2009 L.A. Poker Classic

$10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship
Day: 1
Event Info

2009 L.A. Poker Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k5
Prize
$1,686,260
Event Info
Buy-in
$9,600
Entries
696
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
0

Some More Chip Counts, Courtesy of Guza

Daniel Negreanu - 26,000
Phil Hellmuth - 20,500
Kenny Tran - 26,000
Phil Ivey - 18,000
John Phan - 27,500
Michael Binger - 18,000
Ryan Young - 36,000

Young's count is notable for the fact that he was all in on the turn and waaaaaaay behind. He was one of four players that took a raised flop of {A-?} {Q-?} {9-?}. Young raised after the big blind opened the betting. Everyone else got out of the way; the big blind called. When the turn blanked {5-?}, all of the rest of the chips were in. Young showed {A-?} {9-?} for two pair; his opponent had a better two pair with {A-?} {Q-?}. A nine spiked on the river to give Young a full house and an improbable victory.

Level: 3

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0

November Nine Running into Issues

Dennis Phillips soliders on.
Dennis Phillips soliders on.
Two members of the November Nine (Chino Rheem and Scott Montgomery) are already out. Another had to hit a miracle river to stay in the tournament. Dennis Phillips started the hand in question with roughly 7,000 of his original 20,000 chips. He called a preflop raise to 400 made by Robert Mizrachi. Action folded to Chau Giang in the big blind, who reraised enough to fold Mizrachi. Phillips made that his cue to push his whole stack in the middle. Giang called.

Phillips: {10-?} {10-?}
Giang: {Q-?} {Q-?}

Phillips found no joy on the {J-?} {2-?} {J-?} flop. The {6-?} on the turn left him looking for a miracle card on the river. He hit it; a {10-?} spiked to make a full house for Phillips. He doubled up to about 14,500 in chips.

Tags: Chau GiangDennis Phillips

Juanda Gone-da

John Juanda had a quick and brutal day here at the L.A. Poker Classic Main Event. It started out, as these things often do, innocently enough with a preflop raise by Juanda to 400. Action folded to Jeff Manthe in the big blind. He called to a flop of {J-Diamonds} {7-Spades} {8-Spades}, where he check-called another bet of 425 from Juanda.

The turn fell {10-Hearts}. Upon seeing that card, Manthe bet into Juanda for 900. Juanda called, bringing the two men to the river {J-Clubs}. Manthe went back into his shell, checking the action to Juanda. He made a huge overbet, moving all in for 8,500. Manthe quickly called.

"You got the straight?" Juanda asked.

"I have a full house," Manthe replied. He showed {J-Spades} {10-Clubs}. Juanda mucked his own hand, collected his things and left the table.

Tags: John Juanda

A Numbers Game

Now that late registration is officially closed, we have the final numbers for the 2009 L.A. Poker Classic Main Event. 696 players entered this tournament for $10,000 each, creating a prize pool of $6,681,600. 63 players will be paid, with the winner of the tournament taking home the lion's share of the money -- $1,686,760.

A Grimace for Andy

Andy Bloch got things started preflop by raising to 425. He was called by two players in late position to a flop of {10-Spades} {10-Hearts} {5-Clubs}. Bloch followed through on his preflop raise with a flop bet of 700. Only one of his opponents called.

Both players checked the {7-Clubs} turn. When the river fell {Q-Diamonds}, Bloch made what he must have thought was a value bet of 1,200. We can only imagine his surprise when his opponent called and turned over a very soft-played {A-Hearts} {A-Clubs}, which bested Bloch's {Q-Spades} {9-Spades}, queens and tens.

Bloch is struggling with 9,000 chips.

Tags: Andy Bloch

Aiyah!

Oh Danny boy!
Oh Danny boy!
The Commerce Casino cash game tables tend to be heavily manned by players of Asian descent. It's very common to hear a cry of "Aiyah!" over the din of the poker room after a particularly brutal beat.

We didn't hear any "Aiyah!" from Daniel Negreanu's table, but if we were down at the cash game tables we surely would have. Negreanu wound up all in against one opponent on a board of {9-?} {10-?} {J-?} {9-?}. Negreanu's opponent flopped a straight with {7-Hearts} {8-Hearts}; Negreanu flopped a bigger straight with {K-?} {Q-?}.

When the river blanked out a harmless {5-?}, Negreanu collected the pot to increase his count to 60,000. His opponent staggered out of the tournament room.

Tags: Daniel Negreanu

Vivek Stuck in Neutral

Vivek Rajkumar was up until the wee hours of the morning completing his impressive run through the 128-player $10,000 Heads-Up Championship. He may have wished for a few extra hours of sleep before the start of today's tournament. Rajkumar, sitting with the button, called a preflop raise to 400 after one other player called as well. Both players checked to Rajkumar on a flop of {J-Hearts} {10-Clubs} {4-Diamonds}. Rajkumar made it 900 to go, folding the preflop raiser. The other player check-raised to 3,200; Rajkumar called.

Both players checked the {K-Spades} turn. When the river paired the board with the {4-Spades}, Rajkumar's opponent made it 3,000 to go. Rajkumar reluctantly called and was shown {J-Spades} {j-Clubs} for jacks full of fours. He mucked his hand and slipped in the counts to 8,500.

Tags: Vivek Rajkumar

"Poker is fun, for ev'ryone"

Prahlad Friedman
Prahlad Friedman
Infamous white rapper/professional poker player Prahlad Friedman has been spotted amidst the field, sitting across the table from two-time WSOP Main Event Champ Johnny Chan. You might remember Friedman from his televised confrontation with Jeffrey Lisandro, in which the two argued over a missing 1,000 ante during the 2006 WSOP Main Event. While the dispute fell short of actual punches being thrown, Lisandro did threaten, "I'll take your head off!"

Friedman, an L.A. native, is sitting with 17,500 in chips as we approach the third break of the day.

Tags: Prahlad Friedman