$10,000 No Limit Hold'em Championship
Day 4 Completed
Day 4 Completed
Play Concludes
Perhaps not the most original headline I've ever come up with, but it's true -- Day 4 at the 2009 L.A. Poker Classic Main Event is over. We played six full levels of poker today, eliminating 43 hopeful poker players along the way.
Much of the star power went out of this event today. Darden, Shak, Binger, Pham, Paul-Ambrose, Medic, Ho, Grospellier and Wasicka -- all notable names that were eliminated during the course of the day.
There is, however, one big name left in the field. Chris Ferguson is likely to be the overnight chip leader, thanks in no small part to Day 3 chip leader Kofi Farkye. Farkye tried to three-barrel Ferguson in the middle of the day, but Ferguson picked it off to increase his count to more than 1.0 million and drop Farkye below par. Farkye ultimately went out in 31st place, while Ferguson steadily chipped up from there to finish with roughly 1.7 million chips.
Twenty players will come back at noon tomorrow for Day 5 of this six-day event. We will play until only six are left. Those six will return on Thursday to battle it out for the $1.68 million first prize.
See you tomorrow!
Much of the star power went out of this event today. Darden, Shak, Binger, Pham, Paul-Ambrose, Medic, Ho, Grospellier and Wasicka -- all notable names that were eliminated during the course of the day.
There is, however, one big name left in the field. Chris Ferguson is likely to be the overnight chip leader, thanks in no small part to Day 3 chip leader Kofi Farkye. Farkye tried to three-barrel Ferguson in the middle of the day, but Ferguson picked it off to increase his count to more than 1.0 million and drop Farkye below par. Farkye ultimately went out in 31st place, while Ferguson steadily chipped up from there to finish with roughly 1.7 million chips.
Twenty players will come back at noon tomorrow for Day 5 of this six-day event. We will play until only six are left. Those six will return on Thursday to battle it out for the $1.68 million first prize.
See you tomorrow!
Nancy Todd Tyner Eliminated in 21st Place ($44,433)
The last remaining female in the field, Nancy Todd Tyner, has just been eliminated from the main event in 21st place by Mike Sowers.
Sowers opened the pot with a raise to 30,000 from under the gun and Tyner made the call from the button. The flop came
and Sowers check-called Tyner's all in holding 
. Tyner reluctantly turned over the 
for nothing but a backdoor flush draw.
The turn brought the
, keeping Tyner's hopes alive with four outs to a straight, but the 
on the river cemented the hand for Sowers, subsequently sending Tyner to the rail.
Sowers opened the pot with a raise to 30,000 from under the gun and Tyner made the call from the button. The flop came
and Sowers check-called Tyner's all in holding . Tyner reluctantly turned over the for nothing but a backdoor flush draw.The turn brought the
, keeping Tyner's hopes alive with four outs to a straight, but the on the river cemented the hand for Sowers, subsequently sending Tyner to the rail.Justin Scott Eliminated in 22nd Place ($44,433)
Justin Scott is the latest casualty from the field. He earned $44,433 for finishing in 22nd place. Meanwhile, Teddy "Iceman" Monroe doubles again and now has 260,000 in chips.
Lu Looks for a Different Spot
We came to the Danny Lu's table to see Lu involved in a big pot with Payman Arjang. They were at the turn of a 
board, with 240,000 chips already in the middle. Both players checked to see the 
hit the river. Arjang was first to act and bet 120,000. Lu folded after about a minute, preserving about 900,000 chips in his stack.
board, with 240,000 chips already in the middle. Both players checked to see the hit the river. Arjang was first to act and bet 120,000. Lu folded after about a minute, preserving about 900,000 chips in his stack.Nguyen v. Nguyen: Nguyen Wins
Xuan Nguyen recently tangled with Binh Nguyen in a pot that resulted in Xuan doubling through to 785,000 in chips.
All of the money went in on a flop of
, Xuan's with 
and Binh's with 
. Binh's hand improved when the 
fell on the turn giving him trips, thus leaving Xuan's chances of survival pretty slim.
"Spade!" shouted a nearby railbird, before the dealer plunked the
down on the river - a life-saving card for Xuan. Should he have won the pot, Binh would've surpassed Chris Ferguson to take over the chip lead. Instead, he was left with a still-manageable 1.04 million in chips.
All of the money went in on a flop of
, Xuan's with and Binh's with . Binh's hand improved when the fell on the turn giving him trips, thus leaving Xuan's chances of survival pretty slim."Spade!" shouted a nearby railbird, before the dealer plunked the
down on the river - a life-saving card for Xuan. Should he have won the pot, Binh would've surpassed Chris Ferguson to take over the chip lead. Instead, he was left with a still-manageable 1.04 million in chips.The Iceman Lives
Teddy "Iceman" Monroe has seemingly been short all afternoon. He moved all in for 52,000 from under the gun. Action folded to Billy Pilossoph in the big blind, who called with 
. Monroe turned over 
.
"I'm not goin' home," Monroe told the table. The dealer burned and turned a board of 
. At each successive street, Monroe repeated that sentence with more conviction. Once the dealer pushed him the pot, Monroe launched into a monologue.
"I ain't goin nowhere. I'm letting you know. I'm the number one live player in the world. I know he was gonna call. Try to bust the Iceman, but he got froze. I'm like a... I'm on a boat, goin' for the shark."
There was more, but we figure you get the gist by now. Monroe is still dangerously short with roughly 120,000 chips.
. Monroe turned over ."I'm not goin' home," Monroe told the table. The dealer burned and turned a board of
. At each successive street, Monroe repeated that sentence with more conviction. Once the dealer pushed him the pot, Monroe launched into a monologue."I ain't goin nowhere. I'm letting you know. I'm the number one live player in the world. I know he was gonna call. Try to bust the Iceman, but he got froze. I'm like a... I'm on a boat, goin' for the shark."
There was more, but we figure you get the gist by now. Monroe is still dangerously short with roughly 120,000 chips.
Tom Braband Eliminated in 23rd Place ($44,433)
No Show from Ferguson
In a raised pot, Zach Hyman checked a flop of 
to Chris Ferguson. Ferguson, in his customary way, stared at the board and made no motion for twenty seconds before betting 50,000. Hyman called to a turn that both players checked. The river was the 
. Hyman checked a third time, prompting Ferguson to bet 100,000.
"You hit the ace?" Hyman asked. Ferguson didn't move a muscle or make any response to the question. Hyman began talking to himself, trying to come up with hands that Ferguson might have. After several minutes in the tank, he reluctantly folded.
"Show me one time," he said to Ferguson. "Please?" A bunch of railbirds laughed, knowing full well that Ferguson would not show. "You could just verbally tell me," pleaded Hyman.
"What good would that do?" asked Cornel Andrew Cimpan.
to Chris Ferguson. Ferguson, in his customary way, stared at the board and made no motion for twenty seconds before betting 50,000. Hyman called to a turn that both players checked. The river was the . Hyman checked a third time, prompting Ferguson to bet 100,000."You hit the ace?" Hyman asked. Ferguson didn't move a muscle or make any response to the question. Hyman began talking to himself, trying to come up with hands that Ferguson might have. After several minutes in the tank, he reluctantly folded.
"Show me one time," he said to Ferguson. "Please?" A bunch of railbirds laughed, knowing full well that Ferguson would not show. "You could just verbally tell me," pleaded Hyman.
"What good would that do?" asked Cornel Andrew Cimpan.
Braband Stuns Arjang
It was a limped pot preflop that was contested among Tom Braband, Danny Lu and Payman Arjang. On a flop of 
, Braband and Lu checked to Arjang, who fired out 22,000. Braband's check-raise to 65,000 folded Lu, but Arjang stuck around to the turn . Braband fired out another 65,000 and again Arjang called.
When the river fell, Braband shut down and checked. Arjang decided 130,000 was the correct amount to bet. Braband called after fifteen seconds, prompting Arjang to say, "Good call." Braband showed 
for two pair, eights and fives, with an ace kicker. Arjang realized he had the same hand and quickly opened 
.
"What are you doing?" Arjang asked in shock once he saw what Braband had called with. Braband didn't answer.
, Braband and Lu checked to Arjang, who fired out 22,000. Braband's check-raise to 65,000 folded Lu, but Arjang stuck around to the turn . Braband fired out another 65,000 and again Arjang called.When the river fell
, Braband shut down and checked. Arjang decided 130,000 was the correct amount to bet. Braband called after fifteen seconds, prompting Arjang to say, "Good call." Braband showed for two pair, eights and fives, with an ace kicker. Arjang realized he had the same hand and quickly opened ."What are you doing?" Arjang asked in shock once he saw what Braband had called with. Braband didn't answer.