July 09 2012, Chad Holloway

On Sunday, the World Poker Tour Season X continued on Fox Sports Network with Part III of the L.A. Poker Classic (LAPC), which originally took place at the Commerce Casino from Feb. 24 through 29, 2012 and featured a $10,000 buy-in Main Event that attracted 549 players and created a $5,270,400 prize pool.

In Part I, the eliminations of Jason Somerville and Jason Burt occurred, while last week Noah Schwartz joined them. It happened when Sean Jazayeri looked down at and raised to 210,000. Kelly made the call with from the button, which prompted Noah Schwartz to move all-in for 1.53 million from the small blind. Jazayeri instantly moved all-in over the top and Kelly snap-folded. The board ran out and Schwartz took his leave in fourth place, good for $355,750.

Here’s how things stacked up at the start of Part III:

WPT LAPC Final Table

First Hand: With the blinds at 50,000/100,000 and a 10,000 ante, 22-year-old Dan Kelly, who won his way into the tournament through a $1,000 satellite, raised to 250,000 from the small blind with and David “Doc” Sands released his from the big.

Dan Kelly Eliminated in Third Place: Sands was first to act and raised to 220,000 with . Jazayeri folded the small blind, Kelly moved all-in for 1.665 million in the big blind with , and after thinking it through for a bit, Sands made the call. Kelly had a 46 percent chance of winning the hand, but that dropped to 38 percent on the flop. Kelly had counterfeit options, but the turn improved Sands to a full house and dropped Kelly’s chance to just 14 percent.

The dealer burned one last time and put out the , putting an end to Kelly’s LAPC in third place for $521,770, not a bad parlay of a $1,000 investment. “I think I played well,” Kelly told sideline reporter Matt Savage after the hand. “Just didn’t win.”

Heads-Up Play: In an interview with Savage before heads-up play began, Jazayeri said: “I’m very fortunate to be here, but if there’s one guy I didn’t want it’s that guy,” Jazayeri said before heads-up play began. “In my experience heads-up is a different game. Luck becomes a much bigger factor. I’m gonna get a lot more aggressive, and let’s just see what happens.”

Likewise, Sands, who had played 12 WPT events and was notching his second cash, was happy to give his take on entering as the 9.4 million to 7 million chip leader: “Definitely a good spot to be in. I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy I’m playing heads-up, but to be totally honest, out of all the people that made the final table, he’s the guy I’d like to be playing, so it should get pretty heavy, pretty fast.”

In the first hand of heads-up play, Sands raised to 200,000 with and Jazayeri called with . The flop was gin for Sands, and he bet 270,000 after Jazayeri checked. The amateur made the call and then checked the turn, prompting Sands to fire out 570,000. It proved too much for Jazayeri, who quickly sent his hand to the muck.

Ones to Watch: In the latest installment of Ones to Watch, 21-year-old Dylan Hortin was featured. “Ever since I was a kid I watched poker on television. It’s been a dream of mine to win a major poker tournament,” Hortin said of hitting the live circuit after previously cutting his chops online. “I’ve been traveling a little bit more than I’m used to and the buy-ins are more than I’m used to.”

What a Flop: With a 2-1 chip lead, Sands min-raised to 240,000 from the button with and Jazayeri defended from the big with . The flop came down , giving both players trips, though Sands had the inferior kicker. Jazayeri proceeded to check-raise Sands’ bet of 270,000 up to 600,000, and Sands made the call.

The saw Jazayeri slow down with a check, and Sands checked right behind. The river gave both players sixes full, and Jazayeri led out for one million. Sands responded by raising to 2.44 million, Jazayeri moved all-in, and Sands called. Both players smiled upon seeing each other’s six, which also seemed to amuse the crowd.

Queens vs. Big Slick: After playing small ball poker and chopping away at his opponent, Sands looked down at and raised to 280,000. Jazayeri squeezed out , and you just knew there would be fireworks. Sure enough, Jazayeri three-bet to 800,000, Sands four-bet 1.84 million, and Jazayeri moved all in. Sands made the call and was a 56 percent favorite to capture his first WPT title.

Both players shook hands and were out of their seats waiting for the flop. “One time,” Sands said to his girlfriend on the rail. Unfortunately for him, it was Jazayeri’s time to shine as the flop came down . The turn left Sands in need of a “lucky lady,” but it wasn’t in the cards as the peeled off on the river. With that, Jazayeri doubled to 13.95 million.

David “Doc” Sands Eliminated in Second Place: After the blinds went up to 75,000/150,000, Jazayeri raised to 400,000 with and then called Sands’ 2.495-million shove with . Jazayeri was a 60 percent favorite to take down the title, but not after the flop. Sands paired his king and became the 80 percent favorite, which improved to 89 percent on the turn. Amazingly, and much to the shock of Sands’ supporters, the spiked on the river to give Jazayeri trip fives and the LAPC title.

Jazayeri shot his arms up in the air in victory, shook hands with everyone, and then told Mike Sexton in his winner’s interview: “I don’t think words can describe how I feel. This is a fantasy you dream about. I really have to check, am I awake right now or not.”

Tune in Next Week: Next Sunday an all-new episode of the WPT Season X will air on FSN, so be sure to check your local listings. If by chance you miss it, check back next week for the latest recap of all the action right here on PokerNews.

Past WPT L.A. Poker Classic Champions

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June 04 2012, Chad Holloway

Season X of the World Poker Tour continued on Fox Sports Network on Sunday with Part I of the Venice Grand Prix from the Casino di Venezia in Venice, Italy. The “4,950+”495 Main Event, which was held from Feb. 6 to 10, 2012, attracted 155 entrants and created a prize pool of “678,880.

This week’s broadcast started out the same way as all part one’s do, by highlighting the early stages of the tournament. The first thing viewers may have noticed was that hostess Kimberly Lansing was nowhere to be found. That’s because she was away on maternity leave, opening the door for the lovely Marianela Pereyra to temporarily assume anchor duties.

The venue for this stop of the WPT, Casino di Venezia, is among the oldest gaming establishments in the world, and to say it is luxurious would be an understatement. Some of the game’s best turned out for their shot at “229,800 first-place prize including Melanie Weisner, James Akenhead, Max Pescatori and James Dempsey, who was fresh off a win in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

Unfortunately Dempsey was among the early causalities, as was the reigning WPT Venice Grand Prix Champion Alessio Isaia. That’s about the time the verbose Tony G made his Phil-Hellmuth-like grand entrance, showing up on a boat. The G’s late entrance proved fruitful as he was among the 89 players to survive Day 1, finishing in 15th place with 78,800; however, that was well behind the 227,900 of chip leader Filippo Candio.

On Day 2, WPT commentator and Poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton was in action, though things didn’t go his way after he was all-in preflop with against the of Italian Gianluca Trebbi. The flop was disastrous for Sexton, and neither the turn nor river provided the help he needed. “I lost a race and I’m out,” Sexton said after the hand. “What can you do? It’s a pretty good field, so I’m sure we’re going to have a real good final table. I’m excited about watching it.”

Trebbi was at it again soon after when he called Tony G’s all-in bet with , which was out in front of the G’s . The board ran out and Tony G joined Sexton, his fellow PartyPoker Pro, on the rail.

Speaking of PartyPoker Pros, Kara Scott was able to navigate the Day 2 field and finish among the top 27 players, though she was fairly short with 60,100, good enough for 21st place. On the opposite end of the counts was the Day 2 chip leader Marcel Bjerkmann, who bagged a healthy 436,300.

On Day 3, nine players went home empty handed, including Scott whose failed to hold up to suited. “That’s it, really? I was kind of excited about, you know, maybe making a WPT final table, but I’ll be back,” Scott told the cameras after her elimination in 27th place. Other pre-money eliminations included Carla Solinas (26th) and Lionel Tran (19th), the latter finishing as the money bubble boy.

From there, Akenhead (14th – “8,540), Bjerkmann (12th – “9,855), Gabriele Lepore (11th – “9,855) and Andrey Gulyy (10th – “9,855) all hit the rail before action came to an end with nine players remaining. Leading the way was Simon Ravnsbaek with 795,000, while American Jason Wheeler was not far behind in fourth place with 699,000.

Just three eliminations needed to occur on Day 4 before the final table was set, and you’d better believe it didn’t take long for that to happen. The first to go was Massimo Mosele, who shoved only to be called by Andrea Dato who was holding . The board ran out and Massimo finish in ninth place for “18,133. After Jeremie Sochet’s elimination in eighth place (“19,055), just one player needed to hit the rail before the final table was set.

Unfortunately for Wheeler, the lone American remaining in the tournament, he shoved and ran into the of Dato. The board would provide no help and Wheeler finished as the final-table bubble boy for “25,625.

Here’s how things stacked up at the start of the final table:

WPT Venice Grand Prix Final Table

First Hand: With the blinds at 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante, Rinat Bogdanov looked down at and opened for 33,000 from the cutoff. Action folded to Dato in the big blind and he made the call with . The latter checked the flop and then called the 45,000 bet of Bogdanov. Action went check-check on the turn, leading to the river. This time Dato led out for 45,000, but Bogdanov came in for a raise to 90,000. It was the minimum raise, but it was enough to get the job done as Dato released.

Betting Into the Nuts: After the blinds went up, action folded to Dato in the small blind and he opened for 50,000 with , which Ravnsbaek called from the big blind with . The flop gave Dato a royal flush draw and he led out for 55,000, which Ravnsbaek called. The gave Dato the nut flush and he wasn’t coy about betting it as he slide out 70,000. One couldn’t help but cringe as Ravnsbaek started to put chips together for a raise, eventually making it 186,000 to go. Dato called and then checked the river to set the trapped, though this time Ravnsbaek slowed down with a check. Dato rolled over the nuts and took down the 600,000 pot.

Andrea Carini Eliminated in Sixth Place: After Dato opened for 50,000, Andrea Carini moved all-in from the button for 361,000. The blinds got out of the way and Dato made the call.

Showdown

Generally the crowd will come alive when a player is all-in, but that wasn’t the case in Venice. The crowd was eerily quiet as the board ran out an uneventful , sending Carini home in sixth place for “32,195. The crowd responded with a short round of applause, but it was bittersweet for the Italian.

What a Time for Aces: With the blinds at 12,000/24,000 and a 4,000 ante, Alessandro Longobardi opened for 50,000 from the cutoff with and was called by the of Dato on the button. Ravnsbaek, who had been playing loose, looked down at in the small blind and simply moved all-in for 362,000. Longobardi moved all-in over the top and drove Dato from the pot, but he wasn’t thrilled to discover he was a 4-1 dog.

Once again the crowd was dead quiet as the flop came down . The turn elicited no reaction from the crowd, while the river brought a small round of applause as Ravnsbaek doubled to 818,000.

Another Double for the Dane: Dato opened for 50,000 under the gun with only to have Ravnsbaek three-bet to 127,000. Action folded back around to Dato and he moved all-in for 2,052,000 and Ravnsbaek snap-called off for 814,000. It was the Italian versus the Dane as the dealer burned and put out the flop – . Ravnsbaek hit his queen with the nut-flush redraw, which meant Dato needed the to win the pot. The turn was not it and neither was the river.

With that, Ravnsbaek doubled to 1,682,000, making him the chip leader as the broadcast came to an end.

Tune in Next Week: Part II of the Venice Grand Prix is set to air on Sunday, June 10, on FSN, so be sure to check your local listings. If by chance you miss it, check back next week for the latest recap of all the action right here on PokerNews.

Past WPT Venice Champions

*Titled WPT Venice as opposed to Venice Grand Prix.

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