Caesars Palace Indiana - Live Updates

After that devastating river, Steve Merrifield scraps and fights his way up to $150,000 before making a preflop raise to $40,000 from the button. After a few moments' thought, Wilbur Futhey moves all-in over the top and Merrifield snap-calls, then looks devastated when Futhey turns up A♣ K♠.

The reason for Merrifield's distress is soon obvious as he turns up A♠ T♣ and will need to suck out to stay alive. The flop comes Q♠ Q♣ 6♠ and that changes nothing, but the T♥ on the turn gives him the lead. Futhey needs to catch an ace, king or jack to win the tournament and the river card is the dagger J♣, giving Futhey the Broadway Straight and the title!

For the win, Wilbur Futhey earns $180,290, a WSOPC ring and a $10,000 entry into the 2008 WSOP Main Event. He also earns an exclusive PokerListings interview. Merrifield, on the other hand, earns $94,597 and, one suspects, a few months of sleepless nights and an irrational fear of the 7♥.

That about does it from Indiana. Stay tuned for a full recap of the tournament's action as well as the aforementioned interview with the champion. Other than that, we're ghost, son.

Wilbur Futhey gets all-in preflop and Steven Merrifield is willing to tango, turning up 9♠ 9♦ to the Baconator's A♥ Q♦ and we're racing with the title on the line. The flop comes T♦ 5♥ 3♥ and that changes nothing. The turn is the 8♥, giving Futhey the heart-flush draw, and the 7♥ on the river gets him there, earning him the pot and $554,000 from Merrifield's stack.

The West Virginian is left with only $40,000 to work with and is devastated. Futhey fairly spits at him, "What happened? Well that's sort of like that four you got up there a minute ago, isn't it?"

The players are back and the game is on. Here's the chip situation:

Steven Merrifield	$645,000
Wilbur Futhey	$520,000

 

After about ten minutes of inconsequential heads-up play we're on a quick break from Indiana. Play will resume when the players return, whenever that is.

We're heads-up on the Glory of Rome for the final WSOP Circuit event ever to be played at Caesars Palace Indiana (they're changing the venue's brand to a Horseshoe property more or less as we speak), with Wilbur Futhey and Steve Merrifield battling it out for the aforementioned glorious glory.

Here are the chip counts of our two combatants:

Steven "The Merry Ploughman" Merrifield	$585,000
Wilburforce "The Baconator" Futhey	$580,000

Fight!

Dale Poynter open-shoves from the small blind for his last $231,000 and Steven Merrifield makes the call in the big blind, showing A♥ 9♦ to Poynter's K♣ J♥. The flop comes A♠ 8♥ 7♣ and Merrifield flops top pair. The turn is the 9♥ and Merrifield makes two pair while Poynter picks up the gutterball. The river card is the Q♣, however, and Poynter misses his outs. He's done in third place and will take home $55,645 for his efforts.

Steven Merrifield raises to $36,000 on the button and Wilbur Futhey moves all-in over the top from the small blind. Dale Poynter gets out of the way and Merrifield makes the call for his last $155,000, finding himself utterly dominated with A♦ 4♠ against Futhey's A♥ K♣.

Merrifield's homeboys crowd the table, calling out for a four, "One time for the kid!" The flop comes T♠ 7♠ 2♣ and that changes nothing besides giving dude a backdoor flush draw. The turn erases those chances with the Q♣, but just as an entourage member cries out "One time" one more time, the river card is revealed to be the 4♣ and Merrifield doubles through Futhey with a sick river to stay alive in this event. We remain three-handed. 

On a flop of T♠ 7♠ 3♦, Wilbur Futhey bets out $25,000 and Dale Poynter moves all-in. Futhey snap-calls and Poynter observes, "That's not good," as he turns up T♦ 4♠. Futhey has T♣ 6♦ but, barring any onslaught of low cards, we're likely headed for a chop. The board finishes with faces, coming J♠ Q♦ and resulting in a chopped pot. Poynter stays alive.

Here are the chip counts for the three remaining players:

Wilbur Futhey	$544,000
Dale Poynter	$341,000
Steve Merrifield	$300,000

 

The buffet has been pillaged and the buffet grounds razed by our three hungry rounders. Now that everyone's been fed, the game is back on from the bilge of the Glory of Rome. Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion to this epic event!

The final three players have been released upon the buffet tables and will take a sixty-minute dinner break. Action will resume at 8:30 p.m. EST. Bon appetit!

Steven Merrifield raises to $26,000 and Doug Carli moves all-in for his last $46,000. Wilbur Futhey responds by (what else) moving all-in over the top and Merrifield folds out. Futhey shows A♠ K♥ and is well ahead of Carli's A♣ J♣.

The flop comes K♣ 7♦ 3♦ and Futhey cements hi slead. The turn is the 5♠ and the river the 9♣ and that's the end of Rico, a Circuit regular and all-around nice guy for whom this was his fourth final table at Caesars Indian during this Circuit stop. He's out in fourth and takes another $44,516 to add to the coffers. Congratulations, sir!

Dale Poynter moves all-in preflop and Benjamin Hock calls off his last $100,000 to join the party with a pocket pair of jacks. Poynter is racing with A♦ Q♥ and after the flop comes 7♦ 3♥ 2♦, the turn is the 4♦ and the river the 6♦, giving Poynter the runner-runner flush and sending Hock to the rail in 5th place. The Loogie gets $33,387 for his time.

The title, we fear, says it all. Players are playing "sociable" poker, which apparently means a bit of raisey-takey and a bit of limping-in and checking to the river in silence, which seems the opposite of sociable. You gots to talk if you want to be social, people. And maybe spew some chips. 'Kay?

Benjamin Hock opens for $22,000 from under the gun and Dale Poynter adds $50,000 to the wager from the button. In the big blind, Doug Carli gives the matter some serious thought before laying it down and Hock follows suit. As Poynter rakes the pot. Carli tells him, "If you would have flat-called, I would have shoved, 100 percent. One-hundred percent."

 

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from Indiana. Five players remain in this gruelling test of strength and stamina.

Here are the chip counts as we return to action:

Seat 1	Benjamin Hock	$240,000
Seat 2	Wilbur Futhey	$330,000
Seat 3	Dale Poynter	$213,500
Seat 4	Steve Merrifield	$313,000
Seat 5	Jason Mann	$0
Seat 6	Doug Carli	$52,500
Seat 7	Giovanni Marcacci	$0
Seat 8	Michael Iacovone	$0
Seat 9	Jerry Martin	$0

 

It's break time and we're getting rid of the $500 chips before taking a fifteen-minute breather.

Wilbur Futhey open-shoves, as he is wont to do, from under the gun for his last $153,000 and, after a pregnant pause, Dale Poynter moves all-in over the top from UTG+2. Action folds around and Futhey turns up 9♣ 9♥ to Poynter's A♦ Q♦. It's a race, and after the board comes J♠ 7♦ 4♠ 2♣ 5♠ the nines hold, although it doesn't click with Futhey at firtht.

"What happened?" he asks Poynter, who tells him that his hand held up. "Well I'll be dag-gummed," the man replies. Then he rakes the pot. 

Dale Poynter opens for $18,000 and Jason Mann makes it $45,000 to go. Action folds back to Poynter, who flat-calls and the flop comes K♦ Q♠ 6♥. Poynter checks to Mann, who bets out $25,000. Poynter raises enough to put Mann all-in and he calls, showing A♦ K♠ for top-top to Poynter's 6♠ 6♣ for the Cloven-Hoofed Set. The turn is the 8♠ and the river the 9♥ and Jason Mann is eliminated in sixth place. He earns $27,823 for his time.

Giovanni Marcacci raises to $16,000 and Benjamin Hock re-ups to $37,000. Marcacci makes the call and the flop comes J♣ 7♣ 4♥. Both players check and the turn is the A♣, prompting Hock to bet out $20,000. Marcacci raises to $45,000 and Hock puts him all-in. Marcacci snap-calls and tells Hock, "I know you've got me."

Strong pessimism from a man with bottom set, but after Marcacci shows 4♠ 4♥ Hock indeed bests him, showing J♠ J♦ for the better set. The river card is the 6♦ and Giovanni Marcacci is out in seventh place, the victim of his third-straight Main Event demise at the hands of a set-over-set debacle. He earns $22,258 for his time.

Over the break, a contingent led by Doug Carli and Giovanni Marcucci attempted to hammer out  very socialist deal that would see 3rd to 7th all guaranteed $50,000, with second getting $80,000 and first place $128,000 plus the WSOP Main Event seat. The deal was shot down, presumably because nobody likes a Communist in this part of the world.

Check out our payout structure and try to conjure your own deal!

By the way, the game is afoot once more in Indiana. 

We've on another break in Indiana. Action will resume in fifteen.

Jerry Martin moves all-in for his last $8,000 and is called by Steven Merrifield and Jason Mann, who check down a board of K♥ J♦ 9♥ 9♦ Q♥. At showdown, Mann turns up K♥ T♦ and Merrifield mucks. Martin has A♣ Q♦ and is out in eighth place. He earns $16,694 for his time.

Michael Iacovone opens for $12,000 from middle position and Wilbur Futhey moves all-in over the top from the button. Iacovone makes the call, showing A♠ J♠ to Futhey's A♦ Q♦, and after the board comes A♥ 7♥ 5♥ K♣ A♣ the queen plays and Futhey doubles through Iacovone, who is left with under $4,000.

A few hands later, he moves all-in for less than the big blind and sees Benjamin Hock call before Dale Poynter raises from late position. Hock makes the call and the flop comes A♣ T♥ 2♣. Both live players check and the turn is the 9♥. Hock checks, Poynter bets out and Hock folds. Poynter turns up A♥ 9♦ and Iacovone is drawing to a heart to stay alive, holding Q♥ 5♥. The river card is the T♣, however, and that's the end of Iacovone's day. He's out in ninth place for $11,129. 

Doug Carli limps-in and is joined in the pot by Benjamin Hock and Wilbur Futhey in the blinds. The flop comes 8♥ 6♥ 4♠ and Hock checks to Futhey, who moves all-in. Carli calls for his last $57,500 and Hock lays down Q♥ 2♥, looking unhappy to be doing so. Rico has 4♦ 4♥ for bottom set and Futhey is drawing dead, holding A♦ Q♣. The board finishes out J♦ T♥ and though Hock is disgusted, Carli has doubled-up and remains in contention.

Benjamin Hock gets all-in for his last $58,000 and Wilbur Futhey (who else?) makes the call, showing A♦ K♦ to his own 8♥ 8♠. It's what the kids call a race, and after the board comes J♠ T♣ 3♣ 5♠ 2♦ the eights hold and Hock has doubled through.

The cards are in the air from the final table of the WSOPC Caesars Indiana spring Main Event. Here are the seating positions and chip counts as we get underway:

Seat 1	Benjamin Hock	$87,000
Seat 2	Wilbur Futhey	$198,500
Seat 3	Dale Poynter	$213,500
Seat 4	Steve Merrifield	$199,500
Seat 5	Jason Mann	$203,000
Seat 6	Doug Carli	$52,500
Seat 7	Giovanni Marcacci	$136,500
Seat 8	Michael Iacovone	$56,000
Seat 9	Jerry Martin	$40,000

 

With Jason Glass' untimely elimination we are now reduced to the final nine players in this epic event. The field will take a quick break to regroup before action begins on the final table.

Wilbur Futhey, perhaps on instructions from a mystery Charlotte somewhere in the bowels of the Glory of Rome's bilge, open-shoves all-in for $100,000 from under the gun and sees the action fold around to Jason Glass, who calls of his last $90,000 in the big blind. Glass holds A♣ K♣ and is ahead of Futhey's J♠ T♣, but the J♦ 6♥ 3♥ flop leaves him shaking his head in disbelief. The turn is the 6♠ and the river the 9♣ and just like that Glass is on the rail, out in 10th place for a $8,903 score.

Left shortstacked after playing philanthropist to the Wilbur Futhey society, Robert Cheung moves all-in for his last $40,000 from the small blind and sees Steven Merrifield make the call in the big blind, holding A-J to his own J-7. Cheung is dominated, and the board fails to bring a miracle, busting the 2007 WSOP bracelet-winner in 11th place for $8,903.

Dale Poynter raises to $12,000 and Philip Sparta moves all-in for his last $63,000 over the top from the button. Action folds back around to Poynter, who turns up K♣ K♦ while Sparta is behind with 9♦ 9♥. The board comes A♦ A♠ J♥ 7♣ Q♥ and the kings hold, sending Sparta to the rail in 12th place, where he'll collect $8,903 for his time.

Meanwhile, PokerListings.com dreams of a heads-up match between Philip Sparta and WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic finalist Andrew Barta.

Wilbur Futhey open-shoves for his last $51,000 from middle position and the action folds to Robert Cheung on the button. Cheung eyes Futhey's stack. "Those chips are mine," he says. "I want them back."

"Come and get them," Futhey replies. Cheung makes the call and Futhey shows A♠ 5♣ to the Vancouverite's K♦ Q♦. The board comes T♥ 6♥ 4♦ 5♦ 9♣ and Wilburforce's hand holds up, doubling him through Cheung again. 

Tim Laws open-shoves for his last $33,000 and Giovanni Marcucci makes the call, turning up A♣ J♠ to Laws' K♠ 6♠. The board comes Q♥ 3♥ 2♦ 9♥ 5♠ and ace-high takes it, busting Laws in 13th place. He'll take home $7,790 for his troubles.

The break is over and the cards are back in the air from the bilge of the Glory of Rome. Action commences immediately.

Heads-up on the turn of a board showing T♠ 5♦ 4♣ 8♠, Dale Poynter gets all-in for his last $62,000 and like a good neighbor, Philip Sparta is there, turning up a pocket pair of fives for the set. Poynter has 9♣ 9♥ and is in deep doo-doo, as the kids say. Then the river happens and it's the 9♦, giving Poynter the better set and doubling him through Sparta, who cannot catch a break today.

The field is now on a fifteen-minute break.

Wilbur Futhey, who has more lives than E.B. White's pig of a similar name, open-shoves all-in for his last $32,300 from under the gun and is looked up by Robert Cheung, who turns up A♥ Q♣ to Futhey's A♠ 6♦. Futhey looks to be in the direst of straits, but the board comes Q♠ 9♥ 6♠ 9♠ 4♠, saving Futhey's proverbial bacon with the runner-runner flush and doubling him through Cheung.

Steven Merrifield gets all-in for his last $73,300 and finds a willing dance partner in Wilbur Futhey, whose A-10 is far behind Merrifield's A♠ A♦. The board comes K♠ 3♥ 3♠ 9♥ 4♦ and the aces hold, doubling Merrifield up to over $150,000.

Dave Costain raises to $9,000 and Philip Sparta puts him all-in for his last $45,000. Costain makes the call and shows K-Q to Sparta's pocket eights and it's a race for Costain's tournament life. The board fails to bring any help for either player and Costain is out in 14th place for $7,790.

2007 WSOP bracelet-winner Robert Cheung raises to $9,100 from under the gun and John Ferguson re-raises to $30,000 from middle position. Cheung makes the call and the flop comes Q♥ 9♠ 3♠. Both players check and the turn is the Q♦. Cheung checks again, prompting Ferguson to fiddle with his chips for a moment before moving all-in for $32,300.

Cheung agonizes over the decision, talking himself through the hand and deciding fairly quickly that Ferguson must not have a queen. Eventually, he decides that his opponent must have pocket tens, giving him six outs on the river, and he makes the call with A♣ K♦.

In fact, the Vancouverite is in better shape than he suspects as Ferguson shows A♦ T♠ for the stone-bluff. The river is the 5♠ and John Ferguson is out in 15th place. He earns $7,790.

Doug Carli raises from late position and is called by John Ferguson in the big blind. The flop comes K♠ 5♠ 5♥ and Ferguson bets out $15,000. Carli moves all-in for another $10,800 and Ferguson sighs. "You have me beat," he says as he matches the raise. "I was hoping you didn't have a king."

"I don't have a king," Carli says. He turns over 9♥ 5♦ and sheepishly continues. "It was probably a steal attempt."

The board finishes out 7♦ T♦ and Carli doubles up to stay alive. 

 

Philip "This Is" Sparta's trickiness may have caught up to him as it's just caused him the loss of a rather substantial pot against Jason Mann. Yesterday, we saw Sparta play aces and ace-king extremely creatively, but after flopping top two with ace-queen the Spartan let Mann catch up by checking down to the river, which brought a jack and, not coincidentally, some fireworks.

Sparta led out for $40,000 and Mann, who'd three-bet preflop over the top of Tim Laws' opening raise, popped it all-in for another $75,000. Sparta went into the tank before finally laying down his hand and seeing Mann turn up a pocket pair of jacks for the rivered set. And Sparta continues his roller-coaster ride in the upper echelons of the chip leaderboard. 

A short-stacked Beth Shak gets all-in preflop with a pocket pair of tens and Jerry Martin looks her up on the strength of his own pocket nines. Shak is in great shape to double-up once again, but a nine on the flop reverses her fortunes and after turn and river brick out, the final woman standing in this event is no longer standing. For her incredibly tenacious effort she'll take home a 16th place finish and $6,677.

We came into the day with nine minutes left on the level of relevance and those nine minutes are up. The blinds are increasing with absolutely no break. Gogogogo!

James McKinney gets all-in preflop for his last $45,000 or so with pocket queens and was called by Steve Merrifield, who turned up A-J. McKinney was in decent shape for the double-up, but the flop came A-J-x to give his opponent top two and the boy could not recover. He's out in 17th place and will take home $6,677.

Just a few minutes into the start of Day 2 and Bill Johnson has been eliminated. He got all-in on the flop having made top two pair and was looked up by Giovanni Marcacci, who'd flopped the nut flush draw. The turn was a blank, but Marcacci spiked a club on the river to make his flush and send Johnson to the powder room in 18th place. He'll take home $6,677 for his time.

The cards are in the air from the bilge of the Glory of Rome on the Ohio River in Indiana. No sleep til winnar!

Just eight hours after the conclusion of Day 1 we're back at the tables for the second and final day of the World Series of Poker Circuit event at Caesars Indiana. Eighteen players have survived the first sixteen hours of play and they're all guaranteed at least $6,677 for their time, with prizes of up to $180,290 scheduled to be awarded before the day is out.

Action is set to begin momentarily and will continue until one player remains. Here are the chip counts of your final two tables:

Robert Cheung	212,400
Jason Mann	164,200
Phil Sparta	162,600
Wilbur Futhey	95,700
Doug Carli	64,300
Giovanni Marcacci	57,000
John Ferguson	53,000
Dave Costain	51,600
Steve Merrifield	51,100
Tim Laws	49,200
Dale Poynter	48,200
James McKinney	46,700
Jason Glass	46,200
Benjamin Hock	45,000
Jerry Martin	44,200
Michael Iacovone	38,900
Beth Shak	23,500
Bill Johnson	13,800