"What are those red chips worth?" someone around the perimeter of the table asked. The two players have just taken their seats to unbag, and there is indeed a new red T25,000 chip on the table. Or, on half the table. Shawn Buchanan was confused.
"Red chips? I don't have any of those." Mizrachi has 1 million worth of them, and the reds essentially represent the disparity in the two stacks.
The heads-up final should be rolling in just a moment.
On the first hand of their duel, Michael Mizrachi raised to 25,000 from the button, and Shawn Buchanan folded.
The next hand, Buchanan opened to 20,000 from his button, and Mizrachi three-bet to 50,000. Buchanan called the raise, and he called a bet of 45,000 on the flop. Mizrachi checked the turn, and Buchanan took his cue to bet 47,000 at the pot. Mizrachi called, and the action on the river went check-check.
Mizrachi turned up , and his river pair was good enough to win the pot.
It was a limped pot and a flop of and Shawn Buchanan checked to Michael Mizrachi who bet 10,000. Action back to Buchanan and he made a small check-raise to 25,000 and Mizrachi called. The turn of was checked through by both parties and then we saw the . Buchanan checked to Mizrachi and a 50,000 bet did the trick.
In a limped pot we saw another king high flop - and both players checked. The turn was the and Buchanan bet 12,000 and the Grinder called. The river was the and Buchanan bet 35,000 and The Grinder called and Buchanan won the pot with a pair of kings.
Buchanan
Shawn Buchanan made it 20,000 and Mizrachi three-bet to 50,000 and Buchanan called. The flop was the and Mizrachi bet 50,000 which was greeted by a Buchanan call. The turn was the and Mizrachi won the hand with a 120,000 check-raise after Buchanan had bet 40,000
If you're reading this blog, you probably know a fair amount about Michael Mizrachi. Something about earning eight figures in tournament cashes tends to make you a household name in poker. But the name Shawn Buchanan is a bit lesser known, though it's not for a lack of trying on his part.
Buchanan is a native of Vancouver, BC, Canada, and he's been notching tournament cashes since 2004. This most recent performance today moves him up over $4 million in career earnings.
Buchanan's crowning achievement was a WPT title at Mandalay Bay back in 2007, but it's his WSOP record that's the most impressive. Twice in the last two years, he's gotten himself heads up for a bracelet. The first of those was a big one, too. Buchanan finished second to Dan Kelly in 2010's $25,000 Six-Max event, good for his largest career cash of $812,941. And over this past summer, "Bucky" got heads up with Fabrice Soulier in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. event before falling in second place. Buchanan's career stats include cashes in a variety of different games, punctuated by a win in the PCA's $5,000 8-Game event this past January.
This is Buchanan's seventh six-figure score and his 26th career WSOP cash.
In a limped pot and on a flop of Michael Mizarachi check-called a 11,000 Shawn Buchanan bet. The turn was the and as is so often the case both players checked. The river was the and both players checked and Mizrachi won the hand.
Mizrachi
"The nuts," Says Mizrachi.
Hand 2
Mizrachi bets 25,000 and Buchanan shuts him down with a 66,000 three-bet.
Hand 3
Buchanan bet 20,000 and Mizrachi called. The flop was and both players checked. The turn was the amd Mizrachi bet 20,000 and Buchanan called. The river of the was checked through and Buchanan was handed the pot.
Buchanan
Hand 4
Mizrachi bet 24,000 and Buchanan once again three-bet, this time for 56,000, Mizrachi called. The flop was and a 47,000 Buchanan bet won the hand.
Shawn Buchanan raised to 20,000 from the button, and Michael Mizrachi defended to see the flop. It came out , and Mizrachi led out into the pot with a small bet of 10,000. Buchanan raised to 31,000, and Mizrachi called. But he led right back out with another 10,000 after the turn. Buchanan raised again -- 51,000 this time -- and Mizrachi once again called.
On the river, the drew another lead from Mizrachi, but it was 60,000 this time. Buchanan appeared to be toying with a call, a raise, and a fold at different points in his tank time, but he eventually settled on a fold to let Mizrachi take it down.