2011 World Series of Poker

Event #2: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship
Day: 3
Event Info

2011 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k9
Prize
$851,192
Event Info
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$3,040,000
Entries
128
Level Info
Level
8
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
0

Event #2: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship

Day 3 Completed

Eight Become Four After Day 3

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante

After one round of play today, the $25k Heads-Up World Championship whittled its field from eight to four players in relatively short order.

The first player to advance to the semifinal round was Yevgeniy Timoshenko, who dispatched David Paredes with a combination of strong holdings and excellent reads. The Ukrainian's cool demeanor and steady play helped him overcome an early chip disadvantage and Timoshenko rebounded to earn the win.

Eric "E-Fro" Froehlich was the next competitor to move on, after he emerged victorious from one of the day's more entertaining contests. Both Froehlich and Nikolay Evdakov showed no hesitation in pushing their 1.2-million chip stacks around the table, and after a series of massive pots and repeated double-ups it was Froehlich who stamped his ticket to the Final Four.

On the feature table, the action was slightly more subdued as Jake Cody and Anthony Guetti slowly tried to wear one another down. Eventually, it took a cooler to decide the match as both players found pocket pairs and pushed their chips into the middle. Cody's tens held up over Guetti's sevens and the British phenom who has dominated European fields for the last few years is now poised to make a splash in his first American WSOP.

In the match that most of the railbirds came to see, Gus Hansen used a methodical and calculating game to defeat Matt Marafioti. While his opponent required 1.2 million chips in the double add-on format, Hansen needed only one bullet to move closer to an impressive follow-up to his 1st place finish in the £10,000 buy-in WSOP-E Heads-up Championship held in 2010.

Tomorrow's semifinal round pits Gus Hansen against Jake Cody and Eric Froehlich against Yevgeniy Timoshenko, with the winners facing off in a best of three heads-up duel.

Check in with PokerNews.com tomorrow at either 1:55 P.M. or 3:00 P.M. (we've heard both from two different people) for the latest updates on the semifinal and final rounds.

(We're still waiting for the official word on the restart time; we'll try to update that info as soon as it's given to us.)

Tags: Anthony GuettiDavid ParedesEric FroehlichGus HansenJake CodyMatt MarafiotiNikolay EvdakovYevgeniy Timoshenko

It's Gus

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante
Gus Hansen
Gus Hansen

Gus Hansen sort of knows his way around a heads-up table. The quote-unquote defending champion of this event (he won the £10,000 Heads-Up event at the last WSOP-E) is through to the final four of this event as well.

On the final hand, we picked up the pot on the turn as the board showed {10-Spades} {A-Spades} {6-Hearts} {J-Spades}. Hansen had check-called a bet on the flop to put about 130,000 in the pot, and he checked again on the turn. Marafioti had 461,000 chips left, and they went all into the middle. Hansen called with {J-Diamonds} {6-Clubs} for two pair, and he was in front. Marafioti's {Q-Spades} {8-Hearts} had a lot of outs, though, and he needed to find a spade or a king to stay alive.

River: {4-Diamonds}

That's as blank as it gets for Marafioti, and he knocked the table in acknowledgement. He's out with a $138,852 paycheck, a fine start to his WSOP. It's going to be short of a bracelet though, and it's Hansen who's through to the semifinals.

Tags: Gus HansenMatt Marafioti

Cody On Right Side of Cooler, Advances to Semifinals

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante
Jake Cody on to Semifinals
Jake Cody on to Semifinals

After a small raise by Jake Cody, Anthony Guetti three-bet to 105,000 and Cody declared himself all-in. Guetti quickly made the call and flipped up {7-Hearts}{7-Spades}, but found himself trailing the {10-Diamonds}{10-Clubs} held by the British phenom.

The two players stood as Cody's supporters let loose with a loud cheer. The flop came {J-Clubs}{K-Spades}{9-Spades} and Guetti found himself needing to hit a two-outer to survive. No help came as the turn produced the {3-Clubs}, and when the dealer peeled the {6-Spades} Cody's British contingent began whooping it up, patting their man on the back in congratulation. Cody will play Gus Hansen in the semifinal round of the $25k Heads-Up World Championship, pitting two players who have captured gold and glory in European events, but have yet to win a bracelet in the Las Vegas edition of the WSOP.

Sarah chatted with the Brit before this match:

Tags: Anthony GuettiJake Cody

More to Cody's Corner

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante

Jake Cody opened the pot to 65,000 before the flop, and Anthony Guetti flatted to see a flop out of position. It came {K-Clubs} {2-Spades} {8-Diamonds}, and both men checked through to the {7-Spades} turn. Guetti took the lead now, putting out a bet of 63,000. After moment, Cody slowly raised to 178,000, and Guetti called to see the last card.

It was the {7-Hearts} to pair the board, and Guetti knocked the table. Cody made one last bet of 195,000, and Guetti paid him off. The {8-Hearts} {8-Spades} flipped over in front of Cody, and his eights full were good enough to take the pot. He's opening up a bit of breathing room in his match now, sitting with about 1.62 million to Guetti's 780,000.

Tags: Jake CodyAnthony Guetti

Cody Hits Flop Hard, Doubles Through Guetti

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante

Holding the button, Jake Cody heard Anthony Guetti announce "all-in" and made the quick call. Cody showed down the {A-Hearts}{6-Spades} and was ahead of Guetti's {Q-Diamonds}{J-Hearts}. Any drama the hand may have produced vanished with a flop of {A-Clubs}{A-Spades}{J-Diamonds}, as Cody flopped trip Aces and had his man virtually drawing dead. The {2-Diamonds} on the turn sealed the hand for Cody, and after a meaningless {8-Clubs} on the river, the Brit claimed a pot of nearly 560,000 chips.

Tags: Anthony GuettiJake Cody

Losing Steam

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante

The Jake Cody vs. Anthony Guetti match has lost its head of steam returning from the break. Here's the last series of hands.

On the first, Guetti opened to 48,000, and Cody three-bet to 129,000. Guetti laid it down.

Cody opened the next pot with a raise to 52,000, and that was good enough to win that one.

The next hand, Guetti opened to 48,000 again, and Cody let it pass.

The next hand, Cody gave Guetti a walk.

The next hand, Guetti opened to 48,000, and Cody cut down his full stack, stared across the felt for about a minute... and folded.

Back and forth we go with Cody still at about a 3:1 chip disadvantage.

Tags: Jake CodyAnthony Guetti

Gus is Back

Level 7 : 12,000/24,000, 0 ante

Gus Hansen has returned to the table, and he and Matt Marafioti are playing poker once again.

Level: 7

Blinds: 12,000/24,000

Ante: 0