WSOP What To Watch For: Stacked Final Table in Event #2; Seiver Eyes Second Bracelet
Two events are schedule to play down to a winner on Day 4 of the 2013 World Series of Poker. In Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Eight Handed, Trevor Pope holds a massive chip lead over the other seven players, but he'll have his work cut out for him against an incredibly tough final table that includes Dan Kelly, Jared Hamby, David Peters and David Vamplew. In Event 3: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry, 38 players will return for Day 3 looking to be the last man standing. Seth Berger leads the way, but bracelet winner Scott Seiver is hoping to add a second piece of hardware to his impressive tournament résumé.
Event #2: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em Eight Handed
Can Pope Close?
Trevor Pope will take a staggering chip lead into the final table of Event #2 on Saturday. Pope enters the day with 3,420,000 in chips — more than five times his nearest competitor — and will be looking for his first career World Series of Poker bracelet on Saturday.
Pope has five career cashes at the WSOP. His best result came in 2010 at the $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Event where he took 7th place for $41,850. With more than half the chips in play, he's almost certainly a lock to improve on that performance, and is the clear favorite heading into the day.
Quite the Experienced Group
While nobody other than Pope has more than 25 big blinds at the final table, the chip leader will surely have his work cut out for him. The final table includes several tournament pros who cut their teeth playing the highest stakes online. In terms of talent, we may not see a better no-limit hold'em final table at this year's WSOP. That saying a lot — especially this early in the series. Here's how the final table stacks up:
| Seat | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Vamplew | 629,000 |
| 2 | Jamie Armstrong | 451,000 |
| 3 | Dan Kelly | 625,000 |
| 4 | Brandon Meyers | 595,000 |
| 5 | Darryll Fish | 432,000 |
| 6 | David Peters | 435,000 |
| 7 | Trevor Pope | 3,420,000 |
| 8 | Jared Hamby | 629,000 |
Kelly is the only owner of a WSOP bracelet in this group, but all have come close. In fact, everyone at the final table has been there before, with Armstrong and Peters coming the closest. Last year, Armstrong finished second in a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event for $273,776. Peters has three WSOP final table appearances to his credit, including a runner-up finish in a $1,000 no-limit hold'em event in 2010.
All of these players know each other well and have logged dozens and dozens of hours playing against each other online. It should create a fun dynamic at the ESPN Feature Table on Saturday.
Event #3: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Re-Entry
When Scott Seiver won his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 2008, he was virtually unknown outside of the innermost online poker circles. Today, Seiver is considered one of the best overall poker players in the game, and he can continue building his reputation with a victory in Event #3.
Seiver is one of 38 players remaining in the $1,500 no-limit hold'em re-entry event. He sits in the middle of the pack with 163,000 in chips — one-sixth the amount of chip leader Seth Berger — but there isn't a player in the field that should take Seiver lightly on Saturday. He already has $2.6 million in winnings on the tournament circuit in 2013, including a victory at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure $100,000 Super High Roller for $2 million. If he can hang around until the final two tables, he'll be a significant threat to claim his second bracelet early Sunday morning.
Event #6: $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" No-Limit Hold'em
Saturday also marks the start of Event #6: $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" No-Limit Hold'em, a re-entry event which will pay out at least $1 million to the eventual winner. Tournament organizers are already calling it a historic event and expect it to shatter some records in terms of attendance today. Be sure to keep an eye on that unique event right here at PokerNews.com.
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