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allen cunningham

2008 WSOP Update: Blair Hinkle Looks to Be Second Hinkle to Win Bracelet; Allen Cunningham Goes for Sixth


While we already covered some of the current 2008 World Series of Poker events going on here and here, below are a few more recaps.

2008_wsop:: Event #23 ($2,000 NLH) - We own Blair Hinkle SEO, so hopefully he’ll keep up the stellar 2008 he’s having by joining his bro and capturing his first bracelet today. Hinkle is stacked second overall with 1,030,000. He slightly trails Andrew Jeffreys with 1,051,000. The most anonymous two-time-bracelet-winner-40-time-WSOP-casher ever Chris Bjorin is stacked seventh overall with 247,000. Get full chip counts here.

:: Event #24 ($2,500 Pot Limit Hold’em/Pot Limit Omaha) – Full Tilt Poker pro Allen Cunningham looks to make history by winning a bracelet in 47 consecutive years today (as Dr. Pauly would say, that’s "redunkulous"). Cunningham is currently stacked second going into the Event #24 final table with 484,000. He’s a blind behind Kyle Kloeckner (494,000). Also at the final table is Max "The Italian Pirate" Pescatori and Ming Ly. Get full final table chip counts here.

2008 WSOP Band of Bloggers: Get full recaps and payouts from WorldSeriesofPoker.com here. Get Dr. Pauly’s take on WSOP happenings here. Gary Wise has some thoughts here. Please please don’t forget Pokerati here. And get Poker Prof’s recap and more photos here.

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Hey, The WSOP-C Caesar’s Has a Killer Final Table


Blair_hinkle_wsopc_caesarsMost of the general poker public kind of shrugs their shoulders at the WSOP-C these days. With little to no TV exposure anymore, smaller buy-ins, and "tour stops" in Indiana, the sex appeal just isn’t there.

But that doesn’t mean they still can’t snag some great fields and top notch final tables. Like this one at the WSOP-C in Caesar’s Palace Las Vegas.

With 334 entrants and a $5,000 buy-in, the winner looks to bank just shy of half a mil. Leading the way by a large margin going into final table play is Ben Fineman with 828,000. Fineman is followed by Kelly Sampson with 385,000 and the suddenly uber-present Blair Hinkle (at right) with 382,000.

Of the big names remaining, the biggest stack is previous WSOP-C luckbox winner Doug Lee with 324,000. Bracelet winner Ralph Perry (319,000), five-time bracelet winner and ’06 WSOP Main Event Final Table finisher Allen Cunningham (296,000), and Justin Bonomo (272,000) all still remain.

Get full chip counts and live reporting starting at 2pm from Poker News here.

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2008 NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship: Orel Hershiser Fans Two More, Advances to Quarters Along with Phil Ivey and Our Pick to Win, Huck Seed; Dancing with the Stars’ Shannon Elizabeth Still Eliminated


Looks like Gavin Smith is one helluva poker instructor.

Two nights before the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship began, Gavin Smith held a heads-up poker clinic for Orel Hershiser. While the ex-Dodger Cy Young Award winner had some general poker ring game background, he wasn’t as skilled in heads-up play.

Apparently Orel is a fast learner.

After impressive wins today against Allen Cunningham and half-man, half-amazing Freddy Deeb, Hershiser finds himself as this year’s Dancing with the Stars’ Shannon Elizabeth: that is, the unlikely quarter-finalist.

Hershiser will face Andy Bloch for a spot in the semis.

Phil Ivey continues his strong run of late. After capturing the WPT LAPC just a few days ago, Ivey now faces Gus Hansen in the day’s most anticipated match.

The two other quarter-final match-ups are Jonathan Little vs. two-time National Heads-Up runner-up Chris "Jesus" Ferguson. And our pick to win yet again, Huck Seed, who takes on David Benyamine.

Orel Hershiser learns heads-up poker from Gavin Smith video

Full NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship bracket results

Orel Hershiser NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship red carpet video

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Cunningham Comes Back to Reem Rheem, Capture Fourth Bracelet


Allen_cunningham_winner Three-handed, WSOP bracelet on the line in the $1,000 + rebuy tourney (Event #14), Allen Cunningham’s stack was down to 200,000. He had only 8% of the total chips in play.

His two opponents, David Rheem and Captain Tom Franklin, were stacked at 1,550,000 and 720,000, respectively.

But as LL Cool J might say, "don’t call it a comeback." In fact, don’t even think about calling it a comeback. This is Allen freaking Cunningham we’re talking about here. Last year’s WSOP POY. Allen Cunningham comes back for no one.

Cunningham’s improbable comeback to claim his fourth bracelet started with a timely pair of pocket Aces. Allen moved all-in pre-flop and was called by David Rheem (9d-8d). His Aces held, and he never looked back.

Cunningham continued to build his stack, but when Captain Tom was eliminated in third place (banking $185,431) soon after Allen’s aces held, Cunningham was still outstacked by a little over 2.6-1. However, after raising and winning four of the next five hands and then doubling up when his pocket Queens held against Rheem’s A-Q, Cunningham assumed the chip lead and, well, again, he never looked back. Because looking back is not something Allen Cunningham does. Looking back is not in Allen Cunningham’s nature. Allen Cunningham does not look back, unless maybe he’s in reverse backing out of a driving space or something. Seriously, he doesn’t want to back into a car. He’s not crazy.

For the win, Cunningham brings home $625,830 and his fourth bracelet. David Rheem rakes in 327,981 for second.

In other 2006 WSOP news…

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