Welcome to Day 1 of Event #56: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
The 2022 World Series of Poker at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas is slowly gearing up for the showcase $10,000 Main Event and the next major highlight on the schedule begins today. Considered to be the Main Event for all mixed game enthusiasts, the $50,000 Poker Players Championship is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. local time and will certainly gather some of the biggest names in the world of poker.
It has been running ever since Chip Reese won the first edition of the prestigious championship back in 2006 and consistently attracts a star-studded field. During the first four editions, the $50,000 Poker Players Championship featured a H.O.R.S.E. game rotation and has since seen several changes to the variants included.
The renowned event is current played in a nine-game format that rotates evenly between 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, No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw, and 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw.
Defending champion of the high-stakes mixed game contest is Dan Cates who came out on top of a 63-entry strong field to become the latest PPC champion and had his name engraved on the Chip Reese Memorial Trophy — a tradition since 2008 following Reese's untimely passing.
The list of former champions is a "who's who" of the live poker circuit and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi won the title three times, which is widely considered to be one of the most notable achievements in the history of the WSOP. Besides Mizrachi, only Brian Rast won the title more than once after he triumphed in 2011 and 2016 respectively.
Previous Poker Players Championship Results
| Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63 | $3,016,125 | Dan Cates | $954,020 |
| 2019 | 74 | $3,552,000 | Phil Hui | $1,099,311 |
| 2018 | 87 | $4,176,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,239,126 |
| 2017 | 100 | $4,800,000 | Elior Sion | $1,395,767 |
| 2016 | 91 | $4,176,000 | Brian Rast | $1,296,097 |
| 2015 | 84 | $3,696,000 | Mike Gorodinsky | $1,270,086 |
| 2014 | 102 | $4,896,000 | John Hennigan | $1,517,767 |
| 2013 | 132 | $6,336,000 | Matthew Ashton | $1,774,089 |
| 2012 | 108 | $5,184,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,451,527 |
| 2011 | 128 | $6,144,000 | Brian Rast | $1,720,328 |
| 2010 | 116 | $5,568,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,559,046 |
| 2009 | 95 | $4,560,000 | David Bach | $1,276,806 |
| 2008 | 148 | $7,104,000 | Scotty Nguyen | $1,989,120 |
| 2007 | 148 | $7,104,000 | Freddy Deeb | $2,276,832 |
| 2006 | 143 | $6,864,000 | Chip Reese | $1,716,000 |
The five-day tournament will be played on six-handed tables throughout the entire contest and will combine to an unofficial final table once only seven contenders remain. All contestants will receive 300,000 in chips to start and reentries are not possible (freeze out format).
All levels during the tournament will last 100 minutes each and players will get 15-minute breaks after every level. While Day 1 concludes after the end of level six, late registration remains open until the start of level 11 at approximately 10:20 p.m. on Monday, June 27.
Among those to win their seats in one of the available satellites are Shaun Deeb, Patrick Leonard and Ismael Bojang. They will be surrounded by mixed game specialists from all over the world in pursuit of one of live poker's pinnacle tournaments.
With the strong turnout for all mixed game tournaments during the 2022 WSOP in its new home at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas, it wouldn't be a surprise to see yet another stellar attendance emerge within the next two days. Be sure to follow along right here on PokerNews for live coverage of this prestigious event as the journey to crown the next Poker Players Champion begins!