2007 WSOP Overview, June 27th — H.O.R.S.E. Final Eight Set; Bennett, Dumanski Claim Bracelets
Two more winner's bracelets were awarded on Wednesday at the WSOP, even as the attention-grabbing $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tourney played down to its final table. Ernest Bennett and Lukasz Dumanski were the day's champions, while Amnon Filippi holds a narrow lead over Freddy Deeb after four days of H.O.R.S.E. action.
Event #42, $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha High/Low Split, began its final table on an originally unscheduled third day of play, brought about by the event's solid turnout. David Bach began the action leading most imposing name in the final, Chad Brown, but neither player claimed the gold. Instead, Lukasz Dumanski came from third place to claim the $227,454 winner's check. Bach was the runner-up, ahead of James Tolley and Gene Timberlake, while Brown finished fifth.
The traditional $1,000 Seniors No Limit Hold 'Em event (#41) also wrapped up action on its third day of play. This one saw a chop for the bracelet and first and second positions between Ernest Bennett and Tony Korfman once the two survived to heads-up play. Exact details of the deal were not disclosed, but Korfman officially won the second-place prize of $217,503, while Bennett officially claimed $348,423, plus the winner's bracelet.
Most gazes, however, remained trained on Event #39, the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tourney. Thursday's play was the fourth of five days scheduled (with the final table scheduled for today), and the field was trimmed from 21 to the final eight. Filippi and Deeb lead have a sizeable margin over the other six players — Kenny Tran, John Hanson, David Singer, Bruno Fitoussi, Barry Greenstein and Thor Hansen. Singer became the only player to have reached the final tables in both years of this event to date. Notable eliminations on the day included Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, Greg Raymer, Dewey Tomko, Justin Bonomo and, on the final-table bubble, Gabe Kaplan.
Event #43, $2,000 Limit Hold 'Em, narrowed from 61 players to a final nine on its Day Two. The biggest names remaining in the event, including Joe Sebok and Noah Boeken were eliminated during the day's play, and Tommy Rounds had the lead when the session ended. Saif Ahmad holds down second, with Joe Mandia in third.
Event #44, $2,000 Pot Limit Omaha High/Low began action with 534 players chasing the $240,057 first-place prize. 77 players survived into today's Day Two action, when the 54-player money bubble will burst. The overnight leader is Blair Rodman, narrowly ahead of Thang Luu, Marcel Luske, Young Phan, Kathy Liebert and others. Action will continue today until Friday's final table is set.
Two new events begin on Friday. The noon starting slot goes to Event #45, $5,000 No Limit Hold 'Em (Six-Handed), while at 5pm action commences in Event #46, $1,000 Seven Card Stud High/Low Split.
