WSOP Day 30: Akkari Leads $10,000 Razz, Givens Looking for Second Bracelet in $600 Deepstack

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Jun 27, 2019 6 min read Last updated Dec 19, 2019

Day 30 of the 2019 World Series of Poker features six events including one new one with the $1,500 Omaha Mix starting the first of its four days today.

All eyes are currently on ten-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey, who's making himself heard in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship after bagging up the chip lead in back to back days. Poker fans will not only be able to watch this event unfold here at PokerNews., but can be treated to a live stream at PokerGO for the final two days of this event too.

Meanwhile, William Givens is in the driver's seat for his second bracelet with the lead in the $600 Deepstack Championship. Andre Aakari heads into the second day of the $10,000 Razz Championship with the biggest stack.

Here's what's on tap today, in the daily What to Watch For on PokerNews, sponsored by 888poker.

Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship

The five-day Poker Players Championship played a little longer than planned yesterday in order for it to reach the money with the dozen returning players out of the original field of 74 players each guaranteed a $72,078 payout with $1,099,311 going to the winner.

Phil Ivey (4,775,000) has stunned the poker world and is in prime position for his eleventh bracelet by bagging the chip lead in back to back days. The poker legend is followed by two-time bracelet winner Josh Arieh (4,029,000) and 2018 WSOP player of the year Shaun Deeb (2,450,000) going into today's penultimate day.

You can read more about this event in our dedicated $50,000 Poker Players Championship Day 2 recap.

Event #59: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack Championship

The Deepstack bracelet events are part of one of the great successes of the 50th annual WSOP. This event is no different with the 6,140 entrants generating a $3,223,500 prize pool for more than six-time the $500,000 guarantee.

Yesterday witnessed the 917 returning players whittled down to just 83 players entering what is scheduled to be today's final day of the event. Each returning player is guaranteed a $3,549 payout with $397,903 slated to the winner. WSOP organizers are also adding a WSOP Main Event seat valued at $10,000 to the player that wins the bracelet.

Lang Lee (6,075,000) leads the event, but WSOP bracelet winner Will Givens is on his heels with 6,025,000 in chips. Only two other bracelet winners are still in contention with Dan Matsuzuki (4,460,000) and Kathy Liebert (755,000) bagging chips too yesterday.

Other players to look out for when play resumes today at 2 p.m. PDT with blinds at 40,000/80,000 and a big blind ante of 80,000 include Giovani Torre (5,455,000), Jason Wheeler (2,300,000), Jimmy Tran (2,160,000), Lawrence Brandt (840,000). Sandrine Phan (2,835,000) is continuing a good Series having run deep with a third-place finish in the Ladies Event for $72,821 earlier.

It is possible that today won't be the final day of this event with the tournament director holding the option to add a fourth day.

Event #60: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better

This event is down to just 58 players out of the original field of 1,117 when action resumes at 2 p.m. PDT. The plan, for now, is to play down to a winner but this can all change with a long day ahead with plenty of players remaining and hour-long blind levels starting at 8,000/16,000.

All returning players are guaranteed a $4,083 payout with their eyes on the bracelet and the $244,730 top prize awarded to the eventual winner.

Six players bagged a seven-figure stack yesterday led by Matt O’Donnell with 1,388,000 in chips. Behind O'Donnell are James Chen (1,227,000), five-time bracelet winner Michael Mizrachi (1,196,000), bracelet winner David Prociak (1,030,000), Jon Turner (1,008,000), and Jordan Spurlin (1,004,000). Mizrachi already won a bracelet this festival after he topped a field of 460 entrants in Event #27: $1,500 Stud Hi-Lo to win $142,801.

Event #61: COLOSSUS - $400 No-Limit Hold'em

The COLLUSUS attracted a monster field of 5,238 entrants for yesterday's first of two opening days. This field is on par to surpass 10,000 entrants with today's Day 1b field starting at 10 a.m. PDT expecting to be even bigger.

A total of 786 players survived, each in the money for at least $600. This figure could be less as players have the option to forfeit their stacks and reenter on today's Day 1b.

Among the players to bag big stacks yesterday including Amador Trinidad (1,012,000), Marc Korner (937,000), William Blais (930,000), Kunal Patni (849,000), and 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer (850,000).

Similar to yesterday, players will start with 40,000 in chips with blinds increasing every 40 minutes. The original plan was for opening days to feature 16 blind levels. However, due to the large field yesterday, tournament organizers added two more levels to make it 18 blind levels total with the same pattern expected for today's Day 1b.

Surviving players from both yesterday and today's Day 1b are scheduled to play for two more days on June 28-29 until a winner is crowned.

Event #62: $10,000 Razz Championship

The four-day Razz Championship kicked off yesterday with 96 entrants and 42 players surviving ten blind levels of an hour each. More players are still to come with late-registration open until the start of today's Day 2 at 2 p.m. PDT.

WSOP bracelet winner Andre Akkari bagged the chip lead with a massive stack of 508,000 followed by three-time bracelet winner David Bach (308,500), and two-time bracelet winner Marco Johnson (254,000).

The biggest story could be that defending champion Calvin Anderson put himself in position to become the first two win two bracelets in this event by ending yesterday's action with a fourth-place stack of 248,500.

Players will play seven blind levels of 90 minutes each starting with limits of 4,000/8,000. Players will ante 1,000 with the high card starting off the action by betting another 1,000. Surviving players will battle for two more days until a champion is declared on Saturday, June 29.

Event #63: $1,500 Omaha Mix

Split pot Omaha enthusiasts are in for a treat with this tournament featuring three different variants of the game; Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and Big O (Five Card Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better).

The first of the four days of this event kicks off today at 3 p.m. PDT and is scheduled to end after ten blind levels of an hour each. Players need to pay attention and change gears as the game changes every eight hands.

Last year, Yueqi Zhu finished on top of a field of 773 players to win his first bracelet and the $211,781 top prize.

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