Short of the main event itself, one of the most prestigious competitions at the World Series of Poker is the $50,000 buy-in Poker Player’s Championship, which kicked off Saturday with an impressive array of international talent on display.
Other events producing bracelet winners and big money on the day included:
Four players – the survivors of the 817 entrants for the competition – returned for an extra day of action Saturday in event 50: $5,000 Triple Chance No-Limit Hold’em: Led by Adam Geyer, finalists Antonin Teisseire, Darryl Ronconi and Eric Froehlich returned to the fray having been unable to decide the heads up on the third day of the competition.
The chip leader was the first of the quartet to head for the rail, and Teisseire set up the heads between himself and Ronconi when he eliminated Froelich. The finale did not last long, with 65-year-old Teisseire taking only around half an hour to despatch his last opponent and win the bracelet and his largest career cash yet of $825,604.
He celebrated for some time with a crowd of ardent fellow-Frenchmen who had cheered him on from the rail, whilst Ronconi headed for the cashier and a second placing check for $510,053.
Event 51: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo saw 946 player register on the first day, 134 players return to the tables on the second day of the contest, and by the third day only 10 players still in contention, led by David Sands.
Sand suffered a disastrous start, losing his significant chip lead and more than two-thirds of his stack in a tough clash with Jeffery Gibralter. It crippled Sands and although he fought to the end it was too big a disadvantage to overcome and he was the first elimination a little further along in the game.
Down to a final table there was plenty of excitement, with the chip stacks going up and down like a roller coaster and some great poker. Keeping a low profile, but methodically building his chip stack, Californian amateur David Singontiko – playing his first live event at a World Series of Poker table – survived the rush of eliminations that followed as the final table was depopulated at a fair clip.
By the time the contestants were down to four at level 26, Singontiko had accumulated a solid chip lead, and he used this to oust Jeffrey Gibralter in third place to convene the heads up between himself and Michael Yee. It lasted only 10 minutes, leaving Singontiko with his first bracelet and $268,235, and Yee with the runner-up’s check for $165,346.
Event 52: $2,500 Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No-Limit) was decided at level 25 Saturday night, with Matt Matros claiming his second career bracelet and the winner’s spoils of $303,501 after a short but sharp heads up against Jonathan Lane on the third day of the event, which had already reached a final table by the end of the second day.
Matros, who is also a respected online poker player, won the $1500 version of the same event at last year’s World Series of Poker, and has already cashed twice this year.
Three handed, it was Matros, Lane and Matt Hawrilenko until the latter was eliminated by Matros and the heads up phase of the match began, with Matros holding a 3 to 1 chip lead.
Although Lane fought hard, and at one time even wrested the chip lead from his dominating opponent, he did not have the stack or the cards to beat a rampant Matros, who took the honours, leaving Lane with a well-deserved second placing payday worth 187,844 and the knowledge that he had bested all but one of a 580 entry field, among whom were some of the best players in the world.
Event 53 $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship attracted an eye-catching and expert crowd of 1,055 women to the tables on its first day, which was halted after ten levels with Celine Bastian as chip leader, pursued closely by Ruby Du.
140 ladies and one man bagged their chips at the end of the first day and returned to the felt Saturday for a second day of action.
Approaching midnight Saturday at level 17, the field was down to 18 players with Valerie McColligan on 470,000 in the chip lead, chased by closest rival Karen Fisher on 280,000. And literally the odd man out – entrant Jonathan Epstein – remains in contention!
Event 54: $1,000 No-Limit Hold?em kicked off Saturday with the first flight of the first day pulling in 1,932 entrants – somewhat less than last year but still an impressive sight.
Seen taking their places on day 1a were recognisable faces belonging to David Pham, Kenny Nguyen, Randy Lew, Hoyt Corkins, Antonio Esfandiari, Eric Baldwin, Dan Heimiller, Dario Minieri, Paul Magriel, Neil Channing, Fatima Moreira De Melo, Barny Boatman, Ricky Fohrenbach, Andy Black and former WSOP champ Dennis Phillips.
Before midnight Saturday day 1a was in the books at level 9, with 302 survivors ready to go into day 2 once the next flight of day 1 completes on Sunday.
Day 1a’s chipleader is Paul Volpe who finished the day on 124,500 – well ahead of Alexander Salabuschew on 72,400.
Casualties on the day included Antonio Esfandiari, Tony Dunst, Dan Heimiller, Andy Black, Men Nguyen, and Hoyt Corkins.
Event 55: $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship is arguably the most prestigious and expensive competition the poker world has to offer, and this year 123 players – mainly professionals and including all the big names out there – signed up for the event late Saturday afternoon.
The late David “Chip” Reese won the inaugural event back in 2006 and the trophy has since been named for this revered Hall of Fame veteran.
Originally a $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event that played as No-Limit Hold’em at the televised final table the competition morphed into its current complete format in 2007. Last year, the event went back to No-Limit Hold’em at the final table and was televised as Michael Mizrachi claimed gold (see previous reports). The 8-game format introduced in 2010 continues this year.
Listing every pro taking their seats Saturday would be impossible, but here’s a taste of some of those who were spotted at the start of the action: Daniel Negreanu, Barry Greenstein, Tom Dwan, Jason Mercier, Doyle Brunson, and Chad Brown.
Approaching midnight Saturday Vegas time 123 players remained active at level 4, led by a top ten that included Yan Chen as chip leader on 288,000, Doug Booth (285,000), Huck Seed (278,000), David Chiu, James Bord, Phil Galfond, Justin Bonomo, Justin Smith, Rami Boukai, and Tristan Clemencon.