$5,150 Circuit Championship Main Event | 2009 World Series of Poker Circuit - Council Bluffs

02-25-2009 18:37 UTC-5

Sexton Knows the Score

[user66118]

The pace of play has slowed a good bit now, and oddly, the action has tightened up a bit as the final table has progressed. Each of the last eight pots were won with a single preflop raise, or a single bet on the flop or turn. Surprisingly few hands are being contested right now, though it's only a matter of time before things pick up again.

Emcee Tom Sexton has been doing his part to keep things interesting. There are a couple dozen railbirds sweating the action today, mostly friends and family of the players. When things get a little too dull, and the audience's focus starts to wander, Sexton chimes in with a poker story to kill some time. With the Sexton family so involved in the poker world, you can imagine that Tom has no shortage of stories to tell. Topics so far have included Johnny Chan's 1987 win, the hand that changed poker forever, Stu Ungar, brother Mike Sexton, and the worst bad beat in the last forty years.

Many thanks to Tom for keeping things interesting here over the past few hours.

Tags: Tom Sexton

02-25-2009 18:33 UTC-5

McDonald Takes More From Meierotto

donpeters

The three remaining players all saw the flop come down {K-Spades}

. Dennis Meierotto and Jesse Hale checked to John McDonald. McDonald fired out 15,000. Meierotto called and Hale folded.

The turn brought the {8-Clubs}

and Meierotto led for a bet of 20,000. McDonald quickly announced a raise and made it 60,000 to go. Meierotto folded, giving McDonald the pot.

Tags: Dennis Meierotto Jesse Hale John McDonald

02-25-2009 18:14 UTC-5

Evan "MacDaddy34" Panesis Eliminated in 4th Place ($25,116)

donpeters

Evan "MacDaddy34" Panesis moved all in preflop from the small blind on the prior hand to take down the blinds and antes. On this hand, Panesis was on the button and once again moved all in, for 68,000 total.

Jesse Hale folded his small blind and then John McDonald made the call for 60,000 more out of the big blind.

Panesis emphatically slammed over the {K-Diamonds}

in a joking manner and then watched McDonald turn up pocket threes, {3-Spades}

. It would be a race with Panesis' tournament life on the line.

The first three cards didn't hit Panesis when it came {A-Clubs}

. The turn card brought a little sweat to the action when the {9-Spades}

fell, giving Panesis a bunch more outs. "It's never easy," commented the onlooking Hale.

The river fell the {A-Spades}

though, not what Panesis needed. "That's poker," he said after shaking the hands of the final three remaining players.

Panesis earned $25,116 for his 4th place finish.

Tags: "MacDaddy34"Evan Panesis Jesse Hale John McDonald

02-25-2009 18:06 UTC-5

Play Resumes

[user66118]

We're back in action with Level 14. During the last break, the purple T500 chips were colored up and raced off.

Level: 14

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 1,000

02-25-2009 17:59 UTC-5

Missed Value?

donpeters

Just before the break, Evan "MacDaddy34" Panesis raised to 15,000 from under the gun and Jesse Hale called on the button.

The flop came down {Q-Hearts}

and Panesis bet 15,000. Hale quickly called.

The turn brought the {8-Diamonds}

and both players checked. The river fell the {10-Clubs}

and Panesis checked to Hale. Hale thought for a few moments and then said, "I know a guy that got check-raised in this spot for a lot of chips." He then checked and said, "I have a straight."

He tabled {K-Diamonds}

and took down the pot.

Tags: "MacDaddy34"Evan Panesis Jesse Hale

02-25-2009 17:52 UTC-5

Updated Chip Counts at the Break

donpeters

Dennis Meierotto - 640,000
John McDonald - 338,000
Jesse Hale - 321,000
Evan "MacDaddy34" Panesis - 67,000

02-25-2009 17:49 UTC-5

Break Revisited

[user66118]

Once more, the clock has been paused, and the players are taking a 10-minute break.

02-25-2009 17:35 UTC-5

Pair v. Pair

[user66118]

David Meierotto opened with an under the gun raise to 23,000. When Evan Panesis folded, Jesse Hale made the call, and John McDonald ducked out from the big blind.

Heads up then, the flop revealed {2-Clubs}

. Both men checked.

The turn came the {4-Hearts}

. Hale took control now, confidently announcing, "Fifty thousand." Meierotto wasted little time stacking out ten yellow chips and raising to 100,000. Hale called.

Fifth street was the {5-Spades}

. Hale checked, Meierotto bet another 50,000, and Hale quickly called.

"Queen?" asked Hale as he waited to see his opponent's cards. Meierotto tabled {Q-Spades}

for the big full house. "Oh, you had all of them!" quipped Hale. He flashed his own cards, revealing {10-Diamonds}

. "That's the only way they're gonna get me."

Dennis Meierotto wins that whale of a pot, vaulting up to 650,000. Hale, on the other hand, has taken a step back to 200,000.

Tags: Dennis Meierotto Jesse Hale

02-25-2009 17:20 UTC-5

Hale Picks Up Another

donpeters

All smiles for Hale as he keeps building his stack

Dennis Meierotto limped in from the cutoff, Jesse Hale completed out of the small blind, and John McDonald checked in the big blind. The flop came down {10-Clubs}