Event 43, Limit Hold'em - Live Updates

He started with a chip deficit but it didn't take long for Saif Ahmad to reverse the trend, basically sucker-punching heads-up opponent William Jensen into submission over a 30-minute heads-up match that saw Ahmad gobble up chips like a voracious hellfire.

On the final hand, Jensen raised preflop and was called by Ahmad. The flop came K♥ J♦ 2♠ and Jensen moved all-in for the last of his stack. Ahmad called with Q♥ 4♥ to Jensen's K♦ J♣ and Jensen looked to be in good shape to double up. The turn was the Ts, giving Ahmad a few more outs to take the bracelet, and the river was the A♠ as Ahmad hit running cards to make Broadway and take down the title.

For the win, Saif Ahmad earns $217,329, a WSOP bracelet and an exclusive interview with PokerListings.com, while Jensen earns $133,151 for second place as well as no interview and the ignominy of being razzed by friend and 2007 bracelet winner Alex Borteh about his inability to seal the deal. Alway be closing, William - and congratulations, Saif!

Michael Graffeo raises from the button and is called by William Jensen in the big blind. The flop comes 5♥ 4♥ 2♣ and Jensen bets out. Graffeo raises all-in and Jensen calls, showing K♦ 4♣ to Graffeo's A♣ T♦. Graffeo will need to hit an ace, ten, or trey to survive, but the board bricks out, coming 7♠ 6♦ to send Graffeo home in third. He takes home $88,481 for his efforts.

Meanwhile, we are now heads-up at the final table. Chip counts are as follows:

[[LiveUpdate:ChipholderTable]]

Chip counts courtesy www.worldseriesofpoker.com

Live update, photography, font choice as commentary on life courtesy www.PokerListings.com

Three-handed play has seen William Jensen and Saif Ahmad battle repeatedly while Michael Graffeo kind of sits back and waits for mommy and daddy to stop fighting.

Round 1

In the first confrontation, Ahmad raised from the small blind and Jensen made the call from the big blind. The flop came 8♣ 7♥ 4♣ and Ahmad checked to Jensen, who bet out. Ahmad made the call and the turn was the J♥, prompting both players to cap the betting going into Fifth Street. The river was the A♣ and Ahmad checked, calling Jensen's bet and showing pocket sevens for the set while Jensen tabled T♣ 9♣ for the ten-high flush to take the pot.

Round 2

After a few more minor skirmishes, Ahmad again raised from the small blind and Jensen called the raise in the big blind. The flop came 9♣ 7♠ 2♠ and Ahmad checked to Jensen, who bet out. Ahmad raised and Jensen called, and the turn was the 4♦.  Ahmad bet, Jensen raised, and Ahmad called, and the river was the T♦, prompting another bet from Ahmad and a flat call from Jensen, who mucked when Ahmad showed 8♠ 6♦ for a straight to take down the pot.

 

Justin Pechie raises preflop and is called by William Jensen. The flop comes 9♣ 8♣ 7♠ and Pechie bets out. Jensen raises and Pechie calls all-in, showing a pocket pair of cowboys (K♠ K♥) to Jensen's J♣ T♦ for the straight. The board finishes out A♠ T♣ and Justin Pechie sees his cowboys cracked, consigning him to the rail in fourth place for a $59,274 stipend.

After Saif Ahmad limped-in, Tommy "Gun" Rounds raised out of the big blind and was called by Ahmad. The flop came Q♠ J♥ 2♦ and Rounds bet all-in. Ahmad called with J♣ T♥ and Rounds tabled A♣ K♦. The board bricked out (Q♥ 4♠) and Tommy Rounds was eliminated in fifth place. He earns $43,811 with which to restock the ammo cupboard.

A short-stacked Hal Havlisch moves all-in preflop with K♦ J♥ and is called by Michael Graffeo, who turns up T♣ 9♣ from the big blind. The board comes T♦ 7♠ 2♠ T♠ 5♣ and Havlisch is drawing dead on the turn. He hits the bricks after a tenacious performance that saw him enter the day the short-stack but manage to hold on for a sixth place finish and the corresponding $34,365 payout.

Hal "Blinky" Havlisch raises all-in preflop and Robert "Pacman" Pacleb calls all-in for substantially fewer. Michael "Inky" Graffeo makes the call having both players covered and turns up pocket tens to Pacleb's A♦ K♥ and Havlisch's K♦ Q♣. The board comes K♠ Q♥ 6♥ 3♣ 8♠ and Blinky gobbles up the pot, doubling up while there are no more power pellets for Pacleb, who heads to the 257th level in seventh place for a high score of $25,771.

Joe Mandia executes a tidy button-raise preflop but is reraised from the small blind by William Jensen. Mandia calls all-in and shows 6♣ 6♥ to Jensen's A♥ K♦ and the race is on. The flop comes Q♣ T♦ 8♦ and Mandia retains his tenuous lead. The turn is the 9♥ and Mandia is one street away from a smooth double-up, but the river is the J♠ and Jensen hits the Broadway Straight on Fifth Street to send Mandia out. The boy hits the bricks in eighth place and will take home $18,899 for his accomplishment.

William Jensen raises preflop and Gerald Kane makes the call. The flop comes T♠ 4♣ 3♣ and Jensen bets out. Kane makes the call and the turn is the 9♠. Again Jensen bets out, and again Kane flat calls. The river is the 7♣ and it's another bet-call situation. This one leaves Kane with one last $1,000 chip, and after Jensen shows pocket kings, Kane mucks and is down to fumes.

On the next hand, he's all-in with A♠ Q♦ to Tommy Rounds' pocket fours, and the board comes J-2-2-6-6 to send Kane out in ninth place. He'll take home $13,745 in pretax winnings.