$500,000 Guaranteed Main Event | 2012 Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza

12-17-2012 22:01 UTC-4

Joseph Tracy Eliminated in 6th Place ($23,000)

Shamus

Chris Klodnicki began the hand with a minimum-raise to 32,000 from under the gun, then Edward Pham made it 77,000 from middle position. It folded back around to Joseph Tracy in the big blind and after a pause to consider the situation Tracy four-bet to 171,000. Klodnicki looked things over himself for a short while before folding, then Pham took about a half-minute before calling.

The flop brought three big cards — — and Tracy responded by pushing all in for about 430,000. Pham didn't take too long before calling, and Tracy flipped over for a pair of kings. Meanwhile Pham tabled for a set of aces, and after the turn and river, Tracy was on the rail.

Pham is still organizing his chips, but he appears to have around 1.5 million or so, a stack challenging Klodnicki's for the lead with five players remaining.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Pham	1,500,000 480,000	480,000
Joseph Tracy	Busted

Tags: Chris Klodnicki Edward Pham Joseph Tracy

12-17-2012 23:10 UTC-4

William Tonking Eliminated in 5th Place ($28,000)

Shamus

On the very first hand of Level 23, Richard Allen opened for 50,000 from the button, then Coury Mascagni folded his small blind. William Tonking then checked his cards, and without much hesitation declared he was all in for his last 450,000 or so, and Allen didn't wait long to make the call.

Tonking:
Allen:

The flop came , and Tonking was looking for one of the two remaining sixes to save him. But the turn was the and river the , and suddenly they are down to four.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Allen	1,200,000 475,000	475,000
William Tonking	Busted

Tags: Richard Allen William Tonking

12-17-2012 23:20 UTC-4

Coury Mascagni Eliminated in 4th Place ($37,500)

Shamus

Coury Mascagni raised to 40,000 from the button, then Edward Pham three-bet to 105,000 from the big blind. Mascagni responded by shoving all in for approximately 830,000, and Pham was quick with the call.

Mascagni:
Pham:

Mascagni needed help, but the flop came to improve Pham further to a set, and the turn made the river no matter.

"How many times have you had aces?" asked Chris Klodnicki afterwards. "And won with them?" he added.

Indeed, we've seen Pham knock out another opponent with pocket aces already (Joseph Tracy in sixth), and double through Micah Raskin earlier with aces, too.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Pham	2,900,000 900,000	900,000
Coury Mascagni	Busted

Tags: Coury Mascagni Edward Pham

12-18-2012 01:40 UTC-4

Richard Allen Eliminated in 3rd Place ($51,000)

Shamus

Richard Allen lasted one more short orbit after that big queens-vs.-aces hand against Chris Klodnocki.

Allen's last hand began with a Klodnicki raise to 50,000 from the button, then Allen pushed his last 95,000 or so from the big blind and Klodnicki called. Allen had and Klodnicki , and five cards later — — Allen was out.

There will be a brief pause while preparations are made for heads-up play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Allen	Busted

Tags: Chris Klodnicki Richard Allen

12-18-2012 01:58 UTC-4

Edward Pham Eliminated in 2nd Place ($84,000)

Shamus

Kind of an unusual final chapter to write here from the Sands Bethlehem casino, as the final two players, Chris Klodnicki and Edward Pham, have made arrangements essentially to forgo heads-up play, with Klodnicki technically earning the title of the first Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza Main Event champion.

The pair had a discussion prior to the start of heads-up play during which the terms of their arrangement were settled upon. At that point a hand played out that saw Pham push all in and Klodnicki call, then Pham muck his hand. For the sake of trivia, Klodnicki's winning hand was and the board ran out .

Back shortly with a full wrap-up of the day's events.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Klodnicki	5,640,000 2,555,000	2,555,000

Edward Pham	Busted

Tags: Chris Klodnicki Edward Pham

12-18-2012 02:07 UTC-4

Congratulations to Chris Klodnicki, 2012 Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza $500,000 Guaranteed Main Event Champion ($135,000)

Shamus

Level 24 : 12,000/24,000, 3,000 ante

Chris Klodnicki - 2012 Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza $500,000 Guaranteed Main Event Champion

It has been a wild four days here in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where the 2012 Sands Bethlehem DeepStack Extravaganza $500,000 Guaranteed Main Event has played down to a conclusion. From 188 total entries Chris Klodnicki has emerged as the tournament's winner after having led at the end of Day 1a and Day 2 as well.

The money bubble having burst late Sunday night on Day 2, just 16 players remained of the 188 total entries in the event, with Klodnicki carrying a healthy advantage into Monday's final day of play. Then the first 90-minute level saw three more eliminations — Denis Gnidash in 16th, Michael Ryan in 15th, and Vince Baldassano in 14th.

The pace remained rapid during the following level as Edward Pham eliminated John Chapman in 13th, Klodnicki knocked out Drew Heller in 12th, then Richard Allen knocked out both Ian Searing in 11th and Daniel Wach in 10th to set up the nine-handed final table.

Klodnicki had a slight lead over Joseph Tracy to start the final table, and as they played into the next level Klodnicki claimed the first elimination by knocking out a short-stacked Michael Schoultz in ninth when Schoultz's failed to improve versus Klodnicki's . Micah Raskin then lost a lot of his chips to Pham after the latter was all in with pocket aces against Raskin's flopped two pair, then the board paired to counterfeit Raskin and give Pham the better hand. Soon after Klodnicki eliminated Raskin in eighth when his held versus Raskin's .

A short while later William Tonking felted Timothy Chang in seventh in hand that saw Chang all in with against Tonking's , but a ten flopped and Chang couldn't catch up. And next to go was Tracy in sixth after jamming a flop with second pair of kings only to run into a flopped set of aces for Pham.

Pham soon assumed the chip lead and would maintain it as Allen knocked out Tonking in fifth when the latter's failed to hold against Allen's . Then Pham knocked out Coury Mascagni in fourth after Mascagni ran into Pham's to lose the last of his stack.

Three-handed play between Allen, Klodnicki, and Pham was especially well contested, with each of the three enjoying the chip lead at times as the stacks remained fairly close throughout. Then came a decisive hand in which Allen ran pocket queens into Klodnicki's pocket aces to lose most of his stack, then Klodnicki took the rest shortly thereafter to eliminate Allen in third.

We were preparing for what might well have been a lengthy heads-up duel between Klodnicki and Pham — both had especially deep stacks of 100-plus big blinds each — with Klodnicki enjoying a slight chip advantage to begin their battle. But the pair decided upon a different course, and after playing out a hand in which Pham shoved and mucked, thereby eliminating Pham in second, Klodnicki earned the title.

Thanks to Joe Giron for providing the excellent photos throughout the tournament, and to the Sands for being such great hosts. Good night and happy holidays from Bethlehem!

Tags: Chris Klodnicki