WSOP Event 2, $1500 NL holdem. JAMES AKENHEAD (London UK) runner-up

[morlspin]

Searchin the live updates and saw James' name and knew i recognised him....he was 3rd in the Newcastle GUKPT and was being railed by Praz Bansi, they are part of the same poker team.



Table 14:

Seat 1: Josh Engerdahl (Abbotsford, BC) 930,000
Seat 2: Melvin Jones (Chicago, IL) 660,000
Seat 3: Mike Ngo (New Orleans, LA) 544,000
Seat 4: Grant Hinkle (Kansas City, KA) 281,000
Seat 5: Perry Friedman (Las Vegas, NV) 653,000
Seat 6: Joe Rutledge (Pasadena, TX) 486,000
Seat 7: Chris Ferguson (Pacific Palisades, CA) 444,000
Seat 8: David Bach (Athens, GA) 168,000
Seat 9: Frank Sinopoli (Hollywood, CA) 165,000

Table 15:

Seat 1: Eric Hicks (San Francisco, CA) 703,000
Seat 2: James Akenhead (London, UK) 1,039,000
Seat 3: Matthew Kearney 1,024,000
Seat 4: Jeff Wiedenhoeft (Whitewater, WI) 482,000
Seat 5: Minh Nguyen (Lake Elsinore, CA) 600,000
Seat 6: Theo Tran (Las Vegas, NV) 1,199,000
Seat 7: Brandon Blake (Palmer, AK) 514,000
Seat 8: Elia Ahmadian (Chantilly, VA) 171,000
Seat 9: Aaron Coulthard (Waterloo, ON) 1,327,000

[morlspin]

Elia Ahmadian Eliminated in 18th Place ($30,569)

On the second hand on Green #14, Elia Ahmadian moved all in from the small blind and was snap-called by Theo Tran in the big blind. Ahmadian sheepishly turned over and was in bad shape against Tran's pocket kings. A flop of gave him some hope, but the turn and river were no help. Ahmadian is the first casualty of the day. He earns $30,569.

[morlspin]

Brandon Blake Eliminated in 17th Place ($30,569)

It's an early end to Brandon Blake's day. From under the gun, he raised to 55,000. Grant Hinkle, who had tangled with Blake just a few hands ago, called from the button.

Both players checked the flop. When the turn came , Blake bet 200,000. Hinkle moved all in and Blake instantly called and table pocket fives for a set of fives. Hinkle turned his hand over to reveal pocket sixes for a set of sixes: set over set on the flop. The miracle one-outer didn't hit the river and Blake was eliminated. His payday is $30,569.

[morlspin]

Frank Sinopoli Eliminated in 16th Place ($30,569)

Action folded to Melvin Jones who limped in from early position. When it got around to Aaron Coulthard in the small blind, he completed and Frank Sinopoli checked his big blind option. The flop came down . Coulthand led out for 35,000 and Sinopoli instantly declared all in. Jones quickly folded and Coulthard insta-called. The players showed:

Coulthard:
Sinopoli:

The turn and river came the and respectively and Sinopoli was eliminated. He was clearly discouraged, but will pick up $30,569 to sooth his pain.

[morlspin]

Matthew Kearney Eliminated in 15th Place ($41,295)

Matthew Kearney raised to 60,000 from under the gun. Next to act was Jeff Wiedenhoeft, and he moved all in for 130,000 total. Aaron Coulthard, who had both men well covered, came over the top for all his chips. Action folded back around to Kearney, who made the call. The players showed:

Kearney:
Wiedenhoeft:
Coulthard:

There was a side pot between Coulthard and Kearney, with Wiedenhoeft looking to triple up. The board came and Wiedenhoeft's full house was best. Coulthard took down the side pot with his Broadway straight and Kearney was eliminated in 15th place. He'll take home $41,295 for his impressive finish.

[morlspin]

Eric Hicks Eliminated in 14th Place ($41,295)

Eric Hicks' day is over. He moved all in from the big blind after Jeff Wiedenhoeft open-raised from late position for 75,000. Wiedenhoeft called the all in and was ahead with his against Hicks' . Wiedenhoeft was pumped when the flop came , but looked skywards in agony when the turn came to keep Hicks' chances alive. A harmless hit the river, sending Hicks to the cage to collect $41,295. Wiedenhoeft now has about 400,000 chips.

[morlspin]

Josh Engerdahl Eliminated in 13th Place ($41,295)

Aaron Coulthard raised to 65,000 from the button. Josh Engerdahl put in a sizable reraise from the small blind. Melvin Jones came over the top from the big blind for all his chips. Coulthard passed and Engerdahl called what would end up being all in. It was for Jones and for Engerdahl. Jones made the nuts when the board came . He shook hands with Jones, and congratulated the others as he made his way towards the payout table to collect his $41,295.

[morlspin]

Minh Nguyen Eliminated in 12th Place ($52,021)

James Akenhead opened for 67,000 from middle position. Action folded to Minh Nguyen in the big blind, who raised to 200,000. Akenhead immediately pushed all in. Nguyen made the call with and was dismayed to see Akenhead turn over pocket queens. The board came out to send Nguyen to the rail. He collects $52,021 for his efforts.

[morlspin]

Chip Counts

Player	Sponsor	Amount	Trend
James Akenhead		1770000	670000
Aaron Coulthard		1500000	50000
Mike Ngo		1200000	545000
Theo Tran		1130000	540000
Melvin Jones		870000	200000
Perry Friedman		757000	203000
Grant Hinkle		660000	379000
David Bach		628000	358000
Chris Ferguson	Full Tilt Poker	560000	60000
Joe Rutledge		552000	352000
Jeff Wiedenhoeft		150000	135000

PRIZES!

Place	Prize	Winner	Sponsor
1	$ 831,462	-
2	$ 520,219	-
3	$ 388,287	-
4	$ 327,148	-
5	$ 268,154	-
6	$ 211,841	-
7	$ 158,211	-
8	$ 117,987	-
9	$ 83,127	-
10	$ 52,021	-
11	$ 52,021	-

[morlspin]

Rutledge Cracks Aces to Double Up

On the second hand back from break, James Akenhead opened from under the gun for 80,000. Joe Rutledge moved all in. Action folded back to Akenhead who snapped called with pocket aces. Rutledge showed .

A flop of gave Rutledge some life. He didn't improve on the turn. As the river came down, Rutledge pleaded, "King or a jack!" and was rewarded with the . "Yeah!" he shouted, clapping his hands and walking in circles. He leaned over the rail to a nearby table in a different tournament and added "I just cracked aces with king-jack!"

Akenhead drops to about 1.3 million chips. Rutledge is up to about 900,000

[morlspin]

Perry Friedman Eliminated in 11th Place ($52,021)

Action folded around to Theo Tran in the cutoff seat. He raised to 90,000. When it got to Perry Friedman, he postured momentarily, then declared "all in." Tran instantly said call and rolled over . Friedman grimmaced, and flipped up . Tran had Friedman well covered so it was Perry who was at risk. The flop came and Perry shouted "jack...jack!" It was not to be however as the turn and river bricked for the Full Tilt pro and he finished in 10th place and will leave with a cool $52,021to show for it.

[morlspin]

Nines Are Good for Akenhead

With one table remaining, we have our first big pot in a while. Theo Tran opened in late position for 80,000 and was called by James Akenhead from the big blind. Both players checked the flop of . Akenhead bet 200,000 on the turn , which Tran called. When the river came , Akenhead fired again for 280,000.

Tran went into the tank for several minutes. "Jack or nothing," he pondered aloud. He tried to stare down Akenhead, but Akenhead remained motionless his gaze fixated on the felt. Tran finally threw 280,000 chips in the pot. Akenhead opened for a pair of nines, which was enough to take the pot after Tran mucked.

[WASP]

Originally Posted by morlspin

Searchin the live updates and saw James' name and knew i recognised him....he was 3rd in the Newcastle GUKPT and was being railed by Praz Bansi, they are part of the same poker team.

He sat next to me dude when Maria went out. He came to the table with about 2k and after a succession of all ins and out draws ended up chip leader. A very good player though, Bansi and Mahrenholz call him 'sick dog'

He decimated Darvel Dave on day 2 as well and then got an unlucky 3rd . On for the cash of his life now though (but Jesus is looking ominous)

[WASP]

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:17:37
Mike Ngo is Eliminated in 5th Place ($268,154)
Hand #88 - First hand back from the break. James Akenhead has the button in Seat 9. Action folds to Grant Hinkle in the small blind, who raises to 325,000. Mike Ngo reraises all in for 1.6 million. Hinkle thinks for about thirty seconds and then calmly says "Call." Here we go. Hinkle: Ngo: The flop is no help to either player. . Ngo's supporters have definitely become the most vocal here in the Milwaukee's Best Light All-In Lounge, as they are shouting up a storm in favor of Ngo. The turn is the . Hinkle needs a jack on the river... ...and he gets it! A roar goes up from the crowd as the hits the river. Ngo is stunned, but there's no denying that he is eliminated in 5th place. He collects $268,154.

[WASP]

He doubled through jesus with AA then took him out a few hands later.

Heads up now about 7/4 dog

[morlspin]

Where Do We Go From Here?

After an hour and fifteen minutes of heads up play, we're not much closer to deciding the outcome of this tournament. In that time, we have played 39 hands. Only eight of them have seen a river. Two hands were ended on the turn, and four hands were won with a bet on the flop. The rest were taken down preflop.

Neither player seems willing to take much risk, although James Akenhead has definitely been applying more pressure on Grant Hinkle than the other way around. The crowd is starting to lose interest, with several spectators yawning and rubbing their eyes.

Interestingly, we are off the structure chart that Harrah's provided to all players at the start of the tournament. That chart (optimistically?) had only 28 levels. We are now starting Level 29, blinds of 80,000 / 160,000 with an ante of 20,000



Updated Chip Counts

James Akenhead - 6,735,000
Grant Hinkle - 5,050,000

James Akenhead has taken the chip lead and at the start of this level, each player will have 42 and 32 big blinds respectively. We'll see how this affects their strategies. Despite the rising blinds and antes, there is still plenty of room left for post-flop play, and given the way this tournament has gone up to this point, we may see the action in round 29 resemble that of round 28.

[GazBlades]

Hand #160 -

Grant Hinkle has the button in Seat 10. He raises to 350,000. Akenhead tries to pop it up again, this time by raising to 1.2 million. Hinkle moves all in and Akenhead quickly calls. Here it is! The moment we've been waiting for over the last two hours.

Akenhead is the one who is all in. The hands are opened:

Hinkle:
Akenhead:

Wow, a stone bluff from Hinkle and now he's in very rough shape. The shouting has begun from the gallery, who have all suddenly found that last reserve of energy to remain on their feet. Side bets are being made on what the flop will contain. Here it comes...



Pandemonium in the Milwaukee's Best Light All-In Lounge! Akenhead is dead to running cards. The crowd is absolutely floored. Akenhead cannot believe his misfortune. He knows he's on thin ice. And just to add insult to injury...



Hinkle makes quad tenshttp://www.pokernews.com/en/reporting.photo_select/74
Add image from photo gallery! Akenhead is drawing dead. The meaningless river completes the hand. Akenhead is eliminated in second place and collects $520,219.

Grant Hinkle is the winner of Event #2. He earns $831,462 and a coveted gold bracelet for his triumph. The winning hand was the all-powerful .


Now thats how to win a bracelet!!!

[stereoman]

What a final hand!

ESPN are gonna milk that. Poor James but hey, little over half a million dollars isn't too bad compo is it!?

http://www.pokernews.com/live-report...t-2-1500-nlhe/

[WASP]

Its a disgrace really you play your nuts off for 2 days overcome the stacks heads up and then get done by a cock going all in preflop with 10 4 off.

I'd say he'd be pretty pissed off at this point myself.

[AlunB]

I ran the odds because I was curious.

AhKc 62.62%
10d4d 37.31%

Nonetheless a brutal way to get out...

Hopefully he can manage to look back on it with pride though. It was an immense performance.