Off to a slow start over the first two events, Events 3 and 4 played down to or near final tables today and when the chips were bagged the star players had their names all over them.
In Event 3, €5,300 Pot-Limit Omaha, Michael Mizrachi, Joe Hachem and Jason Mercier all made the final nine with Mizrachi in the best spot in third overall.
Over in Event #4, €3,250 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout, 20 players won their tables to move on to Day 2 including Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Matt Stout, Faraz Jaka and Mohsin Charania.
Mizrachi Goes for Bracelet #4 in Event 3
A tough list of 25 players was cut to just nine today in the €5,300 PLO with Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi sitting in third overall with 211,500 in chips.
Already with a bracelet in 2012 after taking the $50k Player’s Championship for the second time, Mizrachi is looking to add another WSOPE bracelet to the one he earned in 2011 for four overall.
Leading the chip counts in this one, however, and a major obstacle in Mizrachi’s way is French poker icon Roger Hairabedian.
Hairabedian has recorded cashes dating back to 1999 and with 335,000 in chips has a solid edge heading into play tomorrow.
Joining Mizrachi and Hairabedian at the final table will be three Finns – Ville Mattila, Jussi Ryynanen and Jussi Nevanlinna – along with 2005 WSOP Main Event champ Joe Hachem, Frenchman Michel Abecassis and Americans Jason Mercier and Michael Schwartz.
Mercier, although short-stacked, is coming off a win in the $10k 8-Game event this weekend in the 2012 WCOOP.
First place in this one will pay €142,590; live updates and streaming video coverage will be available on WSOP.com tomorrow starting at noon GMT.
The final nine and chip counts:
1. Roger Hairabedian 335,000 2. Ville Mattila 297,500 3. Michael Mizrachi 211,500 4. Jussi Ryynanen 168,500 5. Joe Hachem 148,000 6. Jussi Nevanlinna 87,000 7. Michel Abecassis 85,500 8. Jason Mercier 75,500 9. Michael Schwartz 48,000
Hellmuth, Negreanu Hunt Bracelets in Shootout
While Mizrachi tracks his fourth bracelet in the PLO event two more notable names will be looking to add to their bracelet counts in Event #4, the €3,250 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout.
Phil Hellmuth, who famously collected his 12th career bracelet at the WSOP this summer, won his heat and will be among the final 20 starting play tomorrow.
According to Hellmuth it's the first Shootout table he's ever won at the WSOP.
Also winning their tables were Daniel Negreanu, Faraz Jaka, Matt Stout, Chance Kornuth, Dan O'Brien, Mohsin Charania, John Monnette and Dominik Nitsche.
Players will return tomorrow and get all the way down to a bracelet. With just 141 players entering, first place is a somewhat low €107,614.
Action picks up from the Majestic Barriere Casino in Cannes around 1 pm GMT with live updates and streaming available at WSOP.com
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