USA/Canada Wins Caesars Cup

The United States/Canada team revenged their defeat in 2009 by Europe in the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) invitational event Caesars Cup. Phil Hellmuth’s team won 3 – 1.

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On Wednesday in the morning, Casears Cup launched, an unofficial event of the WSOPE organised for the second time. Teams USA/Canada and Europe clashed with 5 renowned pros on each side. Team Captain Phil Hellmuth lined up Jason Mercier, Ben Lamb, Johnny Chan and Daniel Negreanu against Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier’s platoon of Jake Cody, Gus Hansen, Maxim Lykov and Tony G.

In the first round, Jake Cody and Tony G played against Jason Mercier and Ben Lamb. Both teams got one stack and the players took betting in turns; at the first blind level, for instance, Cody spoke preflop on the European side, Tony G decided on the flop, the turn was Cody’s and the river Tony G’s. When the blind level moved up, they switched and Tony G got to speak preflop, and so on.

This round was won by the USA/Canada team. At Level 2 (2,000/4,000), Lamb raised preflop to 8,000, Tony G called and the flop came J 9 4 . Cody bet 9,000, Mercier raised to 22,000, Cody 3-bet and Mercier went 4-bet all-in, Cody called. Team Europe showed K 8 for a flush draw while Team USA/Canada had pocket aces, which held out. Although Cody and Tony G were left with 2 BBs worth of chips, they could not come back.

USA/Canada – Europe: 1 – 0

In the second round, Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu stood facing Gus Hansen and Max Lykov. The two players on each side shared a stack here as well but they played complete hands in turns. This basically meant two heads-up games running, one between Negreanu and Hansen, the other between Hellmuth and Lykov.

Team USA/Canada had the lead early into the game but Europe came back when Negreanu shoved preflop at Level 3,000/6,000 with 144,000 in chips and showed K T . Hansen called with 56,000 and A 5 and the board came A T 8 A 5 . Eventually, Europe won the round: in the last hand, Negreanu went all-in once again with K 8 and their remaining 55,000, Hansen called with A 9 and the T 5 4 7 2 board favoured him.

USA/Canada – Europe: 1 – 1

Johnny Chan and Captain Team Europe ‘ElkY’ played heads-up in round 3, the intense battle ending at Level 4,000/8,000. With an average stack of merely 12.5 BBs and the US slightly in the lead, Chan shoved pre-flop, ‘ElkY’ called.

Chan: 4 4
‘ElkY’: A 6

Board: T T 7 Q 4

The USA/Canada team won with a full house, 2 – 1.

In the fourth round, Hellmuth and Lykov clashed in a heads-up battle. Level 3,000/6,000 started with Europe in the lead but Hellmuth doubled up and, a couple of hands later, the USA/Canada team was free to celebrate. Hellmuth limped from the button, Lykov shoved and the ‘Brat’ called.

Lykov: K 9
Hellmuth: Q T

Board: Q 9 5 6 2

Team USA/Canada won with a top pair, setting the 3 – 1 result for the 2nd Caesars Cup and thus revenging their 2009 defeat.

Caesars Cup 2011 - The Winner Team: USA