Event 36 - $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Live Updates

Jordan Smith took the lead heads-up, poured the pressure on and has now won the $2k No Limit bracelet.

He flopped a small diamond flush and found Ken Lennaard willing to put it all on the line with the J♦ in the final hand.

Another diamond failed to fall and the bracelet was Smith's.

As mentioned earlier, Smith and Lennaard chopped the cash, making it a better than $450k score for each.

After flopping a set and turning quads Ken Lennaard pulled back close to even in chips with Jordan Smith.

At that point the players held a little pow-wow and decided to chop the money.

It appears that the bracelet means something to these two men, however, as post-chop play has tightened up significantly.

World Series gold has that effect on occasion.

Now, as the two sit about even in chips,m there's no telling how much more poker there is left to play here.

It's heads-up for the bracelet now as Laurence Grondin has said her goodbyes.

She flopped top pair in a limped pot and got all her money in against Ken Lennaard.

Unfortunately for Grondin, Lennaard had bottom two.

It held and Grondin cashed $237,537 for third.

Heads up began about even as a result, with Jordan Smith on 5.2 million and Lennaard holding 4.95 million.

However, Smith took the first few pots and has strengthened his lead to almost 3 million chips as play continues.

We got down to three handed over the past hour and it's quickly becoming the Jordan Smith Show.

He managed to bust Joe Morneau in a  flush-over-flush debacle that turned this whole thing around.

Morneau, who had the chip lead just an orbit earlier, cashed for $166,584 and now sitting on 5.5 million, the bracelet is Smith's to win or lose.

Laurence Grondin was second in chips, but doubled up the short stacked Ken Lennaard when she decided to stop and go with threes against his A♠ 5♠ despite the presence of an ace on the flop.

Grondin is down to 1.6 million in chips while Lennaard has climbed up to 2.85 million.

At this point the over-under is two more levels before we find a $2k champion.

Post-dinner play has seen a flurry of action with three eliminations and a new man taking over the chip lead.

Almira Skripchenko finished seventh for $78,664 when Jordan Smith cracked her kings flopping a set of fives.

Then Joe Morneau ran jacks into Pat Atchison's queens after a massive pre-flop raising war.

However, a jack on the flop and another on the river made him quads and put him in the driver seat.

A hand later Atchinson went from hero to zero getting sucked out on again when he put it all on the line with A♠ K♠ against Laurence Grondin's A♥ T♠.

A ten on the turn did him in so he will have to settle for $95,631 in prize money.

Soon after, Anthony Roux bit the dust fifth when he sparred with Morneau pre flop until all his chips were in the middle holding A♠ 8♦.

Morneau snapped him off with A♣ Q♣ and when both missed the board Roux headed to the cage to grab $120,311 in fifth place cash.

However, Jordan Smith doubled through Morneau when his big slick outflopped Morneau's eights to snatch the chip lead as we move on four-handed.

Chip It Up

Here's the latest chip counts courtesy of the good folks at WorldSeriesofPoker.com:

We’ve lost one more player in Event 36 and we’re down to a final table of seven. This final table has been anything but slow with various players trading places for the chip lead and all-in shoves on almost every hand. It’s anybody’s guess who will walk out of this thing alive.

Here are the latest updates:

Seden Sidelined

Jordan Smith bet 80,000 from the cutoff and Andrew Seden decided to jam the pot for his last 350,000. Smith called and flipped over A♠ 6♠. Seden could only shake his head as he showed K♠ J♠ having all his flush outs cruelly eliminated. The board came A♦ K♣ 8♣ 7♦ Q♦ to finish off Seden. On the bright-side he will receive $67,867 for his efforts.

#img: word_31872.jpg:left: Not to be trifled with.#

Bad Card for Laurence Grondin

Laurence Grondin has been one of the biggest surprises of this tournament. The petite, tattooed woman has made a habit of aggressive play that has mostly worked out to her favor.

Sometimes poker is a fickle game, however, and Grondin just experienced that first hand.

In the hand Grondin bet 70,000 from middle position and Pat Atchison made the call from the button. The dealer put down 9♣ 8♦ 4♣ for the flop and Grondin C-bet to 95,000. Atchison wasn’t going away, however, as he fired 200,000 back.

Grondin made the call and then slowed her game down by checking the 6♥ turn. Atchison thought he read weakness and opted to move all-in.

Grondin insta-called and threw down T♦ 7♦ for the nuts. Atchison flipped over 7♣ 7♥ and, although he had some outs for a straight to chop, looked like he was about to give Grondin a huge double-up.

Instead the river came T♠ to complete Atchison’s straight and deny Grondin the full pot. That’s poker!

Chip Counts

Here’s the latest courtesy of www.worldseriesofpoker.com:

We’re down to eight in $2k No-Limit Hold’em and Joe Morneau, who only two hours ago won a pivotal race with A-J against 9-9 to stay alive, has taken over the chip lead with 25 million to his name.

Here’s a look at the last hour of action:

Woodall Crumbles (10th)

Warren Woodall had been fighting from the short-stack for the majority of the last hour and finally pushed with K♦ J♠ only to have Jonathan Plens call him down with A♠ A♣. We haven’t seen aces cracked yet on Day 3 of Event 36 and it didn’t happen in this hand as the board came 9♠ 7♥ 5♣ 6♠ 2♣.

Woodall gets $42,880 for coming in 10th.

No Plans for Plens (Ninth)

Jonathan Plens is the latest casualty in the all-out war that has been the final table of Event 36. In the hand Joe Morneau opened from the cutoff for 70,000 but Plens shoved for his last 400,000. Morneau called and the players revealed their cards:

Morneau: A♥ 7♦

Plens: J♦ 8♦

The board came K♠ T♥ 7♥ 5♠ 6♣ and Plens missed completely and was eliminated. Plens will receive $61,081 for coming in ninth.

Chip Counts

Here are the latest chip counts from www.worldseriesofpoker.com:

Although No-Limit Hold’em final tables technically start at nine players we’ve reached the last table of Event 36 thanks to the latest bustout.

Here’s a look at the action in the last hour of play as players try to feel each other out while sharing a single table:

Powell Pwned (11th)

Jack Powell will not be seeing the final table of Event 36. The short-stacked Powell opened for a bet of 58,000 and had Pat Atchison re-raise to 205,000. Powell shoved all-in for 300,000 more and Atchison called.

Powell had to like his chances as he revealed A♣ A♦ to Atchison’s 4♣ 4♥. Unfortunately the board ran out a sick 4♠ 3♦ 2♠ 3♥ 2♣ to give Atchison a set and eliminate Powell. Powell will receive $42,880 for coming in 11th.

Ladies Take Control

Laurence Grondin and Almira Skripchenko are putting on a spectacular show in this event. Currently Skripchenko is second in chips with 1.19 million thanks to a recent double up with queens and Grondin is holding strong in third with 1.18 million.

Will these be the first open event of 2009 that a woman takes down? Stay tuned…

Chip Counts

Here are the latest chip counts courtesy of www.worldseriesofpoker.com:

We’ve made it through two levels of play in Event 36 and we’re just one player away from consolidating all the remaining players to one table.

In the last hour Jordan Smith has taken over the chip lead and is cruising with over 2 million chips.

White Fades to Black (15th)

We’ve finally lost the last player with a surname of White in the field. In the hand Jonathan Necker raised all-in and Adam White called with 8♥ 8♦. White looked good against Necker’s A♠ 3♦ but the board came T♣ T♥ Q♦ 9♣ Q♠ to counterfeit White’s pocket eights.

White will receive $30,016 for coming in 15th place.

Necker Nicked (14th)

Shortly after busting Adam White, Jonathan Nicker moved all-in after a bet by Jordon Smith pre-flop. Smith snap-called and flipped over K♣ K♥. White gulped and showed J♥ J♦. The board came K♠ 4♣ 2♦ T♣ 7♦ and Necker was forced to the rail in 14th. He will receive $30,016 for his efforts in this event.

Chen Chucked (13th)

Tommy Chen pushed all-in from the small blind and Jonathan Plens called from the big blind. Chen showed J♦ 9♣ while Plens flipped over A♠ 2♥.

The flop came 9♠ 7♠ 5♣ and Chen took the lead with a pair of nines. The turn came 6♥ and Chen was only one card away from doubling up. Unfortunately for him the river was the dreaded A♣ and that ended the poker dream for Chen in this event.

Chen will receive $30,016 for coming in 13th.

Time to Pick Up the Tabb (12th)

Steve Tabb has been added to the rail. In his final hand Tabb bet from the button and Joe Morneau moved all-in for 440,000 from the big blind. Tabb thought for a minute before deciding to make the call for his tournament life.

The players revealed their hands:

Tabb: 9♣ 9♥

Morneau: A♦ J♣

The board came 8♥ 4♥ 2♠ J♦ 7♥ and the jack on the turn was enough to eliminate Tabb. Tabb will pick up a cool $42,880 for coming in 12th.

Chip Counts:

Here are the latest top 10 chip counts courtesy of www.worldseriesofpoker.com:

Welcome to PokerListings’ live updates of Event 36 $2k No-Limit Hold’em. We join the action on the final day of the tournament with several interesting storylines developing including two women going for a bracelet and former Swedish poker nations captain Ken Lenaard.

Here’s a look at the first hour of play:

White in the Black (17th)

Andrew White has been eliminated after running into Jordan Smith’s A♠ A♥. White could only muster 8♥ 7♥ and after the board ran out 4♦ 4♣ 2♣ T♥ 5♦ he would have to find himself a place on the rail. White will receive $21,008 for coming in 17th.

Corwin Cole Cracked

Cardrunners instructor Corwin Cole had to be considered one of the best players remaining in this event but in a sudden turn of events he’s out of the tournament completely.

In the hand Andrew Seden bet approximately 50,000 from early position and action folded to Cole who re-raised to 150,000. Seden moved all-in having Cole easily covered and Cole made the call. The players revealed their hands:

Seden: A♣ A♠

Cole: J♥ J♣

It seems to be a good day to have aces (which day isn’t really?) because the board ran out K♦ 7♥ 3♦ 7♦ 3♣ to give Seden the definitive checkmark. Cole will get $21,008 for his deep run in this event.

Chip Counts

Here are the latest top 10 chip counts from www.worldseriesofpoker.com: