Event 26 - $1,500 Limit Hold'em | 2009 World Series of Poker

06-14-2009 14:04 UTC-12

Tam Taking Over

Shamus

Jason Tam is on a brief rush here after the dinner break, and with the blinds and limits this high, things can change rapidly in just a couple of hands.

After taking a couple of hands off of each of his opponents, a hand came up where Tomas Alenius raised his button, and Tam called from the big blind. The flop came {3-Spades}

. Tam checked, Alenius bet, Tam check-raised, and Alenius called. The turn was the {6-Clubs}

, and once again Tam checked, Alenius bet, Tam check-raised and Alenius called.

The river was the {K-Spades}

and both checked. Tam showed {10-Hearts}

for the flopped two pair, and Alenius {A-Diamonds}

. Tam is way up over 1.8 million now, Alenius down to 720,000, and Barbieri down to 290,000.

Tags: Jason Tam

06-14-2009 14:08 UTC-12

Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri Eliminated in 3rd Place ($80,072)

[user25067]

Al Barbieri raised from the button, Jason Tam three-bet from the small blind and Barbieri made the call. The flop came down {A-Spades}

and Tam led out. Barbieri raised, Tam three-bet, Barbieri four-bet and Tam called. The turn came the {7-Hearts}

. Tam led out and Barbieri called all in for 15,000.

Barbieri {J-Spades}

Tam

The river was the {4-Diamonds}

and the ever-colorful "Sugar Bear" hit the rail in third place, leaving Tam and Tomas Alenius heads-up for the bracelet.

06-14-2009 14:12 UTC-12

Heads-Up Chip Counts

[user25067]

The bracelet is on the table and cards are in the air. Jason Tam enters heads-up play with a 3-1 chip lead over his opponent, Tomas Alenius.

Jason Tam 2,175,000
Tomas Alenius 720,000

06-14-2009 14:19 UTC-12

Doubting Tomas

Shamus

After a few hands of heads up, Jason Tam had Tomas Alenius down to about 420,000. Then Alenius took three small pots in a row. Next came a hand in which Tam raised from the small blind/button, and Alenius called.

The flop came {3-Spades}

. Alenius checked, Tam bet, and Alenius called. The turn was the {8-Clubs}

, and again Alenius check-called Tam.

The river was the {A-Diamonds}

, and Alenius again checked in same fashion as he had on the previous streets. Tam touched his chips, but then looked at Alenius and decided to check behind.

Tam turned over {7-Spades}

, but Alenius had {A-Clubs}

for the rivered pair of aces. Alenius has inched back up to 920,000 to Tam's almost two million.

06-14-2009 14:31 UTC-12

Advantage Alenius

Shamus

After a series of small victories, Tomas Alenius has chipped up enough to overtake the lead from Jason Tam.

Alenius now has about 1.5 million to Tam's 1.4 million.

06-14-2009 14:33 UTC-12

The Final Act

Shamus

It's a relatively tranquil scene here in our corner of the Amazon Room as Tomas Alenius and Jason Tam battle it out to decide who will claim the next WSOP gold bracelet.

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.

06-14-2009 14:43 UTC-12

Alenius Takes Two from Tam

[user25067]

Jason Tam raised from the button and Tomas Alenius called. The flop came down {6-Diamonds}

. Alenius checked, Tam bet, Alenius put in the check-raise and Tam called. The turn was the {A-Clubs}

and Alenius led out. Now Tam raised and Alenius made the call. The river was the {8-Hearts}

and both players checked.

Tam showed {4-Clubs}

but Alenius had him one better with {5-Clubs}

, 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 {J-Diamonds}

flop and Tam called. The turn was the {9-Spades}

and Alenius check-called a bet from Tam. The river fell the {K-Clubs}

and both players checked.

Alenius showed {A-Hearts}

and Tam mucked. He's down to around 875,000 while Alenius has about 2 million.

06-14-2009 14:54 UTC-12

Tam Takes Back

Shamus

Jason Tam opened with a raise on the button, and Tomas Alenius called. The flop came {4-Clubs}

. Alenius checked, Tam bet, and Alenius called. Both checked the {K-Spades}

on the turn. The river brought the {5-Hearts}

. Alenius checked, Tam bet, and Alenius paused for a few beats, then called. Tam showed {8-Diamonds}

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.

Level: 26

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 0

06-14-2009 15:02 UTC-12

Swinging Back and Forth

[user25067]

Neither player is giving up easily in this heads-up battle. Though Tam swung as low as 870,000 after dropping two consecutive pots to Alenius, he was able to recover within only a few hands and currently holds 1.1 million to Alenius' 1.7 million.

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.