2008 Wynn Classic Championship from the Wynn in Las Vegas - Day 3 Coverage
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 10:44 PM
Three full tables were in action at the start of Day 3 in the Wynn Classic Championship, but after six hours of play Tuesday, one table remains. As the money bubble bust and the final table neared, it seemed as if all the big names were slowly falling by the wayside.
Bracelet winner James "mig.com" Mackey suffered a big hit from Mike Matusow late in Day 2 and just couldn't seem to get it going Tuesday. Mackey's roommate Blake Cahail elimanted him in the first level of the day. Jonanthan Little has been on a tear since early 2007, but could not translate that into Wynn Classic success as he fell just a couple shots short of the money.
Round-for-round play was in effect during the money bubbles, meaning any eliminations occurring within an orbit would chop the prizes. Andrew Robl was under the impression his 19th place finish meant he bubbled and was last seen exiting the building. After a barrage of text messages, Robl would learn a David Singer bust meant a chop of 18th place money between the two.
Two table play spelled the end of the road for Allen Kessler and Kathy Liebert. Mike Matusow was at the final table of this event last year, but won't be making a repeat appearance. Matusow had a hard time finding cards throughout the day, eventually running his sevens into aces for the rest of his stack.
Ryan Young was able to navigate his way through more than 2,500 players to grab $615,000 and a bracelet at the 2007 WSOP. Pair that with a 7th place finish at the 2008 WSOP Circuit Event in Tunica and the 23-year-old brings final table experience along with the chip lead into Day 4. Chris Moore, like Matusow, final tabled last years Wynn Championship, as well as the 2007 Indiana WSOP Circuit Event. He will enter play Wednesday third in chips.
Here is the official final table seating chart and chip counts:
Seat - Player - Chips
1 - Ardavan Yazdi — 405,000
2 - Eugene Todd — 236,000
3 - Alemu Tesema — 230,000
4 - Larry Wright — 572,500
5 - Ricky Chow — 507,000
6 - Blake Cahail — 299,500
7 - Jace Markgraf — 167,500
8 - Ryan Young — 714,000
9 - Chris Moore — 536,000
Today's payouts:
10 - Alfredo "Toto" Leonidas - $26,627
11 - Amit Makhija - $26,627
12 - Mike Matusow - $26,627
13 - Ted McCollom - $23,964
14 - Allen Kessler - $23,964
15 - Kathy Liebert - $23,964
16 - Darren Elias - $22,189
17 - Matthew Graham - $22,189
18 - David Singer - $11,094
19 - Andrew Robl - $11,094
Remaining payouts:
1 - $692,286
2 - $355,020
3 - $177,510
4 - $95,855
5 - $71,004
6 - $53,253
7 - $44,378
8 - $35,502
9 - $31,952
Action from the final table will start up Wednesday at 12 p.m. PST. Check with PokerPages.com as we bring you live coverage from the Wynn poker room in Las Vegas.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 08:08 PM
Just five minutes into the level, we have and elimination. The most recognizable name at the table has been eliminated by a Wynn poker room drawing winner. Young made it 20K UTG, Toto moved his last 75 or so in over the top. Alemu Tesema also moved all in, his stack of 125K was enough to get Young out of the way. Tesema's A K was dominating Toto's A 10 and when the board came 3 Q 9 2 Q , Tesema's A-K high was enough to eliminate Leonidas. Alemu Tesema qualified through a Wynn promotion, earning entries in the drawing through hours of grinding at the Wynn poker room. He was present and playing when his name was drawn, earning his seat in the tournament. He, along with the other eight returning tomorrow, are guaranteed no less than $31,952 for their work this week.
The final table cranks up tomorrow at noon PST. We will return shortly with end of day chip counts and summary.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 08:03 PM
The cards are back in the air.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 08:00 PM
Taking a look at the chip stacks: Ryan Young - 675,000
Chris Moore - 575,000
Larry Wright - 550,000
Ardavan Yazdi - 450,000
Ricky Chow - 450,000
Blake Cahail - 300,000
Eugene Todd - 225,000
Jace Markgraf - 135,000
Alemu Tesema - 125,000
Toto Leonidas - 80,000
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 07:52 PM
Level 15 is in the books. Just a 10 minute break this time. When play resumes, players will be facing a big jump in the blinds and antes; 1K ante and 4K/8K blinds.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 07:41 PM
Alemu Tesema was down to his last 66K and came over the top of Yazdi's 17K with all of it. Yazdi would call, turning over his A J, trailing Tesema's K K. By the turn, the board read 6 J Q A and Yazdi had caught up, but the 10 on the river spelled broadway for Tesema, who doubled up.
Soon after, Jace Markgraf was able to double up through Leonidas, his A-Q holding up against Toto's K-Q. Toto is now the new short stack.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 07:29 PM
We're down to one 10-handed table. One more elimination and we're done for the day.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 07:25 PM
Here's an updated payouts list, as they amounts have changed since Day 1:
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 07:17 PM
Mike Matusow is our 12th place finisher. He was all in preflop holding pocket sevens, but ran them right into the A A of Larry Wright. Larry caught the A on the flop to ice it. Matusow finished 5th in last year's event, but wasn't quite able to reach his second final table in as many years. He will take home $26,627.
Chris Moore is the lone surivivor of last year's final table. He finished 3rd last year and is well on his way to playing the final day after doubling up through Amit Makhija. After the flop of 7 9 4, Moore check-raised Amit from 30K to 85K. Amit decided he wanted to risk all of it and Moore would come along for the ride. Amit held 8 10, open end and flush draws, Moore held the A J. Amit would find his straight after the 6 turned, but was trumped by Moore when the river came 3. Amit Makhija is out in 11th, also taking home $26,627.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 06:54 PM
Toto Leonidas is short stack no more. Toto was sitting behind just 75K to start the hand, but was able to check raise the rest of his chips on the 2 K 4 3 board and get action from Chris Moore. Moore turned over K 8, but trailed Toto's K J. The river J only gave Toto top two and Moore couldn't eliminate the short stack. Toto is now above 160K. Alemu Tesema is the only player with less than 100K, he's around 80K. Jace Markgraf is second from the bottom, hanging around 120K. Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 06:47 PM
Play has resumed. There is still one hour remaining in level 15: 3K/6K blinds, 500 ante. Day 3 will come to a close after just three more eliminations.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 05:36 PM
Dinner time. The 12 survivors will be back at 6:45, where they will continue to play down to the final table.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 05:29 PM
Suck out o' the day. Young makes it 18K preflop, Ted McCollom raises to 44K from the cutoff. After Young made the call, the dealer flopped A J 9, earning a Young check. McCollom immediately shoves his last 164K.
"Wow!" said Young. "You got A-K? You know what I got." Young would emerge from the tank with a call. His read was right on and his A-Q needed help. The Q showed itself on the turn and the railbirds erupted. McCollom is done in 13th and Young is up to 750K, reclaiming the chip lead.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 05:03 PM
Break is over. New level: 3K/6K blinds with antes jumping to 500.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 04:53 PM
Break time again. They're coloring up the black 100 chips, be back with more action in 15.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 04:45 PM
Allen Kessler led out with 17K after the 3 7 5 flop. Chow made it 40K to roll, triggering "the Chainsaw" to move in for about 150K. Chow met him with an instacall. Kessler held J J, ahead of Chow's K 5, bottom pair and a flush draw. The A on the turn did Kessler in. He'll take home nearly $24K for finishing 13th. After Yazdi took a hit from Wright, it looks as if Chow has regained the chip lead.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 04:36 PM
Larry Wright was able to get all his money in the middle with A-A on a 10xx board. Yazdi made the call with A-10 and couldn't catch up. Larry is now close to 240K.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 04:18 PM
Kathy Liebert has been eliminated by Allen Kessler. Liebert led out for 16K after the 7 6 2, only to have Allen bump it to 45K. After tanking, Liebert decided to move all in. Kessler decided to make the call before the dealer was able to finish counting it out. Liebert would need her A K to improve, in bad shape against A 7. The turn and river came 10 4, sending Liebert to the rail.
On table 22, Matusow made a move after 5th street, putting Ted McCollom all in on the K-2-6-10-K board with just J-3. He would have to ship another 80K to McCollom, who had his K 2 fill up.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 03:40 PM
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| Ardavan Yazdi | |
After returning for break, Ryan Young wasted no time picking off the two table short stacks. He first took the last 50K from Matt Graham, then he shoved holding Q-4 into the BB of Darren Elias, who called off his last 35K with A-10. Young would catch his queen. Graham and Elias will each take home $22K for their respective 17th and 16th place finishes.
Ardavan Yazdi has snatched the chip lead from Ricky Chow, thanks in
large part to his dispatching of Robl. He just picked up a pot of
175K, holding Q 10 with a board of
9 2 10
7 9.
Yazdi is now on the high side of 600K.Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 03:27 PM
There is no re-draw at two tables. Instead, table 23 has broken. Liebert, Kessler and Leonidas are now occupying seats at table 21. Alemu Tesema, Ardavan Yazdi and Eugene Todd will have to join Matusow at table 22.
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| Kessler and Leonidas | |
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 03:25 PM
The 17 remaining players have returned from break. New level of 400 antes and 2K/4K blinds.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 03:03 PM
In the closing minutes of the round, Andrew Robl's set of fours fell to Ardavan Yazdi and his rivered broadway. Robl finished in 19th, but tourney directors announced bubble play would be round for round. In the last hand of round for round, Singer was all in with A-10 and ran into pocket jacks. Robl and Singer will chop the $22K prize for 18th place.
Players are on another 15 minute break.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 02:57 PM Corwin Cole has just busted from the tournament. The tournament staff took a short break while they explained that play would now be round for round until the money bubble is busted. Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 02:25 PM
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| Ryan Young | |
Matusow and Young continue to go at it. Matusow made it 8K in Young's BB. Young would make the call to see the 7 6 3 flop. Young would check-call 15K from Matusow. The 5 hit on the turn, putting a potential straight draw out there. Young would lead out for 25K and Matusow followed him with an instacall. The 6 on the river earned a check-check and Matusow showed A 7. Young mucked.
"I told you," said Matusow. "You're a nice kid. You play good. Just stay out of my way and you'll be alright. My only hope is that you keep getting chips, because I can't beat anybody else."
On the quiet table, Toto Leonidas was all in for his last 80K on the 6 10 K 5 board. Andrew Robl made the call, tabling K 4. Toto was ahead with his K J. The river bricked and Toto has doubled up.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 02:20 PM
Jonathan Little is our 21st place finisher. Jace Markgraf made it 10K UTG, Little had about 45K and pushed the rest of it in with 9 9. Markgraf made the call with A K. Markgraf caught the K on the flop and the A on the river for good measure.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 02:02 PM
Corwin Cole has taken another hit. This on was a big one, at the hands of Ryan Young.
With about 130K already in the pot and 2 9 6 6 4 on the board, Young led out for 60K. Cole didn't wait long to make the call, but would quickly muck after Young showed 9 6, having turned sixes full.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 02:00 PM
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| Amit Makhija | |
The flop read 5 J 9 and after the K fell on the turn, Makhija check-called Little's bet of 23K. The river was the 3 and again Amit checked. Little would fire again, this time 40K. Amit wasn't buying it, eventually calling Little's bet. Little gave a peek of his A-10 before mucking. Makhija's Q J was good enough to drag the pot.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 01:51 PM
Table 22 continues to be the most active table. Maybe that's due to Mike Matusow's constant free poker lessons. He's already lectured the iPod users as to how they "are bad for the game." That didn't deter Matt Graham or Darren Elias, who decided to just drown out "the Mouth" by cranking up the tunes.
Corwin Cole found himself in three straight raised pots, shipping each one across the table. Two of them to McCollom, one to Young.
Larry Wright raised from the button, only to have Young come back over the top with 27K more from the big blind. Wright would tank, eventually flipping a coin to help him with the decision. I couldn't read the coin, but the result was a fold. Wright later told me that was one of two A-K laydowns from him today.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 01:27 PM
We're back. New level gives us 1500/3000 blinds, still using an ante of 300.
Before the break, we lost both Armando Pagliari and Cody Crouch. Just 21 remain and the money bubble is right around the corner.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 01:12 PM
It's break time. Players will be back in 15.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 01:07 PM
Matusow moved all in from the cutoff after seeing McCollom bump it 13,600 from the button. McCollom made the call holding A 10, in a race with the pocket eights of "the Mouth". The board ran out 2 10 9 Q 2 and McCollom has doubled up, now sitting around 140K.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 01:03 PM
James "mig.com" Mackey has been eliminated by Blake Cahail.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:54 PM
Matusow seems to have targeted Ryan Young, who is two seats to Matusow's right.
"I told you that you drew the worst seat in the house," Matusow told Young. "Don't start steaming, I want all those pretty chips."
Matusow has already taken at least two nice pots away from Young.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:44 PM
Amit Makhija was looking at a board of 9 Q K 8 and 14K to call the table newcomer Ted McCollom. Amit decided to move all in and McCollom quickly got out of the way. Makhija is up to 110K.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:40 PM
Steve Simmons, the short stack to start the day, has been bounced by Chris Moore. Simmons is our 25th place finisher.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:37 PM
Matt Beisner has busted in 26th place. Ted McCollom has been moved from his seat next to Jonathan Little to table 21 seat 3, in order to balance the tables.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:26 PM
With J 5 A K, Ricky Chow led out for 11K and was called by Blake Cahail. The Q on the river induced a pot sized bet of 45K from Chow and Cahail would pay to see it. Chow showed that he got there, holding 7 10 to take down a 150K+ pot.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:19 PM
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| Mike Matusow | |
We have our first bust of the day.
Mike Matusow raises the button and Gioi Luong re-raises from the SB. Matusow moves all in and Luong wastes no time making the call with the rest of his 75K. Matusow turns over 5 5 and Gioi tables A Q. Matusow was able to find a set on the flop to shut the door on Luong, ending his Wynn run with a 27th place finish.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 12:07 PM
The cards are in the air. Here's how the room is set up:
| Table 21 | Seat | | Steve Simmons | 1 | | James Mackey | 2 | | David Singer | 3 | | Chris Moore | 4 | | Ricky Chow | 5 | | Blake Cahail | 6 | | Jace Markgraf | 7 | | Ted McCollom | 8 | | Jonathan Little | 9 |
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| | Table 22 | Seat | | Darren Elias | 1 | | Mike Matusow | 2 | | Gioi Luong | 3 | | Matt Beisner | 4 | | Corwin Cole | 5 | | Larry Wright | 6 | | Amit Makhija | 7 | | Matt Graham | 8 | | Ryan Young | 9 |
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| | Table 23 | Seat | | Andrew Robl | 1 | | Alemu Tesema | 2 | | Adavan Yazdi | 3 | | Allen Kessler | 4 | | Armando Pagliari | 5 | | Toto Leonidas | 6 | | Kathy Liebert | 7 | | Cody Crouch | 8 | | Eugene Todd | 9 |
We still have and hour left in level 12. Blinds are at 1200/2400 with a 300 ante.
Tuesday, 18th of March 2008 11:51 AM
We are just 10 minutes away from the start of Day 3 from the Wynn poker room. The 27 survivors will battle it out until only nine remain. Only the top 18 finshers will make the money. Here are the chip counts:
| Place | NAME | HOMETOWN | Chip Count | | 1 | Ricky Chow | Las Vegas, NV | 432,600 | | 2 | Ryan Young | Torrance, CA | 328,700 | | 3 | Mike Matusow | Las Vegas, NV | 218,900 | | 4 | Allen Kessler | Las Vegas, NV | 212,000 | | 5 | Eugene Todd | Brooklyn, NY | 210,800 | | 6 | Jonathan Little | Pensicola, FL | 203,000 | | 7 | Andrew Robl | Las Vegas, NV | 179,300 | | 8 | Larry Wright | McQueeney, TX | 173,800 | | 9 | Blake Cahail | Colombia, MO | 161,700 | | 10 | Toto Leonidas | Los Angeles, CA | 150,100 | | 11 | Ardavan Yazdi | Los Angeles, CA | 137,200 | | 12 | Jace Markgraf | Lubbock, TX | 118,700 | | 13 | Corwin Cole | San Diego, CA | 118,200 | | 14 | Alemu Tesema | Las Vegas, NV | 108,600 | | 15 | Darren Elias | Los Angeles, CA | 101,000 | | 16 | Ted McCollom | Seabrook, TX | 100,700 | | 17 | Matt Graham | New Orleans, LA | 97,400 | | 18 | Amit Makhija | Brookfield, WI | 93,000 | | 19 | Kathy Liebert | Las Vegas, NV | 83,300 | | 20 | Armando Pagliari | Toronto, Canada | 78,300 | | 21 | Chris Moore | Chicago, IL | 77,300 | | 22 | Ghoi Luong | Westminister, CA | 77,100 | | 23 | James Mackey | Columbia, MO | 71,700 | | 24 | David Singer | Las Vegas, NV | 43,600 | | 25 | Matt Beisner | Las Vegas, NV | 39,200 | | 26 | Cody Crouch | Amarillo, TX | 35,700 | | 27 | Steve Simmons | Syracuse, NY | 16,200 |
We will be back shortly with live coverage of the $10K Wynn Classic Championship from Las Vegas.
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