WPT-LA POKER CLASSIC, FINAL TABLE

The Grinder's Big Comeback.
Down 5-1 heads up, Michael Mizrachi Wins in L.A.








It's over. Voulgaris went all-in with 10 3 offsuit for about 900k. Mizrachi had A 9 which was plenty without the Ace on the flop. Terrific Final Table. Good night, all. Thanks for watching.

1105 pm
"Grinder, Grinder..." Mizrachi should have just won this tournament. Voulgaris finally caught a bad break. He went all-in with a legitimate K 2 heads up. Mizrachi woke up with A K. Michael now has 4.4 million to 940k.

1100 pm
Mizrachi just checkraised all-in to take 240k. Voulgaris and he are approaching parity in a nice comeback.

Voulgaris got the chips right back with a bet on the turn with two ladies on board.

1055 pm
As a reference point for how popular poker has become. These guys are playing for more as the difference between first and second than the winner of the LA Open golf tournament got for 1st this last rain-soaked weekend. And they got to stay dry.

The Grinder grinding back up over 2 million. Both all-ins aren't being called. It shouldn't be long now before someone calls.

1050 pm
New level. 20k ante. 100k/200k blinds. Now The Grinder is back to ten times the big blind at 2 million.

1040 pm
There are no deals allowed on the WPT, so they are playing for $955,000, the difference between first and second.

Michael Mizrachi isn't lying down. Haralabos Voulgaris will have to take every chip. Mizrachi is down to the critical ten times the big blind, however.

The crowd goes wild. "Grinder, Grinder..." Mizrachi doubles up and is back in the game. Michael went all-in with 10 7 offsuit. Voulgaris called immediately with pocket 5's. Two sevens came on board. Mizrachi has 1.8 million, to 3.5 for Voulgaris.

1035 pm
We are playing 15k ante, 60k/120k blinds. That's 105k a hand, folks, or 10.5 player's entries. Just picture each player throwing in ten players into the pot every hand.

TV timeout.

1030 pm
Mizrachi is trying to fight back, but he's up against a ton of chips. Every bet could be fatal.

Voulgaris just put a read on Mizrachi by calling 150k on the river with King high which was good.

1020 pm
My access page crashed. I'm back just in time to tell you that Haralabos Voulgaris has taken most all the chips with an A 4 all-in against K Q for Michael Mizrachi. Twice Michael had come over the top heavy. The third time Voulgaris reraised all-in and was called. Ace high won the pot.

Chip count 4.2 million for Voulgaris. 1.1 million for Mizrachi.

1000 pm
Voulgaris has the slightest lead at 2.7 to 2.6 million. 13 minutes left in the 40k/80k level.

Heads up at this level, it's costing these players 50k a hand to play.

Bet and take it, for the last few minutes.

945 pm
Voulgaris has retaken the chip lead with the last all-in, no call.

If no one makes a mistake we could be here for hours. That's how many chips there are in relation to the blinds.

Break time.

940 pm
These two climbed a mountain to get here. It's a shame that either has to lose. Both had under 150,000 in chips at the start of play yesterday, with great players ahead of them.

Flop: A K 5, MM bets 85k. HV calls. Turn: J. MM bets 200k, Voulgaris prompts the crowd to root for his all-in. No call.

935 pm
HV bets out 200k. MM calls. Flop J 7 5. Check, check. King on the turn. 8 on the river. MM 500k to end it. Mizrachi increases his chip lead.

Flop: 10 5 4 two diamonds. HV 125k, MM raise, plus 400k. No call. Grinder is living up to his name. Crowd chants: "Grinder, Grinder, Grinder..."

930 pm
This level is over in two minutes. Mizrachi has taken over the aggressor's role to the enjoyment of the crowd. The Canadian Voulgaris doesn't seem concerned.

Next level 10k ante. 40k/80k blinds. It's almost even, back where they started heads up.

6 5 2 A 4 three clubs. River bet, HV 150k

920 pm
Voulgaris reraises Grinder preflop. No call. Now it's 3-2, but for Voulgaris.

MM 150k preflop, HV reraises 300k more. MM all-in. 1.9 million in the pot. Voulgaris is thinking. The pro Grinder crowd has to be calmed down. It's a $1 million bet. Fold. Grinder retakes the chip lead.

910 pm
Grinder reraise the 150k bet out of Voulgaris with 750k more. Fold. That works.

These two guys came a long way yesterday to get here. Voulgaris started in 12th out of 27 and Mizrachi 18th.


905 pm
The crowd got the Shana Hiatt sighting they demanded on the money presentation. We're finally back to poker.

Voulgaris takes the chip lead with trips this time. 7 5 caught two fives on board. Voulgaris' 250k bet on the river was called.

The flop is J J 10. MM bets 65k which is called. With a 7 on the turn, MM checks and HV bets 150k. No call. Increasing his lead.

850 pm
Wrong again. It's close. 2.8 million for Mizrachi. 2.6 million for Voulgaris. It's a race. I win though, both players are in my GENERATION 20 contest.

It will still be a few minutes. Money is not presented yet.

840 pm
HV raises to 150k on the button. HL calls. Both check rags flop. The flop was 8 6 3. The turn was a 6. Hung went all-in drawing dead. Haralabos Voularis flopped a set of treys and turned a full house. Hung La is 3rd.

The money presentation will take a few minutes. Mizrachi should have about a 3-2 chip lead. Chip count coming.

835 pm
La raises from SB, to 150k. Fold.
La raises to 150k on the button. Voulgaris reraises to 400k from the small blind. 250k to Hung. No call. La loses about 15% of his stack.

830 pm
Hung La goes all-in, 835k. No call. La shows a pair of 6's. 10 6 of Diamonds and a six on the flop. Voulgaris says he didn't fold the best hand.

La, 150k, Voulgaris all-in. No call.

Michael limps. La raises. Fold.

825 pm
970k for La, 1.2 million for Voulgaris.

Hung raises to 150k. All fold.
Voulgaris raises to 125k. Mizrachi calls from the big blind. Flop: K Q J rainbow. Q on the turn, check HV says 160k. No call by MM.

815 pm
Voulgaris is all-in first to act. Mizrachi calls from the small blind. Michael has pocket 6's against the A 5 of Spades. Board: A 8 2 2 A. Voulgaris doubles up. Hung La is the favorite to finish 3rd.

810 pm
Voulgaris first to act, raises to 100k. La in the big blind is thinking. "I'm going to put you all-in." No he isn't Voulgaris folds. That drops Voulgaris under 700k.

La checks a Q 10 7 flop. Voulgaris all-in. Fold.

The beautiful and clever Ginger is dealing.

800 pm
Next level. 5k ante. 25k/50k blinds. No one can play with The Grinder for fear of losing 2nd place.

But you have to admire Voulgaris' style. He goes all-in preflop. I'm told he has an online betting site and is supposed to be wealthy. Michael laid down pocket 3's to Voulgaris' pocket 4's.

755 pm
Checked by the blinds. 10 8 3 two hearts. Voulgaris bets out 60k, Mizrachi raises to 200k straight. He's keeping the pressure on each of the other two in turn. As they can't afford to mess with him without a big hand. It's a $460k bet for either one, if they are wrong. Voulgaris folds.

750 pm
La and Voulgaris have to be playing for second at this point. The difference is about $460k between 2nd and 3rd. That's enough to fight for.

La makes it 80k under the gun. Mizrachi calls from the big blind. Checked to the turn. Michael bets 85k and takes it.

Michael first on the button. Makes it 80k. Voulgaris reraises in the big blind another 195k. MM folds.

740 pm
Break over.

Mizrachi 3.5 milliom. La 1.1 million. Voulgaris 768k.
Three handed. It's Mizrachi's to lose.

730 pm
Five minute break. The kid has busted a legend. Buy stock in TheGrinder.com.

720 pm
Voulgaris raise 150k to 245k preflop under the gun. No calls.

At 14k a hand, stealing is a good idea. The pot is 57k with blinds and antes. No one is in danger so they probably won't call with a marginal hand.

Forrest raises to 70k, plus 170k raise by Mizrachi. Reraise by Forrest all-in. Call. 10's for Forrest. Kings for Mizrachi. This could be it for Ted Forrest. Flop: Q 9 9, turn: 2, Ted needs a 10. Ted Forrest is out in 4th. Michael Mizrachi has almost all the chips.

710 pm
Erick Lindgren is out in 5th. Hung La had A 10 to Erick's A 9. The board was A 5 3 A when the money went in. The 10 played. It was blind versus blind with Erick in the small.

Next out, $263,487.

Hung La takes over second place in chips with 1.3 million. Michael Mizrachi still leads with 2.4 million. Forrest has 900k and Voulgaris 750k.

655 pm
No short stacks now, they all have a high multiple of the blinds. Next out, $206,657.

645 pm
Starting back. Hall all-in on the first hand with 2 2. Mizrachi has J J for the 130k call. It's over for Harley Hall in 6th, no deuce.

635 pm
We're about to start up again at the new level. Sorry for the fractured writing style. I'm trying to get it to you as it happens. No time to edit.

625 pm
Hung La raises 200k with the ace of hearts and a flop of all hearts.

Hall goes all-in Erick calls. J 10 for Hall, Erick pocket 7's, Jack on the flop. Hall doubles up again. That's four survivals for Hall.

3k ante. 15k/30k blinds. Next level starts in a few minutes after a short break.

620 pm
Ted Forrest just bet 120k into an A 9 2 flop with five way action and didn't get any callers.

610 pm
Maniac central. Mizrachi and Voulgaris both go all-in on the river when a four hit. They both had A 4 with an ace on the flop.

Harley Hall is all-in with two callers. K 10 8 5 both check twice. Mizrachi and Lindgren check it down. Hall wins with K Q of Hearts.

600 pm
Bet and take it for a while. Next one out gets $154,992.

1st $1,859,909
2nd $904,122
3rd $444,312
4th $263,487
5th $206,657

550 pm
Hung La and Ted Forrest see a flop 5 6 7 two clubs. La bets 80k Ted folds.

545 pm
Hung La went all-in on the turn. Hall folded, lost 85k.
Mizrachi bets 100k on the flop of 2 2 8 Erick calls. Ace on the turn. MM checks, EL bets 170k. Mizrachi shows J J and folds.

535 pm
Harley Hall is the first one with a called all-in. Hall has A 3. Lindgren calls the extra 62k from the big blind with K 4. An ace on the flop is good.

530 pm
Blinds are 10k/20k 3k antes
Erick Lindgren won the first hand uncontested.

520 pm
We should be starting any minute. The players are being introduced.

Final Table
Seat/Player/Chips
Seat 1 Ted Forrest 895k
Seat 2 Michael Mizrachi 2,190k
Seat 3 Erick Lindgren 1,140k
Seat 4 Haralabos Voulgaris 710k
Seat 5 Hung La 325k
Seat 6 Harley Hall 120k