Wilson Snatches Lead from Madanzhiev with 12 Left in Event #21: $25,000 High Roller
Brandon Wilson's day was book-ended by big pots.
The start-of-day chip leader eliminated Artur Martirosian early, after the Russian started the day third in chips, and was comfortable throughout a Day 2 during which the money bubble burst.
Wilson then ended it with a massive double through Taylor von Kriegenbergh to pip Stoyan Madanzhiev to the overnight chip lead, after Madanzhiev had secured a sensational double of his own through Alex Foxen with three tables remaining.
The 12 players are the survivors from a field of 272 players, generating a prize pool of $6,392,000. They are all guaranteed $79,084 with the winner taking home $1,405,641.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Wilson | United States | 6,130,000 | 77 |
| 2 | Stoyan Madanzhiev | Bulgaria | 6,000,000 | 75 |
| 3 | Michael Rocco | United States | 5,590,000 | 70 |
| 4 | Brek Schutten | United States | 4,305,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Chongxian Yang | China | 3,695,000 | 46 |
| 6 | Ognyan Dimov | Bulgaria | 3,635,000 | 45 |
| 7 | Kevin Rabichow | United States | 3,575,000 | 45 |
| 8 | Masashi Oya | Japan | 3,070,000 | 38 |
| 9 | Tyler Stafman | United States | 2,265,000 | 28 |
| 10 | Taylor von Kriegenbergh | United States | 1,230,000 | 15 |
Just four former bracelet winners remain, with Madanzhiev and Masashi Oya joined by two-time bracelet winners Ognyan Dimov and last-in-chips Justin Saliba.
Day 2 Action
There were plenty of ins and outs over the first hour of the day, with late registration open until the end of the first level. The likes of Shaun Deeb, Scott Seiver and Cary Katz all joined the action, while Daniel Negreanu busted and reentered during the opening hour.
The late flurry finally drew to a close, with the final field confirmed as 272 players, 41 of which would cash. Several players were making moves up the counts, but Wilson still held firm with over three million chips.
As the bubble approached, the big eliminations kept on coming. Both Negreanu and Phil Ivey hit the rail, just like they had done the day before, before Dylan Destefano bubbled in cruel fashion.
On the stone bubble, he got pocket jacks in against the pocket fours of Chongxian Yang, only for a four to appear in the window to give his opponent a set and eliminate DeStefano.
Among the notables to cash in this event were Nick Petrangelo (39th - $50,936), Chance Kornuth (38th - $50,936), Ethan Yau (27th - $53,483) and Erik Seidel (23rd - $64,249).
As the three table redraw approached, it was Brek Schutten who had picked up the chip lead, but the cruelty of poker continued to be on full display. Paul Jager was three-outed twice in quick succession — by the same card no less — to bust in 19th before the elimination of Alex Foxen saw Stoyan Madanzhiev soar into the lead.
Foxen six-bet shoved ace-five offsuit into the Bulgarian, only to come off second-best against Big Slick and bust in 18th place.
This confrontation saw Madanzhiev move comfortably into the lead but there were plenty waiting in the wings with less than two levels to go in the day. Brek Schutten notched two eliminations in that period, with Michael Rocco also making a late surge.
However, it was Wilson who regained the chip lead he started with, rivering a flush to crack the pocket pair of Von Kriegenbergh just as players were bagging, and it will be Wilson who leads the final twelve into Day 3.
The High Roller resumes at 12 p.m. local time on Saturday, June 8, and will play down to a winner. Follow along with all the action from the 2024 WSOP with PokerNews.