2009 WSOP, Event 6: Poker Legend Eric Drache Leads $10,000 Stud Championship
After a relatively painless Day 1 where barely 40 players headed to the rail, the second day of Event #6, $10,000 World Championship Seven-Card Stud, was a long, drawn-out affair. After 90 players had been eliminated, play was halted for the day just short of the final table, with Eric Drache leading the 11 survivors. Along the way, big names such as Alex Kravchenko, Hoyt Corkins, Steve Zolotow, and Scotty Nguyen all busted short of the money.
Phil Ivey was one early elimination, moving all in on third street with the 4♣ in the door. Soheil Shamseddin called with the K♦ up, and picked up a six on fifth street to go with the two other sixes he had in the hole. Shamseddin’s trips were enough to best Ivey’s two pair and send him home early on Day 2. Other early eliminations included John Juanda and Erick Lindgren, both at the hands of “Miami” John Cernuto. David Oppenheim came into Day 2 as one of the biggest stacks, but he was slowly ground down and headed to the rail well before the dinner break.
Chad Brown came back from the dinner break on a tear, taking down several big pots and building his stack up to very a comfortable level before knocking out Shawn Sheikhan. Sheikhan was all in on sixth street with a pair of aces, and he couldn’t catch up to Brown’s queens and tens as Sheikhan was felted.
Brown’s big surge came to an end at the hands of Daniel Negreanu, who tangled with him in a bona fide monster pot as the evening moved on. Negreanu raised on third street with the K♥ showing, and Brown called with the A♣ up. Brown led out on fourth and fifth streets, but the action heated up on sixth street when Negreanu led out with a board of K♥A♠4♣4♥. Brown, showing a board of A♣7♥4♠10♣, raised and Kid Poker quickly three-bet. Brown made the lawdown, showing an ace and seven in the hole as he mucked, and Negreanu raked in a huge pile of chips. After starting the day on the short stack, Negreanu chipped up all throughout Day 2, making his way to a spot in the final 11.
The day was growing late, and the bubble was growing nigh as the players reached the final three tables. After a brief hand-for-hand period, Magnus Persson was blinded down enough to move in on third street with split sixes. Hasan Habib called with (A♠10♠)3♠ and made running spades on fourth and fifth street to flush Persson out of the tournament on the bubble.
Only a few minutes remained in the day when the players came back from their post-bubble break, but several players still managed to go broke as Day 2 drew to a close. Steve Landfish busted in 16th place ($21,343) when he missed his draws against Tim Phan. Then Fu Wong got caught in the middle of Ivan Schertzer and Eric Brooks. Wong busted in 15th place ($21,343) when Schertzer showed three nines.
Matt Glantz was another Day 1 big stack to fall on Day 2, his trip queens unable to hold against Hasan Habib’s full house. Glantz picked up $24,480 for 14th place. It’s almost impossible to win back-to-back events at the World Series of Poker (unless you’re Thang Luu), but Eric Brooks still managed to cash this year after taking down the whole enchilada in 2008. He busted in 13th place ($24,480) just before play ended on Day 2. Mel Judah was the final elimination of the day when Max “The Italian Pirate” Pescatori forced him overboard in 12th place ($29,152).
Eleven players were left standing when play was halted at 3 AM, per a new rule at the 2009 WSOP. Leading the pack was Eric Drache with 755,000, followed by Hasan Habib on 593,000, with Max Pescatori, Greg “FBT” Mueller, Jeff Lisandro, and Daniel Negreanu all still in the hunt. Also still chasing the bracelet was Freddie Ellis, the oldest player still in the event. Ellis took out several players on his way to Day 3, spending much of the day with the chip lead and ending in third chip position with 580,000.
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