Prahlad Friedman, better known in the high-stakes online poker world as “Spirit Rock,” was just eliminated in 20th place in an astonishing hand that only further cemented Jamie Gold’s chiplead.
Gold raised to 400,000 and Friedman pushed all-in. Gold clearly had Friedman’s 1.7 million stack covered and called, flipping up the 7c-8d to Friedman’s Ah-3s. After nearly a minute-long wait for a flop as the ESPN cameras moved into position, Gold’s railbirds erupted when the flop came 6s-5c-4d, giving him the nut straight. Friedman’s head sank into his chest as Gold jumped up from the tables to high-five the crowd. The Jh on the turn meant Friedman was drawing dead, and he’ll take $494,797 home to Los Angeles.
Gold may be on one helluva lucky streak as of late, but this hand matchup is closer than you think, and Gold’s call of Friedman’s all-in is actually mathematically correct (he had to call 1.3M to win a 2.3M pot). Before the flop, Friedman was 54% to win and Gold was 45%– pretty close to a coinflip. On the flop, however, Friedman was only drawing to a chop, and there was only a 1% chance of the turn and the river coming runner runner 7 8 to give them identical straights.
Gold is now sitting on more than 20M in chips.
BELLAGIO Day2
Just in case you think I have taken the easy option: it is hot out here on the patio, it is too dark to take photos in the room and I have had to listen to Celine Dion twice.
Back to the Sihoki Slot , exclusive and mostly accurate coverage. Now thats breaking a trend.
92 players remain: Missing presumed eliminated:Burt Boutin, Tony Cousineau,Darrell Dicken, Paul Darden, Ted Forrest, John Gale,Thor Hansen, Kathy Liebert,Nam Le, Carlos Mortensen,Padraig Parkinson, Carmel Petresco, Erica Schoenberg, Gavin Smith.
Simon Trumper started with 7k. He still has 7k but the blinds are now 600-1200 with a 100 ante.
Cunningham Doubles to 11 Million
Right before Jamie Gold knocked out Prahlad Friedman, Allen Cunningham, the best-known pro remaining in the field, doubled his chips in a quieter fashion. Kevin O’Donnell opened the pot with a 180,000 raise from first position and Cunningham re-raised 450,000 more from the big blind. O’Donnell made it 1 million more to go and Cunningham pushed in, having him covered. O’Donnell called and showed K-K to Cunningham’s A-A. The Q-J-8-6-Q board didn’t help O’Donnell and he was eliminated in 21st place.
Cunningham doubled to 11.5 million chips on that hand. He’s currently second in chips behind Jamie Gold. Playing the best poker of his life, Cunningham now stands to make a serious run at the final table after flirting with a below average stack for the better part of the last two days.
World Series of Philanthropy
Barracuda just mentioned that Jeffrey Lisandro is going to build houses for a handful of families if he wins big, but he isn’t the only one with a heart of gold still alive in the main event.
David Einhorn of Rye, N.Y., who sits on the board of directors of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, has said he will donate all of his winnings to the foundation. Einhorn’s grandfather suffered from the disease and the poker player wants to help fund the research for a cure.
We’ll have more on the philanthropic Einhorn when PokerBlog has a chance to talk with him.
