PCA High Roller Event - Live Updates

Sometimes one hand is all it takes and that was definitely the case with heads-up play at the 2009 PCA High Roller event.

On the very first hand of heads-up play Will Molson open-shoved his last $331,000 while holding K♥ T♠. It just so happened that ElkY looked down to find A♦ J♥, and he made the easy call.

With the tournament on the line, we prepared to see if ElkY could fade any kings or tens on the board.

The board came Q♥ 6♣ 2♣ A♥ 6♦ and that was more than enough to put Molson away for good.

ElkY is the 2009 PCA $25,000 High Roller winner!

Molson, who comes from the same lineage as the well-known brewing company in Montreal, will have to make due with the $228,000 for second place.

Meanwhile ElkY takes the biggest prize of all, with $433,500 going into his bank account. It’s safe to say the guy plays well in the Caribbean.

Check out an exclusive video winner interview with ElkY below:

#Video:PCA/PCA-standups-grospellier2.mp4#

Scott Seiver, having won a WSOP bracelet in the heads-up event this summer, must have been salivating at the prospect of getting heads-up with either Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier or Will Molson, but he won’t have the opportunity, as he’s been eliminated.

In his final hand Seiver looked down at T♠ 9♦ on the small blind and opted to shove his $262,000 stack into the middle.

Unfortunately for Seiver, Grospellier was in the big blind; he looked down to find A♠ 8♦ and called. The board came K♠ K♣ 7♦ A♦, which was enough to eliminate Seiver. He will receive $137,000.

ElkY looks to have the huge advantage going into heads-up play as the stacks look like this:

Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier is starting to dominate again. He just won an $800,000 pot from Scott Seiver when he made two pair with 6-3 on a A-6-3-Q-8 board. Shortly after that hand Grospellier won another pot off Seiver when his pair of fives beat Seiver’s ace-high on a board of 7-5-3-6-8.

Here are the updated chip counts:

Considering no one really knew her before this tournament, Liya Gerasimova has put on an impressive performance.

In her last hand Gerasimova shoved all-in while facing a raise from ElkY. Grospellier folded but Scott Seiver snap-called. Commentators reasoned that Seiver had a monster hand because he called so fast, and they were right. Seiver flipped over A♣ A♠, whereas Gerasimova had been making a bit of a move with 8♥ 6♥.

The board came K♣ 9♦ 5♦ K♦ 6♦ and our only remaining Russian was eliminated. Gerasimova will receive $91,300 for finishing fourth.

Maybe this one isn’t in the bag yet. In a recent hand Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier bet $47,000 from the button but Will Molson shoved for approximately $250,000 from the small blind. Everyone else got out of the way.

Grospellier thought for a minute but then made the call, flipping over 5♠ 5♦. ElkY was in for a race against Molson, who held A♣ K♦.

The board came K♥ 7♣ 2♠ A♦ K♣ to give the emphatic check mark to Molson with his full house. After the hand ElkY was down to $800,000, while Molson was suddenly up to $572,000.

The game is afoot!

Bertrand Grospellier, Scott Seiver, Will Molson and Liya Gerasimova have all returned from their dinner break and are setting about finding a winner.

Just one player will walk away with the $433,500 for first place and the title of 2009 PCA High Roller. Stay tuned to find out who does it.

We’re down to the last four players of the 2009 PCA High Rollers event and the tournament director has just announced there will be a one-hour dinner break. Although play has slowed down, this still seems to be Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier’s tournament.

Check back at approximately 8 p.m. ET for what should be a thrilling conclusion to one of the most elite tournaments of the year.

Here are the approximate chip counts as of the break:

Team PokerStars Pro Humberto Brenes is always one of the louder players at any tournament, but he just got a taste of his own medicine.

Brenes open-shoved for his last $95,000 and Scott Seiver decided to make the call while everyone else got out of the way. The players flipped over their hands:

Brenes: K♦ 4♣

Seiver: K♥ T♥

Brenes was absolutely dominated and to make matters worse, someone at the table said they folded pocket fours. The Costa Rican would need a miracle if he hoped to survive in this tournament.

That’s just what he got when the flop came 4♠ 3♣ 2♥. Upon seeing his flopped set Brenes started his usual antics, screaming, “The Chaark, The Chaark, Humbeeerto!”

Seiver could only shake his head at his misfortune. The hand wasn’t over, however, as the dealer put out the 7♥ as the turn card and gave Seiver a flush draw.

“If I make my flush draw I’m going to get up and actually do a lap around the table screaming,” joked Seiver, poking fun at the boisterous Brenes.

Sure enough, the river came 3♥ and Seiver jumped up, threw his hands in the air, and ran around the table mock screaming. Brenes took the joke in stride and shook Seiver’s hand before heading off into the night.

Brenes is eliminated fifth for a total of $91,300. Check out an exclusive video interview below:

#Video:PCA/PCA-standups-brenes.mp4#

Noted cash-game player Eli Elezra has been fighting from the short stack for the majority of this final table but has finally been bumped from the event.

In his final hand Elezra shoved for his last $95,000 with 5♣ 5♠ from under the gun. Everyone else got out of the way until Liya Gerasimova woke up with Q♠ Q♥ on the button and reshoved to isolate.

Elezra stood up and starting pacing as the dealer prepared to put the board on the table. It came 8♠ 8♠ 4♠ 8♥ J♣ and the Full Tilt pro was eliminated.

Elezra will receive $68,500 for coming in sixth. Check out an exclusive video interview with Elezra below:

#Video:PCA/PCA-standups-elezra.mp4#

We've got the most recent chip counts since ElkY pulled off that absolutely massive hand against Humberto Brenes.

Although Brenes doubled a couple hands later, it's still Grospellier who's leading the way:

In what can only be described as the hand of the tournament (minus Alaei folding kings to aces) chip leader Humberto Brenes went after Bertrand Grospellier.

In the hand both players saw a flop of Q♥ T♠ 2♦; Brenes immediately fired for $25,000, and ElkY called. The turn came 4♠ and Brenes bet out $60,000. After thinking for a minute ElkY reraised to $188,000 and the room got suddenly got quiet.

Brenes looked somewhat scared by Grospellier’s bet but after several minutes he said, “You see this one on TV a lot. I’m ALLLLLLLL-IN!”

Grospellier wasn’t impressed and snap-called, flipping over TT for a set of tens. The Shark looked stunned when he showed his 2♣ 2♥.

The board finished with the 8♦ and ElkY now has almost as many chips as the rest of the field combined. Grospellier is looking to add yet another Bahamian title to his poker resume.

Daniel Alaei could not catch a break at the final table of the high rollers event. The celebrated cash-game player was severely crippled by Gerasimova and looked down to find pocket kings once again and shoved. Yet again it was Gerasimova who called and she was again behind:

Alaei: K♦ K♣

Gerasimova: A♦ J♣

Alaei was probably having second thoughts about being all-in with kings after so recently losing with them.

The board came Q♠ 8♦ 4♥ T♣… A♥! Alaei is in shock as he heads for the exit out in seventh.

Look below for an exclusive video interview with Alaei about his early departure from the High Rollers final table:

#Video:PCA/PCA-standups-alaei.mp4#

Before this final table Liya Gerasimova was perhaps best known for being Ivan Demidov’s girlfriend, but thanks to some help from the cards she may have a major poker tournament win before the day is done.

In the most recent hand Gerasimova open-shoved for her last $138,000 and Daniel Alaei, who was next to act, reshoved. Everyone else got out of the way and we had ourselves a showdown:

Alaei: K♦ K♥

Gerasimova: A♦ 8♣

Remember that yesterday Alaei folded K-K faceup to a massive raise from Eli Elezra, who ended up having aces. This time Gerasimova was looking for his kings to hold up, but it was not to be, as the board came A♣ 8♥ 4♦ 6♣ 2♣. Alaei was beat all the way down to about $100,000 and will have to shove soon.

Nick "TheTakeover" Schulman put in a noble effort at the final table of High Rollers, but his time with us is now finished.

In the hand, Scott Seiver bet, ElkY raised and Schulman shoved. Seiver folded but ElkY felt he had to make the call.

The players then revealed their hands:

ElkY: T♦ T♥

Schulman: A♠ J♠

The board came 8♦ 5♠ 2♦ 2♥ 9♦ and that was it for Schulman's run in the 2009 High Roller Event. He is the first player to finish in the money and will receive $45,700 for coming in eighth.

Check out an exclusive exit interview with Schulman below:

#Video:PCA/PCA-standups-schulman.mp4#

We very nearly had our first casualty at the final table of the High Roller event at the PCA. In the hand Daniel Alaei bet and Schulman decided to ship it for the last of his approximately $100,000 stack.

Surprisingly both players flipped over A-K and the board helped neither, so they chopped it up. Schulman is still extremely low and will have to make a move soon.

Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier has been one of the most aggressive players in the early goings of the High Rollers final table and it's becoming apparent he wants to leave the Bahamas with at least one title to his name.

In a recent hand Eli Elezra got extremely aggressive against ElkY, betting on all streets of a K♦ T♣ 6♥ 5♦  board. On the river Elezra bet $47,500 but then Elky raised to $122,0900. Elezra thought for several minutes but finally decided to call.

ElkY showed A-T for rivered trip tens. That was enough to make Elezra muck his hand in disgust.

Elezra was severely short-stacked after the hand but managed to double up to $170,000 with pocket kings on the very next hand.

ElkY is the new chip leader. 

As is usually the case with televised final tables, there has been a delay at the PCA High Rollers Event. The lovely Kara Scott is interviewing several of the final-table players while the crews work furiously to set up the cameras.

We'll let you know when we actually get going here in the Bahamas but we're hearing it's going to be at least half an hour.

We're literally seconds from the start of the 2009 PCA $25k High Rollers Event final table and it's a good one.

2008 WSOP bracelet winner Scott Seiver starts with the chip lead on almost $450k.

Right behind him is Team Poker Stars Pro's Humberto Brenes with $423,500 and both Bertrand "ElkY' Grospellier and Eli Elezra holding $350k each.

Will Molson is next on a respectable $270k and 2008 WSOP runner-up Ivan Demidov's girlfriend Liya Gerasimova has $259k.

Rounding out the final eight, leader Daniel Alaei is still sitting with $209,500 and the always-scary Nick Schulman is short on $99,500.

There's a $433,500 first-place prize up for grabs, and PL.com will follow the final table throughout to see who takes it.

Stay tuned - the 2009 PCA $25k High Rollers Event final table starts now!