The ongoing $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better tournament at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has reached the final table of nine players. A total of 19 runners started the day in the event, the third of the 2009 WSOP.
Jeremy Harkin was the first casually of the day. Short-stacked, Harkin pushed pre-flop with A-J-9-7 of hearts and was up against Ed Smith’s K-6-4-3. The flop came K-J-4, giving Smith top and bottom pair. The turn came a six and the river came a 10, sending Harkin home with “squadoosh” and boosting Smith to an even bigger lead over the field; Harkin banked $7,689 for his efforts. Eliminated five minutes later was Henry Hull, who pocketed the same amount as Harkin. The two represented half of the four players to enter the day with fewer than 100,000 chips in their stack.
A double elimination then sent Edgar Cheng and William Seale home in 16th and 17th place, respectively. Ming Reslock had both players covered after the flop fell 10-10-7 with two spades. Reslock showed Q-J-10-8 for trips and a queen-high flush draw. Cheng flipped over A-6-4-4 for two pair and the nut flush draw. Seale revealed A-K-Q-9 with no spades. A jack of spades on the turn brought the third spade to the board, but also gave Reslock a hand-leading full house. The river was the six of clubs and Reslock scooped the entire pot, vaulting his chip stack.
After Adam Quiggle fell by the wayside in 15th place, Dan Spear was ousted from the $1,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split tournament in 14th. Both last year’s champion in this event, Thang Luu, and Sanovio Ramirez called Spear’s all-in pre-flop and then checked the action all the way to the river. The board ran out J-J-Q-9-4 with three spades. However, Ramirez took home the entire pot with a hand that included A-Q of clubs for two pair. Both Quiggle and Spear earned $12,669, not bad for three days’ work.
Micah Brooks was sent packing in 13th place, also earning $12,669. In a similar fate as Spear, Brooks was all-in pre-flop against two other players, who promptly checked it down. The board came 8-4-7-6-10 with three clubs, giving Luu a flush with J-9 of clubs in his hand. Also ousted around the same time was Richard Toth, who took home the same $12,669 payday for his efforts. With Toth’s exit, just two more eliminations were needed to form the standard nine-handed final table.
Lee Mougous was bumped in 11th place when his Q-J-J-4 could not take down the high or the low on a board of 9-7-5-Q-A. Ramirez turned over a hand that included A-7 for two pair and the high, while Reslock’s 3-4 was enough to claim the low. Mougous took home $16,829 for 11th place and the survivors crammed around one table. Sebastian Ruthenberg was then bumped in tenth place for $16,829. Here is how the chip stacks look entering nine-handed play, according to coverage found on the official website of the World Series of Poker:
1. Robert Price: 1,050,000
2. Jordan Rich: 950,000
3. Thang Luu: 450,000
4. Ed Smith: 380,000
5. Freddy Deeb: 375,000
6. Jim Geary: 250,000
7. Ming Reslock: 200,000
8. Pascal Leyo: 200,000
9. Senovio Ramirez: 175,000
Luu’s story is quite impressive. After finishing as the runner-up in this event in 2007 for $147,000, he won it all last year and banked $243,000. In 2005, Luu finished third in the $500 buy-in Casino Employees No Limit Hold’em event for $23,000. At the time, he was a dealer before becoming a poker pro. A third straight top two Omaha finish would be a groundbreaking achievement.
We’ll have full results for you tomorrow right here on Poker News Daily.
