Event 26 - $1,500 Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 26 - $1,500 Limit Hold'em
Day: 3
Event Info
2009 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Entries
643
Level
26
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0
Players Left 1 / 643
Filter
There were 15 players left standing after the first two days and 20 levels of play, at which point Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri held the chip advantage. When play began today, escalating stakes quickly caught up with half of the field, and in just two levels the field had shrunk to six players.
With six left, Barbieri was still the clear leader with nearly 1.2 million chips, with Glenn Engelbert his nearest competitor at the time with 465,000. However, after the shorter-stacked players, Dominik Kulicki and Demetrios Arvanetes, went out in sixth and fifth, respectively, Engelbert found himself on the slide. Unfortunately for him, Engelbert found it necessary to commit the last of his chips on a hand when Alenius held pocket aces, and he went out in fourth.
The three remaining players -- Barbieri, Alenius, and Jason Tam -- were nearly even in chips when three-handed began, but Sugar Bear quickly lost ground and was out in third. When heads-up play began, Tam had a 3-to-1 chip advantage with 2.175 million to Alenius' 720,000. But with limits of 40,000/80,000 -- and eventually 50,000/100,000 -- a couple of good hands could change things quickly.
And change they did. After over an hour of back-and-forthing, Alenius had the big advantage, and eventually all of the chips. Congratulations to Tomas Alenius, champion of Event No. 26!
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Tam
Alenius
Alenius' railbirds were clapping and cheering for their man as the cards were turned over, and they erupted as the board ran out
to give him the win a career-high score of $197,488 and his first WSOP bracelet. For his runner-up finish, Jason Tam earned $122,000.
. Alenius checked, Tam bet, Alenius check-raised, and Tam called. The turn was the . Alenius bet, and Tam called.The river was the
. Alenius bet again, and with a wincing expression Tam made the call. Alenius turned over 
for the rivered full house, while Tam showed 
for the beaten flush. "Sick," said Tam, as the pot was pushed his opponent's way. Alenius has taken the upper hand again with 2.2 million to Tam's 500,000.
With the blinds up to 50,000-100,000, a typical pot is in the 400,000 range and there are only 28 big bets in play at present. From where we stand, it looks like whomever can go on a good run first is going to take down this bracelet.
Level: 26
Blinds: 0/0
Ante: 0
. Alenius checked, Tam bet, and Alenius called. Both checked the on the turn. The river brought the 
. Alenius checked, Tam bet, and Alenius paused for a few beats, then called. Tam showed 
for the rivered straight, and Alenius mucked.That pot plus a couple of others brings the pair back close to even again, with Tam at 1.4 million and Alenius 1.5 million.
. Alenius checked, Tam bet, Alenius put in the check-raise and Tam called. The turn was the 
and Alenius led out. Now Tam raised and Alenius made the call. The river was the 
and both players checked. Tam showed
but Alenius had him one better with , taking down the pot with a pair of fives. Two hands later, Tam raised again from the button and Alenius called. Alenius check-raised the
flop and Tam called. The turn was the 
and Alenius check-called a bet from Tam. The river fell the 
and both players checked. Alenius showed
and Tam mucked. He's down to around 875,000 while Alenius has about 2 million.
With the other tourneys all on break and just a few heads-up matches going on nearby, there is not a lot of noise surrounding the two competitors. They are keeping mostly quiet as well, only occasionally sharing brief exchanges about recently folded hands.
The pair are just about even in chips at the moment, with both having approximately 1.45 million.
Alenius now has about 1.5 million to Tam's 1.4 million.
