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The run of different 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) events kept the poker tables abuzz with activity and action continued unabated in different ongoing events that have reached varying stages of completion.
After going easy for the last few days, Indian challengers seem to be back to the felts with refreshing confidence and focus and while we saw Aditya Agarwal, Muskan Sethi, Nipun Java, Nishant Sharma Nikita Luther, Akash Malik, and Paawan Bansal in action, it is Java who’s certainly chasing his third WSOP bracelet in Event #34: $1,000 Double Stack No Limit Hold ‘em event. Along with Java (94,500), Sharma (108,000), Luther (54,100), Bansal (33,900) and Malik (24,800) have all made it to Day 2 in the event.
Event #32: $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold ‘em has progressed through to its finale and will have the final table of eight returning on the poker felts in the fight for the gold bracelet.
Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship is now down to its last 12 players after conclusion of Day 3 of play. Michael Mizrachi is leading the way with a stack of 4,232,000.
Event #34: $1,000 Double Stack No Limit Hold ‘em registered a massive field of 5,700 entries across the two starting flights and action will now resume on Day 2 with 1,285 players surviving in the field.
In the meantime, Event #35: Mixed: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 Or Better; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 Or Better & Big O (5-Card PLO/8) played out Day 2, and 31 players have made it through to Day 3. The Mizrachi brothers seem to be riding strong this summer! Michael’s older brother Robert Mizrachi is third in chips in this event, and will be gunning for the gold bracelet when action resumes on the tables.
Event # 36: $1,000 Super Seniors No Limit Hold ‘em attracted a total of 2,191 entries this year and 351 players are still in the running.
The tension was palpable on the poker tables in Event# 32: $1,000 Senior No Limit Hold ‘em that saw its penultimate day play through with 101 hopefuls of the initial 5,919 participants entering the fray. After exciting hands and amid levels of intense game play, the event has played down to its final table that features the eight remaining finalists. The player who will win the event will also scoop a hefty $662,983 for his finish in addition to the gold bracelet.
The final table was announced towards the end of Day 3 after Thad Smith got busted out in the ninth place for $59,074. As of now, Bill Stabler (6,085,000) is holding the second best stack with Matthew Davis (6,010,000) third in chips. It is Gary Friedlander however, who is on the top of the leaderboard with his stack of 8,080,000. Friedlander won most of his stacks in a hand against Ben Bennett (2,735,000) who is standing fourth in chips followed by Frank Berry (2,090,000) who has the fifth biggest stack.
Reaching the final table, this will be Bennett’s biggest cash ever. Rachel Delatorre (1,645,000) whose best live tournament cash till date is $1,940 is gunning for her first WSOP bracelet as well. New Zealander Scott Hamilton-Hill (1,455,000) is the only non-American player on the final.
All players who returned to the battle on the third day were guaranteed at least $4,345. There was a rapid round of eliminations and even before the first hour was over, 20 players had exited the play. The oldest player of the event, 83-year old Andreas Dassopoulos (101st for $4,345) was the first to hit the rail.
Later, Keith Lehr (36th for $18,518), William Sindelar (38th for $15,025), Ronald Bishop (47th for $12,287) and Larry Wright (55th for $10,128), who held the chip lead coming into the day, were all eliminated.
Others who were busted out in the second half of the play include Sotirios Zafiris, (10th for $46,137), Richard Behling (11th for $46,137), Felipe Quijano (12th for $46,137), William Flachsbart (13th for $36,306), Peter Michae Gonzalez (14th for $36,306) and Daniel Rosenberger (15th for $36,306).
Final table play will begin in the Amazon poker room at 50,000/100,000 and a running ante of 15,000.
Final Table Chips Counts
1. Gary Friedlander – 8,080,000
2. Bill Stabler – 6,085,000
3. Matthew Davis – 6,010,000
4. Bill Bennett -2,735,000
5. Frank Berry – 2,090,000
6. Rachel Delatorre- 1,645,000
7. Joseph Schulman – 1,510,000
8. Scott Hamilton-Hill – 1,455,000
A lot of high ranking and veteran poker professionals were seen in the competition for the gold bracelet at the many ongoing tournaments in the 2018 WSOP. Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship is certainly one of them.
Now down to the last 12 players from the original 87 who had entered, the event has seen many sparks and is sure to intensify as the competition progresses amid the remaining, pro-heavy field.
42 players took the play on Day 3 of the event and early on, Phil Ivey (2,146,000) was seen in a dominant charge of the chip lead but towards the end of the day Michael Mizrachi emerged as the chip leader with 4,232,000 in chips. Mike Leah is second, with a stack of 3,134,000.
The race is still wide open with poker heavyweights like Dan Smith (1,816,000), John Hennigan (1,458,000), Greg Mueller (1,439,000), Brian Rast (1,167,000), Chris Vitch (1,160,000), Shaun Deeb (533,000) and Jean-Robert Bellande (213,000), all in contention for the title.
As the eliminations came about and the chips moved around the stacks of different players, it was Jason Mercier, Eli Elezra, David ‘Bakes’ Baker, Daniel Negreanu, Elior Son and Mike Gorodinsky who had to bow out empty handed.
All the final 14 players were in the money, and the first player to bust out was Yehuda Buchatler in 14th place followed by Randy Ohel in 13th place. Both players cashed $72,500.
1. Michael Mizrachi – 4,232,000
2. Mike Leah – 3,134,000
3. Aaron Katz -2,480,000
4. Phil Ivey – 2,146,000
5. Benny Glaser – 1,967,000
6. Dan Smith – 1,816,000
7. John Hennigan – 1,458,000
8. Greg Mueller -1,439,000
9. Brian Rast – 1,167,000
10. Chris Vitch – 1,160,000
Attracting a tremendously big participation of 5,700 entries through its two starting flights, the $1,000 Double Stack No Limit Hold ‘em concluded with its second starting flight – the Day 1B – and has now moved to Day 2 of play which will resume with the remaining 1,285 participants. A mammoth prize pool of $5,130,000 has been created in the event.
Like every year, a handsome number of Indian challengers participated in the event. On the Day 1A, three poker pros, Team PokerStars India pro Aditya Agarwal, Paawan Bansal and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Nipun Java registered. Agarwal tweeted about his entry in the event.
Playing event 34, 1k double stack, currently with SS 10k with 20mins left at 75-150 #WSOP2018
— Aditya Agarwal (@AdiAgarwal_int) June 16, 2018
While Agarwal finished in 559th place after losing his stack of 9,000, Java’s stack of 10,400 plummeted to see him bouncing out in the 615th place. Bansal was the only player who survived, in 296th place with a stack of 33,900, and will be seen in action on Day 2.
Meanwhile on Day 1B Javare-entered and survived through to Day 2. He currently stands in the 44th place with a stack of 94,500. Midway through the day, Java’s stack was floundering at 16,500 but he managed to add 78,000 to his bag in the latter part of the day. Nishant Sharma (108,000), Nikita Luther (54,100) and Akash Malik (24,800) are the other Indian players who made it to Day 2 in the event.
PokerStars India’s latest Indian ambassador, Muskan Sethi marked her appearance in the ongoing WSOP and participated in the event’s second starting flight. However, Sethi was busted through the course of the day.
On Day 1B, there were 3,314 participants, of which 747 remain in competition. Leading the way into Day 2 is Mike Takayama (177,400) followed by Eimantas Adomavicius (168,500), Vinny Pahuja (167,100), Fabrizzo D’agostino (164,200) and Chahn Jung (147,500).
Others with notable stacks include Anthony Palumbo (262,000), Pablo Fernandez (146,500), Rulah Divine (145,100) and Giuseppe Pantaleo (131,600).
Midway through the second flight the payouts were also announced. The top 855 spots will be paid a minimum cash of $1,500 and the event winner will bag the top prize of $644,224.
Other prominents who have bagged a stack for Day 2 include Harry Lodge (6,500), Anatoly Filatov (9,500), Chris Ferguson(12,200), Bertrand Grospellier (20,700), bracelet winner Loni Harwood (23,000), Manig Loeser (28,700), Ari Engel (38,800) and Niall Farrell (58,000) and Chris Moorman (67,200).
Earlier, 533 players out of the 2,386 initial registrations in Day 1A Flight bagged their chips to progress further, with Brian Yoon in the chip lead with 233,600.
Known faces who have survived through to Day 2 are, Sergio Castelluccio (106,100), Terry Schumacher (125,300),Kathy Liebert (135,000), Anthony Spinella (145,000), former Main Event Champion Ryan Riess (19,000) bracelet winners Andrey Zaichenko (69,700), Asi Moshe (31,100) and Michael Gagliano (31,000).
All 1,285 survivors will return to the poker tables to play in Level 11 with blinds of 500/1000 and a 100 ante.
After a full day’s run, Day 2 of Event #35: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Big O (5-Card PLO/8) concluded, leaving only 31 players in the field.
The event garnered a prize pool of $1,043,550 across 773 total entries, and 225 of them began play on Day 2. James Alexander is leading the way coming into Day 3 with 466,500 in his bag. For Alexander, the day was a rough ride as he saw his stack fluctuate several times.
As the day progressed, Robert Mizrachi (439,000) took over the chip lead in the last couple of hands. However, Alexander pushed him back to third place in chip counts just as the Day 2 concluded. Gabriel Ramos is second in chips with 452,000.
Among the notables who have sizeable stacks are Ryan Hughes (276,000), Jon Turner (218,000), Carol Fuchs (215,000), Mark Gregorich (176,500) and Bart Hanson (35,000).
Players who made it in the money but got eliminated on Day 2 include, Phil Hellmuth (35th for $5,252), Erik Seidel (43rd for $3,741), Barry Greenstein (53rd for $3,256), Koppel (65th for $2,631), Max Pescatori (69th for $2,631), Calen McNeil (71st for $2,444), Andrew Barber (84th for $2,444) and Martin Staszko (103rd for $2,258).
There were many regulars who couldn’t make it to the money and this includes Dan Heimiller, Connor Drinan, Chris Ferguson and Stephen Chidwick.
1. James Alexander – 466,500
2. Gabriel Ramos – 452,000
3. Robert Mizrachi – 439,000
4. Eddie Blumenthal – 343,500
5. Chip Jett – 292,500
6. Christopher Carey – 290,000
7. Ryan Hughes – 276,000
8. Robert Jackson – 249,500
9. Jon Turner – 218,000
10. Carol Fuchs – 215,000
Like every year, the $1,000 Super Seniors No Limit Hold ‘em event attracted a huge number of senior players with the age threshold lowered to 60 from the earlier cutoff of 65. The participation numbers increased and the event witnessed 2,191 entries creating a prize pool of $1,971,900!
The Day 1 of the event is now over and 351 players have advanced to Day 2. They will come back to the Pavilion poker room in Rio to compete for the winner’s title and the dazzling gold bracelet.
Clifford Matthews is currently leading the pack with 137,900, having improved his count only in the last two levels of the day. Henri Bisson follows, with 130,000 and Steven Wenrich is third in chips, with 122,300.
Two-time defending champion James Moore who won the event in 2016 and 2017, couldn’t make it through on this third attempt.
Others who couldn’t survive through the day include Marcel Luske, Neil Bluminfield, Dan Harringon and TJ Cloutier.
The money bubble is approaching, and 329 players will make it in the money for a guaranteed sum of $1,500.
1. Clifford Mathews – 137,900
2. Henri Bisson – 130,000
3. Steven Wenrich – 122,300
4. Charles Zis – 109,300
5. Jeff Heiberg – 103,600
6. Tim Ebenhoeh – 95,800
7. Michael Rice – 93,300
8. Donald Clause – 90,900
9. Jeffrey Weber – 90,600
10. Alan Marks – 86,100
Content & image courtesy WSOP.com.
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