WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship Day 1b | 2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

09-07-2009 19:55 UTC+3

Gordon's Curious Line

[user75032]

We certainly try not to editorialize when providing tournament coverage. All the same, the line Phil Gordon -- author of the Little Green Book, among others -- took in a recent hand was non-standard. Gordon raised preflop from middle position and was called by a late-position player and by Chris Karagulleyan in the big blind. All three players checked the {9-Diamonds}

flop and the {Q-Hearts}

turn.

When the river came {6-Hearts}

, Karagulleyan checked to Gordon. He finally took a stab at the pot by betting 1,200. The late-position player called.

"I wanted to call," Karagulleyan told the late-position player. He peeked back at his cards once and then folded.

At showdown, Gordon showed {A-Diamonds}

. His top pair of aces was no good against his opponent's rivered two pair of sixes and fives, {6-Spades}

.

Tags: Phil Gordon

09-07-2009 19:45 UTC+3

Medic Busts Bach

[user38449]

Jet setting high stakes tournament pro David Bach has just been eliminated from the main event by Nenad Medic. We missed the action as it happened, but Matt Glantz was kind enough to play it back for us:

Medic opened the pot with a raise to 1,000 and Bach made the call with {10-Clubs}

. The flop came {10-?}

with one club and they got it all in -- Bach had right around 12,000 in chips.

When we asked Glantz what Medic had, his response was, "The usual... aces."

The board blanked out and Medic's apparent run-good streak continued, as he stacked up just over 80,000 in chips after the hand.

Tags: David Bach

09-07-2009 19:37 UTC+3

Levi Doubles Up

[user75032]

Things were looking grim for David Levi earlier, but he's back in action after a recent double-up. Yosh Nakano opened the action preflop by raising to 1,200. Levi called from the button and Praz Bansi called from the big blind for a three-way pot. Bansi checked the {10-Spades}

flop over to Nakano, who bet 4,000. Only Levi called.

The turn was the {2-Diamonds}

. Nakano had first action and bet 10,000, enough to put Levi all in. Levi quickly called all in with top pair, top kicker, {a-Spades}

, which was in the lead against Nakano's red nines {9-Diamonds}

. Nothing changed with the {5-Clubs}

river. Levi's final call was counted down at 8,450. Once that amount was added to the pot, Levi was up to about 30,000.

Tags: David Levi

09-07-2009 19:29 UTC+3

Obrestad's Stack Takes a Whack

[user38449]

Annette Obrestad just lost a monster pot to Albert Yakoub that left her with just 11,850 in chips.

Yakoub opened the pot with a raise to 1,600 and Obrestad made the call from the button.

The flop came {8-Diamonds}

and Yakoub passed the first option to Obrestad who bet what appeared to be 3,250 (she'd tossed in an oversized chip and some change and the amount she announced was inaudible from where we were standing). Yakoub then quickly check-raised to 7,000 and Obrestad hesitated for a moment before making the call.

The turn brought the {6-Hearts}

and Yakoub hit the gas, firing a 10,000 bet. Obrestad made another slow, but deliberate call, sending the action to the river: {7-Hearts}

.

Yakoub checked 5th Street, sending Obrestad into the tank. When she emerged, she dropped a calculated 22,125 bet into the middle and Yakoub snap-called with a pocket pair of tens. Obrestad mucked as quickly as Yakoub had made the call, leaving her short-stacked (relative to the average), but certainly not dead with about 30 big blinds.

The hand appears to have hoisted Yakoub into the tournament chip lead for Day 1b. He's now sitting with 107,000 in chips.

Tags: Albert Yakoub Annette Obrestad

09-07-2009 19:15 UTC+3

Eli Elezra Eliminated

[user75032]

A spin by Table 4 shows that Seat 2, formerly filled by Eli Elezra's gigantic personality, shows that the Seat is now occupied by Michael Peltekci. Elezra is nowhere else in the tournament room. We therefore assume he has busted.

09-07-2009 19:11 UTC+3

Don't Mess With the Jesus

[user66118]

Ferguson with his typical outburst of emotion after dragging that pot

From late position, Jeff Baker opened with a raise to 1,100, and Chris Ferguson bumped it up to 3,200 from the big blind. Baker called, and it was heads up the rest of the way.

The dealer ran out a flop of {Q-Diamonds}

, and Ferguson continued out with a bet of 5,000 in the form of a single blue chip flicked like a coin from his hand. Baker mulled it over for just a minute before making the call.

The turn card came the {5-Clubs}

to pair the board, and Ferguson kept the heat on with another 11,000 chips. Baker took his pause for just a moment longer this time, but he would again put in the calling chips.

The last card off the deck was the {6-Clubs}

, and Ferguson wasn't slowing down now. He methodically pulled out a bet before settling on an all in, sliding his whole stack of ~24,000 into the middle. That was too much for Baker as he shook his head and returned his cards to the dealer.

After picking up that nice pot, Ferguson's stack has grown to about 65,000.

Tags: Chris Ferguson

09-07-2009 19:01 UTC+3

Glantz Again

[user75032]

This is turning into a great level for Matt Glantz. He was heads-up on the turn again, this time in position for a board of {k-Spades}

. He bet 3,500 and was check-raised by his lone opponent to 11,000. Glantz quickly called. Both players checked the {9-Spades}

river, with Glantz showing {Q-Clubs}

, two pairs kings and queens, to take the pot.

Tags: Matt Glantz

09-07-2009 18:59 UTC+3

Turkish Spelling Bee

[user38449]

One of the projector screens in the room is constantly cycling through a list of the players in today's field. We as reporters certainly appreciate this luxury, as do the players, who are able to discern who's at their table by cross referencing the numbers on the ID tags the players are wearing around their necks with the list displayed on the screen.

The only problem is, the names are... simply put... butchered.

Here are a few of the more uncharitable examples:

Andy Block
Daniel Alnei
Menad Medic
James Akenhaad
Praz Vansi
Alex Tirelli
Yosh Nakono
Jean Robert Benande

...and unquestionably, the most mangled name of the day goes to: "Annetta Obiected"

09-07-2009 18:50 UTC+3

Glantz Plays the Knaves

[user75032]

Matt Glantz's opponent may wish that Glantz were still on break. Shortly after play resumed, Glantz raised preflop to 1,200 from early position. Only the cutoff player called. On a flop of {10-Hearts}

, Glantz bet 2,200 and was called. He fired again for 3,600 when the turn came {5-Hearts}

. This time, the cutoff raised to 8,600. Glantz quickly called.

The river did not fill any obvious draw, falling {9-Clubs}

. Glantz checked, then called a bet of 10,000 from his opponent without much thought. As soon as Glantz called, the cutoff player knocked the table, 'good hand,' prompting Glantz to show {j-Hearts}

for two pair, jacks and fives. The cutoff then mucked.

Glantz is up to about 75,000.

Level: 4

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50