Event 56 - $5,000 Six-handed No Limit Hold'em Day 1 | 2009 World Series of Poker

06-30-2009 19:01 UTC-12

Batista Bounced

Shamus

At the end of the previous level, a player on the button raised to 3,200, Chad Batista reraised to 15,000 from the small blind, his opponent pushed all in for 40,000, and Batista called with his remaining chips -- about 16,000 more.

Batista had {A-Spades}

, and his opponent {A-Hearts}

. The board came {Q-Spades}

, and Batista is out.

Tags: Chad Batista

06-30-2009 18:59 UTC-12

Less Than 200 Remain

Shamus

We're down to 198 players as we begin the last level of the night.

Level: 10

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 100

06-30-2009 18:57 UTC-12

Just When You Thought It Couldn't Be Better

Shamus

Lex Veldhuis just found himself all in on a flop of {A-Clubs}

against an opponent who held {5-Clubs}

. Good thing Veldhuis had {9-Clubs}

.

That's a pretty good spot. According to the PokerNews Poker Odds Calculator, Veldhuis is a 99.8% favorite there when the chips went in the middle.

It could get better, though. The turn was the {Q-Clubs}

.

Veldhuis has 120,000 now.

Tags: Lex Veldhuis

06-30-2009 18:51 UTC-12

Matthews Amassing Chips

Shamus

The biggest stack we've seen as we've been moving about the Amazon Room (where all players are now located) is the one sitting in front of Roy Matthews. He has 293,000 at the moment. (You might recall Matthews from that Dario Minieri bustout hand earlier in the day.)

When we get to the last level of the evening, we'll try to report on all of the bigger stacks we see as play winds down.

Tags: Roy Matthews

06-30-2009 18:39 UTC-12

The Mighty Ducks

Shamus

David "Raptor" Benefield just knocked out an opponent with {2-Diamonds}

versus

after the community cards came {5-Diamonds}

.

Benefield has 48,000.

Tags: David Benefield

06-30-2009 18:37 UTC-12

Davis Delivers Another Elimination

Shamus

Raymond Davis has been steadily chipping up all day, and just now managed to be up against a short-stacked opponent who was all in before the flop with {Q-Clubs}

to Davis'

.

The board came {A-Clubs}

, and another one bites the dust. Davis now has 145,000.

Tags: Raymond Davis

06-30-2009 18:32 UTC-12

As You Wish, Mr. Laak

Shamus

A player at Phil Laak's table limped in from the cutoff, but apparently not purposefully, as he made it known he'd grabbed the wrong chips when making his bet. It folded to Laak in the big blind who quickly raised to 17,000, leaving himself just 9,600 behind. The cutoff then reraised all in, and Laak called.

Laak had {A-Diamonds}

and his opponent {A-Clubs}

. The flop was {8-Spades}

, but the turn brought the {7-Hearts}

, giving Laak a pair. The river was the {10-Diamonds}

, and Laak survives with about 55,000.

"Don't blog that!" he cried with a big grin as he scooped the chips. "Okay, okay, okay! Blog it! What the hell... let the world know what a donkey I am!"

Tags: Phil Laak

06-30-2009 18:24 UTC-12

They're Dropping Like... Stuff That Drops Real Fast

Shamus

'Cos, well, flies... they don't drop, do they? Who here has seen a fly drop?

Just halfway through Level 9, and we've lost 50 more players since the last break. 226 remain. We'll very likely lose more than 50 more before night's end, which will make 80,000 a less than average-sized stack.

06-30-2009 18:20 UTC-12

Ferguson Drops Small One

Shamus

A player raised from under the gun, and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson reraised to 9,000. It folded to the player in the big blind who pushed all in for 10,500. The original raiser folded, and Ferguson called.

Ferguson showed {A-Diamonds}