Andy Whetstone Steamrolls As He Busts Luke Staudenmaier & Dean Churches

Photo: All eyes are on Andy Whetstone as he bets the river against Larry Ormson (center right) and Luke Staudenmaier (right).

ClubWPT.com qualifier Andy Whetstone is on an incredible rush right now, and has eliminated three players nearly back-to-back-to-back.

He eliminated Hoyt Corkins a few minutes before these two hands came back-to-back.

After a flop of [Qd10s8h] with about 14,000 in the pot, Andy Whetstone checks the small blind, Brady "Dean" Churches bets 12,000 from late position, and Whetstone check-raises to 25,000. Churches tanks for a while before he moves all in for about 40,000, and Whetstone quickly calls with [8c8s] for a set of eights. Churches reluctantly turns over [AhQc], and he’ll need to catch something runner-runner to stay alive. 

The turn is the [9c], the river is the [7s], and Whetstone wins the pot with his set of eights to eliminate Dean Churches. 

As Whetstone stacks his chips, Terry Jacobs references Whetstone’s hot streak and says, "If I start to play a hand against this guy, somebody stop me."

Andy Whetstone  –  Still stacking his chips
Dean Churches  –  Eliminated

The next hand, Luke Staudenmaier raises under the gun to 14,200, though with a single 100 chip still on his cards, he technically isn’t all in yet. In the course of stacking his chips from the previous pot, Whetstone misunderstood the action and put out 2,000, thinking it was a call.

A floorperson is called over, and rules that Whetstone can fold his hand and forfeit the 2,000, or call the full 14,200. Whetstone calls. Larry Ormson studies Whetstone for a while from the big blind before he calls as well. 

The flop comes [Jc6c2h], Ormson bets 6,000, and Staudenmaier calls all in for his last 100. Whetstone raises to 20,000, and Ormson thinks for a bit before he calls. The turn card is the [9h], and Ormson and Whetstone both check the side pot. 

The river card is the [5h], Ormson bets 9,000, and Whetstone calls. Ormson shows [QcJh] for a pair of jacks, but Whetstone turns over [5c5d] for a set of five on the river to win the side pot. Ormson slaps the table when he sees that he was ahead until the river. 

Luke Staudenmaier flips over his unimproved [As10c], and he is eliminated from the tournament as Whetstone scoops the main pot as well.


Andy Whetstone  –  326,500
Luke Staudenmaier  –  Eliminated