Event 12: Crooks Takes Another

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 24: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (52 big blinds)

Josh Beckley raised on the button and Andre Crooks defended his big blind. Both players checked a flop of KsTc3d and the Ts peeled off on the turn.

Crooks bet 31,000 and Beckley called. The river was the 5c and Crooks bet 67,000 and Beckley goes into the tank for several minutes.

There was some banter back and forth between the two about the possible holdings of each player. Eventually Beckley tossed his hand into the muck and Crooks took the pot.

Crooks extends his chip lead as the level nears an end.

Andre Crooks – 1,100,000
Josh Beckley – 560,000

Event 12: Andre Crooks Regains Chip Lead

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 24: 8,000/16,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (52 big blinds)

Andre Crooks raised on the button and Josh Beckley called out of the big blind. The flop was 9h6s2d and Beckley check-called 22,000 from Crooks.

The turn was the 5d and Beckley checked again. Crooks bet 68,000 and Beckley took a minute in the tank before check-raising to 165,000.

Crooks called and the river was the Qs. Beckley checked and Crooks bet 304,000. Beckley folded after a few moments in teh tank.

“I had it,” said Crooks with a smile.

He flashed what appeared to be a set of fives to Beckley before tossing his hand into the muck. Crooks chipped up to about 1 million in chips and Beckley dragged the pot.

Andre Crooks – 1,000,000
Josh Beckley – 655,000

Event 12: Josh Beckley Pulling Away

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Players Remaining: 2 of 139
Average Stack: 834,000 (69 big blinds)

On a flop of 7h5c3s, Josh Beckley checked and Andre Crooks bet 22,000. Beckley check-raised to 55,000 and Crooks went into the tank for a few moments before clicking it back to 88,000.

Beckley called and the turn was the 6s. Both players checked and the river was the Td. Beckley bet 165,000 and Crooks tanked for a minute before calling.

Beckley showed Ah4c, good for a straight and Crooks mucked his hand. Beckley dragged the pot and opened up a 3-to-1 chip advantage on Crooks.

Josh Beckley – 1,220,000
Andre Crooks – 440,000

Event 12: Joseph Cappello – 3rd Place ($13,900)

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 23: 6,000/12,000 with a 2,000 ante
Remaining Players: 3 of 139
Average Stack: 556,000 (46 big blinds)

Joseph Cappello
Joseph Cappello

Joseph Cappello moved all in for 172,000 from the button, and both Joshua Beckley (small blind) and Andre Crooks (big blind) called to put him at risk. “Wow, you guys really want my bounty, huh?” Cappello joked.

The two live players checked through the turn of the KsQh6dTc board, and the river was the 7h. Beckley led out with a big, two-fisted bet, and Crooks folded to let him see a heads-up showdown.

Cappello: 9s9d (pair of nines)
Beckley: ThTd (set of tens)

Beckley was ahead the whole way, and his set of tens was enough to claim the tournament’s penultimate bounty. Cappello was eliminated in third place.

Joshua Beckley – 945,000 (79 bb)
Andre Crooks – 725,000 (60 bb)
Joseph Cappello – Eliminated

Event 12: A Pause in the Action

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
End of Level 22: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Remaining Players: 3 of 139
Average Stack: 556,000 (56 big blinds)

The final three players have just stepped away for a 15-minute break at the conclusion of Level 22. Here’s how they’ll stack up when they return to 6,000/12,000 blinds with a 2,000 ante:

Andre Crooks – 794,000 (66 bb)
Joshua Beckley – 583,000 (49 bb)
Joseph Cappello – 292,000 (24 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts:

1st: $40,308
2nd: $23,630
3rd: $13,900

Event 12: Erik Christensen – 4th Place ($11,120)

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 22: 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante
Remaining Players: 4 of 139
Average Stack: 417,000 (42 big blinds)

Erik Christensen
Erik Christensen

Andre Crooks opened with an under-the-gun raise, and Erik Christensen called from the small blind.

The flop came AhKsQs. Christensen checked, Crooks continued for 28,000, and Christensen check-raised to 75,000. Crooks moved all in with the covering stack, and Christensen called all in for about 275,000 total, putting himself at risk.

Crooks: AdQh
Christensen: KcQc

Both players had flopped two pair, but Crooks’ two were superior. The turn was the 3d and the river the 8h, and Christensen was eliminated in fourth place.

Andre Crooks – 760,000 (76 bb)
Erik Christensen – Eliminated

Event 12: Jean Gaspard – 5th Place ($8,340)

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 21: 4,000/8,000 with a 1,000 ante
Remaining Players: 5 of 139
Average Stack: 334,000 (42 big blinds)

Jean Gaspard
Jean Gaspard

Erik Christensen opened to 20,000, and Jean Gaspard three-bet shoved for just about 100,000 total. Christensen called to put him at risk.

Christensen: AdKs
Gaspard: Ah7h

The board ran out As6c2h7dKh. Gaspard sucked out on the turn, but Christensen re-sucked on the river to win the pot with top two pair. Gaspard was eliminated in fifth place as Christensen claimed his bounty.

Erik Christensen – 650,000 (81 bb)
Jean Gaspard – Eliminated

Event 12: Erik Christensen Doubles Through Jean Gaspard

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 20: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante
Remaining Players: 5 of 139
Average Stack: 334,000 (56 big blinds)

Erik Christensen opened to 15,000 under the gun, and Jean Gaspard called in the small blind.

The flop came AhTs7h, and both players checked.

“Oh you’re raising with nothing over there?” Gaspard asked. He bet 30,000 in the dark before the turn brought the 9s. Christensen called.

Gaspard bet 130,000 in the dark this time, and the river brought the 8c. Christensen called off all but his last 11,000 chips, showing QhJd for the nuts. Gaspard flashed AdTc, his two pair no good. Christensen doubled up.

Erik Christensen – 370,500 (62 bb)
Jean Gaspard – 85,000 (14 bb)

Event 12: Ian O’Hara – 7th Place ($5,560)

$1,650 No Limit Hold’em Purple Chip Bounty
Level 20: 3,000/6,000 with a 1,000 ante
Remaining Players: 7 of 139
Average Stack: 238,000 (40 big blinds)

Ian O'Hara
Ian O’Hara

Jean Gaspard doubled up twice in the last orbit, quickly working his stack out of the basement. “I’m going to get two bounties in the next 34 minutes,” he said, peeking at the time remaining in this level.

Gaspard opened to 15,000 under the gun, and Ian O’Hara three-bet shoved for 110,000 in the small blind. “All right, let me get that first bounty,” Gaspard said, calling to put O’Hara at risk.

Gaspard: KsTd
O’Hara: QcJs

The board ran out Kd6h4dAc6d, and O’Hara could not catch up. Gaspard claimed his bounty, eliminating him in seventh place.

Jean Gaspard – 330,000 (55 bb)
Ian O’Hara – Eliminated