As we near the money, I will begin to bring you hourly updates as we creep near the bubble and beyond. Tournament Director Jack Effel announced that we’d be playing 4 levels today or down to 400 players, whichever comes first.

2:00pm: Received the announcement at 1:45pm that we are just 20 players from making the money.  All spectators have been asked to move away from the rail between the Orange and Blue sections so they will be able to see each table during hand-for-hand action.  Greg “FBT” Mueller and friend-of-the-blog Brian Lemke were both eliminated during the first level.

The players will head out on break and return very near Main Event money.  The first rounds of players to bust in the money will receive $21,365.  Walking between the tables there is definitely a nervous tension in the air, the big wigs are all huddled around a newly setup TD table, spectators are twitchy and a lot of the players can’t seem to keep still.  It will be interesting to see how they deal with the constant instructions to stay in their seats during hand-for-hand.

Jordan Morgan continues to lead all members of Team Full Tilt and “ElkY” Grospellier lead the entire field. Notables still remaining include Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul, Dan Harrington, Mike Sexton and actor Lou Diamond Phillips.

Update: Nolan Dalla has announced that hand-for-hand play will begin 5 from the money.

Back in an hour when we’ll probably be in the money.

WSOP Commish Jeffrey Pollack and team prepare for the money bubble

2:30pm: We officially went hand-for-hand at 2:30pm with strict instructions from Jack Effel to keep all media out of the tournament area and players would need to keep their seats for the duration. Anybody ignoring those instructions would be given a penalty and watch the bubble from the rail. The clock was paused at 1:50:00 of Level 16.

653 players remain and 648 get paid.

The rail has been pushed back to the center of the Amazon Room so floor staff can see all the tables

Read the rest of the live blog after the jump:

3:00pm: They’ve been running hand-for-hand going on 30 minutes now and have probably finished 3 hands during that time. The clock was restarted once Jack Effel completed the instructions. Only 2 players have been eliminated during that time. We are still 3 away from the money.

During one of the long hands your humble blogger stepped outside for some fresh air (aka nicotine break) and found last year’s final table player Kelly Kim there also. Fearing the Full Tilt member was eliminated I approached for his story. He was also taking a short break since each hand is taking ten minutes. He’s nursing a short-stack on the bubble but feeling confident.

3:30pm: Between the rabbit and the hare, the snail seems to be winning. 1 hour of hand-for-hand and only 6 were completed. We are now one player away from the money. Jack Effel, always the joker, stated he’s pretty sure we’ll make the money before the end of the day.

Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul twittered “h4h so boring..gettin a massage” as witnessed in the picture on the left. Saul was involved in a hand near the bubble which gathered the attention of the ESPN cameras and we found our villain of the Main Event. He is unfortunately patched up in the Red and White.

All the chips went in middle after the flop with Saul holding a set of Kings and his opponent went runner-runner broadway. The beat was bad enough without the other player, who has obtained a nickname unprintable on a family blog, screaming and sticking his finger in Saul’s face.

Mr. Villain went on to earn himself another penalty and spent the first 4 hands on the bubble watching from the sideline and yapping at floor supervisor Bill Bruce.

4:00pm: Two hands and 30 minutes later, we’re still one away from the money.  We did have a hand in the blue section where the ESPN cameras and some players rushed to watch the action.  A shortstack pushed in with AA and called by KJ.  The KJ flopped top two but the shorty survived with running deuces for aces up.  And play continues on.

Seven weeks of action seems to be getting to TD Jack Effel as he’s begun cracking jokes with the room.  Some spectators were taking pictures with their flash turned on, a strictly verboten exercise, and changed the normal verbal warning into “No flash photography allowed in the Amazon Room please.  If you are caught your camera will be confiscated and smashed up.  By me.”

Floor supervisor Bill Bruce told me there were a few penalties handed out during the start of hand-for-hand play, generally as an example to the rest.  Naturally he is keeping his section firmly in control and the players are being obedient for the most part.

4:30pm: There were groans every time Jack Effel told the dealers to run out another hand.  Several nicotine-dependent players event missed a hand because it went so quickly.  The anxiety level was cranked to it’s maximum, players are having a hard time staying in their seats now.  They will play through their scheduled dinner break until everyone is in the money.

Most guesses amongst the media elite were saying hand-for-hand would last between 45 minutes and an hour. We are now at 2 hours and 13 hands on the bubble, it could last forever or before I hit the publish button.

Jack Effel announced an all-in and call at table Blue 25, shortstack AA versus AJ.  Most of the room began chanting “JACK! JACK! JACK! JACK!”. But no luck for the dominated hand.  648 players cheering against one but the aces hold.

At one of the empty tables during the slow down we can see a meeting of the minds among poker media with Mad Harper, Dr. Pauly, BJ Nemeth, Joe Stapleton and Amanda Leatherman.  All looking thoroughly bored.  Red Bull has become the friend of the media.

Update: 60 seconds after hitting the publish button and the bubble burst on hand number 13. 648 players remaining and they added 40 minutes to the clock.

5:00pm: With all the players in the money and the next 72 players receiving the same amount upon bust outs, a fellow member of the media stated “Now time for the blood-letting”. Massive numbers of shortstacked players will now be pushing all-in trying to double up. All players from 577th to 648th are now guaranteed at least $21,365.

Kia Hamadani was our bubble boy but will not go empty handed as it was announced he would be “rewarded” with a buyin to the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Per the fine folks at PokerNews.com, here are some chip counts for a few remaining members of Team Full Tilt, “friends of the blog”, and other notables:

Jordan Morgan: 997,000
Tom “Donkey Bomber” Schneider: 790,000
Phil Ivey: 730,000
Nick Schulman: 670,000
Dan Harrington: 460,000
Kevin “BeL0WaB0Ve” Saul: 450,000
Ashely “Actyper” Cheung: 225,000

Pictured below is just one example of the mayhem which occurred every time we had an “all-in and call!” announced from a table.  Play was paused while the ESPN crews gathered round the table and nearby player ignored instructions to keep their seats.  This was just one of the many times an all-in shortstack player would survive.

Photo credit: Gene Bromberg

7:00pm: I am WAY behind on the live blogging but that’s because crazy things abound. We were initially told that the day would play out for 4 levels or down to 400 players. Your humble blogger decided to take his dinner break early so as to bring you all the action before the end of the night. While I was gone the staff decided that they were going to shut down the action much earlier than expected. Players were busting at such a pace that everyone will be done early.

Everyone naturally assumed that the pace of play would go crazy once the money bubble burst but no one expected this to happen. With the mass condensing of chips you expect a massive slow down when the chip stacks begin to even themselves back out. There are only a few table remaining in the Orange section of the Amazon Room as the table collapse upon themselves toward the feature tables.

We never thought we would hear the announcement of 417 players remaining at 7:30pm on Day 4. Back with more live blogging tomorrow. The action was faster than the players, staff, or media expected.

While on my “blogger” break, Phil Ivey took the time to blow up his chip stack near 1.2Million after busting several players on the ESPN feature table and Jordan Morgan is up around 1.5Million.

The following members of Team Full Tilt and notables cashed in the Main Event but will have to wait until next year (still waiting on later bustouts):

420 – Mike Sexton – $27,469
423 – Kelly Kim – $27,469
442 – Justin Bonomo – $25,027
480 – Paul Wasicka – $25,027
561 – Chris “Jesus” Ferguson – $23,196
592 – Kristy Gazes – $21,365
633 – Trong Eidsvig – $21,365
647 – Scott Ian (Anthrax!) – $21,365

Some of those remaining to run on Day 5 (unofficial until the chip counts come out at 5am):

Jordan Morgan – 1,530,000
Phil Ivey – 1,250,000
Dan Harrington – 860,000
Tom “Donkey Bomber” Schneider – 790,000
Nick Schulman – 780,000
Lou Diamond Phillips – 755,000
Andy Black – 535,000
Joe Sebok – 412,000
Ashley “Actyper” Cheung – 220,000

See you back here tomorrow at 12:00pm Pacific to continue the live blogging.

Proof that the WSOP loves your blogging faithful, the staff is now moving all players into the Orange section in front of media row for Day 5.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker – Main Event Live Blog

Related posts:

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3. 2009 World Series of Poker Day 49 – Main Event Day 8 Live Blog

Enjoy.

More pics after the jump:

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker – Days 1c and 1d Pictures

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It’s Friday so that means it’s time for the Week in Pictures.  These are just some of the collection that did not make any posts during the week but are worthy of your time

View of the final table of Event #27 Pot Limit Omaha/8.  Three Full Tilt members were present but Roland De Wolfe would defeat Omaha-guru Scott Clements for the title.

More pictures after the jump:

Perry Friedman and John Juanda would find themselves seated next to each other to start the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event #21.  Juanda and Ivey have the unofficial lead in the massage therapist challenge.  Neither Juanda or Friedman would cash in this event.  Gavin Smith would go the furthest for Team Full Tilt just missing the final table. Blogger CK31 would take her Battle of the Blogger tournament prize and ride it to a 39th place finish in the money.

Lee Watkinson playing in Event #24. One of the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournaments where the big guns are generally looking to double up or prepare for the big 5pm game.  Watkinson has one cash during the 2009 WSOP for just over $22,000.

Jon “Pearljammer” Turner starting in the $2,500 Omaha/Stud Hi-Low tournament.  Turner would make the final table which was loaded with names like Phil Ivey, Carlos Mortensen, and Dutch Boyd. Ivey would get the glory at the end of the day winning his 2nd WSOP bracelet in 2009.

Richard “Quiet Lion” Brodie did not make his appearance at the 2009 World Series of Poker until early this week.  Wasting very little time, he entered the $1,500 Limit Hold’em Event #26 and came just one spot from making his first WSOP final table.  He finished 10th for a cool $13,000 and change.

At yet another Full Tilt stacked final table, Roland De Wolfe overcame all others including Scott Clements (above) and Andy Black.  It always seems Clements is ready to come over the table and take your chips personally.  De Wolfe appears to be eyeing up the bracelet, which he would collect at the end of the tournament.

Kelly Kim plays in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament (Event #28).  Kim would cash in the tournament, his first cash since finishing 8th in the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Coming into the 2009 World Series of Poker many thought this would be the year Vivek Rajkumar made a huge splash, your humble author included.  Rajkumar has collected nearly $2,000,000 in tournament earnings since September.  Unfortunately Rajkumar has found himself on the wrong end of coolers and bad beats with no cashes in the series so far this year.

Hendon Mobster Ross Boatman made the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha final table as well as John Juanda.  Boatman started with the chip lead but would leave the tournament is 4th place.  Also in the picture is eventual winner J.C. Tran.

French favorite Fabrice Soulier playing in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. tournament.  Soulier would go on to make the final table and finish in 7th.  To date he has 5 cashes during the 2009 World Series of Poker.  Blogger Lana “LJ” Maier would make another deep run and represent well.  She finished just short of the final table.

Team Full Tilt members Josh Arieh and Steve Zolotow playing in the $10,000 Limit Hold’em World Championship.  The tournament would eventually be won by fellow Team Full Tilt member Greg “FBT” Mueller after a long, grueling final table.

Allen Cunningham is another Full Tilt pro who made a late appearance at the series this year.  He is playing in Event #34 $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament which he would go on to finish in the money.

Nick Schulman considers his action during the No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw World Championship final table.  Schulman would go on to win after handling a very tough table that included John Juanda, David Benyamine, Michael Binger, Archie Karas and Ville Wahlbeck.

Post from: Poker From The Rail

2009 World Series of Poker – Week 3 in Pictures

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Craig Marquis is one of 9 players vying to become the next World Series of Poker Champion

When they first announced a plan to delay the 2008 WSoP final table until November I was skeptical. It seemed this idea would change the dynamics of the tournament by pausing play for several months but was willing to let that detail go if they were able to really promote the November Nine in the name of the all-powerful cliche, “it’s good for poker”.

I’ve been surprised over the last few months at how little hype was coming out about the WSoP other than the weekly broadcasts of the Main Event. Luckily things have started to ramp up with the final table to be played this weekend at the Penn and Teller Theater in the Rio (and broadcast on Tuesday, November 11th). The poker media and bloggers are starting to pick up the pace as we count down the days. Tuesday evening ESPN aired their Final Table preview with player interviews and commentary from some of the big poker names.

After the jump you can find the ESPN clips on the three members of the Final Table representing Full Tilt Poker.

Scott Montgomery Final Table clip

Craig Marquis Final Table clip

Kelly Kim Final Table clip

Post from: Poker From The Rail

November Nine Hype

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