2010 PokerStars.net NAPT Los Angeles

Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info

2010 PokerStars.net NAPT Los Angeles

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k10
Prize
$725,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$4,750
Prize Pool
$3,229,857
Entries
701
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
15,000

Mercier Can't Win 'Em All

In a battle of the blinds, Jason Mercier opened to 97,000, and Jacob Toole called from the big to see a flop. It came out {4-Clubs} {10-Diamonds} {5-Diamonds}, and Mercier continued out with 111,000. Toole didn't waste too much time calling, and Mercier checked to him on the {3-Spades} turn. Toole bet 220,000, and Mercier gave it a cursory look before folding.

On the next hand, Anh Van Nguyen opened to 100,000 under the gun, and Jason Mercier called from the button. In the big blind, Jimmie Guinther squeezed in a raise all in for 1.057 million. Van Nguyen folded instantly, but Mercier spent a while in the tank as the all in was counted down. It took a couple minutes before he made up his mind to fold, returning his cards to the dealer 100,000 chips lighter.

Tags: Jason MercierAnh Van NguyenJimmie GuintherJacob Toole

Binger Moves In

Michael Binger
Michael Binger

Michael Binger opened to 95,000 from the middle seat, and Joe Tehan called on the button. Both Al Grimes and Christopher DeMaci came along from the blinds, and we had ourselves a four-way flop.

It came suited {6-Hearts} {Q-Hearts} {9-Hearts}, and the table checked to Tehan. He put out a bet of 200,000, and Grimes tanked for a while before folding. DeMaci's cards chased his into the muck, and the action came to Binger. After just a minute, he announced a check-raise all in, and Tehan tanked and folded to let Binger have it.

Tags: Joe TehanMichael BingerAl GrimesChristopher DeMaci

Jimmie Guinther Eliminated in 10th Place ($47,000)

Jimmie Guinther - 10th place
Jimmie Guinther - 10th place

Jason Mercier was under the gun and min-raised to 80,000. Action folded to Jimmie Guinther and he reraised all in for 1.2 million. Mercier snap-called and it was off to the races for a 2.5 million pot!

Mercier: {A-Spades}{K-Diamonds}
Guinther: {8-Spades}{8-Hearts}

Guinther was ahead and managed to survive the {10-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{4-Spades} flop. The dealer then burned and turned the {A-Hearts}, giving Mercier the lead. Guinther needed an eight or a heart on the river but it came the {7-Clubs}. Mercier took down the pot and increased his stack to 3.9 million while Guinther hit the rail in 10th place.

Tags: Jason MercierJimmie Guinther

Down to Nine

Seat 1: Jacob Toole - 2,020,000
Seat 2: Joe Tehan - 2,000,000
Seat 3: Michael Binger - 1,200,000
Seat 4: Anh Van Nguyen - 1,100,000
Seat 5: Alan Myerson - 610,000
Seat 6: Jason Mercier - 3,900,000
Seat 7: Al Grimes - 2,100,000
Seat 8: Ray Henson - 2,600,000
Seat 9: Chris DeMaci - 5,600,000

Grimes Sliding

Al Grimes was under the gun and raised to 95,000. Chris DeMaci then reraised 265,000 more from middle position and Grimes made the call. The flop fell {9-Hearts}{J-Clubs}{10-Hearts} and both players checked to the {K-Clubs} on the turn. Grimes checked, DeMaci bet 240,000, and Grimes called.

When the {9-Clubs} peeled off on the river, Grimes checked and DeMaci bet 250,000. Grimes quickly called with his {A-Clubs}{K-Spades} but was left shaking his head when DeMaci turned over {A-Diamonds}{Q-Clubs} for a Broadway straight. Grimes is down to 1.5 million while DeMaci is up to 6.3 million.

Tags: Al GrimesChris DeMaci

Binger Adds to Grimes' Woes

Action folded to Michael Binger in the cutoff and he raised to 95,000. The button and small blind got out of the way and only Al Grimes, who was in the big blind, made the call. Both players proceeded to check the {7-Diamonds}{J-Hearts}{2-Diamonds} flop and the {2-Hearts} hit the turn.

Grimes opted to lead out with a bet of 165,000, which Binger tank-called. Grimes then checked the {10-Hearts} river and Binger fired 235,000. Grimes called and showed {K-Clubs}{J-Clubs} but was behind Binger's {A-Spades}{J-Diamonds}. Grimes is now down to 930,000.

Tags: Al GrimesMichael Binger

Alan Myerson Eliminated in 9th Place ($47,000)

Alan Myerson - 9th Place
Alan Myerson - 9th Place

Action folded to the shortest stack at the table, Alan Myerson. He sat in the cutoff seat and announced that he was all in. The dealer tossed him the all-in chip from the rack and then action moved to Ray Henson in the big blind. Henson looked at one card first and claimed it was a good one. He then looked at the other and said, "I guess I call," tabling the {A-Hearts}{A-Spades}. "I guess you would," said Myerson, turning over the {A-Diamonds}{3-Spades}.

The flop came down {6-Diamonds}{4-Hearts}{2-Hearts} and Myerson wasn't shut out yet. He had a gutshot straight draw that could still give him the double up.

The turn brought the {5-Hearts} and the table wowed at what they saw. Myerson had hit his straight. Jason Mercier piped up and said, "Wait, he's got a heart," pointing to Henson's aces.

The river landed with the {7-Hearts} and hit the heart that Henson needed. He made a flush and knocked out Myerson is stunning fashion on the bubble of the official final table. Myerson took home $47,000 for his ninth-place finish.

The remaining eight players began counting down their chips and putting them in racks. The tournament will be moving venues for the final table and we'll have more on that in just a moment.

Tags: Alan MyersonJason MercierRay Henson

Venue Change for the Final Table

Rumors have been floating around for about a week or so now pertaining to whether or not the final table was going to be televised. The North American Poker Tour cannot be filmed here at The Bicycle Casino. In order to film the final table, the venue must be changed.

Upon the final bust out of Alan Myerson in ninth place, the chips were counted and racked up, not bagged up. That's something not everyone is used to when playing poker, but tomorrow the final table will be held over at the Crystal Casino & Hotel down the road. New chips will be used and the final table will be televised. Here's the information we received from the North American Poker Tour about the change.

Please be advised that the final table of the NAPT Los Angeles Main Event has been relocated to the Crystal Casino & Hotel (address below).

The final table is being filmed for broadcast on ESPN2.

The cards will be in the air at 2:00 p.m. PST. All accredited NAPT Los Angeles media are invited to attend.

Please RSVP by 10:00 a.m. if you require desk space.

Crystal Casino & Hotel
123 East Artesia Boulevard
Compton, CA 90220
(310) 631-3838

Eight Left; One Trophy

Christopher DeMaci
Christopher DeMaci

Day 4 of this PokerStars.net NAPT Los Angeles was a quick one as the field was whittled from 19 down to the requisite eight in just over four hours. Christopher DeMaci came into the day with the chip lead, and he's still comfortably in that spot after adding another ~2.5 million chips to his stack over the course of this short day. He'll start the final table with 6,283,000 in front of him.

Starting the day in second place, Micah Raskin went from the penthouse to out of the house as the first player eliminated, losing his full stack literally before his chips were even out of the bag. It was a bit of a blowup; Raskin bluffed off more than 2 million chips with pocket sixes on a jack-ten-ten-ace board. DeMaci was the benefactor of the monster pot that unfolded, and his ace-ten was plenty good enough to send Raskin out the door and move himself up over that 6-million chip mark.

Don't look now, though, but Jason Mercier is hot on DeMaci's heels in second place with 3.8 million flat. Mercier began Day 4 in third place, and he's moved up a spot into second overall heading into tomorrow's final table. DeMaci has the chip lead, but Mercier is a near-unanimous favorite among the other media and players we polled.

If Mercier can indeed pull this thing out, he'll become the first player to win a Main Event in multiple PokerStars tours. Oddly enough, the 2008 EPT San Remo that he conquered had the same number of players as this NAPT event: 701. Fate? Coincidence? We'll know the answer tomorrow night.

Wednesday's final table is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and we're headed over to Compton to close the books on this event. Join us then as we crown our final NAPT champion of Season 1!

Tags: Christopher DeMaciJason Mercier