Mark Seif Stacks Big on Day 2 of the Seniors Championship
Event #46: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em Seniors Championship at the 2024 World Series of Poker, kicked off Day 2 with 1,558 players returning to the tables at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. This marked a significant turnout from the initial 7,954 entries, resulting in a staggering prize pool of $6,999,520. The competition will intensify as players vie for the top prize of $677,326 and the prestigious gold bracelet.
The day saw rapid eliminations after the bubble burst around the four-hour mark, with 208 players advancing to Day 3 after ten intense levels of play. Leading the pack is Canada's Nathan Henry, with an impressive stack of 2,900,000 chips. Notably, two-time bracelet winner Mark Seif also secured a substantial stack of 2,300,000 chips, alongside Thomas Ferguson with 2,185,000 chips.
End of Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Henry | Canada | 2,900,000 | 116 |
| 2 | Marc Wolpert | United States | 2,350,000 | 94 |
| 3 | Mark Seif | United States | 2,300,000 | 92 |
| 4 | Danny Panagatos | United States | 2,205,000 | 88 |
| 5 | Thomas Ferguson | United States | 2,185,000 | 87 |
| 6 | Mikey Wangh | United States | 2,130,000 | 85 |
| 7 | Sean Downs | United States | 2,015,000 | 81 |
| 8 | Federico Sturzenegger | United States | 1,870,000 | 75 |
| 9 | Rafael Benami | Israel | 1,825,000 | 73 |
| 10 | Ken Harbaugh | United States | 1,825,000 | 73 |
Among the notable survivors are Swedish bracelet winner Magnus Edengren (1,700,000 chips), Greg "Fossilman" Raymer (615,000 chips), and Main Event finalist Scott Lazar (530,000 chips). Jennifer Frankenstein (770,000 chips) and her husband Brian Harris (335,000 chips) also stand out as a unique duo advancing to Day 3. Of note is John Clifford, who managed go from a measly 41,000 at the start of play to finish Day 2 with 840,000.
Sam Kobrinsky, at 94 years old, defied expectations and amused onlookers with his sharp wit and poker prowess, attributing his clarity, with humorous nod, towards Jack Daniels. One memorable hand for Kobrinsky is where he doubled up with jack-ten suited.
While some notable players fell short, others like John Spadavecchia (262th - $4,292), Alan Goehring (290th - $3,783), Matt Glantz (369th - $3,361),Lou Diamond Phillips (439th - $3,010), Sam Farha (564th - $2,474), Anthony Kastelic (575th - $2,474), Allen Kessler (629th - $2,270), John Hennigan (827th -$2,000), Mike Matusow (894th -$2,000), Andy Black (925th - $2,000) and Massoud Eskandari (1,045th - $2,000) all secured cash prizes for their efforts.
Action resumes Friday, June 21, at 11:00 a.m. local time, promising another thrilling day of poker with scheduled breaks and escalating blinds, and will continue for ten levels. There will be a 15-minute break after every two levels, and a dinner break is scheduled after Level 17 at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time. The starting level will be 22 with 10,000/25,000 and a 25,000 big blind ante.
For live updates straight from the tournament floor, stay tuned to PokerNews for comprehensive coverage of the $1,000 Seniors Championship.