http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...anyones-game/2011/11/06/gIQAxcrerM_story.html
Frantic eliminations bounce 5 at World Series of Poker, guarantee those left at least $3M each
By Associated Press, Published: November*6
LAS VEGAS — Five rapid-fire eliminations Sunday — including two players bounced on consecutive hands — brought the World Series of Poker one bust away from a Tuesday night showdown and guaranteed each of the top four finishers at least $3 million each.
Eoghan O’Dea, the 26-year-old son of an Irish poker professional, was eliminated in sixth after losing most of his chips in earlier hands and collapsing from a start at second in chips. He earned $1.7 million.
O’Dea was then followed by 26-year-old Las Vegas professional Phil Collins, who moved in against chip leader Pius Heinz with an ace-seven but found Heinz with pocket nines. Collins won $2.3 million for fifth place.
“I’m happy with the money, but not with the result,” said Collins, who started the day fourth in chips.
Four players, 26-year-old Las Vegas poker pros Ben Lamb and Matt Giannetti, plus the 22-year-old Heinz and 35-year-old Martin Staszko of the Czech Republic, were each guaranteed at least $3 million each.
Badih Bounahra, a 49-year-old grocery wholesaler from Belize, finished seventh after gambling the last of his chips with an ace-five and losing to Staszko. He earned $1.31 million.
His ouster came just after Anton Makiievskyi was eliminated in eighth and Sam Holden went out in ninth place, and just before Collins risked his tournament life and doubled his stack through fellow American Ben Lamb.
“I don’t know what happened,” Makiievskyi said. “I don’t know how I’ll feel like in an hour.”
Three of the four shortest stacks were the first eliminated from the final table $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament.
But Heinz, a poker professional from Cologne, Germany, who was taking a break from school to evaluate his future in poker, stormed to the chip lead after 2 1/2 hours of play, knocking O’Dea from his second place perch to a serious chip disadvantage.
“He (Heinz) came in with guns blazing,” Holden said.
Heinz and Eoghan O’Dea tangled during one hand with more than 44 million in chips at stake, with Heinz shoving all-in over O’Dea’s river bet of 8.2 million chips. O’Dea folded an ace-high. Heinz won the hand with pocket queens.
“Yeah, it probably killed me a bit,” O’Dea said.
Meanwhile, Giannetti quietly doubled his starting chip stack over the first 4 1/2 hours of play, pushing into second in chips before dinner as the only stack that mounted a serious immediate threat to Heinz.
The nine players from seven countries started play Sunday in Las Vegas before a raucous casino crowd and more watching nearly live on TV.
Machines filled the air with smoke around the massive set. Skimpily-dressed girls fired T-shirts through air launchers into the crowd. Family and friends of the players waved flags, wore wigs and battled with dueling chants.
Makiievskyi said it was distracting.
“I don’t think it affected my play but I don’t like it,” he said. “It sometimes was too loud during the game.”
The action was far more intense on the felt, where O’Dea moved up in chips at first, then lost 25.7 million in just a couple hours.
Nobody was eliminated in the first 2 1/2 hours, before a break. Levels go up every two hours, making each players’ chips worth a little bit less in the game.
The players returned to the table after 3 1/2 months of reflection and study. They are the top finishers from a field of 6,865 entrants who started in the tournament in July.
The finale was playing out nearly live on television and on the Internet, with ESPN airing and streaming the action with just enough of a delay to satisfy gambling regulators that players won’t be able to cheat.
Millions are at stake, but the chips in play won’t have any direct monetary value. Each player already staked $10,000 to get into the tournament in July. A player must lose all his chips to be eliminated from the tournament, but must win all the chips in play to win.
___
Oskar Garcia can be reached at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Frantic eliminations bounce 5 at World Series of Poker, guarantee those left at least $3M each
By Associated Press, Published: November*6
LAS VEGAS — Five rapid-fire eliminations Sunday — including two players bounced on consecutive hands — brought the World Series of Poker one bust away from a Tuesday night showdown and guaranteed each of the top four finishers at least $3 million each.
Eoghan O’Dea, the 26-year-old son of an Irish poker professional, was eliminated in sixth after losing most of his chips in earlier hands and collapsing from a start at second in chips. He earned $1.7 million.
O’Dea was then followed by 26-year-old Las Vegas professional Phil Collins, who moved in against chip leader Pius Heinz with an ace-seven but found Heinz with pocket nines. Collins won $2.3 million for fifth place.
“I’m happy with the money, but not with the result,” said Collins, who started the day fourth in chips.
Four players, 26-year-old Las Vegas poker pros Ben Lamb and Matt Giannetti, plus the 22-year-old Heinz and 35-year-old Martin Staszko of the Czech Republic, were each guaranteed at least $3 million each.
Badih Bounahra, a 49-year-old grocery wholesaler from Belize, finished seventh after gambling the last of his chips with an ace-five and losing to Staszko. He earned $1.31 million.
His ouster came just after Anton Makiievskyi was eliminated in eighth and Sam Holden went out in ninth place, and just before Collins risked his tournament life and doubled his stack through fellow American Ben Lamb.
“I don’t know what happened,” Makiievskyi said. “I don’t know how I’ll feel like in an hour.”
Three of the four shortest stacks were the first eliminated from the final table $10,000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold ‘em tournament.
But Heinz, a poker professional from Cologne, Germany, who was taking a break from school to evaluate his future in poker, stormed to the chip lead after 2 1/2 hours of play, knocking O’Dea from his second place perch to a serious chip disadvantage.
“He (Heinz) came in with guns blazing,” Holden said.
Heinz and Eoghan O’Dea tangled during one hand with more than 44 million in chips at stake, with Heinz shoving all-in over O’Dea’s river bet of 8.2 million chips. O’Dea folded an ace-high. Heinz won the hand with pocket queens.
“Yeah, it probably killed me a bit,” O’Dea said.
Meanwhile, Giannetti quietly doubled his starting chip stack over the first 4 1/2 hours of play, pushing into second in chips before dinner as the only stack that mounted a serious immediate threat to Heinz.
The nine players from seven countries started play Sunday in Las Vegas before a raucous casino crowd and more watching nearly live on TV.
Machines filled the air with smoke around the massive set. Skimpily-dressed girls fired T-shirts through air launchers into the crowd. Family and friends of the players waved flags, wore wigs and battled with dueling chants.
Makiievskyi said it was distracting.
“I don’t think it affected my play but I don’t like it,” he said. “It sometimes was too loud during the game.”
The action was far more intense on the felt, where O’Dea moved up in chips at first, then lost 25.7 million in just a couple hours.
Nobody was eliminated in the first 2 1/2 hours, before a break. Levels go up every two hours, making each players’ chips worth a little bit less in the game.
The players returned to the table after 3 1/2 months of reflection and study. They are the top finishers from a field of 6,865 entrants who started in the tournament in July.
The finale was playing out nearly live on television and on the Internet, with ESPN airing and streaming the action with just enough of a delay to satisfy gambling regulators that players won’t be able to cheat.
Millions are at stake, but the chips in play won’t have any direct monetary value. Each player already staked $10,000 to get into the tournament in July. A player must lose all his chips to be eliminated from the tournament, but must win all the chips in play to win.
___
Oskar Garcia can be reached at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
