Sammy Farha Shines on Day 1b of the Seniors Championship
Sammy Farha may be a veteran of the poker world, but he also holds legendary status. The three-time WSOP bracelet winner has rubbed shoulders with some of poker greats and come out on top. Today, in Event #46: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship, part of the 2024 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, Farha didn't quite come out on top but he wasn't far away from doing so.
The WSOP staff are still confirming the exact number of Day 1b entrants, but it was a massive number and will likely ensure the 2024 edition of this popular event is one of the biggest on record. Some 914 players finished the night needing to bag and tag their chips, with Farha's 347,000 placing him fourth on the Day 1b leaderboard. Farha cashed in this event in 2023, and looks dialed in to do the same this year.
End of Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Elliott | Canada | 530,000 | 212 |
| 2 | Stephen Shaw | United States | 407,000 | 163 |
| 3 | John De Klerk | Canada | 365,000 | 146 |
| 4 | Sammy Farha | United States | 347,000 | 139 |
| 5 | Rambo Halpern | United States | 336,500 | 135 |
| 6 | Lawrence Beach | United States | 333,500 | 133 |
| 7 | Burton Rubin | United States | 331,500 | 133 |
| 8 | John Ziebarth | United States | 326,000 | 130 |
| 9 | Jonathan Cheramie | United States | 321,000 | 128 |
| 10 | Jeffrey Mulder | Canada | 317,000 | 127 |
Canada's William Elliott (530,000) is the Day 1b chip leader. Elliott has previous experience in senior events, having cashed in the 2022 edition of the $1,000 Super Seniors. On that occasion, he finished 77th from a field of 2,669; he looks set for another deep run in a 50+ tournament.
The only other players above Farha in the Day 1b chip counts are Stephen Shaw (407,000) and John De Klerk (365,000). Shaw plays in this event most years and boasts three in-the-money finishes.
Others safely through to Day 2 on June 20 include Gary Benson (249,000), Waheed "Wadey" Ashraf (213,500), Yucel "Mad Turk" Eminoglu (182,500), and two-time bracelet winner John Kabbaj (172,000). That quartet returns to the action in the upper echelons of the counts.
Farzad Bonyadi (167,000), $25K Fantasy Draft pick Matt Glantz (122,000), Barry Shulman (93,500), Mike Matusow (80,500), and John Hennigan (80,500) also punched their Day 2 tickets.
That Day 2 shuffles up and deals at 11 a.m. local time on Thursday, with 1,558 players returning to their seats. The prize pool and payouts should become available shortly after play begins. The plan is to play ten hour-long levels, with a 15-minute break every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 17 (around 5:30 p.m. local time).
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