Want the latest news and gossip emanating from the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas? Here's where it's at.
Today in the 3-Bet we find Phil Ivey's 2014 WSOP bracelet window closing quickly, Brandon Shack-Harris quietly putting together a dominant summer at the felt and an everyday hustla meets a cupcake empressario for WSOP gold.
1) Ivey Busts $50k, Bracelet Window Closing
Heading into the summer the big-tiime debate on everyone's lips was the bracelet bet offered by Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey.
Odds were simple: Even money. Negreanu or Ivey win a bracelet, they win. They don't, you win.
Opinion seemed to be split which side was the favorite heading in. One the one hand, winning bracelets is H-A-R-D. On the other, it's Phil f'in Ivey and Daniel Negreanu.
Those who took the "nay" side are feeling pretty good about their bets now, though, with 45 events in the books and Ivey now on the rail in the $50k Player's Championship.
There's still the $1m Big One, and more or less 20 events both of them have a legit shot at winning. And again: it's Phil f'in Ivey.
But the window is closing. Numbers for the bet are of course undisclosed but rumors put it at around $250k on line.
Which, we know, is just a couple hours at the Baccarat tables. But still.
2) Brandon Shack-Harris Sneaking Up on WSOP POY
So, Brandon Shack-Harris - aka @Oscillator_WSOP - is putting together one very impressive summer at the 2014 WSOP.
While George Danzer has grabbed the headlines for his two bracelets Shack-Harris just continues quietly racking up deep runs.
He got his summer off to a great start with a bracelet of his own in Event #3, $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha.
Since, he's added two more final table near-misses - a second in Event #16, $10k Razz ,and a third in Event #43, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em.
Today he enters Day 4 of the marquee $50k Poker Player's Championship second in chips with just 27 players left.
Right now he sits second to Danzer on the POY leaderboard with 474 points. If he wins the $50k, the lead is his.
Anyway you cut it, though, it's a summer to remember. Check for Shack-Harris' results in the $50k later in our WSOP section.
3) Givens Tops Prada-Moed in Event #45 for $306,634
The thing that's so engaging about the WSOP every year is the perpetual popping up of unanticipated storylines.
A moonlighting doctor wins his first bracelet after 10 years. Two former Magic: The Gathering pros win bracelets in back-to-back events. Dan Heimiller wins the Seniors Event. Things get zoooped up.
Last night it was the finish to Event #45, $1k No-Limit Hold'em, and Will "@Imahustla_1" Givens vs. Angela Prada-Moed for the title.
Givens final-tabled Event #33 just a week ago but despite coming into that one with the chip lead busted in fourth. Prada-Moed, a relatively unheralded part-time pro and cupcake cafe owner, was vying to become just the the second female open-field bracelet winner in 2014.
Not a front-pager, necesarily, but just another example of the varied backstories and subplots you'll find at a poker table and how the WSOP finds a way to pis them against each other with life-changing money on the table.
This time Colorado pro Givens won out, defeating Prada-Moed heads-up and taking home the bracelet and $306,364. Despite the runner-up finish Prada-Moed still took home her career best score of $189,632.
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