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

06-14-2009 11:11 UTC-12

Comeback Strategies

Shamus

"A short stack at a final table is better than a big stack anywhere else." So said Demetrios Arvanetes just now to his friends on the rail. Relatively speaking, we have more short stacks than not left in the tourney at the moment, given Al Barbieri's significant chip lead.

"Can we change games?" Arvanetes later cracked. "Let's change to PLO right now!"

06-14-2009 11:16 UTC-12

Tam's Turn

Shamus

Jason Tam raised from the cutoff, and it folded back around to Al Barbieri who called from the big blind. The flop came {K-Hearts}

. Barbieri checked, Tam bet, and Barbieri called. It also went check-bet-call on the turn -- the {6-Diamonds}

-- and the river -- the {10-Hearts}

.

Tam quickly turned over {Q-Spades}

for the flopped straight, and Barbieri mucked. Tam is up to about 550,000 now -- second place at the moment -- while Barbieri still holds the lead with just over a million.

06-14-2009 11:32 UTC-12

Sugar Bear Decimates Arvanetes

[user25067]

Demetrios "Jimmy" Arvanetes raised from the small blind and Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri looked him up from the big.

The flop was {A-Diamonds}

. Arvanetes bet and Barbieri called. The turn was the {6-Clubs}

and Arvanetes check-raised Barbieri's turn bet. Barbieri considered a moment, then made the call. The river was the {5-Hearts}

. Arvanetes bet again and after a bit of a think, Barbieri called.

Arvanetes showed {A-Hearts}

only to have Barbieri turn over {A-Spades}

, his kicker playing to take down the pot.

"Nice slowroll," said Arvanetes as he shuffled his four remaining 5,000-denomination chips.

"Slowroll?" replied Barbieri in disbelief.

"You were actually thinking of folding that hand?" queried Arvanetes, who was left with only 20,000 in chips after the hand.

06-14-2009 11:34 UTC-12

Jimmy Gets a Few Back

[user25067]

Jimmy Arvanetes bet his remaining 20,000 from the cutoff, Al Barbieri raised from the button, and Tomas Alenius called from the big blind. Alenius and Barbieri checked down the {Q-Spades}

board.

Barbieri turned up {A-Hearts}

but Arvanetes had paired up on the flop with his {K-Spades}

and doubled up to 40,000.

06-14-2009 11:41 UTC-12

Demetrios Arvanetes Eliminated in 5th Place ($40,681)

Shamus

After that double up, Demetrios Arvanetes managed to survive again -- more than tripling up this time. "One happy guy and four miserable guys," he joked afterwards. But the blinds were quickly coming back around again, and time was running out.

Finally came a hand in which Tomas Alenius raised from the button, Glenn Engelbert called from the small blind, and Arvenetes three-bet from the BB, leaving himself just 10,000 behind. Both of his opponents called.

The flop came {3-Clubs}

. Engelbert checked, Arvanetes tossed in his last two orange (5000) chips, and both called. The turn was the {2-Clubs}

. Engelbert reached for his chips, then decided just to check. Alenius checked, too.

The river was the {J-Clubs}

, and both checked once more. Engelbert showed {7-Spades}

-- more than enough to beat Alenius' {K-Clubs}

and Arvanetes' {A-Spades}

.

We're down to four.

Tags: Demetrios Arvanetes

06-14-2009 11:54 UTC-12

Sugar Bear Drops Three in a Row

[user25067]

Once at the lofty heights of 1.5 million in chips, Al Barbieri just dropped three pots in a row-- folding on the river to a bet from Glenn Engelbert, folding to a turn bet from Engelbert in a multi-way pot with Jason Tam, and then tangling with Tam in an interesting pot where both players' junk hands connected with the board.

Barbieri and Tam saw a flop of {8-Spades}

from the blinds. Barbieri led out, Tam raised and Barbieri called. Both players checked the {2-Clubs}

on the turn. The river was the {A-Hearts}

and Sugar Bear check-called one more bet.

It was {6-Spades}

for Barbieri, who flopped top pair and a gutshot. Tam flopped a gutshot as well, but went runner-runner and rivered the wheel with {3-Diamonds}

to take it down.

Barbieri is still on a bit over a million in chips while Tam is up to 660,000.

Level: 24

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 0

06-14-2009 12:01 UTC-12

Sevens Lucky for Alenius

Shamus

Glenn Engelbert raised from the cutoff, and it folded back to Tomas Alenius who called from the big blind. The flop came {J-Hearts}

. Alenius checked, Engelbert bet, and Alenius called. The turn was the {6-Spades}

, and again Alenius checked, Engelbert bet, and Alenius called.

The river was the {10-Spades}

, and both players checked. Alenius showed {9-Diamonds}

for a pair of sevens, and Engelbert tossed his {A-Clubs}

to the dealer.

06-14-2009 12:02 UTC-12

Change Atop the Leaderboard

Shamus

After that hand with Glenn Engelbert, Tomas Alenius won a couple more to push into the chip lead. And Jason Tam has also chipped up past Al Barbieri. Here are the updated counts:

Tomas Alenius -- 915,000
Jason Tam -- 810,000
Al Barbieri -- 750,000
Glenn Engelbert -- 300,000

06-14-2009 12:11 UTC-12

Barbieri Puts Engelbert on the Ropes

[user25067]

Glenn Engelbert raised from the small blind and Al Barbieri made the call from the big blind.

The flop came down {A-Spades}

. Engelbert checked, Barbieri bet, Engelbert raised, Barbieri made it three bets and Engelbert called.

The turn was the {9-Clubs}

and Barbieri immediately bet out. Engelbert tanked for about a minute before making the call. The river fell the {6-Diamonds}

and Barbieri fired again. Engelbert made what appeared to be a resigned call.

Barbieri showed {A-Clubs}

for top two pair and Engelbert mucked in disgust. He's left with only 40,000 in chips.