2013 World Series of Poker

Event #62: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
Day: 2ab
Event Info
2013 World Series of Poker
Final Results
Winner
Ryan Riess
Winning Hand
ak
Prize
$8,361,570
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Total Entries
6,352
Level Info
Level
40
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
200,000
Players Left 1 / 6,352
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Fortunate Turn Helps Merson Oust Harig Again

Greg Merson
Greg Merson

A year ago Wilfried Harig made a deep run to Day 7 of the WSOP Main Event, ultimately falling in 15th place in a hand versus the eventual champion Greg Merson after committing the last of his stack with {A-Spades}{A-Clubs} versus Merson's {K-Spades}{J-Diamonds}, then watching as a king fell on the flop then a jack on the turn to give Merson the better hand.

Harig just now found himself engaged in battle with Merson once again, and unfortunately for the German player the results were uncannily similar.

The hand began with a middle position raise to 1,800 followed by a call from Olivier Busquet playing from one seat over. Harig called as well from the hijack, then Merson reraised to 7,100 from the cutoff seat and it folded all of the way back around to Harig who thought a few moments, then called.

The flop came {5-Spades}{9-Spades}{8-Hearts} and Harig checked. Merson tossed out a bet of 10,700, then after a half-minute Harig check-raised to 25,000. Merson didn't waste too much time before putting out chips and declaring an all-in shove, and Harig called all in even more quickly.

Harig: {8-Clubs}{8-Spades}
Merson: {9-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds}

Merson had flopped top two pair, but Harig had a set of eights and a big advantage with two cards to come. Alas for Harig, the turn brought the {9-Clubs}. Much like a year ago, fourth street had been cruel to Harig, in this case giving Merson the better full house. In fact, Harig was already drawing dead as the {J-Clubs} meaninglessly fell on the river.

Harig shook Merson's hand and departed, and Dan Fleyshman called over from across the table.

"Kind of felt like it was coming?" said Fleyshman to Merson, who grinned in response as he stacked the chips.

Perhaps after what happened on Day 7 in 2012, Merson did. Meanwhile, as the next hand was dealt the table spoke of what had just happened as well as what happened between the two players a year ago.

A little later Merson tweeted about the hand, again recalling the earlier one with Harig:

Greg MersonJust got super lucky against harig. Doubt he could run worse vs me lifetime. Good sport though, somehow was able to shake my hand after :/

Tags: Greg MersonWilfried Harig

Watts Gets One from Lichtenberger

Steve Watts (earlier in the series)
Steve Watts (earlier in the series)

The hand started with Steven Watts opening to 2,000 from under the gun plus one. The player in the cut-off called, before Andrew Lichtenberger chose to raise it up to 7,200 from the small blind. Watts made the call, as the other player got out of the way.

The flop came down {10-Clubs}{6-Spades}{j-Spades} before Andrew Lichtenberger bet out 8,400. With the decision on Watts, he paused for a moment, before announcing all in, covering his opponent. Lichtenberger thought about his decision for nearly a minute, before opting to release his hand.

After the hand, Watts moved up to 95,000, as Lichtenberger dropped down to 38,000 in chips.

Tags: Andrew LichtenbergerSteven Watts

Romano Forced To Fold a Set?

Ray Romano
Ray Romano

Ray Romano is getting shorter and with all eyes on him he's trying not to make any mistakes.

A player under the gun + 1 raised to 1,700. The player in the hijack, Romano, the small blind, and the big blind all called creating a five-way pot heading to the flop.

The board came down {J-Spades}{2-Hearts}{9-Spades} and both blinds checked to the orignal raiser. He pushed out a bet of 7,000 that only Romano and the small blind called.

The turn was the {Q-Clubs} and once again the small blind checked to the original raiser. The player announced an all in for a total of 44,000.

"How much is it," Romano asked who was next to act. He put his hand on his head and counted his chips several times. It would've costed Romano more than half his stack to make the call. After a few seconds, Romano pulled his hat down over his face and announced that he was folding. Oddly though, Romano held onto his cards, even with another player still to act. The player in the small blind folded as well and the pot was awarded to the original raiser.

Romano still didn't release his cards though. He held his cards as if he was about to turn them up, but eventually tossed them into the muck, stating that he had "nines," which would've been middle set. Whether or not he had pocket nines or not is still a mystery though, as he never showed the cards and sent them into the muck just a few seconds after the hand.

Habib Takes a Beat?

We found Hasan Habib with a bet of 3,000 in front of him on a flop of {k-Spades}{k-Hearts}{3-Spades}. According to a player at the table, he had check-raised the flop after calling a raise out of the big blind. His opponent made the call. The turn brought an interesting card: {k-Clubs}. Habib decided on a small bet of 3,000. His opponent again called. The river was the {q-Hearts}, and Habib check-called 6,500. His opponent tabled {a-Hearts}{q-Spades} for a rivered full house, and Habib stood up and muttered something as he mucked his hand.

Tags: Hasan Habib

From the Bronze and Red

Buckner Busts Bicknell

Kristen Bicknell
Kristen Bicknell

We arrived at the table on the river with over 40,000 already in the pot and {5-Spades}{9-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{9-Hearts}{2-Diamonds} on the board. Steven “Cuz” Buckner and Kristen Bicknell, who won Event #51: $10,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’Em Championship, were the only players in the pot. Buckner moved all in with a covering stack. Bicknell had about 25,000 left, and thought for a minute before announcing a call. Buckner turned over {a-Hearts}{a-Diamonds}, and nearly jumped out of his chair with excitement when Bicknell quietly slid her cards to the dealer.

After the hand, Bucker was up to 133,00 in chips, and Bicknell made her way to the exit.

Tags: Kristen BicknellSteve BucknerSteven Buckner

Vandersmissen Doubles an Opponent, Then Doubles Himself

After a series of bets and raises, it appeared as if Anton Morgenstern was all in and at risk preflop against Kevin Vandersmissen. After all, both players had their cards exposed, Morgenstern with {a-Hearts}{k-Hearts} and Vandersmissen with {q-Spades}{q-Clubs}, but the dealer was unsure if action was completed.

Finally, a tournament director was beckoned, and he ruled that the players were all in due to assumed action.

The board rolled out {9-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}{2-Spades}{6-Diamonds}, and Morgenstern doubled. Vandersmissen was left with just 19,000 or so.

A few hands later, the Belgian was all in and at risk with {2-Hearts}{2-Clubs} against an opponent's {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}. This time his pair held up against the overcards as the flop, turn, and river produced {4-Diamonds}{8-Spades}{q-Hearts}{3-Spades}{3-Clubs}, and Vandersmissen doubled to 40,000 chips.

Tags: Kevin VandersmissenAnton Morgenstern

Eric Mizrachi Crunched

Eric Mizrachi has been eliminated after nursing a short stack for much of the afternoon. There will be no repeat of the amazing feat from 2010 when four Mizrachi brothers (Eric, Donny, Robert, and Michael) all made the money in the Main Event, with Michael going on to finish fifth.

Incidentally, "The Grinder" ended Day 1c among the chip leaders of that flight and will be returning to a big stack for tomorrow's Day 2c. Robert Mizrachi will also be back tomorrow with a below average stack to start, while Donny did not make it through Day 1c.

Tags: Eric Mizrachi

Ten-Deuey Still Good For Brunson

Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson

Doyle Brunson opened the pot with a raise to 1,900 from middle position. Only the player in the big blind called.

The flop came out {2-Hearts}{10-Clubs}{10-Hearts} and both players checked. "Beware of that one buddy," Brunson said pointing at the flop in reference to the fact that he has won two Main Events with {10-}{2-}.

"Isn't that a famous hand or something?" someone at the table asked.

The turn was the {2-Diamonds} and the big blind checked to Brunson again. Brunson bet and got a snap fold out of his opponent. Brunson only flashed the {10-Spades} but his boat was good enough to take down the pot.

"Just say he had ten-deuce for the sake of the blog," Brunson's opponent said while laughing.