Harvey's Lake Tahoe - Live Updates

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 A♦ K♦ dominating Justin Hallstrom's A♣ 5♣.

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.

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 K♥ 4♥ 3♥ 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.

K♦ 7♠ for Goodger would need some help to best Keikoan's 3♣ 4♦. The turn was the 2♠ and the river the T♦. 

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

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 K♦ J♠ T♣ flop. The turn was the 7♥ and the river was the 5♥, bringing in the two-outer for Keikoan and sending Engel home in fourth place.

Ari gets $29,178 for his finish.

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

First he got it in with K♦ T♣ against Matt Keikoan's K♥ Q♠, but managed to slip away from domination and get a chop when the board paired twice.

Then he shoved fives into John Goodger's A♣ 8♠ and doubled up when the board came aceless and eightless.

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.

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.

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 A♦ J♦ which was in the lead against Goodger's K♠ Q♠.

Vedes retained the lead on the T♣ 8♥ 2♠ flop but things got a lot worse with the J♠ turn. Goodger now had straight and flush outs and caught one with the 8♠ river.

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

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.

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.

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 A♥ 9♣, but they wouldn't end the hand in that position.

By the turn the board read 5♥ 3♦ 3♥ 9♥ meaning Ari could hit a nine, an ace or a heart to knock out Woo.

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

Woo takes $13,658 for his trouble.

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.

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 A♠ J♣ 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.

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 Q♥ 7♥ 5♣ flop, Woo led out for 30k.

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

Both players checked and the K♦ 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.

Roger Sippl plays unconventionally and this time it worked out for him. Justin Hallstrom limped his button and Ari Engel popped it to 20k from the small blind.

Sippl shoved for 41k total from the big blind and after Hallstrom folded Engel made the call.

K-Q for Ari was leading Sippl's 5♦ 2♦ but fell behind on the 6♠ 4♦ 2♠ flop. The board finished out A♥ 6♣ and Sippl was good for the double.

Engel's on around 170,000 while Sippl's up to 75k.

Just a few hands after returning from dinner we have an elimination. Tim Davey did well to make it this far and he went out doing the same thing that got him here; making something out of nothing.

Matt Keikoan opened to 10k and David Woo flat-called. It was folded to Davey in the small blind and he moved all-in for around 40k more.

Keikoan opted to fold but Woo made a relatively easy call with pocket queens. Davey had been caught with K-8 and the board ran with no help to the all-in player.

Davey's out in 8th for $9,933.

We're back from an epic dinner at the Sage Room here at Harvey's Lake Tahoe, a little sluggish but ready for the conclusion of level 16.

Around 30 minutes remain before the blinds go up. Eight remain and by the time we're done we will have a champion.

We had a raise from Ari Engel, a re-raise from Tommy Vedes and a rather massive re-re-raise from Engel moments ago.

This led to a fold from Vedes and the players have now headed off on a 60-minute dinner break.

We will return when they do.

John Mcneilly was getting short and made a stand, albeit an unsuccessful one.

Tim Davey opened to 12k and McNeilly shoved for 50,500 a few seats later. It got to Matt Keikoan who made the call, and action folded back to Davey.

He put on a short show before mucking what he said was A-Q.

Keikoan had kings and McNeilly had nines. The board ran 5♦ 3♣ 2♦ 6♦ 8♣ and just like that we're down to our final eight players.

John McNeilly takes 8th place and $9,933.

In just the first few hands of Level 16, Steve Kujubu looked down at ace-trey and let fly, shoving his short stack in the middle.

David Woo looked him up with jack-ten, flopped a ten and it held to send the overnight chip leader out on the bubble.

We're now down to nine and in the money as the chase for a Tahoe championship moves on.

A very tense moment just played out 10-handed here in Tahoe.

It all started with a 7,700 open from Tommy Vedes that David Woo promptly flatted.

Ari Engel had some other ideas, however, and after a short time in the tank, he pushed a massive stack of around 80,000 chips across the line.

The room fell silent as it was Vedes turn to make a big decision for what amounted to a good portion of his towering stack.

He thought deeply for a good three minutes before releasing his hand.

David Woo followed suit and the pot was pushed to Engel as we move into Level 16.

We've seen a propensity for donk-betting flops from Roger Sippl and it looks like David Woo noticed the same thing.

Woo made it 7,700 from middle position and Sippl called from the small blind. The flop rolled out T♦ 9♦ 5♥ and Sippl led out for 12,000.

Woo considered the situation and announced raise, making it 30,000 to go.

Sippl thought it over and Woo said he would show his hand if Sippl folded. Sippl mucked his hand and Woo turns over A♣ 3♦ for air.

"He's value-raising with the best hand!" called Theo Tran from the rail.

Justin Hallstrom just found a way to double up, crippling Steve Kujubu in the process.

The hand started with an 8,500 chip open from Kujubu and when it got around to Hallstrom, he shipped it in for almost 53k more.

Kujubu went into the tank, but emerged with a call dropping jacks on the felt.

Sure enough, Hallstrom had the aces and despite Kujubu picking up a gutshot on the turn, Hallstrom rivered a set to double up.

He's got over 100k now and Kujubu has less than 20,000.

The introductions have been made and the ten remaining players are in their seats, ready to begin the playdown to a champion.

We have the official counts for you to your right and through the tab located above this update, and right it's WSOP bracelet winner David Woo in the driver's seat.

We'll be playing all night if that's what it takes  so stick with us as we crown a WSOP Circuit champ!

After a Greg Haubner button raise and a call from Steve Kujubu in the small blind, Tommy Vedes raised enough to cover Haubner.

Haubner tanked and made the 26k call, Kujubu mucked and the cards were revealed.

It was king-jack for Haubner dominated by Vedes' ace-jack and although Haubner turned a gutshot, he blanked on the river to bow out 11th.

They have now moved to a final table of ten as the playdown to a WSOPC Tahoe champion continues.

James Czarnecki just lost the biggest pot of the tournament so far, getting all-in racing A-K to David Woo's pocket jacks.

It started with Woo limping under the gun and Czarnecki bumping it to 9k from the button. 

Woo re-raised to 32,000 and Czarnecki quickly announced all-in. Almost as quickly Woo said call. We expected him to turn over bullets but he had the hooks instead.

Czarnecki had A-K and said, "Please god," as they went to the flop. A jack hit the felt and Czarnecki let loose a vicious F-bomb.

The turn and river couldn't bail him out and he's now on his way out the door.

Woo, meanwhile, is the big chip leader with around 260,000.

Yet another player has busted in what is quickly becoming the level of death here in Tahoe.

Bob Rose shipped his last 40k in on a king high flop holding ace-king.

The only problem was David Woo had flopped a set of sevens and made the easy call.

Rose bricked out and is now out as just 12 remain in the hunt for the WSOPC Tahoe crown.

Scott Clements has busted as the barrage of eliminations continue here in Tahoe.

Short, Clements shipped it with ten-five offsuit and found a willing caller in John Goodger holding A♥ 9♥.

An ace on the flop was enough to dust off Scott, who came just shy of matching his ninth place finish here last year.

The field is two players lighter with the eliminations of Nelson Lickey and Mike Heshmati.

Lickey lost a race with pocket sixes against Bob Rose's A-9, Rose hit a nine on the flop, and Heshmati got unlucky to bust with nines all in pre against Justin Hallstrom's A♥ 4♥.

Hallstrom runner-runnered a straight and Heshmati had a mini-hissy-fit when he saw the disastrous river card.

17th place belongs to one Bobby Suer, who shipped it in facing an Ari Engel open.

"How much is it?" Engel asked.

"Enough for you to call," Suer answered.

Engel made the call with A♣ 3♣ and was ahead of Suer's K♦ J♠.

Suer surged ahead when a king flopped, but things only got worse from there as Engel went runner-runner to make a wheel and rail him 17th.

Ari Engel has quietly and carefully moved up to around 100k in chips.

His latest move upwards came courtesy of Tommy Vedes, who flatted Engel's 5,800 early position open from the big blind.

The flop came A♦ 9♥ 8♥ and both players checked. The 5♣ was a different story, however, bringing a 3,800 bet from Vedes and a call from Engel.

When the 3♠ river dropped, Vedes cut out 8,800 from his stack, counting it over and over again, before eventually checking.

Engel checked behind and when Vedes flashed a nine, he rolled over jacks and dragged the pot.

James Czarnecki has slipped out of a spot near the top of the leaderboard thanks to
Roger Sipil.

Sipil called a 16k bet from Czarnecki on a Q♣ T♥ 8♣ flop with a boatload of chips already in the pot.

Both players checked the A♣ turn, but when the 8♥ river fell, the fireworks started.

Czarnecki bet 25k and Sipil promptly shoved. Needing almost 60k more to make the call, Czarnecki took his time making the decision.

"Will you show me if I fold?" Czarnecki asked, getting the nod from Sipil.

Eventually he did fold and Sipil obliged, turning over pocket eights for quads.

"I guess I should have bet less," he said.

Roger Sipil opened and Justin Hallstrom shoved for around 30,000. It folded around to big-stack James Czarnecki who made the call. Sipil bowed out and we saw Hallstrom's pocket aces were miles ahead of Czarnecki's A-K.

The board brought no surprises and Hallstrom's good for a much-needed double.

Steve Kujubu's slide is finally over.

He got it in with big slick against Scott Clement's pocket kings, but found a little luck in the form of an ace on the flop.

It held and the double up brought Kujubu up close to the 50k mark.

Facing a 4k raise in the big blind, Michael McGhee decided enough was enough and shipped his last 15k in the pot.

John McNeilly made the easy call with A♦ 9♦ and was ahead of McGhee's Q♥ 9♥.

An ace on the turn did McGhee in and we are now down to 17.

Greg Masterson was just eliminated, leaving us with just 18 players.

Masterson ran A-K into the pocket aces of James Czarnecki and got no help whatsoever from the deck.

He's out in 19th and we're redrawing for the final two tables.

Mike Heshmati is still here thanks to a miracle river card that saved his tournament life.

He got it in with eights against Michael McGhee's aces, but made four to a flush on the flop and rivered the fifth card.

Will miracle never cease.

John Goodger just doubled up in a big way, crippling former big stack Steve Kujubu. We picked it up as the money went in on a K♣ 8♠ 6♠ flop. Kujubu had checked and Goodger fired 20k. Kujubu moved all-in and Goodger snap-called.

Pocket aces for Goodger were way ahead of Kujubu's A♣ 8♣, and it stayed good through the turn and the river.

Kujubu is down to just 25,000 while Goodger rockets up to around 185,000.

John Goodger has just doubled through James Czarnecki and he has no one but Lady Luck to thank for it.

Czarnecki opened to 4,000 from under the gun and Goodger three-bet to 13,000 from the button. Czarnecki asked for a count of Goodger's remaining stack which turned out to be just over 25k.

Czarnecki announced all-in and Goodger called quickly.

A♥ T♥ for Goodger was in bad shape against Czarnecki's pocket queens, until an ace hit the turn.

Goodger's up to 88,000.

Matt Keikoan suddenly finds himself close to the 100k mark here in Tahoe.

He flopped a flush and managed to get Roger Sipil to pay him off in a close to 60k pot to chip up.

Keikoan, who won a WSOP bracelet in 2008, now seems primed for a deep run.

Bobby Suer's not going down without a fight and he just picked up a big pot that will go a long way to getting him back in this tournament.

We picked it up on the flop with Roger Sipil, Tim Davey and Suer all in the hand. Judging by the pot it looks like there was a preflop raise. 

They all checked the Q♦ 9♠ 7♥ flop and Suer bet 7k on the 2♠ turn. Both his opponents called and Suer shoved for 16,300 on the A♣ river.

Both other players folded and Suer picks up the pot. He's now on 53,700.

Tommy Vedes' loose play just cost him a whack of chips.

He joined a five-way limped pot with Roger Sipil holding ace-deuce and managed to flop aces up.

Sipil was only too happy to get his 40k stack in the middle with ace-queen and appeared to be on his way out until the river paired the board counterfeiting Vedes' two-pair.

Sipil doubled up and the once healthy Vedes appears to be struggling.

A tilting James Czarnecki has found a way back from the ledge.

It came when Greg Masterson bet 10k on a K♣ 9♠ 2♥ K♥ board. Czarnecki made it 15k more, Masterson shoved and Czarnecki could not have called faster.

Masterson had a king, but Czarnecki had pocket deuces for the boat and after a brick on the river he doubled back well up over 100k.

Meanwhile, Masterson, who was among the chip leaders, was under 20k, but doubled up a few hands later hitting one of two overs against a pair of nines.

Matt Keikoan has three-bet Tommy Vedes a few times already today. Vedes decided to defend against this last one but gave up the pot on the flop.

Vedes led out and called Keikoan's three-bet, seeing a flop of A♦ T♠ 3♣. Vedes checked and Keikoan fired 9,000.

Vedes tanked for a long time before saying, "I know you're bluffing." He shook his head and mucked anyway. "I know you're bluffing but it doesn't matter, you had me anyway. Nice bluff."

Keikoan rakes the pot and they move on to the next hand.

Neal Cooke just doubled up, taking a bite out of big-stack James Czarnecki.

Cooke opened from the hijack to 3,400 and Czarnecki called on the button. The flop came down T♠ 6♥ 3♣ and Cooke led out for 5,500.

Czarnecki quickly announced all-in and after a short dwell Cooke made the call. "Nice call," said Czarnecki as he tabled A♠ J♦. Cooke was in the lead with Q♥ T♣ and stayed good with the 4♦ turn and the Q♦ river.

Cooke's up to over 80,000 while Czarnecki's down to just under 70k.

John Tipton is all but out of this tournament after getting into trouble with pocket aces.

He min-raised to 2,400 from middle position and got calls from Mike Heshmati and Scott Clements in the blinds. The flop came out 6♠ 4♠ 3♥ and both blinds checked.

Tipton shoved for around 30,000 and after Heshmati folded Clements snap-called and turned over 5♥ 7♠ for the flopped straight. Neither the turn nor the river could bail out Tipton and he's left with just 300 chips.

Tipton would be eliminated just hands later.

Tommy Vedes, who appears more than just a little excited to have just found out his sister Litsa and brother-in-law Kyle are going to have a baby, continues to both run good and play good here in Tahoe.

While short-stack Mike McClain is shoving his chips in every other hand or so, and Vedes seems to be itching to make the call, he's playing it cool.

The New Yorker took his time about it, but folded a small pair the last time McClain made his move.

"Ace-jack?" the soon-to-be-Uncle Tommy asked.

"I had a pair," McClain claimed. "And if you folded, I had you beat."

Jonathan Burns became the first casualty of the day here in Tahoe when he got in a pre flop raising war with Nelson Lickey.

The two traded a few raises until Lickey went ahead and shoved.

After a time in the tank, Burns made the call for his tournament life with nines and grimaced when he was shown Lickey's pocket jacks.

The board ran out blanks and Burns was flamed.

23 players made it through Day 1 and every one of them is back in their seats now for the ultimate day of this event.

As you may know this event was originally scheduled for three days but due to a smallish turnout we've knocked Day 3 off the schedule to play down to a winner tonight.

Recent WPT winner Tommy Vedes has a big stack and we're looking to him to take this thing down.

Action will be underway in a few minutes so stick with us as we play down to a winner.