November Nine Final Table Day 1 | 2009 WSOP Main Event - The Final Table

11-07-2009 11:41 UTC-12

Color Up

[user66118]

We've hit the end of the first full level of today, and it's time for a color up. There's no official word on how long this break will be, so don't wander too far.

11-07-2009 11:40 UTC-12

Hand #48 - Jeff Shulman

[user66118]

Phil Ivey has the button. Under the gun, Eric Buchman comes in with a raise to 800,000. Jeff Shulman announces a re-raise, and Buchman lets it go.

Tags: Eric Buchman Jeff Shulman

11-07-2009 11:39 UTC-12

James Akenhead has the button. Jeff Shulman in middle position, opens to 1.2 million. Kevin Schaffel calls from the blinds. Shulman takes the pot down with a bet of 2.0 million on a flop of {3-Spades}

.

Tags: Jeff Shulman Kevin Schaffel

11-07-2009 11:34 UTC-12

God Save the King-Queen

Matthew

Amazing double ups with king-queen are nothing new for James Akenhead. On day eight of the Main Event, change100 reported the following hand.

Jamie Robbins raised to 530,000, James Akenhead moved all in for 2,390,000 and Robbins made the call.

Akenhead
Robbins

Boom! The flop came down , the room going absolutely bezerk as Akenhead flopped two pair. The turn was the , the river was the and Akenhead's cheering section exploded, high-fiving their man as he earned a much-needed double-up to 5.09 million.

With his recent double-up, king-queen is surely becoming Akenhead's favorite hand. In July Akenhead used the double up to start his push toward the November Nine. It will be interesting to see if he can use this momentum to now push him into contention for the title.

Tags: James Akenhead

11-07-2009 11:34 UTC-12

Hand #46 - Phil Ivey

[user66118]

Darvin Moon has the button. Phil Ivey takes a walk in the big blind, the first of the day.

Tags: Phil Ivey

11-07-2009 11:33 UTC-12

Updated Chip Counts

donpeters

Here's how things stack up now that those two big hands are over.

Darvin Moon - 49,495,000
Eric Buchman - 35,135,000
Steven Begleiter - 24,820,000
Antoine Saout - 21,960,000
Joseph Cada - 16,635,000
Jeff Shulman - 14,780,000
James Akenhead - 12,515,000
Phil Ivey - 10,565,000
Kevin Schaffel - 8,960,000

11-07-2009 11:32 UTC-12

Hand #45 - Antoine Saout Doubles Up through Darvin Moon

[user75032]

Jeff Shulman has the button. With the crowd still murmuring about the ridiculous double-up of James Akenhead, Antoine Saout opens the next pot to 750,000 from the cutoff. Darvin Moon, sitting in the small blind and a player who hasn't been very active yet today, is the only caller.

The flop comes down {K-Spades}

. Moon has first action and leads into Saout for 2.3 million. Saout grabs three stacks of lavender chips and shoves them into the middle of the table in one motion, a raise to 6.75 million. Moon announces that he is all in; Saout beats him into the pot for roughly 9.9 million total. For the second hand in a row we have an all-in and call!

Moon: {A-Hearts}

Saout:

Saout has bottom two pair, which is way, way, waaaaaaaaaay the favorite over Moon's total airball. Moon's face seems to have turned a bit red with his hand caught firmly in the cookie jar. While we wait for ESPN to give the go-ahead for the board, Saout takes a sip of water to calm himself for what he hopes will be a double-up.

The turn {3-Diamonds}

is a minor sweat card, as it gives Moon a gutshot wheel draw. The crowd erupts in giddy anticipation, delighted to see that Moon's not drawing dead. But there's no suckout. The river {2-Spades}

is a safe card for Saout, giving him deuces full of jacks and allowing him to secure a double-up to roughly 22.0 million.

That's the first hit of the day for Moon. He's down to 49.5 million.

Tags: Antoine Saout Darvin Moon

11-07-2009 11:27 UTC-12

Hand #44 - James Akenhead All In and Dominated

[user66118]

Antoine Saout has the button. For the second consecutive hand, James Akenhead open-shoves all in from early position, this time for 4,015,000 total. Steve Begleiter considers carefully for a couple minutes before announcing a call, Akenhead now at risk for his tournament life. The dealer confirms as she nods and says, "Call," and everyone in the crowd rises to their feet.

But the action isn't over yet. Eric Buchman seems to be toying with a big decision in the next seat over as he eyes up Begleiter's remaining stack. After another minute or so of tank time, Buchman announces a big re-raise to 12,000,000 total! The dealer pulls in the already-committed chips to show Begs what he's up against. With a shake of the head, Begleiter eventually elects to let his hand (and 4 million of his chips) go, and it is now heads up for Akenhead's tournament life.

Showdown
Akenhead: {K-Clubs}

Buchman:

The crowd breaks into a frenzy as Akenhead's fans plead with the dealer for some help. Their cries initially fall on deaf ears as she spreads out a useless flop of {2-Spades}

. The

on the turn changes nothing, and Akenhead is one card away from a ninth-place exit.

A crowd of 30 or 40 supporters on stage lean in toward the table yelling for a queen at the top of their voices. This time, the dealer obliges; The {Q-Spades}

rips off the deck, improving Akenhead to the winning two pair as the entire crowd explodes in a deafening frenzy.

Akenhead has dodged the biggest bullet of his life, coming from way behind to earn himself a monstrous triple up. He's back in contention with 12,855,000 now. Buchman has slipped to 35,175,000.

Tags: Eric Buchman James Akenhead

11-07-2009 11:14 UTC-12

Hand #43 - Akenhead All In Again

[user75032]

Joe Cada has the button. Under the careful scrutiny of Phil Ivey, James Akenhead open-shoves from middle position for about 3.2 million. Nobody calls. We can't tell if the look on Akenhead's face is one of disappointment or relief.

Tags: James Akenhead

11-07-2009 11:12 UTC-12

Hand #42 - Phil Ivey

[user66118]

Eric Buchman has the button. Phil Ivey raises to 800,000 from middle position, and Cada pauses in thought from the small blind. He asks Ivey how much he's playing, and Ivey flatly says, "Eight million." Cada frowns and folds upon hearing that news, and nobody else wants to dance with Ivey either.

Tags: Joe Cada Phil Ivey