2008 World Series of Poker
Event 17 - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
Day: 2
Event Info
The action in the past few minutes has been largely still cagey, with plenty of blinds going to whoever raises first, usually in late or mid position.
Sergey Rybachenko is still chip leader, although there have been a few instances of our other finalists playing back at him.
Rybachenko raised to 80,000 preflop, and Matthew Giannetti made it another 250,000, forcing Rybachenko to fold.
Not so fortunate, though,was John Strzemp, who put in a raise to Rybachenko's bet on a board, only to quickly lay it down when Rybachenko went all in.
Rybachenko is now on 2.3 million.
Level: 4
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 5,000
Although I witnessed Matt Giannetti push all in over the top of Sergey Rybachenko's preflop button raise and Rory Monahan bet Jason Young out of a pot from the big blind after the latter had limped, it's been mainly a case of raise, fold, fold, fold with players taking it in turns to snap up those meaty blinds.
Well, that initial raiser came in the form of John Strzemp, but unfortunately for Triner, he had the goods in pocket queens and duly called in a flash.
The board was unhelpful, the resigned cry of "where's the jack this time" before the dealer dealt out the river speaking volumes.
Sadly for Triner, it just wasn't his day, and he goes home in ninth.
Seated next door in the big blind, Alex Triner opts to make it 225,000 which, after a momentary pause, triggers a deep reach from Young and a subsequent all in move.
Sitting back in his chair with his hands on his head, Triner huffs at the mere thought of being involved in such a big pot, but seems already resigned to making the call and holding his breath.
When he does eventually call, he is overjoyed to find that he has his man dominated, Young's in need of divine intervention to keep him in the tournament in the face of Triner's ahead-for-the-time-being .
However, poker is a cruel, cruel game, and although the flop suggests an easy route to victory, it wasn't to be, the on the turn sending a jubilant Young into a wild frenzy.
Whoops and high fives ensue as an elated Young leaps around the table to celebrate with his friends on the rail. The river does nothing but pour salt in already open wounds and leave Triner with a diminished stack of 600,000.
Young, meanwhile, laps up a monster pot and now looks to be in the most confident of moods.
Level: 3
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 4,000
Here are a handful that I caught prior to the current 20 minute break:
(i) Matt Giannetti raises to 64,000 from the button, Rory Monahan makes it 200,000 to play, and Giannetti folds.
(ii) Jason Young limps from early position, the small blind folds and Mike Schwartz checks the big. Young takes it down with a 35,000 bet on the flop.
(iii) Young takes the blinds with a 78,000 raise.
(iv) John Strzemp raises to 70,000 from the blind. Everyone folds, including Young in the blinds who shows the .
Incidentally, there is very little to report by way of table banter, local color, etc. In fact, the most colorful thing here is Sergey Rybachenko's shirt, which, festooned as it is with cards, roulette wheels and so on, seems designed to make the other players' sleep-deprived heads throb even more than they did when they prised themselves out of bed this morning. Indeed, it may be no coincidence that the most aggressive player today, and so far the most successful in terms of accruing chips, has been the player who won his table earliest last night, and hence got the most sleep of anyone.
On the turn, Monahan pushes all in for 370,000.
"Flush draw?" inquires Schwartz.
Monahan shakes his head.
"Have you looked?" asks Schwartz. "That's a good sign".
Eventually he folds and Monahan takes the pot.