WSOP What to Watch For: July 9, 2017
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Excitement reigned in the Rio on Saturday as cards were dealt in the first flight of the biggest spectacle in poker. The $10,000 Main Event brought in amateurs, pros, and every type of player in between – including one even dressed as Superman. While all were hoping to bring their own super powers to the tables, only about 500 players survived for Day 2A on Tuesday. But there were also other events remaining as well. In THE GIANT, the field was narrowed down to the final 27, and Australian Heidi May leads the final five players in the ladies’ event. In the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, Perry Friedman leads the final seven, followed by five-time bracelet winner Chris Ferguson, who locked up his 16th cash of the summer.
Event #19E: THE GIANT - $365 No-Limit Hold'em
After more than a month of play, only 882 returned from all the combined Day 1 flights for Day 2. This massive event attracted 10,015 entries for a prize pool of just over $3 million.
After the official second day of action, only 27 players remain and John Hutchinson is the chip leader with 21,200,000, followed by Hrair Yapoudjian (18,875,000), Ravi Raghavan (12,900,000), Michael Guzzardi (11,450,000), and Tremayne Jernigan (9,800,000). Hutchinson is from Costa Mesa, Calif., and has almost $60,000 in tournament winnings.
For all the gigantic pots, as well as the small ones, check back with PokerNews on Sunday at 2 p.m. Click here to follow along.
Event #70: $10,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship
From a field of 718 runners, only 85 returned for Day 2 and now only five players will return on Sunday to battle it out for a bracelet and the $135,098 top prize. Leading the field is Australian Heidi May with 1,752,000chips. Rounding out the final five are Deborah Worley-Roberts (861,000), Julie Dang (458,000), Jana de la Cerra (280,000), and Katie Ansorge (250,000).
May has four WSOP cashes this summer already and over $100,000 in tournament winnings. Her biggest cash was in 2012 in an event in Melbourne on the Australia-New Zealand Poker Tour for $25,746. The final five are guaranteed a payout of at least $29,256. Which woman will come out on top? Check back with PokerNews when players return at noon. Click here to follow all the action.
Event #72: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship
The seven stud action continued with several big names hoping to make it into the top 14 for a cash and to a final table with a shot at a bracelet. Only seven players will be returning for Day 3 on Sunday, led by Perry Friedman with 1,737,000 chips. Friedman has one bracelet from an Omaha Hi/Lo event in 2002 and looking for his second. Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., he has more than $900,000 in tournament winnings, mostly all at the WSOP.
The others remaining include: Chris Ferguson (853,000), Sean Mirrasouli (580,000), Mike Wattel (511,000), Bryce Yockey (392,000), John Monnette (289,000), and Shaun Deeb (39,000).The winner will take home $245,451 and one of the summer’s final bracelets. The third day of play kicks off at 2 p.m. and will play down to a champion. Follow all the live updates by clicking here.
Event #73B: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT
After five levels of play, about 570 players remain from the original 795 who ponied up $10,000 for their shot at glory. That total made it the largest Day 1A since 2013, when 943 entered the first starting flight.
Morten Mortensen leads the first flight with 279,000 chips. A London native now living in Copenhagen, Denmark, Mortensen has almost $1.2 million in lifetime tournament winnings including four cashes at the WSOP for $297,481. He has several wins and final tables in his career, and came close to his first bracelet in June when he finished seventh in Event #27: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed for $53,569. On June 24, he scored a nice win in the $1,100 No Limit Hold'em event at the Wynn Summer Classic for $88,608.
A few others with big stacks include Sam Grafton (231,600), Griffin Abel (226,000), Jonathan Little (210,300), and David Eldridge (207,000). Defending champ Qui Nguyen advanced with 96,700 chips and 2014 champ Martin Jacobson bagged up 36,800.
There will be plenty of energy as a second wave of players flood the Rio all in the hopes of advancing through the field to return for Day 2. Flights B and C will take place on Sunday and Monday at 11 a.m. Each level will last two hours and players begin with 50,000 starting chips. Second-day action will play through five levels, and will be carried live on ESPN2 and PokerGO.
This year, the November Nine has been scrapped and the tournament will play down to a champion over 10 days. Play is scheduled to reach the final table on Day 7 (Monday, July 17). Days 8-10 will then resume and be played on July 20-22 to reach a winner – all played out live in front of ESPN’s cameras. For more specifics, click here for the official WSOP structure sheet.
CLICK HERE to follow along with the PokerNews live updates team.
