Pure Poker Tour Series #6 – Event #14: $1,100 Main Event

Stephen Dauphinais started Day 2 with a middling stack of 341k, putting him 10th out of the 40 returning players. About 13 hours later, he had all 9.5 million in front of him after taking down the start-of-day leader Sen Vijayaratnam. He played a solid game and got heads-up after Vijayaratnam busted most of the final table in front of him.

He was at a deficit for most of heads-up, but had a short time in the lead about halfway through the final phase of the game. That quickly evaporated as Vijayaratnam pulled back ahead when he flopped a flush and took a big pot. Dauphinais doubled back to near even when his pocket fours won a race against king-ten, then took the lead in a big pot where Vijayaratnam had to fold the river when the flush came.

The game didn’t last much longer after that. A few hands later they ran into a big confrontation when Dauphinais open jammed almost 40 bigs with ace-jack and Vijayaratnam called with a smaller stack and the dominated ace-ten. The board was clean for the jack kicker and Dauphinais took down his first PPT trophy.

He had a huge score this past summer in Vegas with 3rd in the Millionaire Maker for $651k (USD) and this score tonight will put him within spitting distance of 7 figures on Hendon Mob.

It was about 13 hours on Day 2 to finish it out with a couple of hours of heads up at the end, and the start-of-day leader Sen Vijayaratnam ended up out in second. Stephen Dauphinais had closed his way back to the lead after spending most if heads up behind, and jammed ace-jack with he big stack. Vijayaratnam called with ace-ten and the jack held after an ace on the flop with the rest of the board low.

Stephen Dauphinais is back to the lead again after a fold by Vijayaratnam on the river. Dauphinais opened the button to 240k and got the call to a flop of 5♥K♣7♣.

Vijayaratnam check-called for 180k on the flop and then for 450k on the A♠ turn. He checked again when the clubs hit on the 9♣ river, but mucked when Dauphinais bet 1.2 million. That left Vijayaratnam with about 4.1 million of the 9.5 million in play.

It was a race when Stephen Dauphinais shoved and Sen Vijayaratnam called. Dauphinais had pocket fours against king-ten of clubs. The 5♦2♦5♣3♥8♣ ran clean for the low pair, and Dauohinais is back in it with about 4 million.

Stephen Dauphinais had worked his way back up to even, but Sen Vijayaratnam just got it back. He raised to 130k and Dauphinais called to the flop of 2♠A♠7♠. They both checked to the J♣ turn where Dauphinais fired out 60k.

Vijayaratnam raised to 300k and Dauphinais called. He checked the 10♦ river, but called when Vijayaratnam went big with 950k. Vijayaratnam showed down four-three of spades for the flopped flush and Duaphinais mucked.

Sen Vijayaratnam is back in the lead again, but there’s not much in it. In a recent big hand, he raised to 100k, then four-bet to 1.1 million after Stephen Dauphinais three-bet to 380k. Duaphinais called but then mucked when Vijayaratnam shoved the 10♥3♥3♠ flop.

Vijayaratnam has 6.44 million of the 9.5 million in play. The players are now on a break following Level 25.

Stephen Dauphinais has a slight lead now with about 5 million to 4.5 million for Sen Vijayaratnam. Dauphinais just mentioned at the table that it’s his birthday today, so however this goes, it’s going to be a pretty decent birthday present fro him.

I missed the action, but Johnny Dalphond followed Jerry Tria to the payout cage in the very next hand to bring them heads up between Sen Vijayaratnam and Stephen Dauphinais.

Sen Vijayaratnam raised to 100k under the gun and Johnny Dalphond called from the small blind before Jerry Tria shoved the big blind for 620k. Vijayaratnam called and Dalphond mucked his hand.

“You caught me speeding,” Tria said, showing 9♣5♣. Vijayaratnam had [invalid notations] and the board ran clean for the ace-high. There was a jack on the flop and Dalphond was upset with his fold after the hand, saying he folded queen-jack.

Sen Vijayaratnam raised the button to 80k then called when Ali Khani shoved his big blind. Khani was dominated with ace-four suited against ace-seven suited. Vijayaratnam flopped a flush draw while Khani turned another flush draw but the river bricked both draws and left Vijayaratnam’s seven kicker as the best hand.

Johnny Dalphond raised to 80k, then called it off when Michael “Berny” Bernstein shoved all in for a bit less than 400k. Dalphond called it off but was in bad shape with deuces into queens.

It all looked good for Berny to double through the board of 10♣9♦4♥8♥2♠ until the river deuce drowned him for 6th place.

Sen Vijayaratnam still has a big lead, with Stephen Dauphinais closing in but still about a million behind.

They are down to 6 players now after Aaron Quon turned two pair against Sen Vijayaratnam, but the big stack flopped a set of deuces and held for the win.

Sen Vijayaratnam is still the chip leader with almost 3 million chips, but he finally has some competition in Stephen Dauphinais, who had a huge six-figure score this summer at the WSOP in Vegas. Dauphinais is sitting with about 2.5 million now and between them they have more than half the chips in play.

There is a break coming up in just under 30 minutes and I’ll get full chip counts for the remaining players then.

Alex Liu just recently said today was the most fun he’s had playing poker since he “had all the chips” back in the August Main Event in Calgary, and if he has fun at poker, his final hand was certainly “fun”. He raised to 110k early, leaving just 25k behind, then called the rest off when Stephen Dauphinais shoved the big blind.

Liu was ahead with queen-ten against nine-seven and took a bigger lead on the 2♣Q♠7♣ flop, but Dauphinais went on a run with the 9♦9♣ turn and river to send Liu out in 8th place tonight.

They are down to 8 left now after Rob Limpert shoved over an early open to 50k from Sen Vijayaratnam. It was a not-so-classic race between ace-jack for Limpert and queen-ten suited for Vjayaratnam. The flop hit them both when the board ran out J♣Q♠Q♥6♦6♣ but Vijayaratnam got hit harder and increased his already big stack.

Alex Liu raised early to 150k, leaving less than 100k behind. Sen Vijayaratnam flatted from the middle and they went to a flop of K♠Q♦6♣. Both players checked the flop and the K♣ turn before Liu check-folded to a bet of 500k from Vijayaratnam on the 5♠ river. Vijayaratnam showed pocket eights and Liu verbalized he had ace-jack.

On the second hand of the final table, Aaron Quon shoved under the gun for 135k and got calls from both Sen Vijayaratnam and Rob Limpert in the blinds.

Vijayaratnam led for 75k into a dry side pot on the J♠10♣6♦ flop. Limpert called and they checked down the rest of the 5♠10♥ board. Both active players hade suited ace-seven and got their 75k back, while Quon’s pocket kings took the main pot for a triple up plus blinds and antes.

It only took two hands with the clock paused after dinner to get to the final table. Colten Yamagishi was the FT bubble tonight for $5,380.

The final 10 players are back from dinner and the clock is paused for hand-for-hand play on the final table bubble. While they usually only go hand-for-hand to the money, they’ve done it here to prevent tanking.

The remaining 10 players are on a 30-minute dinner break and will return to continue bubble play shortly. Kyle Levicki was the 12th place finisher tonight followed by Andy Truong in 11th just before dinner.

Final 10 Stacks from Dinner

They are down to 12 left in the Main Event now after Keith Schultz hit the cage for 14th place followed by Tony Comely out in 13th place. There are about 20 minutes left to play in Level 21 with the 30-minute dinner break scheduled following this level.

Jerry Tria raised the cutoff to 50k and Kyle Levicki called from the big blind. They both checked all the way to the river on a board of 5♣2♠2♥3♣Q♦ where Levicki check-called a bet of 70k from Tria. Tria showed king-queen and Levicki revealed a queen as he folded.

I caught the aftermath of a big confrontation between Ali Khani and Andy Truong. Khani cracked the kings of Truong with ace-jack when he flopped trip aces with ace-jack for the win. Truong was left with less about 400k while Khani is up to more than 600k now.

Ali Khani raised the small blind to 40k and Andy Truong called from the big blind. Khani went all in for 265k on the 7♠10♥8♣ flop and after a bit of a tank, Truong gave up his hand.

Kyle Bonazzo was 16th place tonight after he lost a race to Johnny Dalphond’s pocket jacks. Dalphond is now up to more than 400k.

After a bet from Andy Trong and a check-call from Jerry Tria on the 10♥A♣Q♣ flop, Tria checked again on the 2♥ turn. Truong slid out a bet of 40k, and after a few moments of thought, Tria elected for a check-raise to 150k.

Truong folded after a few seconds, showing an ace but not revealing his second card. Tria showed ace-queen as he pulled in the pot.

They are down to 16 now after Steve Chung hit the cage for 17th place just now.

They are down to 17 now after Jatinder Brar hit the cage shortly after they broke down to the final two tables.

Jeff Forester was the player to bubble the final two tables tonight. Johnny Dalphond shoved the button and Forester called off from the big blind with less. Dalphond was on ace-three against king-ten and he hit his ace on the flop and held for the win.

They are down to 19 left at the break following Level 19 after John Huynh and Bash Ramahi hit the rail late in the level.

Chips for Final 19

They are down to 21 left in the Main Event now after the exit of Andy Wong in 22nd tonight. There are three more payouts at $2,760 before it jumps to $3,320 at 18th place.

Level 19 has just over 15 minutes remaining, and they’ll be on another break following this level. I’ll grab full chip counts while they are away from the table, but Sen Vijayaratnam is still the big leader.

Sen Vijayaratnam is closing in on 1.5 million now after taking some from Jeff Forester. Vijayaratnam opened under the gun to 27k and Forester defended his big blind

The flop was Q♥9♦5♣ and Forester check-called for 25k. On the 3♠ turn, Vijayarantnam asked to see Forester’s stack after a check, then bet 50k. Forester mucked his hand to send the pot to the big stack and give him very close to 1.5 million.

Meanwhile, Nathan Masih hit the rail in 23rd place a few hands ago. There are just over 30 minutes to play in Level 19 before the next break.

They are down to 23 left now after Alemu (Jerome) Makonen was seen heading to the cage for 24th place today.

Tony Comely opened from the middle to 25k and Aaron Quon called from the hijack as did Jerry Tria from the button and Andy Truong from the big blind. It checked to Tria on the K♦10♣9♥ flop and he fired 50k into the middle.

Truong was the only caller to the 3♣ turn and both players checked it down through the 6♦ river. Tria showed queen-ten for flopped middle pair and took it down when Truong mucked his hand.

Taran Parmar was the most recent player to hit the rail on Day 2 of the Main Event, bringing the field down to 25 remaining.

They are down to 26 players left now after Skyler York took the first payout of $2,760. Players will be getting that payout until 18th place when it jumps to $3,320.

Meanwhile, on another table, Nathan Masih raised the middle to 20k and Aaron Quon called from the small blind to see a flop of J♣J♦9♠. Quon check-called for 25k, and both players checked the Q♠ turn. Quon led out for 45k on the Q♦ river and Masih gave it up.

Trevor Patrick was the player who bubbled the final three tables tonight for the final payout of $2,190. Below are the chips for the final 27 as counted at break with Sen Vijayaratnam still leading by a mile.

There are 28 players left now with about 15 minutes to play in Level 17 after Yaofei Feng hit the cage in 29th place.