WSOP Day 11: Mike Matusow Nears Final Table of $10K Dealer’s Choice

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Jun 10, 2017 5 min read Last updated Apr 21, 2020

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As the $10,000 Dealer’s Choice 6-Handed Championship wrapped up play on Day 2, Mike Matusow was among the 10 players remaining – and in contention for his fifth WSOP bracelet. Several pros were also running deep in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed and thousands turned out for the first day of the Giant and the $565 Pot-Limit Omaha – indeed a gigantic day.

Event #17: $10,000 Dealer’s Choice 6-Handed Championship

Stacked with pros, this was one of the more watched tournaments of the day as players navigated through a series of games from badeucy to no limit hold’em. After 102 began the event, only 10 remain going into Day 3. Leading the field is John Racener with 1,124,000 chips followed by Chris Klodnicki (856,00) and Dennis Eichhorn (782,500). Racener finished runner-up in the 2010 Main Event and will be looking for his first bracelet. Matusow sits in sixth with 295,000, and Shawn Buchanon is also still alive with 185,500. Matusow lost a big pot late but was confident about Day 3:

It should be an interesting final day. Check back tomorrow as this event plays down to a winner and first-place money of $273,962. Click here for the live updates.

Event #16: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed

The event began with a big field of 1,748 and only 21 players remain going into Day 3. Leading the field is Canadian player Demosthenes Kiriopoulos with 1,450,000 chips. He built a considerable lead and is followed by Anthony Marquez (998,000) and Shivan Abdine (970,000). Also remaining are Matt Berkey, James Mackey, and Matt Stout. Mackey is looking for his second bracelet while the others are hoping for their first.

First place will bring home a first-place prize of $393,273 and the action picks back up at noon. The event will play down to a winner on Saturday and PokerNews will have all the action from the live updates team.

Event #18A: $565 Pot-Limit Omaha

This smaller buy-in, multi-entry tournament some have humorously coined “PLO-lossus,” kicked off with a whopping 3,190 total entries (707 more than 2016) among the two flights. In the first, there were 1,711 entries and 62 return for Day 2. Leading flight 1A was Cody Slaubaugh with 726,000 chips followed by Hassan Tahsildar (425,000) and Ankush Mandavia with (299,000). Slaubaugh has almost $1.6 million in tournament winnings. Mandavia notched a runner-up a week ago in the $10,000 Tag Team Championship and is looking for more. Other names still alive include Ryan D'Angelo, Dave Diiorio, Joey Ingram, Andrew Barber, and Lee Watkinson.

The second flight brought another 1,479 entries and 45 will return on Saturday. That makes a total of 107 going into Saturday’s combined Day 2. Adam Owen led this flight with 410,000 followed by Avi Lam, Tomas Gelezuinas, Rep Porter, and Darren Taylor. Others still alive include Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, J.C. Tran, and Jason Mercier.

The big field PLO fun picks up again on Saturday at 2 p.m. and PokerNews will have all the live updates.

Event #19A: THE GIANT - $365 No-Limit Hold'em

This new event got underway for the first Friday and is played out over a series of weeks. The Day 1 flights continue each Friday on June 16, 23, 30, and July 7 at 7 p.m. This first event saw 1,629 entries for a prize pool of $488,700, and paid out a minimum payout of $557. The minimum went to 245 players and 125 advance to Day 2, which takes place on July 8.

Jeff Brin leads the first flight field with 718,000 chips followed by Timothy Miles with 707,500. Other notables still in the field include: Barry Greenstein (90,000), Dylan Wilkerson (258,000), William Vo (359,000), Asher Conniff (152,000), Jesse Yaginuma (163,000), and Bernard Lee (359,000).

The event features unlimited re-entries during the Day 1 flights, and PokerNews will have live updates for all the gigantic action when it returns in a week.

Event #20A: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em MILLIONAIRE MAKER

Rounders from across the country converge on the Rio on Saturday to take their shots at becoming a new millionaire. The event attracted a massive 7,190 entries last summer, and San Diego’s Jason DeWitt took home $1,065,403 as the champion and his second bracelet. The five-day event features one flight on Saturday and one on Sunday with those advancing returning on Monday to begin Day 2. Players are allowed one re-entry and no doubt many will fire a second bullet in hopes of being the next DeWitt. Day 1A gets underway at 10 a.m. and check back to PokerNews for the latest updates.

Event #21: $1,500 8-Game Mix 6-Handed

The mixed-game specialists will be out in force looking to show their expertise in a multitude of poker variants. The eight games dealt in this tournament include: No-Limit Hold’em; Seven Card Stud; Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Razz; Pot-Limit Omaha; Limit Hold’em; Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better; and 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw. Brush up on those skills if you’re a little rusty. Paul Volpe won this event in 2016 for $149,943 and took home his second bracelet.

For a little strategy advice on mixed events like this, check out the strategy advice $1,500 Dealer's Choice 6-Handed champion Larry Berg offered recently. The action gets underway at 3 p.m. and PokerNews will have plenty of live updates on this one.

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