Andy Frankenberger owns a slight chip lead over the rest of the pack entering the final table of the World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker. His stack of 3.02 million represents the lone tally at the table over three million. At stake are a $750,000 grand prize and a seat into the end-of-season WPT Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
The Bicycle Casino in nearby Los Angeles is playing host to the Legends of Poker. Since WPT final tables are played six-handed, the distinction of Bubble Boy went to Steve Reitzfeld, who busted in seventh place for $45,000. Reitzfeld moved all-in on a flop of 5-4-3 holding A-7 for two overcards and a gutshot. Tom Lee looked him up with a wired pair of nines and a running 3-J cemented the six-handed finale.
Online poker player Wade Woelfel hit the rail in eighth place after running pocket tens into the pocket queens of Lee. Following the back-to-back eliminations, Lee vaulted to 2.92 million in chips, good for second place at the Legends of Poker final table behind Frankenberger. The chip leader told WPT hostess Kimberly Lansing, “My strategy has been consistently inconsistent, so I’ll try to keep that up.”
Tyler “brainwash” Cornell was ousted from the WPT Legends of Poker in 11th place and picked up $24,000. Cornell open-shoved all-in pre-flop with A-8 and received a call from Frankenberger, who held pocket rockets. No help came for Cornell, who picked up his second WPT in the money finish. Cornell’s elimination set up the unofficial final table, as the 10 players remaining combined into one group.
Victory Poker’s Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little was gunning for his record-tying third WPT title on Tuesday. However, his bid ultimately came up short, as Little found the exit in 12th place. In his final hand, Little called all-in on a board of Js-6h-2d-7s-10s. Frankenberger flipped over 8s-6s for a runner-runner flush and Little exited stage right. He Twittered after the fact, “Ran into runner-runner flush of the table clown twice. Guess I just suck.”
The good news for Little is that, according to his Twitter feed, he won $1,500 in the Los Angeles airport while waiting for his Southwest Airlines flight back to Las Vegas: “Flying to LAS. Wheeeee. Somehow won $1,500 online in the airport despite being on monster tilt. Shiiiiippp.” Little has 11 cashes in WPT tournaments and was the Season VI Player of the Year after logging two final tables and bubbling a third.
Perhaps the most memorable ride on Tuesday belonged to Adam Schiffer. In a span of just three hands, Schiffer lost pocket queens to Lee’s A-Q and pocket kings to Jared Jaffee’s A-Q of clubs. In the latter hand, Jaffee flopped a pair of queens, but rivered a flush to deliver the bad beat. One player at the table noted, “[Schiffer] built up this great image where everyone thinks he’s bluffing, and then he traps them with strong hands – and loses.”
Here are the chip stacks of the six players remaining in the hunt for the WPT Legends of Poker title:
1. Andy Frankenberger – 3,015,000
2. Tom Lee – 2,915,000
3. Kyle Wilson – 2,854,000
4. Jared Jaffee – 1,006,000
5. Tom Braband – 968,000
6. Franco Brunetti – 800,000
The experienced final table includes Jaffee, who made the finale of the WPT Southern Poker Championship in January. Kyle Wilson took sixth in the Legends of Poker two years ago, while Lee finished sixth in this tournament 2004. For Frankenberger, Tom Braband, and Franco Brunetti, this year’s Legends of Poker marks their first WPT final table.
We’ll have full results from the WPT Legends of Poker on Thursday right here on Poker News Daily.
