2012 World Series of Poker

Event 45: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Day: 1
Event Info

2012 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
qj98
Prize
$1,451,527
Event Info
Buy-in
$50,000
Entries
108
Level Info
Level
22
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0

Spinks Rivers Flush Against Kihara

No-Limit Hold'em

Gus Hansen started off the action with a raise to 1,300 and Jon Spinks called in the cutoff. Newly crowned World Series of Poker bracelet winner Naoya Kihara, who won the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha 6-max, called from the big blind giving us three-way action on the flop.

The flop came down {10-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{3-Diamonds}, and Kihara lead out for 2,200. Hansen played a little with his chips, before casually tossing in the call. Spinks called as well, and the turn was the {A-Spades}.

Kihara wasn't done with the hand as he fired out another 6,200, getting Hansen to let go of his hand right away. Spinks grabbed the chips necessary for the call, and that gave us river action.

The river was the {J-Diamonds} and Kihara checked to Spinks who quickly bet 16,800. Kihara didn't seem too happy, but he made the call. Spinks turned over {K-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds} and took down this big pot with a flush. Kihara mucked his cards, but he still has more chips than Spinks.

Player Chips Progress
Naoya Kihara jp
Naoya Kihara
WSOP 1X Winner
180,200 -27,800
Jon Spinks gb
Jon Spinks
178,500 28,500

Tags: Jon SpinksNaoya Kihara

Hellmuth in the House

We saw a tall man donned in black wandering the tournament floor greeting the players and shaking hands. It didn't take us long to realize it was none other than 12-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.

After shaking hands with everyone at Table 457, Hellmuth occupied the seat left by the recently departed David Singer. The "Poker Brat" is no doubt looking to improve upon last year's runner-up finish in this event, though it won't be easy going as he's seated with the likes of Barry Greenstein, Michael Mizrachi and Allen Cunningham.

Bruno Fitoussi is also seated at that table, so at least Hellmuth has someone to reminisce with on what it's like to come up just shy of a Poker Player's Championship title (Fitoussi finished runner-up to Freddy Deeb in 2007).

Player Chips Progress
Phil Hellmuth us
Phil Hellmuth
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 17X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
150,000

Tags: Phil Hellmuth

A Look Back at the 2009 Poker Player’s Championship

Level 3
David Bach after winning the Poker Player's Championship in 2009.
David Bach after winning the Poker Player's Championship in 2009.

For the first time in four year, the 2009 Poker Player's Championship wasn't slated to be aired on television. The result was the smallest turnout to date, just 95 players who created a $4,560,000 prize pool. With that said, we're sure David Bach didn't mind as he still took home a healthy first-place prize of $1,276,806.

PlacePlayerPrize
1David Bach$1,276,806
2John Hanson$789,199
3Erik Sagstrom$522,393
4Vitaly Lunkin$368,812
5Huck Seed$276,609
6Ville Wahlbeck$219,655
7Chau Giang$184,087
8Erik Seidel$162,381
9Gus Hansen$123,895
10Mike Wattel$123,895
11Raymond Dehkharghani$99,590
12David Chiu$99,590
13Tony G$83,630
14Freddy Deeb$83,630
15Steve Billirakis$72,914
16John Kabbaj$72,914

Tags: David Bach

"And You Feel Like a Man Now?"

No-Limit Hold'em

Antony Lellouche opened for 1,300 and cleared the field all the way around to Shaun Deeb on the button. He made the call, as did Owais Ahmed and Anton Allemann in the blinds, and it was four-handed to the {5-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}{7-Clubs} flop.

Ahmed quickly checked, but Allemann wasn't so quick to act. He took his time before betting 3,800, Lellouche folded, and Deeb made the call. After Ahmed got out of the way, the dealer burned and turned the {K-Spades}. Allemann slowed down with a check, opening the door for Deeb to bet 6,100. Allemann laid down his hand and Deeb proudly rolled over {10-Clubs}{8-Clubs}.

"And you feel like a man now?" Allemann asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I had the best hand," Deeb replied with a smile.

Allemann dropped to 61,000 after the hand, which means he must have lost a considerably bigger pot prior to tangling with Deeb.

Player Chips Progress
Shaun Deeb us
Shaun Deeb
WSOP 6X Winner
210,000 17,000
Anton Allemann ch
Anton Allemann
61,000 -89,000

Tags: Antony LelloucheAnton AllemannOwais AhmedShaun Deeb

Two Pair for Berman

Limit Hold'em

Bruno Fitoussi fired a bet on the {10-Diamonds}{7-Spades}{5-Spades}{K-Diamonds} board and Lyle Berman raised. Behind him, Barry Greenstein made the call. Fitoussi also called.

The river completed the board with the {8-Clubs} and Fitoussi checked. Berman bet, Greenstein folded and Fitoussi called.

Berman tabled two pair with the {K-Clubs}{5-Hearts} and Fitoussi mucked his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Bruno Fitoussi fr
Bruno Fitoussi
295,000 20,000
Lyle Berman us
Lyle Berman
WSOP 3X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
196,000 24,000
Barry Greenstein us
Barry Greenstein
110,000 -15,000

Tags: Bruno FitoussiLyle BermanBarry Greenstein

First Elimination: David Singer

David Singer
David Singer

Pot-Limit Omaha

The first player just got eliminated when David Singer lost his stack to Bruno Fitoussi. There was already plenty of action going on when we arrived on the scene, and it looked like this.

Singer had an orange 1,000 chip out in front of him, and he was in the hijack. Fitoussi was to his direct left and he had 2,300 out in front. Lyle Berman had called from the button as did Michael Mizrachi who was in the big blind. The action was on Singer who announced a pot bet. Mizrachi immediately said the total bet was 11,800, and Singer threw out the chips. Fitoussi tanked for a bit before calling after which Berman and Mizrachi folded.

The flop came down {A-Spades}{5-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}, and Singer bet 17,000. Fitoussi only needed five seconds to make up his mind, and he put in the call.

The turn was the {6-Spades} and Singer checked quickly. Fitoussi grabbed a big stack of chips and announced a pot bet. The total bet was 52,500 and Singer went into the tank. After a solid minute Singer moved all in, and Fitoussi snap called.

David Singer{A-Clubs}{A-Hearts}{K-Spades}{K-Clubs}
Bruno Fitoussi{9-Diamonds}{8-Hearts}{7-Spades}{6-Hearts}

Fitoussi had the nut straight, but he still needed to dodge the board from pairing. Singer was looking for an ace, five, four or six in order to stay alive, but the river was the {8-Spades}. No luck for Singer who quickly got up and left the tournament area. Bruno Fitoussi grabbed the chip lead as he moved up to 275,000.

Player Chips Progress
Bruno Fitoussi fr
Bruno Fitoussi
275,000 127,000
David Singer
David Singer
Busted

Tags: Bruno FitoussiDavid SingerLyle BermanMichael Mizrachi

Quads for Hennigan

John Hennigan
John Hennigan

Stud-8

We didn't catch all the action, but we did see John Hennigan just take down half a 25,000 pot with quads. His up cards showed {6-Clubs}{2-Clubs}{6-Spades}{K-Diamonds}, and the table awed upon seeing his down cards . . . {K-Spades}{K-Clubs}{K-Hearts}.

Unfortunately for Hennigan, he only got half as Gus Hansen had a low. Even so, they chopped up Justin Bonomo's money and increased their respective stacks.

Player Chips Progress
Gus Hansen dk
Gus Hansen
WSOP 1X Winner
Winamax
160,000 17,000
John Hennigan us
John Hennigan
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
150,000 5,000
Justin Bonomo us
Justin Bonomo
WSOP 3X Winner
94,000 -41,000

Tags: John HenniganGus HansenJustin Bonomo