Event 49 - $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. Day 1 | 2009 World Series of Poker

06-26-2009 11:33 UTC-12

Lindgren Fills Up Against Hansen

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Erick Lindgren looking for another $50k HORSE final table

Stud

Hansen: (X-X) {7-Hearts}

(X)
Lindgren: (X-X) {Q-Diamonds}

(X)
Sitar: (X-X) {K-Clubs}

Bill Chen brought in with the {7-Clubs}

with Gus Hansen completing. Erick Lindgren then raised before Dustin Sitar reraised. Chen folded, Hansen and Lindgren both made the call.

Sitar led the betting on fourth and then folded on fifth when Lindgren took control of the betting.

Things got messy on sixth when Lindgren bet and Hansen raised. Lindgren then reraised with Hansen calling.

On the river, Lindgren fired one more bet with Hansen looking him up.

Hansen: {7-Hearts}

(X-X-X)
Lindgren: {Q-Diamonds}

(

)

Lindgren tabled a full boat to take it down as Hansen mucked. Lindgren moves to 170,000 with the "Great Dane" down to 130,000.

Tags: Dustin Sitar Erick Lindgren Gus Hansen

06-26-2009 11:33 UTC-12

Slot Machine Hits for Benyamine

[user25067]

Hold'em

Mikhail Tulchinsky raised from the button, David Singer made it three bets from the small blind, David Benyamine four-bet from the big blind and both Tulchinsky and Singer called.

The flop came down {J-Hearts}

. Singer checked, Benyamine bet and both Tulchinsky and Singer called. The turn was the {Q-Diamonds}

. Singer checked, Benyamine bet, Tulchinsky folded and Singer called. Singer check-called another bet from Benyamine on the river when the {4-Clubs}

fell.

Benyamine showed {7-Clubs}

for a set of sevens and took it down.

06-26-2009 11:34 UTC-12

Break

[user67765]

The players are now taking a 20-minute break.

Level: 3

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 0

06-26-2009 11:53 UTC-12

Play Resumes

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The players are back and cards are in the air. We'll have the late registrations for you shortly.

06-26-2009 11:54 UTC-12

Late Registrations

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As the cut off for registrations has now passed, we've seen the last of the big name players arrive for the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship.

Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, Tony G and Nikolay Evdakov have all been spotted, as has Barry Greenstein who dropped off his registration ticket before heading back to the final table of the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em event.

06-26-2009 12:06 UTC-12

Flashback: 2008 H.O.R.S.E - Scotty Rocks the World Baby!

[user67765]

Last year the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E event caught the attention of the mainstream media, perhaps not all for the right reasons. Scotty Nguyen’s rather “entertaining” performance on the final table was not well received by many, as a combination of his beverage consumption and sharp tongue got him into a little hot water.

However, let’s not let that detract from his wonderful performance this time last year.

Nguyen’s victory in the 2008 H.O.R.S.E. year saw him collect his 5th WSOP bracelet and elevated him into a newly-formed elite group that has won the WSOP Main Event and $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. titles. At the moment, Nguyen is the lone member. Nguyen overcame a field of 148 of the best in the world, and Michael DeMichele heads-up battle to net $1,989,120 in prize money. That final table also featured the likes of Erick Lindgren, Barry Greenstein and Huck Seed.

In a career spanning more than two decades, Nguyen has come from humble beginnings to now be one of most recognizable faces of the poker industry. The bling and infamous call of “Hey baby” are part of the Nguyen persona on the felt, attracting thousands of new fans to poker from all around the world.

Since last year’s victory, Nguyen has continued his fine form with results in France, England, Australia as well as the United States, highlighted by a final table at the WPT Championships, and a win in the H.O.R.S.E. Championship at the L.A. Poker Classic.

Nguyen famously declared that he would win $4 million by this year’s WSOP. At the moment, he’s a tick under $4 million short of that figure, so expect a big couple of weeks ahead for the “Prince of Poker”.

Tags: Scotty Nguyen

06-26-2009 12:15 UTC-12

Billirakis Sails to Chip Lead

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Stud-8

Stud-8 can sometimes be a nightmare for the humble reporter. We arrive at the table, write down a minimum of fourteen cards over five streets of betting only to discover the pot is chopped!

Well, we recently observed a massive hand between Greg Raymer, Steve Billirakis and Jerry Buss that we assumed was going to be chopped but it was scoopage time with Billirakis taking it down to storm out to the tournament chip lead.

Billirakis: (X-X) {2-Spades}

(X)
Buss: (X-X) {6-Hearts}

(X)
Raymer: (X-X) {A-Diamonds}

The action was capped on third street, before Buss fired on fourth. Raymer called and Billirakis raised. Both Buss and Billirakis called.

On fifth, Billirakis took the lead, but Buss led again on sixth. Billirakis raised as Raymer had had enough, but once again Buss and Billirakis got into a raising war with each putting in five bets.

On the river, Buss led out once more with Billirakis making the call.

Billirakis: ( {2-Clubs}

)

(

)
Buss: ( {3-Clubs}

)

(

)

Buss had two pair with a low draw but bricked the river as Billirakis scooped with a full house to assume the chip lead with 240,000 chips.

Tags: Greg Raymer Jerry Buss Steve Billirakis

06-26-2009 12:25 UTC-12

Lisandro Takes It with Kings Up

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Stud

Mike Matusow (X)(X) {J-Hearts}

(X)
Jeff Lisandro (X)(X) {K-Clubs}

(X)

Ray Dehkharghani completed on third street with the {8-Spades}

, Mike Matusow raised, Jeff Lisandro reraised, Dehkharghani folded and Matusow called. Lisandro led out on every subsequent street and Matusow called him down.

Lisandro turned up {K-Hearts}