Hands #40-42: Phil Hellmuth Doubles Through and Cripples Nikolay Evdakov

Level 23: 20,000-40,000, 4,000 ante

Hand #40  -  Scotty Nguyen raises from early position to 110,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #41  -  Phil Hellmuth raises from early position to 100,000, winning the blinds and antes.

Hand #42  -  Phil Hellmuth raises under the gun to 100,000, Nikolay Evdakov reraises from early position to 250,000, and Scotty Nguyen tanks for a while before folding his big blind. Hellmuth calls and checks in the dark.

The flop comes Q98, and Evdakov moves all in for 405,000 after Hellmuth's check in the dark. Hellmuth goes into the tank and says, "Buddy, remember last time, you had kings?"

Hellmuth continues thinking, and says, "You can have tens here, or ace-king." Hellmuth eventually says, "I call. I have two jacks."

Hellmuth shows JJ for a pair of jacks with a gutshot straight draw, and Evdakov turns over KK for an overpair. Hellmuth will need a jack or a ten to stay alive, because he has about 60,000 less than Evdakov.

The turn is the A, and the river is -- the J.

Neither player offers much of a reaction, though Hellmuth just sucked out to double up in a big spot. Hellmuth wins the pot to double up and cripple Nikolay Evdakov.

Phil Hellmuth  -  1,300,000  (32 bb)
Nikolay Evdakov  -  63,000 (1 bb)