We just had a break, but the players are on another while a color-up is performed.
2010 World Series of Poker
Dan Shak's been leading through most of this Day 3 and isn't about to let Joe Ritzie steal his thunder. Ritzie limped in late position, with Shak checking the big blind. On a flop of , Shak checked and called a bet of 60,000 from the flush-with-chips Ritzie.
The turn paired the board . We don't know whether that was a "good card" or a "bad card" for our two combatants. What we do know is that Shak checked and called another 105,000 from Ritzie. But when the river fell , Shak led into Ritzie for 150,000. What to do, what to do. Ritzie eventually folded, allowing Shak to claim the pot uncontested and to become the second player to more than a million in chips. In fact, he has 1.1 million.
Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott limped under the gun, Joe Ritzie limped on the button, Erik Seidel limped in the small blind and Leif Force checked his option in the big. That's four players to the flop, as we learned in elementary school.
The flop came down and it checked around to Devilfish, who bet 30,000. Ritzie and Seidel both folded, but Force now raised to 120,000. Devilfish checked his hole cards. Force checked his as well. "Have to bluff now," he said cheerfully. They showed first one card, then another - eventually it became clear that Devilfish was folding, and Force showed his whole hand - for a set of threes and the nut low draw.
Former chip leader Chris Bell - although actually every player remaining at this final has been chip leader at one point or another; such is PLO8 - is now in some very serious trouble.
He checked the turn of a board and then called a bet from Joe Ritzie. They both checked the river and Ritzie turned over . Bell showed, but the dealer took his cards away rather quickly.
Bell is down to 125,000 - just about five big blinds.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Joe Ritzie
|
1,300,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
Dan Shak |
870,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
Erik Seidel | 845,000 | |
|
||
Leif Force |
760,000
-15,000
|
-15,000 |
|
||
Dave Ulliott |
290,000
-15,000
|
-15,000 |
|
||
Chris Bell |
125,000
-75,000
|
-75,000 |
The last Dutch hope in this tournament was Rob Hollink. We say "was" because "Mr. Hollink", as our esteemed tournament director referred to him, has just busted in seventh place. The player with the most chips (again, what some would call the "chip leader"), Joe Ritzie, opened pre-flop for 70,000. Hollink thought through his decision for about a minute before calling to a flop of . Hollink then tried a stop-and-go by moving all in. Ritzie wss having none of it. He called with , a pair of sevens and the nut low draw. Hollink showed , which was behind in all regards. The turn gave Ritzie the nut low; the river gave Hollink the boot in 7th place.
Ritzie now has about 1.25 million in chips.
Erik Seidel limped in on the small blind and Perry Green in the big checked his option. They saw a flop.
Flop:
Seidel bet out - around 45,000 - and Green called. Most interesting.
Turn:
This time Seidel checked, and Green announced all in, or pot, whichever was greater. Seidel briefly thought about it - and then decided to get the chips in. On their backs.
Seidel: for a flush
Green: for a smaller flush, meaning that he was drawing dead
"Good game," said Green.
River: an academic
There will be no fourth bracelet this time around for Green, as he is our eighth place finisher. Bracelet number nine is a distinct possibility for Seidel, though - he's up to 845,000.
Move over, Dan Shak. There's something leaner. Joe Ritzie is our new chip leader after doubling through Chris Bell in what our colleague change100 would call a "monsterpotten". The pot was limped four-ways for 24,000 each pre-flop, with Erik Seidel, David Ulliott, Bell and Ritzie all in there. Action on the flop checked to Bell, who bet 90,000. Ritzie raised pot to 366,000, quickly clearing out Seidel and Ulliott. Bell then moved all in and Ritzie called all in for 471,000 total.
Ritzie: , a set of nines and a low draw
Bell: , a pair of sixes, some straight draws, and a better low draw
It was "vaffles" for Bell as the turn and river came and to give Ritzie a scooper for the whole pot. Our gorilla math now puts Ritzie at 1,036,000, while Bell is rocking a much-depleted stack of 200,000.
Harkin - for whom the Bell tolls.
Chris Bell opened for 70,000 from the button and Jeremy Harkin shoved from the big blind. A quiet call, and the cards were on their backs.
Bell:
Harkin:
Board:
Harkin was already standing to leave when Bell flopped trip fours, and by the end of the board Bell had only improved to a straight and a 7-5-4-3-A low. Harkin took his leave to a round of applause, and Bell moved up to around 700,000.
Dan Shak is the chip leader at the moment, which at this final table simply means he has slightly more chips than the next guy. He was in the big blind and called a raise to 55,000 made by Jeremy Harkin, who is not the chip leader. Shak led out at the pot for 122,000 on a flop of , which was enough to chase Harkin away.