- Game Over; Keikoan is Champion!

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:56:02 +0100

After a level or so of trading small pots back forth this heads-up match has ended with a bang.

A flurry of raises saw the money go in with Matt Keikoan's AdKd dominating Justin Hallstrom's Ac5c.

Keikoan got a sweat when two clubs hit the flop but that's as close as Hallstrom would get to coming out ahead.

The turn and river bricked and Keikoan could breath easy knowing the title and the first place cash were his.

Matt Keikoan takes $110,346 for first while Justin Hallstrom nets a cool $58,976 for second.

- Goodger Out; Heads-Up Begins

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 02:06:47 +0100

John Goodger put up quite a fight but his time in this event is now over.

It was a three-way limped pot with Goodger on the button. They saw a flop of Kh4h3h and Matt Keikoan led out for 15k.

Justin Hallstrom got out of the way and Goodger raised an additional 40k. Keikoan didn't waste any time moving all-in and after a short dwell Goodger made the call.

Kd7s for Goodger would need some help to best Keikoan's 3c4d. The turn was the 2s and the river the Td.

John Goodger is out in third and takes $41,283.

- No Gold for Ari (4th)

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:32:22 +0100

Ari Engel lived by the sword and, as the saying goes, died by it as well. He was very aggressive with the three-bet shoves and that's exactly what he did on his final hand.

Matt Keikoan made it 30,000 and Engel shoved. After a few moments Keikoan made the call with pocket fives.

Engel was racing with K-8 and took the lead on the KdJsTc flop. The turn was the 7h and the river was the 5h, bringing in the two-outer for Keikoan and sending Engel home in fourth place.

Ari gets $29,178 for his finish.

- Hallstrom Climbing

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:20:27 +0100

Justin Hallstrom just picked up a big pot, raising Matt Kekoan's lead on a J-J-4 flop. Kekoan opted to let it go and Hallstrom raked a mass of 5k chips.

Hallstrom's up to 371k while Keikoan is down to 342k.

- Shorty Stands Tall

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:35:18 +0100

They keep trying to knock out Justin Hallstrom, but he won't go.

First he got it in with KdTc against Matt Keikoan's KhQs, but managed to slip away from domination and get a chop when the board paired twice.

Then he shoved fives into John Goodger's Ac8s and doubled up when the board came aceless and eightless.

- Keikoan Kicking

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:18:51 +0100

Matt Keikoan just doubled through Ari Engel to take a bite out of his massive chip lead.

Keikoan raise, engel re-popped and Keikoan four-bet shoved. Engel snap-called with eights and was way behind Keikoan's ladies.

The board ran out blanks and Keikoan moved up to around 400k while Engel dipped well below that mark.

- Vedes Victimized (5th)

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:14:55 +0100

Tommy Vedes was left with very few chips after that hand against John Goodger and got it in not long after.

He ran 5-6 suited into Ari Engel's pocket jacks and despite flopping a six, couldn't crack the jacks. He's out in 5th and takes $22,347.

- Vedes Crippled; No Sleep for Goodger

PokerListings.com — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:13:15 +0100

Just seconds after getting back from break we saw fireworks between John Goodger and Tommy Vedes.

Goodger opened to 30k and Vedes moved in over the top. It folded back to Goodger and after a few moments he said, "I want to go to bed. I call."

Vedes flipped up AdJd which was in the lead against Goodger's KsQs.

Vedes retained the lead on the Tc8h2s flop but things got a lot worse with the Js turn. Goodger now had straight and flush outs and caught one with the 8s river.

Vedes is left with 60,000 while Goodger is up to over 360,000.

- Bored To Tears

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:37:59 +0100

Paint dries faster than Level 19 has been played here in Tahoe.

The five remaining players have tightened up considerably as most pots are taken with a pre-flop raise and the few that do go to a flop, turn or river are played more carefully and considerably smaller than they have been all day.

Earlier we labeled Ari Engel loose and aggressive, but even he seems to be folding anything and everything he can since busting David Woo and taking the chip lead.

We will endeavor to update you folks at home when something meaningful happens. Until then, feel free to have a nap.

We will.

- Sippl Sent Packing 6th

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:37:12 +0100

Roger Sippl looked down at pocket fours and swung for the fences, shipping his last 100k or so in the middle.

Tommy Vedes, who had Sippl barely covered, reshipped with queens and after Ari Engel made some kind of show out of folding ace-six, the flop turn and river were revealed.

Unfortunately for Sippl, neither brought a four or any kind of miracle straight or flush to save him and he bowed out sixth cashing $17,693.

- Woo Gets It In Good; Eliminated 7th

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:18:49 +0100

As we reported in the last update Ari Engel has found a way to take the post-flop play out of this game. He simply three-bet shoves his entire stack in whenever David Woo opens.

That's just what he did moments ago but this time Woo woke up with a hand worthy of calling.

Pocket queens for Woo were ahead of Engel's Ah9c, but they wouldn't end the hand in that position.

By the turn the board read 5h3d3h9h meaning Ari could hit a nine, an ace or a heart to knock out Woo.

The river was the Ac, shipping the monster pot to Engel and eliminating Woo in seventh place.

Woo takes $13,658 for his trouble.

- Unrelenting Agression

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:09:00 +0100

Ari Engel has morphed into the most aggressive player left at the Tahoe final table and no one seems willing to take him on right now.

He's been three-bet shoving his entire stack in time and time again and still hasn't been looked up.

However, just a moment ago he switched it up a little three-betting only one-third of his stack facing a Tommy Vedes open.

The result was the same, however, as Vedes rolled over and Engel added to his ever growing stack.

- The Short Stacks Can't Lose

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:30:00 +0100

Yet another short stack has found a way to double up as seven-handed play continues.

The lucky shorty this time was Roger Sippl who ran sixes into Tommy Vedes AsJc and not only avoided the overs, but turned a set to leave Tommy drawing dead.

He's now up close to 100k and Vedes appears to be on the ropes.

- Hallstrom Holds Steady

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:27:41 +0100

Justin Hallstrom more than doubled up but he had to endure a big sweat to make it happen.

Matt Keikoan opened and Hallstrom flat-called. Ari Engel three-bet to 37,500 and Keikoan four-bet an additional 45,000.

Hallstrom moved all-in for not much more than the raise and after Engel folded, Keikoan called whatever was left.

AsKh for Keikoan was racing Hallstrom's QsQd. The flop came 6h7h8h which gave Keikoan the flush outs to go with his overcards.

The turn and river bricked, however, and Hallstrom is good for the double. He's now on around 290,000.

- A new Man In Charge

PokerListings.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 21:18:47 +0100

Matt Keikoan has moved into the chip lead after taking a rather sizeable pot off David Woo.

The hand started with a Keikoan standard button raise and a re-raise from Woo in the big blind.

Keikoan flatted and after the Qh7h5c flop, Woo led out for 30k.

Keikoan would not give up, however, making the call as the dealer peeled off the Js turn.

Both players checked and the Kd river was laid on the felt. Woo checked again, but Keikoan had bigger plans, sliding out a 35k bet.

Woo tank-folded and just like that, the two players at the top of the leaderboard had swapped spots.

Keikoan now has close to 350k and the chip lead while Woo has 270,000 and the spot underneath him.