Event 35 - $1,500 Seven Card Stud | 2008 World Series of Poker

06-20-2008 18:22 UTC-7

Tight Since the Break

[user75032]

Since coming back from the unscheduled bathroom break, the players have been trading bring-ins and antes. Not a single hand has gone past fourth street.

06-20-2008 18:27 UTC-7

Updated Chip Counts

[user75032]

Al Barbieri - 485,000
Levon Torosyan - 380,000
Mike Rocco - 280,000

06-20-2008 18:29 UTC-7

With the chips much more evenly distributed than they were a half an hour ago, play has tightened considerably. It is rare to see fifth street. We anticipated that it may be at least an hour and a half before our next elimination.

06-20-2008 18:32 UTC-7

Barbieri Takes One Down

[user75032]

Al Barbieri has a bunch of work to do to rebuild his chip empire. He started by taking a nice pot off of Levon Torosyan. Barbieri made two pair, nines and sevens, by fourth street, against Torosyan's board of x-x / {A-Diamonds}

. Barbieri raised Torosyan's bet on fourth, then called the whole way when Torosyan led every street thereafter. Torosyan bet the river dark, showing x-x / {A-Diamonds}

/ x; Barbieri called dark with his unimproved two pair, nines and sevens. Torosyan quickly mucked.

06-20-2008 18:38 UTC-7

Rocco Chips Up

[user66118]

Michael Rocco called the bring in, and Levon Torosyan completed it. Rocco raised back, and Torosyan called.

Rocco: x-x / {4-Diamonds}

/ x
Torosyan: x-x / {7-Diamonds}

/ x

Rocco had the lead, and he bet on every street. Torosyan called down the whole way. When the betting was complete, Rocco flipped up his hand: {Q-Spades}

/

. His triple queens were good enough to take it down, and he increases his chip stack by almost 100,000.

06-20-2008 18:42 UTC-7

Barbieri Draws Too Good

[user75032]

Al Barbieri, with the low card on board {10-Hearts}

, elected to complete the bring-in. He was called by Mike Rocco's {A-Hearts}

. On fourth street, Barbieri caught the {4-Hearts}

, but saw Rocco pull the {10-Spades}

. Barbieri bet after Rocco checked, and again Rocco called. On fifth Barbieri pulled his third heart, the {K-Hearts}

, against Rocco's {6-Spades}

. Rocco again checked, then folded when Barbieri bet. Barbieri showed a ten and a four in the hole.

06-20-2008 18:45 UTC-7

Updated Chip Counts

[user75032]

Al Barbieri - 600,000
Levon Torosyan - 300,000
Mike Rocco - 245,000

06-20-2008 18:49 UTC-7

Barbieri Draws Too Good (A Continuing Series)

[user75032]

It's good to be the king, and it's good to be Al Barbieri. After bringing it in with the {6-Hearts}

, Barbieri pulled three more hearts to show four open hearts on his board against Levon Torosyan's {10-Diamonds}

. Torosyan folded to Barbieri's bet on sixth street, after Barbieri had called the whole way. Barbieri is back on his way to reclaiming the large chip advantage he had at the start of three-handed play.

06-20-2008 18:51 UTC-7

Aces Full, Michael

[user66118]

Levon Torosyan and Michael Rocco just got tangled up again in a man-to-man battle. Torosyan brought it in with the {7-Hearts}

, and Rocco called with his {J-Hearts}

.

Rocco picked up the {10-Hearts}

on fourth street, and he bet out. Torosyan's {8-Clubs}

was good enough for him to call.

On fifth and sixth streets, Torosyan led out both times with his {A-Diamonds}

,

, and Rocco called with his {Q-Clubs}

,

respectively. Torosyan bet again on seventh, and Rocco called.

Levon Torosyan showed down the winner: {7-Hearts}

/

. His full house is plenty good enough to award him the pot.

06-20-2008 18:57 UTC-7

Barbieri Takes Three in a Row

[user75032]

Al Barbieri has taken back all the momentum, He took a small pot from Mike Rocco on fourth street, then punished Levon Torosyan in back-to-back hands. First, Barbieri made an open pair of aces on sixth street against Torosyan's board of all small cards, prompting a quick fold from Torosyan.

Then, on the very next hand, Barbieri started with the {Q-Hearts}

against Torosyan's {5-Hearts}

. Torosyan made open fives on fourth street against Barbieri's {J-Hearts}

and double-bet them. Barbieri called anyway. They went all the way down to the river, checking the river through. Barbieri had a pair of queens. Torosyan looked at his hand three times, muttered an expletive under his breath, then angrily mucked his hand.

Barbieri now has about 800,000 chips and is in command of the tournament.