Conan O'Dragon Pham

Mike Sexton invades popular culture this week as he is quoted in James Hibberd's The Live Feed column in The Hollywood Reporter. It's an item about Conan O'Brien's fight with NBC and here's the money quote:

The prospect of O'Brien going to the top-rated Fox is like what "World Poker Tour" commentator Mike Sexton says during a tournament whenever a card player loses chips to a talented pro: "You don't want to put fire into that dragon."

God bless James Hibberd because he is obviously a huge fan of the show. How do I know? Because Stat Monkey and I can't figure just which episode Mike Sexton says those immortal words. Our best guess is Sexton's referring to David "The Dragon" Pham at Reno in season six. Got a better guess? Anybody know?

Amir Vahedi

Funeral services for Amir Vahedi are today and some of the WPT crew are heading over to Forest Lawn to pay their last respects. Amir was always at the top of the list of players we wished would make a WPT final table (he almost did in season six, finishing seventh at that year's WPT World Championship). From the stories he would tell we knew he had lead an extraordinary life. He was also an extraordinary person, a kind, warmhearted and generous man in addition to a great poker player. Our heart goes out to his family and friends. Rest in Peace.

Four for the Price of One

The conclusion of the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic saw four new players become WPT millionaires, the Temp Hutter circle get a little tighter, the best poker player you've never heard of win his first WPT title, and the probable WPT Player of the Year maybe cinch the award without the bother of winning a tournament. Check out the complete recap at worldpokertour.com.

Streaky

The Muck has written before of its love for Lee Markholt. Lee NotWatkinson is not only good at poker he is remarkably steady as well. The 2009 Foxwoods World Poker Finals marks the sixth consecutive season Seattle Set has cashed in a WPT event. Twice he has cashed six times in a single season and now he is the all-time leader in WPT cashes with twenty. Going into his second WPT final table tomorrow severely shortstacked with only 6 times the big blind he will have his work cut out for him. But when Lee Markholt says "there is always next time" he is not blowing smoke.

Side note of mild interest: When researching Lee's cash record Stat Monkey discovered that Erik Seidel has cashed at least once in all eight seasons of the WPT. He is the only player out of the 3410 players who have made it to the cage over the last seven years to accomplish this feat. Apparently this Seidel character is also good at the poker.

Tommy Vedes Wins WPT Festa al Lago!

Lavallee moves all in for 2,775,000, and Vedes quickly calls with K Q. Lavallee shows 8 6, and he'll need to improve to stay alive.

The flop comes A 9 5, and Lavallee picks up a gutshot straight draw. The turn card is the Q, and Vedes increases his lead with a pair of queens. Lavallee needs a seven on the river to stay alive.

The river card is the Q, and Tommy Vedes wins the pot -- and the tournament -- with trip queens.

Jason Lavallee finishes in second place, earning $795,150.

Tommy Vedes wins the 2009 WPT Festa al Lago tournament at Bellagio, earning $1,218,225, a WPT bracelet, a Bellagio bracelet, and a Rolex watch.

Here are the payouts for all six final tablists:

1. Tommy Vedes - $1,218,225


2. Jason Lavallee - $795,150


3. Craig Crivello - $477,090


4. Freddy Deeb - $278,300


5. Jason Burt - $208,725


6. Shawn Cunix - $168,970

Toughest

Seeing Kido Pham make yet another deep run in a WPT event caused me to think anew of Erik Seidel's stance that this season's Bellagio Cup V was the "toughest WPT final table ever." Now it is an excellent final six and when the show premieres in mid January you'll see there truly isn't a soft spot at the table. The play was so good we even made the tourney a three part episode. But toughest ever? Out of 116 open tournaments over seven and a half years it's an open and possibly endless debate. But was it even even Erik Seidel's personal toughest WPT final table? In Season Three Erik made the TV Six alongside Carlos Mortensen, David "The Dragon" Pham, John Juanda and the aforementioned Kido Pham. Take a look at the lists and compare. I know which one Erik would pick. How about you?

Festa al Lago - October 2004
Erik Seidel
Carlos Mortensen
Kido Pham
David "The Dragon" Pham
John Juanda
Hung La

Bellagio Cup V - July 2009
Erik Seidel
Alex Gomes
Faraz Jaka
Justin Smith
Alec Torelli
Christoffer Sonensson

Going for Three

It has been four years, ten months and two days since the World Poker Tour crowned its last and so far only three time winner. Gus Hansen hit the trifecta on January 24th, 2004 by outlasting Hoyt Corkins, Daniel Negreanu and John D'Agostino to take the title at the inaugural PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure. But today the drought may end and the Great Dane's mystique take its first hit.

Maybe.

If Freddy Deeb wins today the parallels between his career wins and Hansen's will resemble those between Lincoln and Kennedy. Both will have won tournaments at Commerce (LAPC for Hansen, Invitational for Deeb, tournaments in the Caribbean (Freddy's first bracelet came in Aruba) and now Bellagio (Hansen won the first WPT event ever at that jewel of the strip). Deeb is semi-famous for shell shocked trashing talking of the Dane after his knockout at Hansen's hands at the inaugural Five Diamond seven years ago. "He plays so bad. I wish I could play him everyday if he plays like that." Now another possible link and if history is any guide they may sit atop this particular leader board together for years to come.

Maybe.

Freddy Deeb Goes For a Record-Tying Third WPT Title

By the end of the day, two-time WPT winner Freddy Deeb had moved into first place:

1. Freddy Deeb - 3,840,000


2. Shawn Cunix - 3,670,000


3. Tommy Vedes - 2,990,000


4. Craig Crivello - 2,570,000


5. Jason Lavallee - 2,045,000


6. Jason Burt - 1,375,000

The WPT Final Table begins today (Monday) at 4:00 pm PT, and chipleader Freddy Deeb is hoping to tie Gus Hansen as the only players with three WPT titles. (Deeb won WPT Aruba in 2005 and the WPT Celebrity Invitational earlier this year.)

Return to WorldPokerTour.com for complete live coverage of all the action, with hand-for-hand updates and constantly-updated chip counts after each hand.

Festa al Lago - Season 8 - Day 5

Blue Diamond Almonds' Bold Player of the Day

Shawn Cunix is Day 5 Blue Diamond Almonds' Bold Player of the Day where he wins a year supply of almonds.

Festa al Lago - Season 8 - Day 4

Blue Diamond Almonds' Bold Player of the Day

Freddy Deeb is Day 4 Blue Diamond Almonds' Bold Player of the Day where he wins a year supply of almonds.

2009 Festa al Lago - Day 4 Final Chipcount

Official Chip Counts: Jason Lavallee & Freddy Deeb Lead the Final 11

Level 20: 12,000-24,000, 3,000 ante

Here are the official chip counts from the end of Day 4:

1. Jason Lavallee - 4,063,000


2. Freddy Deeb - 2,319,000


3. Shawn Cunix - 2,189,000


4. Kido Pham - 1,500,000


5. Tommy Vedes - 1,437,000


6. Jason Burt - 1,194,000


7. Larry Berg - 810,000


8. Chris Bjorin - 810,000


9. Richard Sciuto - 738,000


10. Aaron Jones - 679,000


11. Craig Crivello - 539,000

Play resumes tomorrow (Sunday) at 12:00 noon PT. Stay tuned for a recap of today's action, and return to WorldPokerTour.com for continuing live coverage as they play down to the final six for Monday's televised WPT Final Table.