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Salvatore Bonavena enters the final table as our massive chip leader and he also boasts the best results. Thanks to victories at EPT Prague and IPT Venice, Bonavena boasts over $1.6 million in live tournament earnings. This is his first final table however, and his only previous WSOP cash came in last year's Main Event.
This is Ali Alawadhi's first WSOP final table, but he's no stranger to deep runs here at the series. He finished 10th in Event #52 of the 2007 WSOP, earning $64,532 for his efforts. He can top that cash today with anything better than a 9th place finish.
Joseph Curcio is a New York native with over $100,000 in live tournament earnings. This is his second cash at the 2010 WSOP, the first coming in Event #13 where he took home $1,834, and it is his first ever WSOP final table.
Tomer Berda will be sitting at his second final table of the 2010 WSOP today. The first came in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event where he finished 5th for $117,416. Berda has over $355,000 in lifetime earnings and is sitting second in chips with 3,410,000.
Bryan Porter has already banked $26,273 at this year's WSOP, cashing twice in $1,500 No Limit Hold'em events. This is Porter's third cash, his first final table and he is surely looking for his first bracelet.
Known for his cowboy hats and cigars, Alfonso Amendola comes into the final table today in the middle of the pack with 910,000 chips. This is Amendola's first WSOP final table, but he already has a 10th place finish at this year's series. He bubbled the official final table of the $2,500 Mixed Hold'em event, taking home $16,663 for his efforts.
Amendola has over $200,000 in lifetime earnings and has a chance to balloon that number today.
Hungcheng Hung has already cashed once at this year's WSOP, finished 124th in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout for $5,620. Hung has no other major results otherwise though, but could surely bank a big one with a victory today.
This is Vladimir Kochelaevskiy's fourth WSOP cash and first final table. His previous biggest cash came in April of this year at the Eighth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic, where he finished 1st in a preliminary event for $21,726.
He is guaranteed at least $60,580 today, but is surely eying the $825,976 first-place prize.
Welcome back to the 2010 World Series of Poker! The Rio is buzzing today with the start of the Main Event, but there are still two preliminary bracelets to be awarded for Events #54 and #56.
Event #56 started three long days ago, and was originally scheduled to be a three day event. But parlay a 5 p.m. start with a large field and sprinkle in some computer problems and you will find us here on a fourth and final day.
Nine players remain in the chase for the last preliminary bracelet, and we will be introducing them to you shortly. The cards are scheduled to be in the air at 3 p.m., and we hope you stay tuned for all of your exclusive live updates here at PokerNews.com!
Event #56: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em
Day 4 Started
