Go Team Pokerati!
Was wondering why I couldn’t find proud Pokerati patch-wearer Whit Blanton … he’s on the feature table with an uber-tiny stack in a bad position against Jean-Robert Bellande and Phil Hellmuth. Whit starts the day with 50,500 chips, making him one of the shortest stacks to start on Day 4.
Jean-Robert ain’t too far behind with 124,500, and Hellmuth has 475,000. The chip leader at this table is Sarkis Akopyan with 858,000.
UPDATE: From Mean Gene, who is covering the ESPN table for PokerNews:
Jean-Robert Bellande Eliminated
And they’ll be showing this hand on TV, I think. Playing on the ESPN TV table Jean-Robert Bellande moved all in for his last 66,000 and was called by Sarkis Akopyan. Bellande’s [cards]As qh[/cards] led Akopyan’s [cards]tc 9s[/cards] and when the flop came [cards]Ac 2d 8h[/cards] it seemed certain that Bellande would double up.
The [cards]6s[/cards] fell on the turn and Bellande slapped his hands together and said “Yes”, perhaps thinking that he had the hand locked up. But there was some murmuring in the crowd as everyone realized that Akopyan now had a gutshot straight draw.
The was the usual dramatic pause before the river was dealt…and when the dealer placed the [cards]7s[/cards] on the felt there was a combined roar and moan from the crowd as Bellande fell to a brutal runner-runner straight and saw his Main Event come to an sudden end.
TehBRD says:
July 11th, 2008 at 3:02pm
LOL… Apparently Hellmuth just berated an opponent at the featured table for overplaying the nuts.
Ed says:
July 11th, 2008 at 3:15pm
Poor Jean-Robert. May not care for the guy from all the media coverage I have seen of him over the years but who could wish that shit on anyone?!
Ok..I have wished it on many people but they usually deserve it.
DanM says:
July 11th, 2008 at 3:42pm
I have new respect for Jean-Robert after watching a few episodes of his video WSOP Podcast:
http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/wsoptv/index.asp?videocatid=3
but from watching these you know he was disappointed, not happy with his main event payday.