Just Poker Talk

If you haven’t already voted in the Just Poker Talk Pocket Aces poll just click and vote. 

• Why show your Hole Cards?

Is there any reason to ever show your hole cards if you win the pot because nobody calls your bet?

• Show the big bluff to the hated opponent?
• Mis-direct so they think they know your tendencies, then play differently?
• Show the nuts?
• Show you were’nt just stealing?

In your ‘Dead Money’ bloggers poker playing time, I have heard all of the above as a reason to show hole cards. In fact I even play with one close friend who shows his hole cards everytime. If you are like your ‘Dead Money’ blogger, you never show your hole cards. I developed this philosophy a long time ago when I was at a final table of a tournament I eventually ended up winning. Two hands in particular the watchers of the final table saw my hole cards. I instantly regretted that I had let them see the pockets.

1. I decided to bluff, trying to steal, with a pretty weak hand from the button and bet enough to put both blinds All-In. The reaction behind me, by somebody that had seen my hole cards, was seen by the big blind who called with a hand that he should not have called with, something like J-4 off. Of course he had my weak hand dominated and doubled up.
2. Down to heads up and my opponent is all in pre-flop and my read on him, after playing him for a while, was he had a big Ace at least. I peeked at my cards and saw KQ suited. At the time we were pretty close in chips and I decided to muck my cards. The viewers behind me, who had been imbibing somewhat heavily, yelled ‘I can’t believe you didn’t call’.

• Reasons to not Show them 
  • Consider that in Poker one of the most important skills to possess is to be able to ‘read’ other players. If players often show their hole cards they are providing valuable information to their opponents that assists them with their reading skills. Do you really want to help them ‘Put you on a hand’?
  • When you show that bluff to the hated opponent you think you are putting them on ‘Tilt’. Maybe your ‘Tells’ with that big bluff might hurt you later on. Not necessarily with the hated opponent but with other observant players at the table. 
  • That mis-direction rarely works, especially in tournaments because you are not at a table with the same players long enough for it to be effective. Also good players see right through this ploy.
  • How you play should be guarded like a state secret and should not be provided to anybody that doesn’t pay for it. The good players don’t need any free help in reading you.

Being your ‘Dead Money’ blogger, I can’t afford to provide this valuable information (my hole cards) when I don’t have to. I don’t want my opponents to know that I sometimes 3 - bet with 9-4 offsuit or that I  just smooth called with ‘Big Slick’. Plus the additional ‘embarassment factor’ of ‘did he really play that’? When I play a hand I have no business playing.  Nope my cards always go into the muck when I bet and nobody calls. The hole cards also go into the muck in the hopefully rare times I get into a showdown and an opponent shows a hand that I can’t beat. Even when I have that ‘monster’ that suffered a ‘bad beat’ on the river.

Ok, so possibly some of you might disagree with your ‘Dead Money’ blogger, so please vote in the poll and don’t hesitate to blast my poker views with a comment.

Hole Cards, Poker, Just Poker Talk,

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• Upcoming Major Poker Tournaments

 

Season VI Tournaments

25-29 August Legends of PokerThe Bicycle Casino, Los Angeles $10,200

30 August WPT Ladies’ Night IV The Bicycle Casino, Los Angeles N/A

6-9 September Gulf Coast Poker ChampionshipBeau Rivage, Biloxi, Mississippi $10,000

16-20 September Borgata Poker OpenThe Borgata, Atlantic City, New Jersey $10,000

25-30 September Turks & Caicos Classic $ 7,700

7-13 October North American Poker Championship $10,300cdn

11-16 October WPT Spanish Championship Casino Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain € 7,700

8-13 November World Poker Finals $10,000

13-18 December Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker ClassicBellagio, Las Vegas $15,300

5-10 January, 2008 PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas tbd

21-25 January, 2008 World Poker Open GoldStrike Casino,Tunica, Mississippi $10,300

23-28 February, 2008 L.A. Poker Classic Commerce Casino, Los Angeles $10,000

1-3 March, 2008 WPT Celebrity Invitational Commerce Casino, Los Angeles N/A

10-14 March, 2008 Bay 101 Shooting Star Bay 101, San Jose, California $10,000

25-28 March, 2008 World Poker Challenge Grand Sierra Resort Casino, Reno $ 7,700

19-25 April, 2008 WPT World Championship Bellagio, Las Vegas $25,000

 

EPT Events

Major Events

If you are like your ‘Dead Money’ blogger Michael   you will be arrainging you schedule to ensure you can enjoy these events. You might be able to compete. Your ‘Dead Money’ blogger, I plan on watching the televised events or following via the internet for these Major Poker Tournaments.

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  • Texas Hold ‘Em
  • Omaha

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• Sports Podcast
  • SuicideFan For the Diehard sportsfan

• WSOP 2007 Main Event Videos

Back on my 1st post on Just Poker Talk I recommended a site  

that has Poker Videos. Sort of like a YouTube for Poker lovers. 

The site currently is providing 7 videos from the WSOP 2007 Main Event Pay per view that ESPN produced.

I found the videos very intersting. Phil Gordon gives insight throughout.

Just click on the PokerTube logo above to check them out if you don’t want to wait for the ESPN edited versions.

You still have a chance to vote on how you play Pocket Aces by going to this previous Just Poker Talk post and select the way you play Rockets.

WSOP, WSOP Main Event, PokerTube, Phil Gordon, ESPN

• Your ‘Dead Money’ blogger Michael
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• NETeller to distribute funds to U.S. Members

If you are one of the hundreds of thousands U.S. members of NETeller then good news is here for you. NETeller will begin the process to distribute funds to U.S. members on Monday July 30, 2007. The distribution plan is part of an agreement between NETeller and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. USAO completed an investigation of NETeller earlier in July.

According to NETeller, the company,

“is returning $94 million to hundreds of thousands of U.S. customers.” source

NETeller forewarns members expecting distribution:

“it will take some time for all payments to be processed.” source

• NETeller distribution plan includes
  • eMail notification to U.S. members
  • 180 days for members to log on to account and withdraw funds
  • Members will not be able to request withdrawal after January 26, 2008
  • No withdrawal fees will be charged
  • U.S. members may request only the entire account balance
• Your ‘Dead Money’ blogger  will make his withdrawal request on Monday and don’t worry almost all of the $94 mil will be left for the rest of you.

You still have a chance to vote on how you play Pocket Aces by going to this previous Just Poker Talk post and select the way you play Rockets.

NETeller, Just Poker Talk, USAO

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If you haven’t already done so please go to this Just Poker Talk post and select your favorite players to watch on Televised Poker.

• How to Play Pocket Rockets in Hold ‘Em

The current issue of magazine had a article by Katie Lindsay titled ‘Aces: A Pocketful of Trouble’ and queried the Top Pros on  ’How to Play Pocket Aces’

I picked a few of pro’s responses and included them here for your review. I also added a poll at the end of this post asking how you most often play Pocket Rockets.

• Daniel Negreanu
  

  I say that you get them so rarely that I’m OK with gambling with them. When I say gamble, I mean setting traps before the flop by not re-raising in spots where some players would go all in. source When you gamble with aces like that you tend to have a lot more difficult decisions than you would if you just go all in before the flop.

• Clonie Gowen  
  

  I think you should always bring them in for a raise because if you don’t, then you are going to either win a very small pot or lose a big one because someone could flop two small pair and you are just not going to be able to get away from it. You just have to know what types of hands your opponents could be playing. source

• Huck Seed
  

  I don’t like to get too much money in with aces when the blinds are small. Aces are hard to play because usually you just end up with aces. When the river comes there is always straights and flushes, two pair, a lot of possibilities. If someone makes a big bet on the river, you are in a tough spot with aces. I don’t really like to push them for value that much. Sometimes I will limp in early position and hope that someone will raise so that I can re-raise and get some extra money in there. source 

• Mike Sexton
  

  The most famous quote about aces comes from Stu Ungar. He said, “All aces are good for is to win a small pot or lose a big one.� It is so true because it is very difficult to get away from two aces when you raise before the flop and someone calls you. It doesn’t matter what comes out, even if it is a scary flop, most people can’t lay down two aces after the flop. It is tough to do, it’s not easy and that’s the problem with two aces – you can’t get away from them. source I come in for three or four times the blind. I don’t slow-play them; I raise it and hope someone comes over the top of me.

• Chip Jett
  

  I like to play them very fast; I don’t like to get tricky with them. I just try to win a small pot, not lose a big one. source

• Scott Fischman 
  

  Generally, I never slow-play them, and if I get a lot of callers I am ready to fold them. I am not committed – it is one pair. I am definitely of the mindset that aces is one pair and if I am willing to go all in and someone is willing to call, that means that he has more than one pair and I am in trouble. Basically, I like to keep the pot small. I like to make the pot big when I have better than one pair. source

• Your ‘Dead Money’blogger likes to limp from early position, figuring some maniac behind me will raise and I can re-raise them. From Late position and a Family pot, I prefer to make a pot size raise. If only 1 or 2 other callers I will most of the time just call unless I am short stacked and then it is All-In. All things being equal I will certainly put in the 3 to 5 times the big blind raise from middle or late position.
• So essentially it all depends on position, # of players and type of players yet to act, stack size, blind size, table image, etc….. 
• Please take a minute and select how you most often play Pocket Aces pre-flop in Hold ‘Em.

Hold ‘Em, Pocket Aces, Pocket Rockets, Poker Pro Magazine, Katie Lindsay, Daniel Negreanu, Clonie Gowen,  Huck Seed, Mike Sexton, Chip Jett, Scott Fischman 

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If you haven’t already done so please go to this Just Poker Talk post and select your favorite players to watch on Televised Poker.

• Phil Laak and Ali Eslami win the Man vs Computer $10-$20 Limit Hold ‘Em match 2-1 with a fourth session ruled a statistical draw.

Earlier your friendly blogger posted about the Match with Phil Laak and Ali Eslami against the Polaris software program developed to play heads up Limit Hold ‘Em. Polaris was developed by the University of Alberta Computer Poker Research Group.

The match had some unusual components, for example:

• Phil and Ali played in separate rooms, against separate versions of Polaris, and were not allowed to communicate.
• In each 500 hand session, the cards dealt to Laak were dealt to Eslami’s Polaris. Also the hands dealt to Eslami were dealt to Laak’s Polaris.
• The board was identical for both hands.

The 4 - 500 hand sessions were held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver, Canada. They were part of the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

Here is a live blog of the event with all four sessions recapped in detail.

• Session 1 is declared a Statistical Draw with 497 hands played on Monday July 23rd at Noon Pacific time
  • Polaris + $465 vs Phil Laak
  • Ali Eslami +$395 vs Polaris
  • Polaris +$70 for the session
• Session 2 Polaris is the Winner with 499 hands played on Monday July 23rd at 6:00pm Pacific time
  • Polaris +$2495 vs Ali Eslami
  • Phil Laak +$1570 vs Polaris
  • Polaris +$925 for the session
• Session 3 Phil and Ali are the Winners with 499 hands played on Tuesday July 24th at Noon Pacific time
  • Polaris + $635 vs Ali Eslami
  • Phil Laak +$1455 vs Polaris
  • Phil and Ali +$820 for the session

  

• Session 4 Phil and Ali are the Winners with 500 hands played on Tuesday July 24th at 6:00 pm Pacific time
  • Phil Laak +$110 vs Polaris
  • Ali Eslami +$460 vs Polaris
  • Phil and Ali +$570 for the session

  

Phil Laak, Ali Eslami, Polaris, Limit Hold ‘Em, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence,

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If you haven’t already done so please go to this Just Poker Talk post and select your favorite players to watch on Televised Poker. 

• Nolan Dalla WSOP Media Director compiled this list of Celebrities that competed at this year’s WSOP
  • Ben Affleck, actor
  • Milton Berle, television personality
  • Wilford Brimley, actor
  • Tony Curtis, actor
  • Matt Damon, actor
  • Shannon Elizabeth, actor
  • Larry Flynt, publisher
  • James Garner, actor
  • Anne Heche, actor
  • Kelly Hu, actor
  • Ron Jeremy, actor
  • Hal ‘Deadman’ Kant, attorney
  • Gabe Kaplan, actor
  • Ricki Lake, talk show host and actor
  • Lennox Lewis, former boxer
  • Norm MacDonald, actor and comedian
  • Tobey Maguire, actor
  • Danny Masterson, actor
  • Rocko Mediate, golfer
  • Ed Norton Jr, actor
  • Mekhi Pheifer, actor
  • Laura Prepon, actor
  • Mimi Rogers, actor
  • Telly Savalas, actor
  • Shannon Sharpe, ex-NFL player
  • Sam Simon, television executive producer
  • Jean Smart, actor
  • Mena Suvari, actor
  • Antonio Tarver, boxer
  • Jennifer Tilly, actor
  • Steve Wynn, casino owner
  • James Woods, actor

Found the above list in this month’s

Ben Affleck, Milton Berle,  Wilford Brimley, Tony Curtis, Matt Damon, Shannon Elizabeth, Larry Flynt, James Garner, Anne Heche, Kelly Hu, Ron Jeremy, Hal ‘Deadman’ Kant, Gabe Kaplan, Ricki Lake,  Lennox Lewis,  Norm MacDonald,  Tobey Maguire, Danny Masterson, Rocko Mediate, Ed Norton Jr, Mekhi Pheifer, Laura Prepon, Mimi Rogers, Telly Savalas, Shannon Sharpe,  Sam Simon,  Jean Smart, Mena Suvari, Antonio Tarver, Jennifer Tilly, Steve Wynn,  James Woods,

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• Watching Poker on Television

When you turn on the TV now a days you almost can’t help but find a Poker game. The players are celebrities and the sponsors of the players are making them resemble Nascar drivers.

Styles of play of course are as varied as the ‘Table-side’ manor of the players. The players that I enjoy watching have very similar qualities and are very opposite from the type I don’t like to watch. Your Just Poker Talk blogger likes things like:

• Respectful of other players and other styles
• Avoids criticism of other players when they:
  • call when the odds say they shouldn’t
  • overbet
  • hit a 2 outer to scoop a big pot
  • take too long
  • or any other thing that the prima donna objects to
• Do not blame luck for not winning
• Do not tell everyone how stupid they are or that they are an idiot or that ‘kiddie games are down the street’
• Do not seem to do everything to draw more attention from the TV cameras
• Basically I enjoy the players that use their skill at the game and ability to out play the other players, not the ones that belittle other players and seem arrogant and mad at the world.

I have put together a couple polls below asking you to select the players you enjoy watching on televised poker. I put 34 of the top players in the world in the poll, though I am sure I missed a few. Select as many as you like and if one of your favorites is not on the poll please add in a comment.

Poker, Poker on Television, Just Poker Talk

• Phil Laak and Ali Eslami to battle Computer over 2 days in Limit Hold ‘Em

Phil and Ali will play Polaris for real money. Polaris is the name given the Poker playing program developed by a University of Alberta team.

See the complete story over at Poker News.

The schedule is for 2 - 500 hand sessions on Monday July 23, 2007 and 2 more 500 hand sessions on Tuesday July 24, 2007 for both Phil and Ali against Polaris. The event is to take place at the Hyatt Recency Hotel in Vancouver, Canada as part of the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence.

The match will have some unusual components, for example:

• Phil and Ali will play in separate rooms, against separate versions of Polaris, and not be able to communicate.
• The Polaris versions will not be able to communicate either.
• In each 500 hand session, the cards dealt to Laak will be dealt to Eslami’s Polaris. Also the hand dealt to Eslami will be dealt to Laak’s Polaris.
• The board will be the identical for both hands.

Each session will have Winners determined

• If Laak and Eslami are ahead by more than 25 small bets combined at the end of the 500 hand session they win and split $5,000.
• If Laak and Eslami or the Polarises combined are ahead by less the 25 small bets, at the end of a session, a tie is declared for that session and Laak and Eslami will pocket $2,500.
• If Laak and Eslami are ahead by more the 25 small bets combined for all 4 sessions they will split $50,000.
• Polaris might win any or all the 500 hand sessions, by being ahead by 25 small bets, but alas can not pocket any of the winnings.

Phil Laak, Ali Eslami, Polaris, Limit Hold ‘Em, Computer

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• GSN announces Season IV of High Stakes Poker

GSN has added to the High Stakes Poker broadcasts for Season IV. 17 episodes this Season up from 13 in past Seasons.

High Stakes Poker Season IV was filmed at South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Regular competitors will play including:

• Doyle Brunson
• Daniel Negreanu
• Jennifer Harman
• Barry Greenstein
• Eli Elezra
• Sammy Farha
• Todd Brunson
• Phil Laak
• Mike Matusow
• Phil Hellmuth returns after sitting out the last 2 TV seasons
• Jamie Gold
• Antonio Esfandiari
• Patrik Antonius
• David Benyamine

For the 1st 10 episodes of Season IV the players will put up the usual minimum buy in of $100,000.

For the last 7 episodes the minimum buy in will be $500,000. Can you imagine playing in a game with $5,000,000 in play? Wonder if the sponsors will get involved to help the players defray some of the buy in?

• Schedule

Season IV Starts with the 1st broadcast starting at 9pm on Monday August 27th, 2007.

$500,000 buy in broadcasts start at 9pm Monday November 5th, 2007.

GSN, High Stakes Poker, HSP, 500k, Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, Barry Greenstein, Eli Elezra, Sammy Farha, Todd Brunson, Phil Laak, Mike Matusow, Phil Hellmuth, Jamie Gold, Antonio Esfandiari, Patrik Antonius, David Benyamine

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• ESPN invests heavily in the WSOP Main Event

“I think it’s a sport and an entertainment,”

said ESPN Senior Director of Programming Scott Hanley in a USA Today story. The question was is Poker a sport or entertainment.

The story details what resources ESPN allocated to broadcast this year’s WSOP.

Click ====> here to take you to a previous post providing the ESPN broadcast schedule for the 2007 WSOP.

• ESPN WSOP Coverage to include
  • Hole Card cameras
  • 32 Hours of original WSOP Broadcast
  • High Definition Cameras
  • 40 Cameras compared to previous years of 26 for the WSOP and 35 to broadcast the Kentucky Derby.
  • Upgraded Music
  • Upgraded Graphics
  • ESPN built new Tables
  • Redesigned the Interview rooms
• Questions arose about the value of High Definition Cameras to broadcast poker

“There’s an associated cost there. The value of going high def is showing a game based on reading your opponent” said ESPN Senior producer Jamie Horowitz.

“You can see their eye movement, their hand movements” added Scott Hanley.

ESPN will continue to look for coverage innovations through its 2010 deal with the WSOP. “Hopefully beyond” Hanley added. source

I know I will be watching to see If I can see them sweat.

WSOP, WSOP Main Event, ESPN

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• Phil Hellmuth’s Main Event - Show or Dough?

Let me start this post by telling you that in this recent post I was impressed with Phil’s Poker Stats. He has the most WSOP bracelets, the most in the money finishes at the WSOP and is currently 6 in WSOP all time earnings.

Considering those statistics even the most cynical of Poker watchers would have to agree that Phil is one of the all time great Poker players. In early July of this year Phil along with Barbara Enright were inducted in the Poker Hall of Fame. source

Ok so with all of that being said, I wonder about Phil’s performance at the WSOP 2007 Main Event. For your consideration:

Was Phil playing for Show or Dough?

• Crashing the Ultimate-Bet race car

On the day before his scheduled Main Event Day 1, Phil was ‘test driving’ the Ultimate Bet race car through the Rio parking lot and crashed into a cement pillar. See the video here.   Almost immediately talk started that the accident was a publicity stunt.

“Now, this could be a publicity stunt or it could be a legit car wreck and if that’s the case we’re certainly hoping he’s okay. It’s just something that Hellmuth might do to get himself a little bit more attention and drama as he heads to the felt tomorrow” source

or

“The more he brags about the incident, the more it looks like the real thing,” said one player. “Rumor has it that Phil was too busy looking at himself in the rearview mirror and didn’t see the concrete block approaching.”source

Noon Vegas time came and went for Phil on his appointed Main Event Day 1 and Phil was nowhere to be found. But we know that is part of Phil’s act, showing up late and giving up a few blinds. This year he showed up 2 hours and 40 minutes late and then made the grand entrance. Of course he planned the extravagant entrance to ensure ESPN would follow his every move. He entered the Rio with 11 young and beautiful women.  11 women to represent the 11 WSOP bracelets that Phil has garnered over the years.

• Playing in Main Event

Phil started playing after the 2nd Round had started. He lasted through Round 2 and 3 but was eliminated in Round 4. Just barely 2 complete rounds for his buy in of $10,000. I suspect his usual table-side manner will probably be evident on the ESPN broadcast of Day 1D. 

• Other Pros

Many of the top pros were eliminated on Day 1 as I discussed in this post and it is no shame to be knocked out on day 1. Phil just gets eliminated with much more ‘Show’ and seemingly plays like he has less interest in the Main Event dough, than the other top pros.

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WSOP, Ultimate Bet, Phil Hellmuth,

• Your Just Poker Talk blogger found the Podcasts and Forums below the most informative and interesting to frequent. I will have these sites at the bottom of all my future posts.

• Poker Podcasts

• Poker Forums

Poker Podcasts, Poker Forums, Poker 

• WSOP 2007 Main Event Champion is Jerry Yang

Jerry Yang started 8th in chips but quickly took over the Chip lead with his very aggressive play. By the 28th hand he had knocked out the start of the day Chip leader Philip Hilm and the seasoned pro Lee Watkinson and Lee Childs. Jerry led in chips easily the rest of the Final Table and for most of the time had more than a 2 to 1 chip lead on his closest challenger.

Day 7 starts with the Final Table of 9 Players and of course ends when the Bracelet and the $8.25 Million is awarded to the winner.

     Blind Levels         Sml           Big            Ante 

• Round 31              120,000     240,000     30,000 
• Round 32              150,000     300,000     40,000
• Round 33              200,000     400,000     50,000
• Round 34              250,000     500,000     50,000
• Round 35              300,000     600,000     75,000
• Round 36              400,000     800,000   100,000
• Round 37              500,000  1,000,000   150,000

Seating Chart and Chip Counts provided by:

Final Table Players

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 16.32 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 6.57 million
Seat 3 - Lee Childs - 13.24 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 8.45 million
Seat 5 - Lee Watkinson - 9.925 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 21.315 million
Seat 7 - Philip Hilm - 22.07 million
Seat 8 - Jon Kalmar - 20.32 million
Seat 9 - Hevad ‘Rain’ Khan - 9.205 million

• Round 31 small blind 120,000 big blind 240,000 ante 30,000. 
• Philip Hilm  is eliminated in 9th place on the 15th hand of the Final Table and wins $525,934.

Philip who started the Final Table as the chip leader is the 1st player out when he went up against Jerry Yang who had just taken over the chip lead. Jerry had Philip covered 25 million to 19 million. Philip in the Big Blind calls a 1 million chip pre-flop raise by Jerry. The flop isYang puts in 2 million and Hilm calls. The turn is the  Yang puts out 4 mil and Hilm pushes All-In with his remaining 12.3 mil. Hilm shows for bottom pair and flush draw. Yang displays and Philip’s Main Event is down to 10 outs and a 29.55% chance to suck out. The river is not a 5 or a diamond and Philip Hilm’s Main Event is done in 9th place on the 15th hand.   

Chip Counts over at Poker News

• Lee Watkinson is eliminated in 8th place on the 21st hand and his prize money is $585,699. 

Lee Watkinson moves All-In from the Big Blind for 9.7 million. Jerry Yang calls. Lee shows and is dominated when Jerry turns over . Lee has a 23.5% to win and a 15.5% to chop. The flop is six high and Lee is down to 15% with a 2% to chop. The turn is a King and Lee’s Main event is down to 3 outs and 6.8%. The river is not a seven and Lee Watkinson’s Main Event ends in 8th place on the 21st hand.

Chip Counts after the 21st hand with 7 players remaining and provided by Poker News.

Updated Chip Counts

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 15.74 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 4.95 million
Seat 3 - Lee Childs - 6.15 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 55.015 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 20.595 million
Seat 8 - Jon Kalmar - 17.21 million
Seat 9 - Hevad ‘Rain’ Khan - 7.755 million

• Lee Childs  is eliminated in 7th place on the 28th hand. Lee’s prize money is $705,229.

Lee Childs pushes All-In for around 5.7 million and Jerry Yang calls with his big stack of 55 mil. Lee shows and Jerry has . Lee is 68% to 28% dominate position. The flop brings and Lee is now 83.7% to win. The turn brings the and now Lee is down to 25%. His hope is a back door flush with any club or any King. Jerry doesn’t get the club or King on the river, so he leaves for the rail in 7th place on the 28th hand.

Current Chip Counts after 28 hands provided by Poker News.

Official Chip Counts

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 17.105 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 4.2 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 62.49 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 20.025 million
Seat 8 - Jon Kalmar - 15.91 million
Seat 9 - Hevad ‘Rain’ Khan - 7.755 million

Your Just Poker Talk blogger needs a calculator usually, but at a glance I see that Jerry Yang has almost 1/2 the chips in play and is ahead of 2nd place Tuan Lam by over 42 million.

• Round 32 small blind 150,000, big blind 300,000, ante 40,000
• Hevad ‘Rain’ Khan is eliminated in 6th place on the 56th hand of the Final Table and his share of the Main Event prize pool is $956,243.

Hevad ‘Rain’ Khan an online player with quite a reputation for excellent play moves All-In, with his remaining 3.3 million in the dark. ’Rain’ had put in a 6 mil re-raise pre-flop, that was called by Jerry Yang. Yang called the blind raise.  The flop is ‘Rain’ shows and Yang turns over . ‘Rain’ needs help with only a 26% chance to get some of Yang’s chips and remain alive for the Bracelet. When a  turns ‘Rain’ adds a straight draw to any Ace or Queen for a suck out. The river brings the and Hevad Khan is eliminated from the Main Event in 6th place on the 56th hand of the Final Table.  

• Jon Kalmar is eliminated in 5th place on the 60thhand of the Final Table. Jon leaves the Main Event with $1,255,069 in prize money.

Jon re-raises All-In for 13.2 mil from the Big Blind and Raymond Rahme calls. Jon has Big Slick and Raymond shows Pocket Jacks . Rahme is in the lead 56% to 43%. The board brings nothing for Jon and the Main Events ends in 5th place on the 60th hand for Jon Kalmar.

Current Chip Counts after 65 hands provided by Poker News.

Updated Chip Counts

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 30.01 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 8.71 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 71.31 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 17.455 million

Yang with 55% of the chips and 2.5 times the chips of 2nd place Raymond Rahme.

• Round 33 Small Blind 200,000, Big Blind 400,000, Ante 50,000

Current Chip Counts after 94 hands provided by Poker News

Updated Chip Count

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 33.25 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 10.8 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 60.725 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 22.7 million

Rahme has cut Yang’s chip lead to less than 2 to 1. Smallest it has been in sometime.

• Round 34 Small Blind 250,000, Big Blind 500,000, Ante 50,000

Updated Chip Counts after 106 hands provided by Poker News

Updated Chip Counts

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 30.55 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 12.85 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 61.775 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 23.3 million

• Round 35 Small Blind 300,000, Big Blind 600,000, Ante 75,000

Updated Chip Counts after 145 hands provided by Poker News

Updated Chip Counts

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 23.9 million
Seat 2 - Alex Kravchenko - 20.2 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 51.275 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 32.1 million

Everybody is gaining on Chip Leader Jerry Yang at the end of Round 34.

• Alex Kravchenko   is eliminated in 4th place on the 167th hand of the Final Table. Alex’s Main Event prize money is $1,852,721.

Alex called Jerry Yang’s re-raise of Alex’s pre-flop raise and Alex was All-In for 22 million. Yang displays Pockets eights and Alex has Big Slick . The flop brings an and no help for Alex. When the turn is the Alex is drawing dead. Alex Kravchenko’s Main Event ends in 4th place on the 167 hand of the Final Table.

Updated Chip Counts after 167 hands provided by Poker News

Official Chip Counts

Seat 1 - Raymond Rahme - 36.1 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 67.3 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 24.075 million

Seems to be a battle for 2nd place.

• Raymond Rahme  is eliminated in 3rd place on the 169 hand of the Final Table. Raymond’s Main Event prize money is $3,058,025.

Raymond re-raises the rest of his 36 million to Jerry Yang’s 10 million bet after a flop of when Yang calls there is 72.5 million in the pot. Raymond shows Pocket cowboys and Jerry tables . Jerry is in the lead 85% to 15%. The turn and river are blanks and Raymond Rahme’s Main Event ends in 3rd place on the 169th hand of the Final Table.

Heads up play begins on the 170th Hand of the Main Event Final Table between Jerry Lang and Tuan Lam.

Jerry has an almost insurmountable Chip lead. 104 million to 23 million as Heads up play begins.

• Round 36 Small Blind 400,000, Big Blind 400,000, Ante 100,000
• Tuan Lam  is eliminated in 2nd place on the 297th hand of the Final Table and the 36th hand of heads up play. Tuan’s Main Event prize money is $4,850,981.

Tuan Lam re-raises All-In for over 22 million. Jerry Yang calls and shows Pocket eights