$10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship Day 3 | 2009 L.A. Poker Classic

02-23-2009 16:09 UTC-7

Shak's Not a Believer, but Folds All the Same

[user75032]

Dan Shak has been quietly floating through the field in this tournament. He's never been at the top of the chip counts, but neither has he been close to the bottom. He opened a recent pot with a preflop raise to 4,800 that was called by the big blind. The flop was big and connected, coming all Broadway cards -- {A-Clubs}

. The big blind checked and then called a bet of 7,500 from Shak.

The turn fell {K-Spades}

, putting four cards to a straight on the board. It also brought a bet of 11,000 from the big blind. Shak eyeballed his opponent's stack and asked for a count (48,000). Finally, he remarked, "I don't think you have a jack, but I'm gonna fold." He mucked his hand.

"I think he had a jack," said another player at the table.

"Why bet if he has the jack?" Shak asked.

"So that you think he doesn't have the jack," the other player replied.

Tags: Dan Shak

02-23-2009 16:11 UTC-7

Negreanu Still Battling

[user75032]

Daniel Negreanu was among the Day 1 chip leaders. His Day 2 didn't fare as well, ending with fewer chips than he had at the start of play. Things have been going a bit better today, but not much.

Negreanu raised an opponent from 5,500 to 13,000 on a flop of {J-Hearts}

. His opponent called. Both men checked the {7-Spades}

turn and Negreanu's opponent checked again when the river fell {7-Clubs}

, pairing the board and putting three to a flush out. Negreanu opted on a bet of 12,000, but it went uncalled.

After raking in that pot, Negreanu's count increased to 83,000.

Tags: Daniel Negreanu

02-23-2009 16:12 UTC-7

Break Time

[user75032]

We've reached the second ten-minute break of the day.

02-23-2009 16:13 UTC-7

PokerNews Exclusive Video: Jimmy Fricke

[user38449]

Melissa Castello caught up with Jimmy 'gobboboy' Fricke during the first break of the day to talk about his roller coaster of a day and the tough table draws he's faced all throughout the tournament.

Tags: Jimmy Fricke

02-23-2009 16:22 UTC-7

Play Resumes

[user75032]

Cards are back in the air.

Level: 14

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 300

02-23-2009 16:36 UTC-7

Updated Chip Counts

[user75032]

Here are the top ten chip counts in the room, courtesy of worldpokertour.com:

1. Mike Sowers - 470,000
2. Kofi Farkye - 418,000
3. Antonio Esfandiari - 297,000
4. Cody Slaubaugh - 290,000
5. Zach Hyman - 253,000
6. Jeffrey Garza - 240,000
7. Haralabos Voulgaris - 215,000
8. Chris Karagulleyan - 215,000
9. Bertrand Grospellier - 210,000
10. David Daneshgar - 205,000

02-23-2009 17:00 UTC-7

We've Got Controversy

[user75032]

Ryan Young and Al Barbieri spent the last five minutes jawing at each other from opposite ends of Table 26. Apparently, Young was involved in the previous hand and may have talked someone out of a call by stating, "You don't want to send me home packing, do you?"

Barbieri thought that Young was disclosing the strength of his hand to his opponent and was sharp for possible collusion. He asked that a floor supervisor come to the table to make a ruling. Young, attempting to defend himself, explained, "I didn't disclose my hand. I just said, 'You don't want to send me home packing, do you?' and then this asshole..."

Barbieri exploded out of his seat. "Excuse me?" he shouted. "Can you back them words up? Can you back them words up? Am I an asshole?"

Greg Mueller immediately came over to the table and whispered something in Barbieri's ear, imploring him to calm down. Barbieri stated that he wanted an apology from a very visibly flushed Young. Antonio Esfandiari and Nenad Medic also came to see what the fuss was about.

Barbieri eventually calmed down and sat back down. "Are we good now?" Cody Slaughbaugh asked. The dealer had already dealt the next hand, and action was on Slaughbaugh in the big blind. "I can't play if there's gonna be all this shouting."

Barbieri was much calmer, even taking down the next pot with a pocket pair of tens. Young was bright red but otherwise remained silent.

Across the room, Liz Lieu seemed indignant that the player on her left berated her for being "inconsiderate". We're not sure what exactly the source of THAT controversy was, but Lieu was able to let the matter drop much more easily than Barbieri.

Tags: Al Barbieri Liz Lieu Ryan Young

02-23-2009 17:02 UTC-7

Monroe Doubles

[user75032]

While the honor of Al Barbieri and Liz Lieu was being impugned, actual poker was being played at the other tables. Teddy "Iceman" Monroe managed a double-up with pocket sixes against ace-king on a board of {6-?}

. The Iceman is still short but at least he's kicking.

02-23-2009 17:20 UTC-7

Liz Lieu Eliminated

[user75032]

The tournament field just got significantly less attractive. Liz Lieu was quietly all in preflop with {Q-Clubs}

for about 80,000 chips against an opponent's suited Big Slick, {A-Diamonds}

. It was the ace on the turn of a {9-Clubs}

board that ended the Poker Diva's L.A. Poker Classic Main Event. After taking a few minutes to send a few texts and collect her belongings, Lieu left the tournament room.

Tags: Liz Lieu