2012 World Series of Poker

Event 45: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Day: 1
Event Info

2012 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
qj98
Prize
$1,451,527
Event Info
Buy-in
$50,000
Entries
108
Level Info
Level
22
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0

Greenstein and Cunningham with Same High and Low

Level 1

Omaha-8

Three players were in action on the {4-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{2-Diamonds} flop and they were all World Series of Poker gold bracelet winners. Allen Cunningham was first and bet. Barry Greenstein raised and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi called. Cunningham reraised and then both of his opponents called.

The {A-Clubs} landed on the turn and Cunningham bet. Greenstein raised and Mizrachi got out of the way. Cunningham reraised and Greenstein called.

The river was the {K-Diamonds} and Cunningham bet. Greenstein raised and Cunningham just called.

Cunningham showed the {A-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}{5-Hearts} for a six-high straight for the high and a wheel for the low. Greenstein showed the {7-Spades}{6-Hearts}{5-Spades}{3-Diamonds} for the same six-high straight and the same wheel for the low. The two chopped up the pot and split Mizrachi's money.

Tags: Allen CunninghamBarry GreensteinMichael Mizrachi

Ivey and Bari Can't Beat Kassela's Straight

Level 1

Omaha-8

On the {K-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}{6-Spades}{9-Clubs} board, Frank Kassela, Phil Ivey and Allen Bari checked around in that order to see the {10-Spades} land on the river. Kassela bet and Ivey called. Bari also called, but took a little bit longer to do so.

Kassela announced a straight and turned up the {K-Spades}{8-Spades}{7-Hearts}{2-Hearts}. Ivey mucked and Bari also mucked, allowing Kassela to take this one and chip up a little bit here in the early goings.

Tags: Phil IveyFrank KasselaAllen Bari

Lind Active Early On

No-Limit Hold'em

Over on Table 351 we watched three No-Limit Hold'em hands, and George Lind was involved in all of them. Last year Lind finished sixth in this event cashing $300,441, and he'll be trying to make another run this year.

On the first hand Lee Goldman raised from under the gun +1 to 800 and Bill Chen, who was to his immediate left, made the call. George Lind was in the big blind, and he put in a three-bet to 2,800. Goldman made the call and Chen folded.

The flop came down {9-Hearts}{5-Spades}{2-Spades}, and Lind picked up the pot with a 3,500 chip bet. The next hand it was folded to Keith Gipson who raised to 800 from the button. Lind was in the small blind and took it down with a three-bet to 2,700.

Robert Mizrachi took the initiative on the third hand, as he opened to 800 from under the gun +1. It got folded to Lind who made the call from the button.

The flop came down {Q-Clubs}{3-Clubs}{8-Hearts}, and Mizrachi followed up his pre flop raise with a 1,200 continuation bet. Lind called.

The turn was the {4-Clubs} and both players checked. On the river the {K-Diamonds} popped up and Mizrachi quickly fired out 2,900. Lind flicked in three orange 1,000 chips in order to make the call, but he didn't have the winning hand. Mizrachi turned over {K-Clubs}{Q-Hearts}, and raked in this pot.

Lind isn't up a whole lot, but his willingness to play pots early on could give him an edge over the players who prefer to wait for the limit games.

Player Chips Progress
Robert Mizrachi
Robert Mizrachi
158,500
8,500
8,500
George Lind us
George Lind
153,000
3,000
3,000
PokerStars

Tags: George LindLee GoldmanRobert Mizrachi

Five-Way Pot Goes to Baker with a Straight

No-Limit Hold'em

From under the gun, Daniel Negreanu raised to 900 and was called by the next four players to act. Shawn Buchanan called from under the gun plus one, David Benyamine called from the hijack seat, birthday boy Brett Richey called from the cutoff seat and David "ODB" Baker called from the button. Eugene Katchalov and Stephen Chidwick folded from the small blind and big blind, respectively, and opted to sit this one out although the obvious "cool" thing to do was see the flop.

The flop came down {K-Clubs}{Q-Spades}{8-Diamonds} and each of the five players checked before the dealer placed the {10-Hearts} out on the turn. Negreanu reached for chips and fired 3,200. Buchanan, Benyamine and Richey all folded, but Baker made the call to see the final community card.

The river was the {5-Hearts} and completed the board. Negreanu went into his stack and came out firing 11,000.

"I'm gonna think for a minute, but don't feel slow-rolled if you win," said Baker after Negreanu had fired the bet. He then thought for another minute or so before saying, "I don't know another hand you'd bet other than ace-jack on that river."

Another 30 seconds or so went by with Baker in the tank. He added, "I just don't think I'm good enough to fold." Then, he tossed in the chips and said, "Aaahhhh, I have jack-nine," in a rather unconfident manner.

"Jack-nine is good," responded Negreanu, to which Baker tabled the {J-Diamonds}{9-Clubs}. His straight was the winner and Negreanu mucked his hand.

"I knew that was exactly what you had after you said that," Negreanu said after the hand, understanding it wasn't a slowroll.

Baker moved to 178,000 in chips and Negreanu dropped to 132,500.

Player Chips Progress
David ODB Baker us
David ODB Baker
178,000
28,000
28,000
Daniel Negreanu ca
Daniel Negreanu
132,500
-17,500
-17,500

Tags: Brett RicheyDaniel NegreanuDavid BakerDavid BenyamineEugene KatchalovShawn BuchananStephen Chidwick

Kessler and Eslami Fight in Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw

We just caught a very interesting hand over at table Table 366 between Allen Kessler and Ali Eslami. The game was 2-7 Triple Draw and the action was picked up after the first draw.

Eslami was in the cutoff and checked to Kessler who fired out 600. Immediately Eslami raised to 1,200, and Kessler made it three bets to go. The action wasn't done for this betting round as Eslami put in 2,400. Kessler called.

Eslami stood pat on the second drawing round and Kessler took one card.

Eslami bet 1,200 right away and Kessler called.

On the final draw Eslami stood pat once again, and Kessler drew one card again. Eslami fired out 1,200 once again, and the raising game was back on. Kessler made it 2,400, Eslami put in 3,600 and Kessler popped it up to 4,800. Eslami had enough and opted not to cap the action as he made the call.

"Number two," Kessler announced as he showed {7-}{6-}{4-}{3-}{2-}. Eslami mucked his cards and Kessler raked in this nice pot in the first level of play.

Player Chips Progress
Allen Kessler us
Allen Kessler
169,000
19,000
19,000
Ali Eslami us
Ali Eslami
149,300
-700
-700
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Ali EslamiAllen Kessler

Early One for Brunson

Level 1

2-7 Triple Draw

Doyle Brunson raised from the cutoff seat and Tom Chambers called from the big blind. Both players then drew two cards and Chambers led with a bet. Brunson raised and Chambers made the call.

On the second draw, Chambers took one card and Brunson stood pat. After the draw, Chambers checked and Brunson bet. Chambers took a few moments and then folded his hand, allowing Brunson to take the early pot.

Tags: Doyle BrunsonTom Chambers