This afternoon, the final six players remaining in the World Poker Tour (WPT) L.A. Poker Classic will reconvene at the Commerce Casino in front of Fox Sports Net television cameras. Each is guaranteed at least $240,000 and up for grabs is the $1.68 million first place prize. Among those who will take to the felts today is PocketFiver Mike SowersUNCC Sowers (pictured at right), the 86th player on the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings and veteran of the game. He sits with the second largest chip stack entering the final day of play with 2.4 million. The field is looking up at Season I WPT Legends of Poker champion Chris Karagulleyan, who holds 4.1 million. PocketFivesLive.com, your source for WPT coverage of online poker players, has been on hand at the LAPC.
Mike SowersUNCC Sowers was on the brink of elimination during play on Wednesday. Late in the day, he moved in with his tournament life on the line for 650,000 chips with A-5 of clubs, but was called by Binh Nguyen, who flipped over A-Q. Sowers hit two clubs and a five on the flop. The pair was enough to push the PocketFiver into the lead in the hand for good, ensuring a final table run.
Sowers then promptly doubled up again, this time against fellow PocketFiver Blake Balla-B13 Cahail (pictured at left), who had raised pre-flop in the hand to 125,000 and was called by both Sowers and Chris Ferguson. On a flop of K-J-9 with two hearts, Ferguson checked, Sowers led out for 250,000, and Cahail pushed. Ferguson got out of the way and Sowers called, flipping over K-Q for top pair and a gutshot straight draw. Cahail revealed A-5 for the nut flush draw. An ace, heart, running straight cards, or running fives never came and Cahail was sent packing in seventh place on the television table bubble.On Sowers' ride through Wednesday's play, PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Court Harrington, who has been on the scene in Los Angeles covering the event, commented, "Sowers has had a couple of rollercoaster days, but has a knack for staying alive in tournaments and rebounding quickly from any downswings. He has been my pick to win the event since early on and watching him play has only made me feel more confident in that." The Charlotte native holds the 77th best PLB score in the Rankings and is fresh off a $221,000 cash for a runner up showing in a $1,060 buy-in Full Tilt Online Poker Series (FTOPS) tournament.
Cahail's seventh place was worth $180,403. In his final hand, Cahail 4bet Karagulleyan all-in with A-K suited, but ran into pocket kings. The board bricked out and the televised final table was set for the L.A. Poker Classic. On Cahail's WPT tournament, Harrington commented, "I'm sure Cahail is very frustrated now, going from chip leader to out on the TV bubble, but he played really solid poker today, jumping out to a chip lead and making things very tough for his opponents. He was a few cards away from going into the final table with a commanding lead."
PocketFiver Peter Nordberg Feldman (pictured at right) was sent to the rails in 14th place, cashing for $57,796. Short-stacked, Feldman pushed pre-flop with A-3 and was called by Donnie D'Auria, who held pocket sevens. The board was no help and the PocketFiver was ousted from the L.A. Poker Classic. At one point, he had over one million chips, but suffered a pair of bad beats to send his stock plummeting to 300,000. He lost with A-10 suited against Cahail's J-10 offsuit when Cahail made a flush. Feldman was also on the short end of A-K against A-8 when his opponent hit a runner-runner straight.
Dan Raidan Lu (pictured at left) was eliminated by Sowers in 15th place, cashing for $57,796. Lu had amassed a tournament leading three million chips before doubling up Karagulleyan for one-quarter of his stack. Then, he found himself all in pre-flop with A-J against Sowers' A-K and the board ran out Q-9-9-4-10. Lu's tournament life was extended with his elimination of Teddy "Iceman" Monroe, whom he sent into the L.A. night holding pocket queens against Monroe's wired pair of nines.Here are the final six chip stacks in the WPT L.A. Poker Classic. Play finished on Wednesday during Level 29 with blinds of 30,000-60,000 with a 10,000 chip ante. Level 30 is 40,000-80,000, also with a 10,000 chip ante:
1. Chris Karagulleyan, 4,080,000
2. Mike Sowers, 2,405,000
3. Pat Walsh, 2,200,000
4. Binh Nguyen, 1,895,000
5. Cornel Andrew Cimpan, 1,740,000
6. Chris Ferguson, 1,565,000
PocketFivers who made the money at the L.A. Poker Classic include:
7th: Blake Balla-B13 Cahail, $180,403
14th: Peter Nordberg Feldman, $57,796
15th: Dan Raidan Lu, $57,796
23rd: Tom titantom32 Braband, $44,433
29th: Andre aakkari Akkari, $38,085
31st: Kofi Redsoxsox Farkye, $38,085
32nd: Bertrand ElkY Grospellier, $38,085
34th: Shawn sprstoner Glines, $38,085
35th: Anthony babygrand Venturini, $38,085
46th: Jeff ActionJeff Garza, $27,395
52nd: Bryan bparis Paris, $27,395
54th: Cody thugmoneymkr Slaubaugh, $27,395
Despite owning five WSOP bracelets and making the finals of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship three times in four years, Ferguson is making his first non-invitational WPT final table appearance. WPT coverage notes that the Full Tilt Poker pro boycotted the tournament series for two seasons, but has played in a total of 30 events.
Stay tuned to PocketFivesLive.com for the latest on Sowers' final table appearance in Los Angeles. Play kicks off at 4:00pm Pacific Time on Thursday.
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