, ante
With about 7,000 already in the pot and the board showing J1082 on the turn, Chris Moore checks, and Vivek Rajkumar moves all in, easily covering him.
Moore thinks for a bit and calls all in for 9,000 with 98 for a pair of eights with an open-ended straight draw. Vivek shows Q6 for a gutshot straight draw with a club flush draw.
The river card is the 7, and both players hit their draws, though Vivek's club flush outranks Moore's jack-high straight.
Vivek Rajkumar wins the match, giving Chris Moore his first elimination. Now that both players have a loss on their record, it comes down to one final match. Whoever wins this, will be the LAPC Heads-Up Champion.
That match will be starting after a 5-10 minute break.
03:48 AM, 02/21/09
Chris Moore Doubles Through Vivek Rajkumar
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Chris Moore (6,300) is all in with Q8 against Vivek Rajkumar (33,700) with J10. The board comes K6597, and Moore wins the pot with a nine-high straight, doubling up to 12,600.
Vivek Rajkumar - 27,400
Chris Moore - 12,600
03:44 AM, 02/21/09
Vivek Rajkumar Builds a 3-to-1 Lead Over Chris Moore
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Vivek Rajkumar raises to 1,200, Chris Moore reraises to 3,700, and Vivek calls. The flop comes 553, Moore bets 4,000, and Vivek calls. The turn card is the 6, and both players check.
The river card is the 9, Moore checks, Vivek bets 5,500, and Moore thinks for a bit before he folds. Vivek takes the pot worth 15,400 to build a 3-to-1 chip lead over Moore.
Vivek Rajkumar - 30,000
Chris Moore - 10,000
03:38 AM, 02/21/09
Vivek Rajkumar Doubles Through Chris Moore
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Vivek Rajkumar was down to 10,000 when they played a pot on a board of K-7-x-7-4. There was action the whole way, Vivek moved all in for a small amount on the river, and Moore called. Vivek showed K-4 for two pair, kings and sevens -- and it was good. Moore mucked, and Vivek doubled up.
Vivek counted out his chips to find he had exactly 20,000. They were right back where they started. (Though the blinds have increased to 300-600.)
Chris Moore - 20,000
Vivek Rajkumar - 20,000
03:18 AM, 02/21/09
Chris Moore Cracks Vivek's Pocket Aces
Level 1: 100-200, ante
Chris Moore just won a nice pot on a board of K10910J. Moore bet the river, and Vivek Rajkumar called with AA (two pair). But Moore showed Q5 for a king-high straight to win the pot, increasing his lead to more than 2-to-1.
Chris Moore - 27,500
Vivek Rajkumar - 12,500
03:15 AM, 02/21/09
