WSOP Day 17: Jason Mercier, Martin Jacobson Looking to Add Bracelets
Some big names are running deep in events that should bring winners on Friday. Jason Mercier is seeking his sixth bracelet as one of the 20 players returning on Friday for Event #28: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed. Meanwhile over in Event #24: THE MARATHON - $2,620 No-Limit Hold'em, 2014 WSOP Main Event champion Martin Jacobson is second in chips with only nine players left entering today's finale.
Friday also ushers in two more popular events — Event #32: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em and Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
Event #6: GIANT - $365 No-Limit Hold'em
The Giant offers WSOP players a chance at a bracelet for a small investment. The event features five consecutive starting Day 1 flights — June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29 — all beginning at 7 p.m. and with unlimited re-entries. Players start with 25,000 chips with 20-minute levels on Day 1 and 40-minute on Days 2 and 3 which will be played on June 30 and July 1.
Each Day 1 flight sees players playing down to the money, and the remaining prize money gets carried over to Day 2. Players can forfeit their stack if they choose to re-enter another flight. Once players bag, however, they can no longer play in other starting flights.
Last Friday, it was Jon Turner bagging the chip lead with 2,265,000 after Justin Sternberg led the first flight with 1,215,000.
This tournament attracted a massive field in 2017 with Dieter Dechant topping 10,015 entries for $291,240 and the prize pool reached a total of more than $3 million. It was a nice summer for Dechant. After winning this event, he went on to finish third in the $1,000 Seniors Championship for $281,691.
To follow all the PokerNews live updates from the GIANT, click here.
Event #24: THE MARATHON - $2,620 No-Limit Hold'em
After four days of play, the final nine players return on Friday for one last day of the long MARATHON. Mark Sleet currently leads with 7,725,000.
Close on Sleet's heels is 888poker Ambassador and 2014 Main Event champion Martin Jacobson with 7,345,000 who is looking for his second bracelet.
Rounding out the top five are Bart Lybaert (7,155,000), Michael Addamo (6,156,000), and Ihar Soika (4,990,000). The event attracted 1,637 entries and the winner gets $653,581.
The final day of play begins at 1 p.m. and PokerNews will have all the updates until the bracelet is awarded. Click here to follow along.
Event #27: $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship
An extra day had to added to determine the winner this one, as four-time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny "World" Hennigan and two-time champion David "Bakes" Baker are still left to battle for the $414,692 first-place prize.
Hennigan comes back to a stack of 6,675,000 while Baker will have 1,630,000 to resume the pair's heads-up duel.
PokerNews will be there to see which of these two titans takes it down starting at 2 p.m. Click here for updates.
Event #28: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
Only 20 players move forward to the final day of play in this event. Ben Palmer leads the pack with 1,595,000 followed by Yorane Kerignard (1,219,000), Darren Rabinowitz (939,000), Enio Bozzano (900,000), and Florian Duta (792,000).
This marks the 50th WSOP cash for Palmer. The Gainesville, Florida player has more than $2 million in live tournament winnings and is hoping for his first bracelet.
Others still in the field include Ana Marquez (682,000), five-time bracelet winner Jason Mercier (587,000), James Mackey (559,000), Gal Yifrach (420,000), Tony Dunst (391,000), and Kyle Hartree (375,000).
After 842 entries created a $2,343,600 prize pool, a winner is expected to emerge on Friday for a payday of $461,798. Play resumes at 12 noon, and don't forget to follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team for every big pot.
Event #29: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw
Only seven players return for Day 3 of this one on Friday, meaning a winner should be crowned. Hanh Tran is out front with 633,000. Others remaining include Cody Wagner (538,000), Brian Hastings (528,000), David Prociak (287,000), Oscar Johansson (256,000), and Yong Wang (198,000).
Tran has $373,690 in live tournament winnings and this could be his first bracelet if he is able to hang on. Tran has a few other wins in "deuce" events, but this would be his biggest career victory.
The winner will pick up the bracelet and a $117,282 first prize. Friday's restart begins at 2 p.m. and PokerNews will be there until the finish. Follow along by clicking here.
Event #30: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
The second PLO event of the week attracted a field of 799 to build a prize pool of more than $1 million. Michael Heritsch leads the 130 players returning today with 141,000 followed by Frank Williams (128,100) and Aaron Anderson (123,700).
Some of the notables remaining include Scott Clements, Mike Shin, Jesse Sylvia, Dutch Boyd, Ryan Reiss, Bryan Brubaker, and Jared Hamby.
PokerNews will have all your PLO updates when the event resumes at 12 noon. Follow all the live reporting here.
Event #31: $1,500 Seven Card Stud
After the first day of play, Farhad Mobassery and Ron Brown share the chip lead with 88 players remaining. Both Mobassery and Brown bagged 80,800 followed by six-time bracelet winner Jeff Lisandro (70,200), Mark Radoja (65,500), and Stephen Rivers (61,200).
A total of 310 players entered the field for a prize pool of $418,500. The winner will earn $105,629 and the gold bracelet. Other notables remaining include Bertrand Grospellier, Brandon Shack-Harris, Adam Friedman, Frankie O'Dell, Ben Yu, and Carol Fuchs.
The Stud gets started at 2 p.m. and make sure to follow along with for all the updates from the PokerNews reporting team.
Event #32: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em
This popular event rings in the weekend when play gets underway at 10 a.m. Players will start with 5,000 chips with levels lasting 60 minutes. Entrants are allowed one re-entry and must be 50 years of age or older.
Last year, Frank Maggio topped a field of 5,389 entries to win $617,303 and the bracelet. PokerNews will be up bright and early with the coverage.
Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
This prestigious event should being out a "who's who" of professionals looking for a nice bullet point on their poker résumé. Players will have to be sharp and weave their way through these games:
- 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
- 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw 6-Handed
In this five-day event, players begin with 250,000 chips with 100-minute levels. Last year Elior Sion won his first bracelet in the PPC to earn a $1,395,767 top prize.
As usual this event should attract a lot of attention, and PokerNews will be there every step of the way with the live updates once this one begins at 3 p.m. today.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas. His work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions. He is also the host of the True Gambling Stories podcast, available on iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, PokerNews.com, HoldemRadio.com, and TrueGamblingStories.com.
In this Series
- 1 WSOP Day 1: It’s Showtime – with Casino Employees Championship and $10K Super Turbo
- 2 WSOP Day 2: Jodie Sanders Leads Casino Employees Event; Shootout & Omaha Hi/Lo on Tap
- 3 WSOP Day 3: Hellmuth, McKeehen, Cada Advance to Final 50 in Shootout
- 4 WSOP Day 4: Joe's Ready for Shootout Final Table, $100K Day 2 Awaits
- 5 WSOP Day 5: Petrangelo & Fox Lead $100K, Martini & Hoang Chasing Gold
- 6 WSOP Day 6: Vitch leads Triple Draw, Hellmuth Makes Day 2 in Omaha-8
- 7 WSOP Day 7: Elezra Leads $10K Omaha Hi-Lo, Hennigan Ahead in Dealer’s Choice
- 8 WSOP Day 8: Eli Elezra Seeks Fourth Bracelet Today in $10K Omaha Hi-Lo
- 9 WSOP Day 9: Racener, Deeb at Final Tables, Hellmuth Advances in H.O.R.S.E.
- 10 WSOP Day 10: Bonomo Looking for $10K Heads-Up Title, Negreanu Advances
- 11 WSOP Day 11: Bonomo Among Leaders in $5K NLHE, Zinno Leads Dealer's Choice
- 12 WSOP Day 12: Duhamel Looks for 4th Bracelet, Negreanu Advances to Day 2
- 13 WSOP Day 13: Negreanu, Matusow, Racener in Final 16 of 8-Game Mix
- 14 WSOP Day 14: Doyle Brunson Returns Looking for Bracelet #11
- 15 WSOP Day 15: Joe McKeehen Runs Deep in MILLIONAIRE MAKER
- 16 WSOP Day 16: Martin Jacobson, Scotty Nguyen Playing Deep in MARATHON
- 17 WSOP Day 17: Jason Mercier, Martin Jacobson Looking to Add Bracelets
- 18 WSOP Day 18: Glaser, Matusow, Negreanu, Bonomo Advance in PPC
- 19 WSOP Day 19: Michael Mizrachi, Phil Ivey Lead Poker Players Championship
- 20 WSOP Day 20: Mizrachi Leads Final 12 in $50K PPC, Ivey Still in Hunt
- 21 WSOP Day 21: Michael Mizrachi Aims for Third $50K PPC Title, 6 Remain
- 22 WSOP Day 22: Phil Hellmuth Advances in $1,500 NLHE Shootout
- 23 WSOP Day 23: Daniel Negreanu Returns Third in Chips in $25K PLO HR
- 24 WSOP Day 24: Yu Leads Biggest Omaha Tournament of Year, Negreanu Falls
- 25 WSOP Day 25: Scotty Nguyen Leads the $25K PLO
- 26 WSOP Day 26: Ferguson Looks for No. 7; Lamb, Mizrachi Advance in $10K PLO
- 27 WSOP Day 27: Hellmuth Advances in Razz, Big Names in Monster Stack
- 28 WSOP Day 28: Brandon Shack-Harris Leads Final 6 in $10K PLO
- 29 WSOP Day 29: Elezra, Hellmuth, Negreanu Return in $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo
- 30 WSOP Day 30: Gamble, Matusow, Negreanu in $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo Final 20
- 31 WSOP Day 31: John Hennigan Among Chip Leaders in $10,000 Razz Championship
- 32 WSOP Day 32: Anderson and Kassela Return to Battle for RAZZ Bracelet
- 33 WSOP Day 33: Jean-Robert Bellande Leads Final 6 in $5K NLHE 6-Handed
- 34 WSOP Day 34: Main Event Kicks Off, Mizrachi Leads PLO Giant
- 35 WSOP Day 35: Scotty Nguyen, Joe Hachem, Ray Romano Advance in Main Event
- 36 WSOP Day 36: Fireworks Expected on Day 1c of the Main Event
- 37 WSOP Day 37: Galen Hall Looks for 888 Title, Big Names Return in Main Event
- 38 WSOP Day 38: Huge Day 2c in the Main, John Pannucci Leads $1,500 NLH
- 39 WSOP Day 39: Tan Leads $1,500 NLHE; Hellmuth, Ivey Back for Main Day 3
- 40 WSOP Day 40: Hallaert Bags Big in Little One, Ivey Makes Day 4 of ME
- 41 WSOP Day 41: Minkin Making Another Main Event Run, Solomon Leads PLO
- 42 WSOP Day 42: Dyer Leads Main With Cada Still In, Bohlman Goes for Double
- 43 WSOP Day 43: Big Names Left in $5K NLHE, Cada Advances in Main Event
- 44 WSOP Day 44: Three More Bracelets Awarded As Main Event Finale Begins
- 45 WSOP Day 45: Volpe Seeks Bracelet, Dyer Leads Final 6 and Cada in Main
- 46 WSOP Day 46: Main Event Reaches Finale, Eibinger Leads $50K High Roller
- 47 WSOP Day 47: Big One for One Drop Begins, Kessler, ElkY Big Stacks in Closer
