$10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship Day 2 | 2009 L.A. Poker Classic

02-22-2009 19:29 UTC-7

Exeunt, Phil Hellmuth

[user75032]

We didn't see Phil Hellmuth's elimination hand, but we did see a new player sitting in his seat. Hellmuth was short on chips the whole day. It seems safe to assume that he is out.

Tags: Phil Hellmuth

02-22-2009 19:43 UTC-7

Ferguson Bets It 'til He Gets It

[user75032]

Chris Ferguson's reputation as a tight player often works in his favor. He recently took down a 40,000-chip pot thanks to a combination of that reputation and a fortunate river card. Ferguson, sitting in the big blind, called a minimum-raise to 1,600 made by the small blind. The small blind check-called 2,000 on a flop of {A-Hearts}

and check-called another 5,000 when the turn fell {K-Spades}

.

On the river {8-Diamonds}

, the small blind checked a third time. Ferguson fired 12,000 chips into the pot, just less than half of his opponent's remaining stack. The small bind tanked for about a minute, then cringed and threw in a matching 12,000. Ferguson showed {A-Diamonds}

for a rivered two pair, aces and eights.

The small blind looked briefly at the ceiling and heaved a deep sigh. "Good river," he said as he mucked his hand, suggesting he had been ahead until the last community card came out.

Ferguson doesn't have a monster stack, but that pot pushed him to about 80,000 in chips.

Tags: Chris Ferguson

02-22-2009 19:44 UTC-7

Break Time

[user75032]

This is the last break of the night. This time it will only be ten minutes long.

02-22-2009 19:52 UTC-7

Just Before Break...

[user75032]

...Hoyt Corkins added his name to the top of the leaderboard. We didn't see all of the action, but we did see Corkins put in the final raise -- all in for an additional 56,000 -- on a board of {9-Spades}

. There were already 90,000 chips in the middle; Corkins' opponent finally surrendered, claiming to have mucked pocket jacks.

As Corkins stacked his newfound 145,000 chips, he claimed to have been dealt pocket queens.

Tags: Hoyt Corkins

02-22-2009 19:55 UTC-7

Play Resumes

[user75032]

Cards are back in the air. This is the final level of the night. A bit more than half of the players who started the day remain in the field.

Level: 11

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 100

02-22-2009 20:14 UTC-7

Laak Exits Wordlessly

[user75032]

Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier did something that few can do -- he silenced the garrulous Phil Laak. Action folded to a short-stacked Laak on the button, who opened for 2,600. Grospellier reraised to 8,000 from the big blind after the small blind ducked out of the way. Laak instantly moved his whole stack into the middle, about 25,000 total. Grospellier called just as quickly.

Laak: {8-Spades}

Grospellier: {J-Spades}

Laak gritted his teeth upon seeing Grospellier's hand. The board improved neither player, running out {Q-Clubs}

. As Grospellier stacked 194,000 total chips, Laak wordlessly stood up, grabbed his backpack and exited the ballroom through a side door.

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier Phil Laak

02-22-2009 20:35 UTC-7

Baron Battling

[user38449]

Down to as few as 11,000 in chips earlier in the day (11,000 was the lowest we counted him at anyway), Isaac Baron has fought his way back up to 52,000 after recently eliminating an unknown opponent.

A player in early position limped into the pot for 1,000 and when the action got around to Baron in mid-late position, he kicked it up to around 4,000. Action then folded around to the big blind, who moved in for what looked somewhat like a smallish 15,000.

"If I call, he can't reraise, right?" asked the limper of Baron.

"No," several at the table replied, including Steve Paul-Ambrose who was sitting to Baron's immediate left.

No matter, the limper folded and left Baron alone to challenge the all-in player, which he did, tossing the additional amount across the betting line before tabling {A-Clubs}

; his opponent was in bad shape with the {A-Spades}

.

The board ran out a safe {9-Spades}

for Baron, whose Big Slick held up to win him the pot and eliminate his opponent.

Tags: Isaac Baron

02-22-2009 20:49 UTC-7

A Double Here, a Double There

[user75032]

On tables at opposite ends of the room, Toto Leonidas and Antonio Esfandiari each doubled up an opponent. Leonidas called a shorty's all-in with {K-Spades}

on a board of {9-Clubs}

; his opponent showed {5-Spades}

for a set of fives that held up through the {4-Spades}

turn and

river. It was only a hit of 20,700 for Leonidas; he still has about 124,000.

A few minutes later, chip leader Antonio Esfandiari bet 23,000 on a flop of {4-Diamonds}

. His opponent moved in for 40,800 total and was quickly called by Esfandiari. They were both on draws; Esfandiari had the inferior hand with {10-Clubs}

against his opponent's {A-Diamonds}

. The

on the turn meant that Esfandiari could only chop the pot; he lost it all when the river blanked {K-Clubs}

.

Don't cry for Antonio. He still leads the field with approximately 400,000 chips.

Tags: Anotnio Esfandiari Toto Leonidas

02-22-2009 21:04 UTC-7

Medic Pays Off Opponent

[user75032]

Nenad Medic didn't seem pleased to be paying off his opponent. The count was 17,100, with Medic's opponent tabling {K-Diamonds}

on a board of {9-Spades}

. That payoff, combined with a pot of about 40,000, meant that 75,000 total chips were shipped to Medic's opponent. Medic himself retained about 35,000.

Tags: Nenad Medic