Jeremy Gaubert - 1st place

And just like that, it is all over.

On a flop of T 3 2 rainbow, Steve was all-in and called. Jeremy held pocket Aces and was ahead. Steve held T8 suited for top pair, needing a Ten or 8 to stay alive. The last two came J 5 and Jeremy took the pot and the tournament!

Jeremy Gaubert finished in 1st place, earning $192,953, a $10k seat in the WPT Southern Poker Championship at the Beau Rivage next January, the gold & diamond WPO bracelet and WPO trophy.

Steve Hamontree finished in 2nd place, earning $109,400.

In an interesting coincidence, when Conie Gowen won this event last year, her winning hand was also pocket Aces.

Level 20: Blinds 8k/16k with 2k antes. Play continues.

Jeremy has picked up about 100k over the last level. He's got about 1.6 million to Steve's 900k.

Woohoo! I got to see some cards!

Jeremy limped, Steve checked. They proceeded to check down the board of J 7 6 8 T. Jeremy had AQ for Ace-high. Steve held QT off for a pair of tens to take the pot.

These guys are playing serious poker, like there's still $90k on the line.

Steve completed the small blind and Jeremy raised. Steve called and the flop came J 8 5 rainbow. Jeremy fired 75k. Steve folded. Jeremy showed pocket Kings.

	Trophy & bracelet with Jeremy

No fireworks yet in the heads-up match. Rumor is that they chopped up the money based on chips and now they're playing for the $10k seat and the bracelet (which is quite nice).

	Jeremy Gaubert

Level 19: Blinds 6k/12k with 1k antes. Play has resumed. There were some deal-talks going on during the extended break, so I guess they came to terms.

At the start of heads-up play, Jeremy leads with 1.47 million to Steve's 1.04 million.

Jeremy Gaubert is a 25-year-old poker pro from Thibodaux, LA, who has been playing professionally for 4 years. Before that, he was a college student majoring in chemistry. His biggest poker accomplishment to date was chopping the Sunday Million on PokerStars for $233k. Sorry Ladies, he's engaged.

Steve Hamontree is a 40-year-old self-employed business owner from Chattanooga, TN. This is his greatest poker accomplishment. His hobby is bowling and he has bowled a perfect game.

Level 18 came to an end and the final two are taking a break.

On a flop of J T 8 Chris got all-in and called by Jeremy. Chris held pocket Aces (both red) and was ahead of Jeremy's K 9 (open-ender. The last two came 3 3 and Chris doubled up to ~540k.

	Chris Moneymaker - 3rd place

Chris Moneymaker finished in 3rd place, earning $60,110.

Chris is best known for winning the 2003 WSOP main event and $2.5 million, but said his greatest poker accomplishment is winning the PLO event here last week (which also won him his entry into this event). He still lives in nearby Memphis, TN.

Jeremy moved all-in from the small blind (262k) and Chris called from the big. Jeremy held A K and was ahead of Chris' A Q. The flop came A 6 3 giving both a pair of Aces and giving Jeremy a flush draw. Jeremy was still in the lead. The 2 on the turn changed nothing. River was the 3 and Jeremy's kicker played. He doubled up to ~570k. Chris was left with about 300k.

	Chad Brown - 4th place

Chad Brown finished in 4th place, earning $48,088.

Chad wed his fiance Vanessa Rousso earlier this year. At the WSOP, he had four cashes and two final tables, finishing 3rd in Limit Hold'em and 4th in Stud Hi/Low. His lifetime tournament earnings are about $2.5 million. Oh yeah, before poker, he was an actor.

Jeremy took the chip lead with that pot, holding 1.2 million.  Steve is second with 1.06 million and Chris is the short stack with ~260k. 

Chris opened for 25k utg and Chad called from the small blind. Flop came 8 7 5. Chad checked, Chris bet 30k and Chad called. Turn was the Q and both checked. River was the J and they checked it down. Chad announced he had "Ace-high". Chris rolled over pocket 5s with the 5 (straight-flush draw) to take the pot with a pair of 5s. Apparently Chad held the A and they were talking about whether or not he would've stacked off if the 9 or 4 and come.

	Chris Moneymaker

Chad opened for 25k utg and collected the blinds and antes.

Steve raised to 40k from the small blind and Chad folded his big blind.

Chris opened for 25k utg and Steve called from the button. The flop came T 8 3. Chris led for 30k and Steve raised to 100k straight. Chris surrendered.

Chad opened for 25k on the button and Jeremy moved all-in from the small blind. Chad folded. (Deja vu.)

Chris raised to 30k from the small blind and Steve called from the big. The flop came A J 2 rainbow. Chris fired 35k and Steve folded.

Chris opened for 25k on the button, Steve announved a raise, and Chris folded.

Chris opened for 25k utg and Chad called from the small blind. The flop came T 9 2 and both checked. Turn was the K and both checked. River was the 7 and Chad bet 25k. Chris folded.

Chris got a walk in his big blind, then raised to 30k from the small blind on the next hand. Steve called. The flop came 5 4 3 and Chris fired 30k. Steve called. Turn was the 3 and Chris fired 60k. Steve called. River was the 9 and Chris checked. Steve asked the dealer to spread the pot, then started to bet. Chris mucked.

	Steve Hamontree

Jeremy raised to 25k utg and Chris (button) kicked it on up to 70k straight. Both blinds folded and Jeremy announced he was all-in. Chris let it go.

Steve opened for 30k on the button and got called by both blinds. The flop came T 4 3. Chad (sb) checked, Jeremy (bb) checked, and Steve fired 40k. Chad called and Jeremy opted out. Turn was the 5 and Chad checked. Steve checked behind. River was the 7. Chad led out for 75k. Steve folded. Chad showed Q 9 for nothing but Queen-high with a busted flush draw.

	Thomas Creel - 5th place

Thomas W. Creel finished in 5th place, earning $36,066.

Thomas is 52 years old and hails from Monroe, LA, where he enjoys boating and hunting.

Steve is now over 900k and may have edged out Chris for the chip lead.

Level 18: Blinds 5k/10k with 1k antes. Play continues.

There has been some chip movement, but not much change in the standings. Here are some rough chip counts:

	Gil George - 6th place

The cards were not falling right for Gil today.

He opened for 20k in the cutoff and Jeremy raised to 55k on the button. Back to Gil, who moved all-in. Jeremy snap-called, showing pocket Kings. Gil held pocket Tens and was way behind. The board came Q 8 8 2 5 and Jeremy took the pot. He had Gil covered by 7k, so Gil was busted. Jeremy chipped up to ~340k.

Gil George finished in 6th place, earning $30,055.

Gil is 63 years young and lives in Dallas, TX, where he works in commercial real estate. Among his poker accomplishments are a final table at the WSOP in 2007 and a final table at the Grand.

The remaining players are not letting Chris run over them.

	Chad Brown

In a battle of the blinds, Chris raised to 21k from the small and Steve called from the big. The flop came A 3 2 rainbow and both checked. Turn was another 2 and Chris bet 23k. Steve raised to 80k straight. Chris folded.

Gil opened for 20k, Chris called from the button, and Thomas called from the big blind. The flop came T 8 4 rainbow and they checked to Chris, who bet 30k. Both opponents folded and Chris took the pot.

Looks like Chad's luck is changing for the better:

Chad got all-in for 100k and called by Gil, who had pocket Aces. Chad held pocket Queens and was a big dog. It looked like he was destined for 6th, but there was a Queen in the door when the dealer spread the flop of Q J 4. The last two came 2 4 and Chad doubled up to ~210k. Gil was left with ~200k.

	Jeremy Gaubert

Jeremy moved all-in utg for 128k. Action folded around to Gil in the big blind, who looked down at AK off and made the call. Jeremy was ahead with pocket 8s, but was racing two overcards. The flop came J T 5 leaving Jeremy in the lead, but giving Gill more outs with a gutshot. The last two fell safe, 7 4, and Jeremy doubled up to 266k. Gil was left with about 240k.

Chad's taken a beating today.  He raised and Steve shoved on him from the big blind.  Chad folded and was left with only ~130k.  A few hands later, Chris raised from the cutoff and Chad surrendered his 8k big blind.

Jeremy has moved all-in twice since the break, without getting called. Each time he does that he picks up 18k in blinds and antes.

Then in a battle of the blinds, Jeremy moved all-in from the small for 63k.  Chris insta-called from the big, showing A T.  Jeremey held 9 8 and would need to improve to survive.  The flop was Q 5 3 and no help for Jeremy.  Then the 9 fell on the turn, giving Jeremy the lead with a pair of 9s.  Chris needed an Ace or Ten on the river to bust Jeremy, but the 6 fell, shipping the double-up to Jeremy.

Level 17: Blinds 4k/8k with 1k antes. Play has resumed. Here are the exact chip counts as of the break:

End of level 16 and players are taking 15 while they color up the 500 chips.

On the river with the board showing J 8 2 Q 8 Chad (bs) bet 40k. Gil (bb) raised it up to 100k smooth. Chad gave it some thought, trying to get a read on Gil, then opted to call. Gil rolled over pocket 2s for ducks-full. Chad mucked and Gil picked up a nice pot.

	Tommy Vedes - 7th place

Tommy Vedes finished in 7th place, earning $24,044.

Tommy is 37 years old and lives in Las Vegas, but is originally from New York. He's been playing poker professionally for a year and a half. Before that, he worked in the auto industry. His greatest poker accomplishment to date is finishing 19th in the WSOP Main Event his year, good for $352,000. He lists fishing, camping, skiing, and traveling as his hobbies. And Ladies, he's single.

	Jerry Milanos - 8th place

Jerry Milanos finished in 8th place, earning $18,033.

Jerry was the elder statesman at this final table at 77 years young. He's from Hillsboro, Il where he owns a cafe. Married with four children, he lists his greatest accomplishment outside of poker as "sweet red salad dressing".

	Paris Heard - 9th place

On the second hand, Chad raised to 15k and Gil called. They checked down the board of A 8 7 6 K and Chad declared "nothing". Gil showed pocket Tens and picked up his second pot.

Hand three, Steve limpted utg and Paris moved all-in for 24,500. Chris was in the big blind and called the extra 18,500, as did Steve. The flop came K 8 2 rainbow and both checked as Paris watched. Turn was a Jack and Chris checked. Steve bet 20k and Chris folded, saying "I hope you can beat a Jack" (he later said he folded J3). Sure enough, Steve tabled KJ for top two pair. Paris held A9 off and was drawing dead.

Paris Heard finished in 9th place, earning $12,022.

Paris is a 29-year-old professional poker player for the last four years and currently resides in Prairie, MS. Originally from Chicgo, he enjoys Basketball, swimming, and playing with his three kids.

Level 16 (continued): Blinds 3k/6k with 500 antes. About 42 minutes remain in this level. Player introductions have been completed and cards are in the air.

	Chris Moneymaker - chip leader

	Kaelaine in the 2006 WSOP Main Event

Kaelaine Minton Reporting

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