WSOP Event #2: Lunkin Takes The Title
The final table of the $40,000 anniversary event featured Greg Raymer dominating his opposition for most of the day, but the man of the hour turned out to be the cunning Vitaly Lunkin.
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| Photo credit: IMPDI for 2009 WSOP |
the WSOP $40,000 anniversary event. The play started in a slow pace but
around 15 hands into the day and the first bigger encounters occurred.
Greg Raymer opened for 150,000, Justin Bonomo moved all-in for around
$1.24 more and Raymer made the call with A-8 off suit. Bonomo was
ahead with A-J off suit and doubled up after the board came K-6-5-2-A.
A few hands later and Ted Forrest met his end. He completed the small
blind and Noah Schwartz raised to 400,000 from the big blind which was
more than Forrest had left. Forrest moved all-in with 
and Schwartz revealed 
.
The flop came 
to give Schwartz a flush draw along with his pair, while Forrest picked up a gutshot draw. The turn brought 
to give Forrest more outs but none of them came, as the river brought 
. Forrest packed his bags in 9th place which earned him $230,317.
final table, but his chips were numbered also not long after. He
open-shoved for roughly 950,000 and Raymer re-shoved over the top which
scared rest of the table away. Schwartz showed A-K off suit and Raymer
turned over pocket rockets. The board came J-8-7-5-2 and Raymer chipped
up to roughly 2.7 million.
raised to 255,000 and he Raymer called. The flop came 9-6-5, Haxton
checked, Raymer bet 400,000 and Haxton check-raised all-in.
Raymer
insta-called and showed pocket sixes for a set. Haxton turned over
pocket jacks but his hand didn't improve, as the last two cards came
5-K. Raymer boosted his stack once again, rising up to roughly 5.7
million.
Besides grabbing most of the chips at the table, Raymer also used the
20-minute break to take a photo with other Main Event Champs, as the
WSOP Champions Invitational was kicking off. He continued right where
he stopped when he returned to the final table, taking down more pots
to get his stack above 7 million.
Meanwhile, Alexander Veldhuis and Alex Torelli both hit the rail and
the play was down to the remaining five players. Just Bonomo made his
exit in 5th place after running into pocket rockets with his pocket
jacks which gave a nice boost to Haxton's stack.
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| Photo credit: IMPDI for 2009 WSOP |
Haxton (pictured right) managed to catch up with Raymer and even take over the lead for
a brief period, but as quickly as he climbed to the top, so did he fall
back down to just over 3 million chips.
While Raymer was taking giant
steps towards the title, Vitaly Lunkin was prowling behind all of this
action until he slowly worked his stack up from 4 million to over 7
million.
Daniel Stern tried to improve his situation at the table, but it only
resulted in a severe loss of chips in a clash against Raymer, followed
by a hand against Haxton which also didn't go well at all.
Haxton moved
all-in for his last 3 million chips with 
and Stern called with pocket fives. The board came 
to give Haxton the flush and double up his chips.
Stern was left with 1.5 million chips and tried to get back into the
game but to no avail. His Q-T lost against Haxton's A-K after the board
came J-5-2-2-2. This hand put Haxton's stack above the 8 million mark
and he was once again close to Raymer, meanwhile Lunkin wasn't far
behind with his 7 million.
Raymer's great play came to an end after an encounter with Haxton. Raymer raised to 400,000, Haxton re-raised to 1.25 million, Raymer shoved in for 7.7 million and Haxton called. Raymer turned over 
while Haxton showed 
.
The board came 
and Raymer was out in 3rd place for which he received $774,927.
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| Photo credit: IMPDI for 2009 WSOP |
The heads-up play featured Haxton holding a 16.5 million to 7.5 million
chip lead. However, Lunkin (pictured right) slowly turned the tables around and gained a
13 million to 11 million chip lead over Haxton.
Haxton wasn't about to give up the title easily and regained the lead
after cracking Lunkin's aces. The action began with Lunkin calling
Haxton's raise and the play moved to the flop of 
.
Lunkin bet 1.5 million and Haxton made the call to see the come on the turn. Lunkin led out again, Haxton moved all-in and Lunkin called, turning over pocket aces while Haxton showed K-T. The river brought 
to give Haxton the chip lead.
Just when it looked like as if Haxton was about to charge towards the title, Lunkin crippled his stack down. The dreadful hand for Haxton featured Lunkin making a re-raise to 1.4 million and Haxton making the call.
The flop came 
, Lunkin bet 2 million, Haxton moved all-in with 
and Lunkin called with 
. The turn brought 
to give Haxton the lead, but the 
on the river surrendered the pot to Lunkin.
Haxton shipped his last 5 million chips right into Lunkin's aces. Once again Lunkin slow-played his pocket aces, check-calling 600,000 to see the flop. Haxton bet 1.2 million, Lunkin moved all-in and Haxton called, turning over . The last two cards came and that was it for Haxton who had to settle for the 2nd place which earned him $1,168,566.
Vitaly Lunkin took the $1,891,012 prize for finishing first in the $40,000 anniversary event. He also received a gold bracelet for this feat, his second career bracelet, as he already picked up in a $1,500 NLHE event last year.
Here are the final table results:
| World Series Of Poker Event #2 Results |
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| Place | Name | Prize |
| 1st | Vitaly Lunkin | $1,891,012 |
| 2nd | Isaac Haxton | $1,168,566 |
| 3rd | Greg Raymer | $774,927 |
| 4th | Daniel Stern | $548,315 |
| 5th | Justin Bonomo | $413,166 |
| 6th | Alec Torelli | $329,730 |
| 7th | Alexander Veldhuis | $277,940 |
| 8th | Noah Schwartz | $246,834 |
| 9th | Ted Forest | $230,317 |
