shipitfish | Live Blog Main Event, 2006, Hour 4

(Remember, I've taken the “,000” off of the numbers, because there is no point in typing the chip inflation.)

20:59 EDT: The hour ended with ESPN briefly switching to the wrong feed for about 40 seconds. Some annoying football announcer getting ready for a broadcast.

20:58 EDT: Cunningham just bet at Gold on a 6-A-4 rainbow board in a limped pot. Gold thinks for a while but folds. This a big problem with Gold's limping, because he's unlikely to have a big Ace and Cunningham is picking up on Ace high flops.

20:55 EDT: Gold limped UTG (he loves to limp it, huh?) and Wasicka made it 1,000 to go. Gold asks for a count and licks his lips. Lee, who had also limped, is now studying Wasicka who has his hand planted hard on his face. Lee smiles every so briefly and folds; Wasicka takes a pot; probably cashing in on a tight image.

20:51 EDT: Kim just raised UTG while Binger is in the BB on the very short stack. He shows rags and folds.

20:50 EDT: Lee raises from the button, which the blinds should really respect because he has a tendency to limp on the button with medium-strength hands. They smartly give it up to Lee without a fight.

20:48 EDT: Butler has given up the SB and Lee gives up the BB to Cunningham's raise. Cunningham must now realize that Butler and Lee are now most likely the tighest players at the table. He's got to worry about Gold behind him, so he can't go crazy with the raising, but he's picking good spots for preflop bluffs.

Meanwhile, today is Doyle Brunson's birthday, making him 73. Oldest living hall of fame member, no? He jokes these birthdays come too fast these days.

20:46 EDT: Gold says I gotta raise here, right? when it's folded to him in the SB while Lee is in the BB. Lee gives it up quickly.

20:44 EDT: Binger is left in the SB on the short (2,580) stack. On the next hand, Cunningham made it 600 from the button and wins the blinds. Then, Lee and Gold get limpy limpy and check down a board of 9 3 4 J 8 . Lee won the pot with A Q. I am quite sure Lee isn't going to bluff at any of these pots, at least until a few more people bust.

20:40 EDT: Wasicka just moved in on the button on the hand after Binger doubled. Binger is thinking really hard and sighing loudly. He asks for a count, and begins to pull aside chips and shouts I call! Turns out that Wasicka held a A J and Binger had called off half his chips A 9. Bizzare call; Binger must have been getting frustrated. There was 6,790 in the pot and the board fell A A 8. Binger looks ready to faint as the 5 fell on the turn, and Wasicka looks nervous holding his elbow very tightly. Binger glances at his friends in the crowd as the T falls. Wasicka smiles for the first time tonight, and Binger collapses into his chair with self-loathing.

20:35 EDT: I think that Wasicka just made it 500 to go from the button, and Cunningham called from the small blind and Binger called from the BB. Flop fell Q J 8 . Cunningham checked, Binger moved in, Wasicka folded so fast I don't think the announcers realized he was still in the pot.

Cunningham called in an instant with A Q and Binger had A T. The K made Binger's hand and he doubled up. Cunningham looks annoyed but not upset.

20:33 EDT: Lee is wearing a sweatshirt that reads “San Antonio”. I have heard that the online sites pay around $10,000 to have you wear their stuff at a final table. Did San Antonio, TX pay Lee that much?

20:31 EDT: The commentators are ignoring action again; it's so annoying. What's wrong with their concentration? Anyway, Lee just reraised someone from the SB and took it down preflop.

20:25 EDT: Doyle Brunson is being mic'ed in the booth. Meanwhile, Gold is reraising on the button after Friberg raised UTG. Gold has QQ and Friberg has JJ. Tough spot for Friberg since he didn't have enough chips to consider going away. Someone at the table is saying they folded a Q. Gold says we don't need to see a jack (who's the “we” anyway). The board of 3 7 2 T Q and Friberg is eliminated by Gold in eight.

20:22 EDT: Cunningham raised from middle and Kim called on the button and Gold called from the SB. 5-3-3 and Gold checked quickly. Cunningham bet 1,000 and Kim studied for about three seconds and called. There is now a 4,040 in the pot, and Gold is disgusted.

Gold finally passed and the turn fell 7 , no flush is possible. Cunningham checked quickly, as if he was giving up. Kim stacked and bet 1,500. Cunningham looks annoyed. It seems to me that Kim probably has a small pair, like 66 (as Gordon is suggesting) and Cunningham folds what is likely AQ or somesuch.

20:16 EDT: Battle of the blinds again. Kim raises it to 800, and Gold gives it up.

20:15 EDT: Gold is out of position against Cunningham who raised him with postion. Cunningham bet the flop after Gold checked; Gold folded quickly.

20:13 EDT: Gold limped like always and Lee raised. Cunningham is considering very carefully and decides to just call 1,000 from the SB. Then, Gold comes back and makes it 5,000 to go. This is Gold's first limp-reraise after all this limping. I wonder if he's been limping a lot to set up this play.

Gold tells Lee that he knows Alan is folding and stares Lee down and with the wave of his hand says: Fold, lay down, whatever you want to do. I reraised so you know I have a big hand. It's clear Gold isn't lying; he has AA or KK. He's stupid to be chatting it up like this; he's just to excited and can't help himself.

Gold just looked at his cards again, and Lee sits with his hand on his face and is just staring. Gold says You know I got you and Lee throws it away finally and Cunningham folds quickly.

Lee was probably showboating but Gold really should have held off with the chatter to see if he could get Lee to take a flop. Lee has shown himself willing to take flops for way too much, and it's probably what Gold wants from the Lee, given that he's a passive post-flop player and he'll know what's going on when the flop comes.

And next hand, guess what? Gold limps UTG!

20:08 EDT: Most of the last few pots have been one with a preflop raises. I don't really understand at all why the announcers think random visitors talking about $6/$12 stud and their books are more interesting than the actual thing we paid to watch. Couldn't they actually tell us what is happening at the table?

20:05 EDT: Butler is a Baltimoron. Wow, my home city has been represented at the final table two years running. Maybe someday I can continue that tradition. Odds aren't good. :)

Kim is making a continuation bet on 2 3 A and Lee is considering. Lee check-raises an additionally 2,000 in the 2,540 pot.

Kim considers, scratching the side of his face and turning his head back and forth. His finger touches his bottom lip and it's obvious he's showboating. He folds.

20:00 EDT:

I am live-blogging the pay-per-view ESPN Coverage. I start a new post each hour.