WSOP Updates - Event #11, Day One - Jacob Fernandez Leads $5K 7-Stud Pack
Event #11, the $5,000 Seven Card Stud tournament, kicked off action with 180 players, also including many big names. One table was the 'Big Game' revisitied, featuring Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman and Daniel Negreanu. Isabelle Mercier found herself sitting alongside Layne Flack and Chris Ferguson at another table.
The doubled chip stacks (used this year in all WSOP events) and low starting blinds made the early action light and jovial. Andy Black placed a large photo of himself in his seat while he continued to play Event #10. Some players discussed prop betting at the putting green in the players' VIP room and even Phil Ivey was seen cracking a smile at a tablemate's joke.
Barry Greenstein, Josh Arieh, Cyndy Violette and Sam Grizzle battled constantly on one table, with Grizzle needling Violette on several occasions. "Is there some book I haven't read about, 'The Worst Hand Always Wins'?" he quipped after a hand between the two. The cards never did run Grizzle's way, as he busted out later in the day, as did Chris Ferguson, Shawn Sheikhan, Doyle Brunson, David Benyamine, Greg Raymer and Gus Hansen.
Plenty of big names remained as the 2am curfew arrived, including Violette, Johnny Chan, Jeff Lisandro, Humberto Brenes, Mas Pescatori, Ivey, Mel Judah and Thor Hansen. 110 players moved on to Day Two play, all chasing the WSOP bracelet and $258,453 first prize. Here's the top ten in chips:
PLAYER — CHIPS
Jacob Fernandez — 75,000
Nick Schulman — 73,000
Sherkhan Farnood — 63,400
Theo Jorgensen — 58,100
Helmut Koch — 56,200
John Hennigan — 48,900
David Oppenheim — 45,100
Marg Traniocg — 42,800
Bill Chen — 41,400
Maureen Feduniak — 39,500
The remaining 110 players will return on Thursday after to play down to the money (24 players will cash) and then to the final table. PokerNews.com's 'Live Reporting' will be bringing you the latest bustouts and big moves up the board.
