Champions Invitational | 2009 WSOP Champions Invitational

06-01-2009 21:58 UTC-7

Level 10 Begins

[user33020]

The cards are in the air.

06-01-2009 21:57 UTC-7

Evening Session

[user33020]

The players have returned, the spectators are being filtered in, and we'll be underway shortly.

Level: 10

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 100

06-01-2009 20:31 UTC-7

After knocking Robert Varkonyi off of a couple of pots, Dan Harrington has climbed back into second place. The latest chip counts:

Tom McEvoy -- 87,600
Dan Harrington -- 68,400
Robert Varkonyi -- 44,000

Tags: chip counts

06-01-2009 20:25 UTC-7

Harrington Chipping Up, Dinner Break Arrives

[user33020]

Dan Harrington is wielding his short stack effectively as this level draws to a close. Down near 30,000 after the Varkonyi double-up, Harrington has picked off a couple of pots with preflop reraises and is in the progress of making it a three-way battle.

The 90-minute break means that action will resume just prior to 10 pm Vegas time.

Tags: Dan Harrington

06-01-2009 20:04 UTC-7

Varkonyi Doubles Through Harrington

[user33020]

Robert Varkonyi successfully slow-played pocket aces to double through Dan Harrington and vault into second place. Harrington raised to 2,500 preflop and Varkonyi called.

The flop came {8-Clubs}

, Harrington bet 4,500, and Varkonyi called again. The turn brought the {5-Spades}

, Harrington bet another 12,000, Varkonyi pushed all in, and Harrington called. Varkonyi showed his {A-Hearts}

to Harrington’s {10-Spades}

, and safely doubled when the {3-Clubs}

river card fell.

Varkonyi at 71,000 after the hand.

Tags: Dan Harrington Robert Varkonyi

06-01-2009 19:42 UTC-7

McEvoy Eliminates Bechtel in Fourth

[user33020]

Tom McEvoy’s been running well, and it continued in the biggest hand of the tournament so far. With the blinds and antes at 500/1,000/100, Robert Varkonyi opened to 3,000 from under the gun. McEvoy made it 9,000 from the button, Dan Harrington folded his small blind, and Jim Bechtel announced a reraise from the big blind.

Bechtel pondered, then made it a total of 29,000. Varkonyi quickly folded, and McEvoy paused for only a few moments before announcing “All in.” Bechtel motioned with his hands as if, “Sure,” and announced his own all-in.

The hands:

McEvoy: {A-Spades}

Bechtel:

Bechtel’s call had been for his last 35,600, and McEvoy, with 47,700 over Bechtel’s previous raise, had him slightly outchipped. Bechtel went stone-faced when the flop came {A-Hearts}

to pair McEvoy’s ace, with a large cheer erupting from McEvoy’s rooting section. Bechtel was left drawing to the case king after the {5-Clubs}

turn, and the river brought the {10-Hearts}

instead.

With the addition of some small pots at the expense of the other players, McEvoy has jumped to roughly 120,000 in chips and a commanding lead entering three-way play.

Tags: Jim Bechtel Tom McEvoy

06-01-2009 19:19 UTC-7

Level 9 Begins

[user33020]

Level: 9

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 100

06-01-2009 19:16 UTC-7

Official Chip Counts

[user33020]

With four players remaining, the official chip counts are as follows:

Dan Harrington -- 64,100
Tom McEvoy -- 57,300
Jim Bechtel -- 51,000
Robert Varkonyi -- 27,700

Tags: chip counts