Richard Seymour has been a familiar face in the world of poker since retiring from the National Football League. With over $500,000 in live earnings, the former New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle is looking to make a deep run in what is his second WSOP cash of the summer.
However, he is not the only former NFL player in the tournament, or even at the same table as Seymour. Talk and laughter were overheard as Seymour and Eric Stocz were discussing their careers in the game after the two found themselves sitting directly across the table from one another. Stocz played for the Detroit Lions from 1996-97 before going into the now defunct first foray of the XFL.
The board read . Pedro Padilha bet 85,000 and was called by Jay Farber. The river came the . Padilha made another bet, this time for 132,000. Farber thought it over for about ten seconds before tossing in the one chip call.
Padilha turned over the for two pair which was good as Farber mucked.
In a three-bet pot with around 300,000 in the middle already, Alexander Greenblatt and Christopher Wynkoop were heads-up heading to the flop. The flop came and Greenblatt led out for 150,000 from the small blind. Wynkoop called on the button and the landed on the turn.
Greenblatt tossed in another 250,000 but Wynkoop stuck around to see the on the river. Greenblatt checked this time and Wynkoop announced all in, putting Greenblatt to the test for his remaining 900,000 chips. Greenblatt gave it some thought but decided to fold.
Wynkoop shrugged his shoulders and turned over for a missed flush draw on the first hand of the day.
The shuffle up and deal for Day 5 was done by none other than Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, who has three WSOP bracelets to his name so far and holds the most cashes in WSOP tournaments with a staggering $22,283,326 so far.
"Let's win another bracelet. I think I am due, it's been a few years," Esfandiari said before Mike Matusow chimed in from the rail.
"Want to do a last longer, you fish?" Esfandiari replied with a big smile on the face and announced the shuffle up and deal shortly after.
Esfandiari enters Day 5 with 2,583,000 in chips, good enough for 108 big blinds in the first level of the day.
Yori EpskampThree-time Super Bowl winner Richard Seymour made it to Day 5
Over the course of three starting days, two Day 2s, and two more full days following that, a field 8,569 players in the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event has been whittled down to its last 354 hopefuls. Making it to Day 5 of the richest poker tournament on the planet has already guaranteed everyone $34,845, but with the stakes at its highest, the battle for a spot among the final nine and a payday of at least $1,000,000 and, ultimately, the top prize of $10,000,000, is just beginning.
One thing is for certain, there will be a new world champion of poker crowned when all is said and done. Yesterday, the three former world champions left - Chris Moneymaker, Qui Nguyen, and Johnny Chan - were all eliminated, paving the way for a new player to claim poker's most coveted prize.
The one currently holds the lead in the race for that distinctive honor is 888poker Qualifier Dean Morrone, who bagged 4,980,000, over 200 big blinds, on Day 4. The Canadian is followed by Lars Bonding (4,040,0000) of Denmark, Michael Messick (3,925,000) of the United States, and Warwick Mirzikinian (3,900,000) of Australia to make it an international affair at the top. Danish players appear once more in the top 10, as super high roller Henrik Hecklen (3,862,000) rounds out the top five.
Antonio Esfandiari will be in action on Day 5 of the 2019 WSOP Main Event
Plenty of notables will be back in action on Day 5 as well, with Andrew Brokos returning with a top 10 stack for the third day in a row with 3,518,000. Others such as Preben Stokkan (2,900,000), former New England Patriots defensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl winner Richard Seymour (2,750,000, lead photo), Big One for One Drop champ and poker icon Antonio Esfandiari (2,583,000), Craig McCorkell (2,580,000), the son of 2005 World Champion Joe Hachem Daniel Hachem (2,450,000), Romain Lewis (2,368,000), and Dario Sammartino (2,302,000) are all still hoping that this year is 'their' year.
Todd Brunson (1,151,000), Mike Matusow (726,000), and 2013 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jay Farber (436,000) will also be back on Day 5, while Allen Kessler, who finally got the monkey off his back by making his first-ever cash in sixteen WSOP Main Events (after cashing last year's WSOPE Main Event as well), will return as one of the shortest stacks in the room with 240,000 in chips.
Top 10 Chip Counts After 2019 WSOP Main Event Day 4
#
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Dean Morrone
Canada
4,980,000
208
2
Lars Bonding
Denmark
4,040,000
168
3
Michael Messick
United States
3,925,000
164
4
Warwick Mirzikinian
Australia
3,900,000
163
5
Henrik Hecklen
Denmark
3,862,000
161
6
Mihai Manole
Romania
3,781,000
158
7
Robert Heidorn
United Kingdom
3,700,000
154
8
Sean Mills
United Kingdom
3,692,000
154
9
Christopher Wynkoop
United States
3,563,700
148
10
Andrew Brokos
United States
3,518,000
147
Day 5 Schedule
The plan for Day 5 allows for 5 to 6 levels to be played and will be decided as play progresses throughout the day, making several parts of the following schedule TBD. Cards will be back in the air at noon in Level 21, with blinds at 12,000/24,000, and there will be a 75-minute break at 3:15 p.m., which is approximately 55 minutes into Level 22. There will also be a 30-minute break 90 minutes into Level 23.
Live streaming on ESPN will be from 5-8 p.m. and on ESPN2 from 8:30-11 p.m.
Level
Duration
Small Blind
Big Blind
Ante
21
120 minutes
12,000
24,000
24,000
15/20-minute break
22
55 minutes
15,000
30,000
30,000
75-minute break
22
65 minutes
15,000
30,000
30,000
15/20-minute break (TBD)
23
90 minutes
20,000
40,000
40,000
30-minute break
23
30 minutes
20,000
40,000
40,000
24
120 minutes
25,000
50,000
50,000
15/20-minute break (TBD)
25
120 minutes
30,000
60,000
60,000
15/20-minute break (TBD)
26
TBD
40,000
80,000
80,000
The 2019 WSOP Main Event in Numbers
Day
Players Starting
Players Late Regging
Players Total for Day
Players Total Cumulative
Players Surviving
1a
1,334
-
1,334
1,334
962
1b
1,914
-
1,914
3,248
1,421
1c
4,877
-
4,877
8,125
3,664
2ab
2,383
100
2,483
8,225
1,087
2c
3,664
344
4,008
8,569
1,793
3
2,880
-
2,880
8,569
1,286
4
1,286
-
1,286
8,569
354
Payouts
The 354 remaining players have all guaranteed themselves at least $34,845 for their efforts. Here's what's being paid out today and in the upcoming days. The new world champion, crowned on Tuesday, July 16, will walk away $10 million richer.
Place
Payout
Place
Payout
Place
Payout
Place
Payout
1
$10,000,000
10-11
$800,000
64-72
$117,710
415-477
$30,780
2
$6,000,000
12-13
$600,000
73-81
$98,120
478-540
$27,390
3
$4,000,000
14-15
$500,000
82-90
$82,365
541-603
$24,560
4
$3,000,000
16-18
$400,000
91-99
$69,636
604-666
$22,190
5
$2,200,000
19-27
$324,650
100-162
$59,295
667-765
$20,200
6
$1,850,000
28-36
$261,430
163-225
$50,855
766-864
$18,535
7
$1,525,000
37-45
$211,945
226-288
$43,935
865-963
$17,135
8
$1,250,000
46-54
$173,015
289-351
$38,240
964-1062
$15,970
9
$1,000,000
55-63
$142,215
352-414
$34,845
1063-1286
$15,000
The PokerNews live reporting team will be swinging right back into the action in the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada very soon, so make sure to check back regularly for updates from Day 5 of the 2019 WSOP Main Event.