Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack | 2014 World Series of Poker

2014-06-30 14:05 UTC-7

Monster Stack Final Table Almost Set to Begin!

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Welcome back to PokerNews' coverage of Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Monster Stack.

After four days and 35 levels of play, the field of 7,862 players to down to just nine, each looking to make history by defeating the largest non-Main Event field in World Series of Poker history. Along with that comes a first-place prize of $1,327,083 and of course, a coveted WSOP gold bracelet.

On top of the chip counts at the start of the final table is Hugo Pingray with 22.7 million, roughly 57 big blinds. Pingray stayed under the radar for most of Day 4 before a later charge secured his spot atop the leaderboard. He is followed by Sean Drake with 20.975 million, who is looking for his second WSOP bracelet. Back in 2011, Drake took down the Casino Employees Event. They are followed by accomplished pros Thayer Rasmussen (15.475 million), Joseph McKeehen (12.925 million) and Zachary Gruneberg (11.85 million).

Here is how the entire final table stacks up:

Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Joseph McKeehen	USA	12,925,000	32
2	Bobby Byram	USA	8,475,000	21
3	Zachary Gruneberg	USA	11,850,000	29
4	Claas Segebrecht	Germany	8,900,000	22
5	Thayer Rasmussen	USA	15,475,000	38
6	Lynne Beaumont	England	7,925,000	20
7	Joshua Hillock	USA	8,625,000	21.5
8	Sean Drake	USA	20,975,000	52
9	Hugo Pingray	Switzerland	22,700,000	57

The final table is set to begin at 3 p.m. so be sure to keep it here to see who makes history!

2014-06-30 15:14 UTC-7

Joshua Hillock Eliminated in 9th Place ($127,364)

[user80015]

Nível 36 : 200,000/400,000, 50,000 ante

Hand #1: With the button on Thayer Rasmussen, Sean Drake opened to 850,000 from under the gun and the action folded to Joshua Hillock in the big blind, and he moved all in for 8,575,000 with Drake quickly making the call.

Hillock:
Drake:

With Hillock holding the dominating pocket pair, the dealer spread a flop to see Hillock needing to fade an ace or jack.

The turn of the changed nothing, but when the dealer burned and turned the to give Drake a Broadway straight and send Hillock to the rail in 9th place for a $127,364 as Drake climbs to over 30 million.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Joshua Hillock	Eliminado

Tags: Joshua Hillock Sean Drake

2014-06-30 15:41 UTC-7

Zachary Gruneberg Eliminated in 8th Place ($163,238)

[user80015]

Nível 36 : 200,000/400,000, 50,000 ante

Hand #11: Zachary Gruneberg opened to 900,000 and after a few moments in the tank, Hugo Pingray three-bet to 2,350,000 from the big blind. Gruneberg instantly shoved for 8.4 million total and Pingray made the call.

Gruneberg:
Pingray:

With Pingray in the lead, the dealer spread a flop, but when the landed on the turn, Gruneberg added a diamond draw to his previous three outs.

Unfortunately for HustlerGrune, the river landed the to end Gruneberg's run in 8th place for a $163,238 payday as Pingray climbs to roughly 33.5 million in chips.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Zachary Gruneberg	Eliminado

Tags: Hugo Pingray Zachary Gruneberg

2014-06-30 16:01 UTC-7

Bobby Byram Eliminated in 7th Place ($210,469)

[user80015]

Nível 37 : 250,000/500,000, 50,000 ante

Hand #15: From the button, Bobby Byram moved all in for 6,375,000 and Claas Segebrecht made the call from the small blind.

Byram:
Segebrecht:

With Byram in dominated shape, the flop furthered Segebrecht's lead while leaving Byram with a flush draw.

The turn landed the to now give Byram a straight draw, but when the dealer delivered the on the river, Byram was eliminated in 7th place for a $210,469 payday.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Bobby Byram	Eliminado

Tags: Claas Segebrecht Bobby Byram

2014-06-30 17:23 UTC-7

Lynne Beaumont Eliminated in 6th Place ($273,090)

[user80015]

Nível 38 : 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante

Hand #34: Hugo Pingray opened to 1.2 million and picked up the blinds and antes.

Hand #35: Claas Segebrecht raised to 1.2 million from the cutoff and won the blinds and antes.

Hand #36: From the hijack, Claas Segebrecht raised to 1.2 million and Lynne Beaumont moved all in from the button for 6,150,000. Hugo Pingray cold-called from the big blind and Segebrecht folded.

Beaumont:
Pingray:

With Beaumont racing for her tournament life, the dealer would spread a flop to launch Pingray into the overwhelming lead and leave Beaumont with outs to running cards to complete Broadway.

The dealer delivered the on the turn to render Beaumont drawing dead as the completed the board on the river to send Beaumont to the rail in 6th place for a $273,090 payday.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Lynne Beaumont	Eliminado

Tags: Claas Segebrecht Hugo Pingray Lynne Beaumont

2014-06-30 17:44 UTC-7

Final Table Interview: Lynne Beaumont

Nível 38 : 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante

When the Monster Stack event was added to the World Series of Poker schedule, players like Lynne Beaumont were the target audience for one of poker's most innovative tournaments.

The British-born Beaumont plays the game for passion as much as for prize money — but she is no slouch on the felt, amassing $216,687 in earnings over 88 live cashes since 2005. Predominately playing small buy-in tournaments between $100 and $500 in London or Las Vegas, Beaumont has 11 first-place results on her record, but it was last year that she nearly made the bracelet breakthrough.

After playing in the WSOP Ladies Championship for a five years prior, Beaumont notched her first WSOP cash in the 2013 Ladies Championship, where she nearly made the final table before bowing out in 11th place.

Back again this year after coming oh-so-close to making a final table appearance and playing for a bracelet, Beaumont managed to eclipse her previous performance by reaching the final table of the Monster Stack event. Before busting out in sixth place, Beaumont expressed optimism that a comeback was in the cards when PokerNews caught up with her during the recent break:

PokerNews: Last year you added your first WSOP cash to a long list of minor results. Tell me about that experience.

Lynne Beaumont: That was my fifth or sixth time playing in the Ladies, and it's only the Ladies I've ever played except for the Seniors the year before, I played for the first time. And I played the Main Event a couple of years ago, and I bubbled third from the money.

PokerNews: Prior to that deep run you had put up solid results in London's small buy-in tourney circuit. Did the close call on the WSOP stage motivate you to return for another crack at it?

Yeah, lots of bits and pieces but nothing big, you know, so this is just awesome. It's amazing... the trouble was though, I was so torn. Because I wanted to play the Ladies and do better, and then they go and clash this so it was such a shame. I said 'I'll play this, and if I get through to Day 2 then the Ladies is out the way, and if not I'll play the Ladies.' I cruised to Day 2, so this is just a dream come true.

PokerNews: How did you manage to make it through the massive field, and how did you enjoy the experience of a new tournament addition like the Monster Stack?

I mean, I have been playing well to be quite modest, but I've been playing well, been out here and I've got lots of results. So I just said I'll only play the Ladies unless I get something going in the smaller tourneys. I haven't been hitting the top-3 spots though, so of course then you don't really get enough money. I've been playing well and so this is like 'wow,' and I've only had... before today, I only had one all in I think, so this is just awesome.

Tags: Lynne Beaumont

2014-06-30 17:44 UTC-7

That's Why They Call It the Monster Stack

[user80015]

Nível 38 : 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante

With each player sitting behind a mountain of chips, the tournament directors have considered introducing a bigger denomination chip from an entirely different set of WSOP chips.

Recently WSOP Tournament Director Jack Effel came over to the Monster Stack final table, and when a hand finished, he grabbed some of Claas Segebrecht's oreo-colored 50,000-denomination chips and mixed them up with a few yellowy-beige 250,000-denomination chips to see if they could be told apart.

Tournament Director Charlie Ciresi stood at the far end of the table and shook his head from left to right to indicate that they looked virtually the same from a distance.

Effel took back the 250,000-denomination chips and stated, "they're just going to have to play with big stacks!"

Ciresi then added, "that's why it's called the Monster Stack!"

Tags: Jack Effel Charlie Ciresi

2014-06-30 18:06 UTC-7

Hands #48-51: Drake Doubles with Kings

[user80015]

Nível 38 : 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante

Hand #48: Thayer Rasmussen raised to 1.2 million from under the gun and Claas Segebrecht called from the big blind to see a flop fall. Both players checked as the landed on the turn and Segebrecht checked to Rasmussen who bet out 1.35 million with Segebrecht calling.

The river landed the and Segebrecht checked for a third time with Rasmussen checking behind. Segebrecht tabled his for second pair and scooped the pot once Rasmussen mucked.

Hand #49: Sean Drake opened to 1.3 million first to act and collected the blinds and antes.

Hand #50: Claas Segebrecht opened to 1.2 million from the button and Sean Drake defended his big blind to see a flop fall with Segebrecht betting out 1.55 million with Drake check-calling.

The turn landed the and both players checked as the completed the board on the river. Drake checked and Segebrecht bet out 1.7 million. Drake called, and then mucked once Segebrecht tabled his for top pair.

Segebrecht climbs to roughly 32 million as Drake slips to 14.1 million.

Hand #51: From the small blind, Sean Drake limped in and Hugo Pingray checked his option to see a flop fall. Drake pushed out a bet of 800,000 and Pingray raised to 2.1 million only to have Drake three-bet to 6.1 million.

Pingray eyed what Drake had remaining in his stack before switching his gaze back towards the flop. After a few moments, Pingray announced he was all in and Drake called for his 13.45 million total.

Pingray:
Drake:

With Drake ahead with his overpair, he would be up against Pingray's straight draw until the on the turn increased the outs Drake needed to fade to an additional six. Fortunately for Drake, the river landed the to ensure his double to over 28 million as Pingray slipped to 26 million in chips.

Tags: Claas Segebrecht Hugo Pingray Sean Drake Thayer Rasmussen

2014-06-30 18:18 UTC-7

Thayer Rasmussen Eliminated in 5th Place ($356,620)

[user80015]

Nível 38 : 300,000/600,000, 100,000 ante

Hand #55: The action folded to Thayer Rasmussen in the small blind, and he moved all in for 10,050,000 and Sean Drake called from the big blind.

Rasmussen:
Drake:

With Rasmussen at risk, but in the lead, the flop gave Drake outs to a straight. The turn of the changed little, but when the spike on the turn, Rasmussen would be sent to the rail in 5th place for a $356,620 payday.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Thayer Rasmussen	Eliminado

Tags: Sean Drake Thayer Rasmussen

2014-06-30 20:17 UTC-7

Claas Segebrecht Eliminated in 4th Place ($468,594)

[user139916]

Nível 40 : 500,000/1,000,000, 150,000 ante

Hand #92: Joseph McKeehen raised to 2 million in the cutoff and Claas Segebrecht three-bet all in for 16.75 million on the button. After the blinds folded, McKeehen asked for a count before he called.

Segebrecht:
McKeehen:

The board ran out , ending Segebrecht's run in fourth place.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Claas Segebrecht	Eliminado

Tags: Claas Segebrecht Joseph McKeehen