Battle from Seattle has ended--We have a French Open winner

Buddies 'til the end

PokerStars.com Frequent Player Point Qualifier Brandon Schaefer has just bested his buddy Carl Olson for the French Open title. Hand details at the end of this post. A full report is forthcoming.

Final Table Hand-by-Hand

Starting field was 245 players.
Total prize pool of 490,000 euro

Seat 1--Mark Ristine, USA--251,000 (PokerStars online qualifier)
Seat 2--Peter Eichhardt, Sweden--202,000(PokerStars online qualifier)
Seat 3--Jeremy Tuckman, England--372,000
Seat 4--Brandon Schaefer, USA--691,000 (PokerStars online FPP qualifier)
Seat 5--Bob Coombes, England--163,000
Seat 6--Justin Bonomo, USA--124,000 (PokerStars online qualifier)
Seat 7--Carl Olson, USA--349,000(PokerStars online qualifier)
Seat 8--Luca Pagano, Italy--316,000

Blinds 5000/10,000/1000 (reduced from previous levels for television purposes)

Hand #1

Bob is on the button. Justin is in the small blind. Carl is in the big blind
Mark opens for 30,000 behind a pair of reflective shades an in a PokerStars.com hat. Folded around to blinds who fold.


KEY HAND---Hand #2

Justin on the button. Carl is in the small blind. Luca is in the big blind.
Bob opens the pot for a raise to 30,000.
Carl raises from 100,000 from the small blind. Luca eyes Carl’s stack, asking for a count. Carl has him covered. Luca has done this before from the big blind. And he does it again. Luca announces all in from big blind. Bob folds. Back to Carl who sits, bouncing his head in his seat, then asks for a count. Carl can feel pretty sure Luca has a big pair. Luca has picked up queens several times in the last couple of days. It will make Carl call 240,000 more. Finally, after a minute of thought, Carl calls.

Luca shows pair of queens.
Carl shows AK of spades.

Flop: 684 with two spades
Turn: King of diamonds.
River: 4.

Carl wins with a pair of kings over Luca’s pair of queens.

Luca’s long run of picking up big pairs in the big blind and having them hold up has just ended. He leaves in eighth place and Carl has a substantial chip stack now.


Hand #3

Carl is on the button. No one is in the small blind. Mark is in the big blind.
Brandon opens the pot for 30,000. Justin announces all in from the cutoff.
Brandon asks Justin how many chips he has left, then folds. Justin takes it down


Hand #4

The button is dead. Mark is in the small blind. Peter is in the big blind
Brandon raises 30,000 and takes down blinds and antes.

Hand #5

Mark is on the button. Peter is in the small blind. Jeremy is in the big blind
Bob raises to 33,000. Folded around to Jeremy who asks for a count. Jeremy and everybody else fold and Bob takes the blinds and antes.


Hand #6

Peter is on the button. Jeremy is in the small blind. Brandon is in the big blind
Carl raises to 30,000. Jeremy calls from the small blind. Brandon calls from big blind.
Pot is now 97,000.
Flop: 75T. Jeremy checks. Brandon puts out 40,000. Carl raises to 200,000. Jeremy folds. Brandon now has to call another 160,000. Brandon knows his opponent. He looks at him like he might in a Seattle basement game, then folds, giving the hand to Carl.

Hand #7

Jeremy is on the button. Brandon is in the small blind. Bob is in the big blind.
From the button, Jeremy opens for a bet of 30,000, taking down the blinids and antes.

Hand #8

Brandon is on the button. Bob is in the small blind. Justin is in the big blind.
Peter raises to 40,000, taking down the blinds and antes.


Hand #9

Bob is on the button. Justin is in the small blind. Carl is in the big blind
Brandon raises to 30,000 from the cutoff.. Carl calls from the big blind.
Flop: Q35. Carl check. Brandon bets 45,000. Carl folds.

Hand #10

Justin is on the button. Carl is in the small blind. Mark is in the big blind.
Peter raises to 35,000 under the gun and takes down the pot.


Hand #11

Carl is on the button. Mark is in the small blind. Peter is in the big blind.
Justin bets 30,000 and takes down blinds and antes.


Hand #12

Mark is on the button. Peter is in the small blind. Jeremy is in the big blind
Justin raises to 30,000. Jeremy calls from big blind. Pot is 77,000
Flop: 984 rainbow. Jeremy checks. Justin bets 45,000. Jeremy folds. Justin takes down the pot.

KEY HAND UPDATE----Hand #13

Peter is on the button. Jeremy is in the small blind. Brandon is in the big blind
For the third time in a row, Justin raises to 30,000. Peter announces all in from the button.
Justin calls.

Justin shows pair of aces. 202,000
Peter shows a pair of queens. 203,000
Flop: T63
Turn: J
River: 6

Justin doubles through. Peter is left with only one chip.
That’s just Peter’s luck. Justin raises three straight times, on the third time picking up aces.

Hand #14

Jeremy is on the button. Brandon is in the small blind. Bob is in the big blind
Peter is all in for his last chip on the ante.

Carl comes in with KJ
Peter has Ax

Flop: QT2
Turn: J
River: 7

Carl made his pair of jacks on the turn and Peter is out in seventh place.

Hand #15

Chip counts
Mark 230,000
Jeremy 305,000
Brandon 621,000
Bob 160,000 (116,000?)
Justin 425,000
Carl 771,000

Brandon is on the button. Bob is in the small blind. Justin is in the big blind
Carl opens for 30,000 and takes down the blinds and antes.


Hand #16

Bob is on the button. Justin is in the small blind. Carl is in the big blind
Folded around to Carl in BB.


KEY HAND--Hand #17

Justin is on the button. Carl is in the small blind. Mark is in the big blind
Jeremy comes in for 40,000. Mark calls from the big blind.
Flop. AA9 with two clubs. Mark checks, Jeremy checks.
Turn: 6 clubs. Mark checks. Jeremy bets 30,000.Mark raises to 60,000. Jeremy look tortured and rests his chin on his crossed arms. Jeremy then announces all in. Mark calls almost immediately.
Mark has KJ of clubs for flush
Jeremy has AT for three aces.
River: J.
Mark doubles up and cripples Jeremy in the process. The pot was 465,000. Likely a mistake there for Jeremy. Perhaps he wanted to maximize his profits by checking the flop, but he gave Mark the free turn and Mark made his flush.


Hand #18

Carl is on the button. Mark is in the small blind. Jeremy is in the big blind
Folded around to Jeremy

KEY HAND--Hand #19

Mark is on the button. Jeremy is in the small blind. Brandon is in the big blind
Justin opens for 30,000 folded around to Jeremy who announces all in for 85,000. Brandon folds. Back to Justin who is already in for 30,000. It’s 54,000 more to call. Justin calls.

Jeremy shows T9 diamonds
Justin: QJ

Flop: 3K7
Turn: T. Jeremy makes a pair of tens.
River: 7.

Jeremy doubles up, taking down a 184,000 pot.

Hand #20

Jeremy is on the button. Brandon is in the small blind. Bob is in the big blind
Mark opens for 35,000 and takes down the blinds and antes.

Hand #21

Brandon is on the button. Bob is in the small blind. Justin is in the big blind
Folded around to Brandon on the button who opens for 35,000. Justin calls in the big blind.
Flop: 36A.
Justin bets 50,000. Brandon raises to 130,000. Justin folds. Brandon takes down pot of 151,000.

KEY HAND--Hand #22
Bob is on the button. Justin is in the small blind. Carl is in the big blind
Folded around to Brandon who raises to 30,000. Justin re-raises to 80,000. Brandon calls the additional 50,000.
Flop: 9A2 with two hearts.
Justin checks. Brandon bets 100,000. Justin thinks for four minutes then announces he is all-in. Brandon stands up to eye Justin’s stack.. It’s 58,000 more for Brandon to call. Brandon shakes his head, then in disgust folds. Justin picks up a big pot.

This is a hand we'll need to talk abouut some more later.

Hand #23

New blinds...8K/16/2K

Justin is on the button. Carl is in the small blind. Mark is in the big blind
From the button, Justin raises to 48,000. From the small blind, Carl re-raises to 200,000. Justin folds.

Hand #24

Carl is on the button. Mark is in the small blind. Jeremy is in the big blind.
Justin busts 48,000 from the cutoff. Justin takes down the blinds and antes.

Hand #25

Mark is on the button. Jeremy is in the small blind. Brandon is in the big blind.
Jeremy goes all in from small blind and takes down the pot.

KEY HAND--Hand #26
Jeremy is on the button. Brandon is in the small blind. Bob is in the big blind.
Mark raises to 48,000. jeremy announces all in from the button. The small blind folds and Bob moves all in from the big blind. Back to Makr who put in the initial raise. Jeremy is all in for 185,000. Bob has 80,000. Mark folds.

Jeremy AKs
Bob AQ
Flop: 27J
Turn: 7
River: 6

Bob Coombes is out in sixth.

Hand #27
Brandon has the button. There is no small blind. Justin is in the big blind.
Carl opens for a raise to 45,000 and everybody folds. The pot goes to Carl.

Hand #28
Dead button. Justin in small blind. Carl in big blind.
Brandon raises to 50,000. Carl calls in big blind.
Flop: 77Q with two diamonds.
Carl checks. brandon Checks.
Turn:J Check, Check.
River: K Check Check

Brandon shows J6 and takes down the pot.

KEY HAND---Hand #29
Justin has the button. Carl is the small blind. Mark is the big blind.
Jeremy raises to 40,000 under the gun. Mark calls the raise.
Flop: 294
Mark checks. Jeremy moves all in for 287,000. Markk calls.

Jeremy: AT
Mark shows: 66
Turn: Q
River: K

Jeremy is out.


Hand 30

Chip counts
Justin 384,000
Brandon 539,000
Mark 735,000
Carl 810,000

Carl has the button. Mark is in small blind. Brandon is in big blind.
Justin raises to 40,000 and takes down the pot.

Hand #31
Mark has the button. Brandon is in small blind. Justin is in big blind.
Brandon calls and Justin checks his option.
Flop: 26T
Brandon bets 50,000 and Justin immediately called
Turn: 9
Brandon checks ad Justin bets 80,000. Brandon cuts out the chips to call, then re-stacks them. The he calls.
River: X
Brandon checks. Justin checks.
Brandon shows A8
Justin has Q2 for a pair of deuces.

Hand #32
Brandon raises to 50k and takes down blinds and antes.

KEY HAND Hand #33
Justin has the button. Carl is in small blind. Mark is in big blind.
Brandon raises to 45,000. Justin calls on the buttonn. Carl re-raises to 200,00 in small blind. Mark folds big blind. Back to Brandon, the initial raises, who moves
all in. Justin who had just called the initial raise now folds. Carl calls.

Carl shows KK
Brandon shows AQ clubs.

Flop: AJ8. branndon hit his ace.
Turn: 2
Rive: Q

Brandon makes his pair of acea and doubles up off his good friend from Seattle. Carl looks about as disgusted as he can be.

Hand #34

Carl has the button. Mark is in small blind. Brandon is in big blind.
Justin raises to 48,000. Carl calls on the button. The blinds fold.
Flop: A69 with two hearts.
Justin bets 75,000 and looks straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge Carl in the seat next to him. Finally, Carl announces raise all-in and Justin folds.

Hand #35
Mark has the button. Brandon is in the small blind. Justin is in the big blind.
From the button, Mark raises to 48,000. He picks up blinds and antes.

Hand #36
Brandon has the button. Justin is small blind. Justin is big blind.
Mark raises to 48,000. Brandon folds. Small blind folds. Carl calls.
Flop: 6T4 rainbow
Carl checks. Mark checks.
Turn: 9 Carl bets 60,000 Mark calls.
River: 2 Carl looks unhappy, but pushed in 120,000. Now it's Mark's turn. He sits like he always does, hat pulled down low, shades covering his eyes, his hand over his mouth. Finally, Mark folds and gives the hand to Carl.

Hand #37

Brand bets 50,000 and everybody folds.

Hand #38

Carl has the button. Mark in small blind. Brandon in in the big blind.
Justin raises to 48,000. Mark calls fromm small blind. Brandon re-raises to 200,000 and takes down the pot.

Hand #39

Mark has the button. Brandon in in the small blind. Justin is in the big blind.
Bbrandon raises to 50,000 and takes down the pot.

Hand #39
Brandon has the button. Justin in the small blind. Carl in the big blind.
Brandon to 50,000. Carol calls from big blind.
Flop: 6AA
Brandon bets out 60,000.
Carl calls.
Turn: Q
Ceck Check
River: K
Carl bets 80,000. Brandon raises to 200,000. Carl folds his hand. Brandon takes down a 560,000 pot.

Hand #40
Justin has the button, Carl in in the small blind. Mark is in the big blind. Folded around to Carl who raises to 45,000. Mark folds. Carl wins.

Hand #41
Carl has the button. Mark is in the small blind. Brandon in in the big blind.
Justin raises to 48,000. Folded around to Brandon in big blind who calls.
Flop: KT3 rainbow.
Both players check.
Turn: 8
Brandon bets 80,000. Justin folds.

Hand #42
Mark has the button. Brandon is in small blind. Justin is in big blind.
Carl raises to 45,000. Justin calls in the big blind.
Flop: 378 with two hearts.
Carl btes out and takes down the pot.

Hand #42
Brandon has the button. Justin is in small blind. Carl is in big blind.
Brandoon raises to 45,000 from the button.Carl re-raies to 175,000. Brandon folds.

New chip count:
Mark 509,000
Brandon 1,202,000
Justin 167,000
Carl, 580,000

New blinds
10,000/20,000/3,000

KEY HAND--Hand #43
Justin has the button. Carl has the small blind. Mark is in the big blind
Brandonn raises to 45k. Justin immediately announces he is all in for 164,000. He seems to be doing his best to look un happy with his decision. Like he's resigned. Carl calls. And so does Brandon.

Flop: 962
Carl checks. Brandon checks.
Turn: 6 Check, Check
River: K Check, Check

Justin AQ
Carl AQ
Brandon TT

Justin Bonomo is out.

Hand #44
Carl has the button, Mark is in small blind. Brandonn is big blind.
Carl raises to 60,000. Mark raises to 150,000. Brandon folds. Cal folds and Mark takes it 240,000 pot down.

Hand #45
Mark has the button, Brandon is in small blind. Carl is in big blind.
Mark raises to 70,000 ho takes down the blinds and antes.

...missed a few hands here due to a technical issue, but they were all uneventful...

Hand #50
Brandon has the button and raises to 50,000. Carl pushes all in from small blind. Brandon muchks his cards, showinng an ace.

Hand #51
Carl has the button. Mark is in small blinid. Brandon is in big blind.
Carl raises to 60K. Brandon re-raises to 150K. After a lot of thought, carl folds.

Hand #52
Mark has the button and raises to 50,000. Carl calls in big blind. The pot is 119,000.
Flop: 735 Carl checks. Mark bets 100,00. WOAH...Carl announces all in.
Mark folds. Carl takes down about a 440,000 pot.

KEY HAND Hand #53
Brandon has the button and raises to 50,000 and takes down the pot.

KEY HAND--Hand #54
Carl has the button and folds. In the small blind, Mark announces 50,000. Brandon calls. The pot is 109,000 right now
Flop: 4JQ. Mark checks and Brandon bets 50,000. Mark raises to 100,000. Brandon calls.
Turn: 4. Check, Check
River: 8. Mark goes all in and Brandon calls.

Mark: KK
Brandon: QQ

Brandon's full house beats Mark's pair of kings and Mark is gone in third place.

Heads up play begins

1)
In SB Brandon raises to 50K and Carl calls.
Flop: 9A2
Brandon bets 60K
Carl raises to 160K
Brandon folds and Carl wins 364,000 pot

2)
In SB Carl raises to 60,000 and Brandon announces all in. Carl folds.

3)
In SB, Brandon raises to 50K, Carl calls.
Flop: 82A
Carl checks, Brandon checks
Turn: 2
Carl checks, Brandon bets 60K. Carl calls.
River: 4
Carl checks. Brandon bets 250K. Carl mulls the idea for a long time. Three or fouor minutes, buryinig his foreheadin his hands, covering his mouth, staring at the board as if it would tell him what to do. Finnally he calls.
Carl has K5 for king-high and Brandon mucks his hand. Carl just took down a big one there. must've had a damned good read on Brandon.

4) Carl calls SB, Brandon checks
Carl bets the flop and Brandon folds.

5)Carl has cut Brandon's chip lead by a significant margin.
In the SB, Brandon makes it 60,000 to go and Carl calls.
Flop: 3K5
Carl checks, Brandon bets out 80K. Carl folds. Brandon wins 200K pot.

6)
In small blind, Carl raises to 60,000. Brandon calls.
Flop: 9QA.
Brandon checks. Carl bets 75K. Brandon calls.
Turn King; Check, Check
River: J. brandon bets, Carl bets 100K and Brandon folds. Carl picks up 170K pot.

7) Brandon opnes form small blind with a raise to 60K. Carl calls.
Flop AQ5 rainbow.
Carl checks, Brandon bets 80K. Carl call.s
Turn: 7 of hearts.
Carl checks. Brandon checks
River: T Carl checks brandon checls.
Carl: QT for two pair.
Brandon mucks his hand. Carl wins again.

8) The players are almost even in chips now.
Brandon calls, Carl raises to 50K. Brandon folds.

9) Carl raises to 60K. Brandon calls.
Flop: A28, two hearts
Brandon checks, Carl bets 60K. Brandon folds and Carl picks up 180K pot.

10) Carl has opened up a slight chip lead over Brandon.
Brandon bets 60K. Carl calls.
Flop: K52 rainbow. Carl checks, Brandon bets 60. Carl calls. Pot is 240K
Turn: 7 hearts
Carl checks, Brandon bets 150K. Carl goes back into thiniking mode, but folds. brandon wins 390K pot.

11) Carl raises 60K and Brandon folds.

12) Brandon raises, Carl makes it 160K to play. Brandon call.s
Flop: 87K
Carl bets 150K brandon says he is all in. Carl folds and brandon picks up big pot.

13) Carl raises to 60K
Flop: A66 Chk Chk
Turn: A Carl bets 100K. Brandon calls.
River: 6 A full house in th board. Chk Chk
Neither has an ace or six and the chop the pot.

Blinds are up to 30K/60K

14) A quick note...it's just been announced that the EPT is awardinng both of these players with buy-ins to th Monte Carlo tournament next month. Thats a nice gesture...a 10,000 Euro gesture.

Carl calls from the SB, Brandon checks
Flop: 3AQ
Brandon checks, Carl bets little and brandon folds.

15)Brandon raises to 90K Carl calls.
Flop:J2T with one club
Carl checks. Brandon bets out and Carl calls
Turn 8 clubs
Carl bets 240K. Brandon calls. Pot is 840K
River: K clubs
Carl checks and Brandon announces all in. This is torturous for Carl. It looks like Brandon may have made his club flush on the river. After more than five minutes, Carl folds and Brandon wins a huge pot.

Chip count
Carl
450K
Brandon
2 million


16)Carl opnes for a raise to 90K
Brandon announces all in and Carl calls--THIS COULD BE THE END

Carl shows 99
Brandon shows K8 offsuit.

Flop: 835
Turn: 7
River: A

Just like that Carl doubles up and this battle from Seattle will continue. Carl is back to to 900K in chips.

17)Brandon opens for a raise to 90K. Carl calls.
Flop: 957 with two hearts
Carl checks, Brandon bets 90K again. Carl folds.

18) Carl picks up small pot.

19) Brandon calls. Carl checks.
Flop: T8T
Carl checks. Brandon bets 50K. Carl pulls ye olde check raise and makes it 150K. Brandon folds.

20)Carl opens for a raise to 90K. Brandon calls.
Flop: 776.
Brandon checks, Carl bets 100K. Brandon folds.

By the way, in case you didn't know, first and second place prize money looks like this:

1--144,000 Euro
2--80,000 Euro

The guys have exhanged blinds for a couple of hands.

23) Now, Carl raises to 90K, Brandon calls.
Flop: 65T with three diamonds.
Brandon bets 90K. Carl calls
Turn: 7 spades
Brandon bets 200K. Carl calls.
River: 9
Brandon checks.Carl Checks.

Carl QT for a pair of tens
Brandon AT for a pair of tens with a better kicker. Brandon takes down a big one.

Brandon has about a 3-1 chip lead over Carl.
We go through a couple more blind exchanges...then...

26) Brandon calls. Carl announces he want to play for 90K and brandon folds.

27)Carl makes it 90K to play. Brandon folds.

28) Brandon raises to 90K. Carl calls.
Flop: JK4
Brandon bets 100K. Carl announces all in and Brandon folds.

29) Brandon raises to 90K and Carl calls.
Flop is 376 with two hearts
Carl bets 120K. Now it's Brandon' turn to think hard. Then Brandon announces all in. Now Carl goes into the think tank. Carl calls

Brandon has T7 for pair of sevens. Top pair.
Carl has 34 of hearts for bottom pair, a flush draw, and a gutshot straight draw.

Turn is nine of spades
River is six of clubs

Brandon Schaefer wins.