What to Watch For: July 1, 2017
Today's What to Watch For is brought to you by the VerStandig Law Firm, LLC. Combining a keen understanding of the gaming world and an equally keen understanding of the law, Mac VerStandig and his colleagues are devoted to fighting on behalf of the poker community and its members.
The VerStandig Law Firm, LLC represents poker professionals, sports bettors and advantage players across the United States. The firm assists clients in connection with legal issues including personal LLC formation and operation, tax planning that focuses on gaming deductions and exemptions, casino disputes, and personal matters spanning from divorce to criminal dust-ups.
With an extended July 4 weekend, it was a busy Friday in the Rio and looks to be a busy Saturday and Sunday when the $888 Crazy Eights event kicks off. In the $2,500 Big Bet Mix, Daniel Negreanu was second in chips with several big names remaining in the field. In the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em, Canada's Ari Engel returns as one of the chip leaders for Day 3. And Scott Clements takes a lead into the final day of the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship, looking for a bracelet.
Event #54: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship
It has been the Scott Clements Show in this event. The pro from Mt. Vernon, Washington, led after Day 2 and now takes a lead into a fourth day of action as the final eight players from the 428-entry field return on Saturday. With more than $7 million in tournament winnings, Clements (5,480,000 in chips) is looking for his third bracelet but will have to navigate through a tough remaining field.
Following Clements are: Tommy Le (4,065,000), Eoghan O'Dea (2,895,000), Hani Mio (2,720,000), Jason DeWitt (2,560,000), Chris Lee (2,135,000), Miltiadis Kyriakides (1,275,000), and Murat Tulek (425,000). The winner will take home the bracelet and a nice payout of $938,732.
Day 4 begins on Saturday at 1 p.m. Check back with PokerNews for all the live updates.
Event #56: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em
After two days of action and 623 entries, only 32 players return for Saturday’s restart and are guaranteed $14,183. Obviously, they will be hoping for more – namely a bracelet and the top prize of $618,285.
Marton Czuczor, of Hungary, leads the field with 1,352,000 chips. Czuczor has more than $1.3 million in tournament earnings, but is looking for his first WSOP bracelet. Following him are: Norberto Korn (1,098,000), Donis Agnelli (980,000), Canada's Ari Engel (977,000), and Simon Lam (785,000). With Canada Day on Saturday, the Canadian Engel could be the country’s second bracelet winner of the summer on its 150th birthday. Engel has 31 career WSOP cashes and 53 on the WSOP Circuit (and eight championship rings), but looking for his first bracelet.
Other remaining include Dietrich Fast (672,000), Juha Helppi (658,000), Damian Salas (481,000), Ravi Raghavan (467,000), Mike Watson (445,000), Matt Stout (389,000), Barny Boatman (361,000), Pierre Neuville (320,000), Matt Affleck (304,000), Aditya Agarwal (201,000), Andy Spears (197,000), and Darren Rabinowitz (174,000).
The tournament resumes on Saturday at noon. The PokerNews live updates team will have it covered and you can follow along here.
Event #57: $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better/Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Mix
The split-pot action continued on Friday and 14 players return for Day 3 from 405 entries. The winner will take home $215,902 and the WSOP gold bracelet. France’s Alex Luneau secured the chip lead at the end of Day 2 with 783,000 followed by Jared Bleznick (679,000), Smith Sirisakorn (548,000), Larry Tull (418,000), and Barry Greenstein (417,000).
It should be quite a competitive final table. Luneau has $373,000 career WSOP earnings and four cashes already this summer. Bleznick already has two fifth place finishes this summer in the $1,500 2-7 No-Limit Lowball and $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball. Greenstein is a WSOP Hall of Famer and has earned his 10th cash of the summer. He’ll be looking for his fourth bracelet. Day 3 kicks off at 2 p.m. Click here to follow along with all the live updates.
Event #58: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
A big turnout of 1,763 players entered Day 1 for a $2,380,050 prize pool. Just 269 players remain to return on Saturday. This event will award $395,918 for first place and the top 265 will leave with a minimum cash of $2,249. The Czech Republic’s Martin Kabrhel is the chip leader with 235,000. Kabrhel has 16 WSOP cashes and two circuit rings, totaling $298,131. Following him are Artur Rudziankov (173,400), Andreas Christoforou (152,000), Felipe Leme (145,200), and Ricardo Hernandez (136,900).
Other notables advancing to Day 2 include Kenny Hallaert, Chance Kornuth, Asi Moshe, Phil Laak, and Andre Akkari. Day 2 resumes at noon and PokerNews will have all the action. Click here to follow along.
Event #59: $2,500 Big Bet Mix
A new event on the schedule, this mixed event brought in 197 players to create a prize pool of $443,250. First place will take home $112,232, and a min-cash is worth $3,750. After a day of big bet action, only 37 players return and several big names remain.
Leading the pack is Iraj Parvizi with 210,000. Following him is Daniel Negreanu, who already has eight cashes this summer including three final tables. A seventh bracelet has so far remained elusive, but Negreanu is hoping this event might be the one. Rounding out the top five are David “ODB” Baker (130,200), Brian Rast (126,750), and Ryan Hughes (126,025).
Others remaining include Jerry Wong (98,275), Jason Mercier (43,250), Calvin Anderson (94,250), Mike Matusow (40,875), Brandon Cantu (75,300), Tuan Le (89,000), and Benny Glaser (36,000). The mixed-game fun resumes on Saturday at 2 p.m. Check back with PokerNews for all the live updates from this event.
Event #60: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed
Things certainly get crazy on Saturday when there should be plenty of rounders hoping for a big payday in this event sponsored by 888 Poker. There will be four starting flights – two on Saturday and two on Sunday – at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Players are allowed unlimited re-entries, and the tournament features 30-minute levels on Day 1 and then one-hour levels on Days 2-3. Hung Le, of Huber Heights, Ohio, won the 2016 event, which featured 6,761 entries and a $5.4 million prize pool. Le fittingly took home $888,888 as champion, his first career WSOP cash.
Event #61: $3,333 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold'em High Roller
Grab your laptop and a cup of coffee – the bracelet action returns to the virtual felt on Saturday at WSOP.com. This big buy-in online tournament features unlimited re-entries and will play out to a champion in a single day. This is a new event and the online fun gets started at 3:33 p.m.
