Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth are neck-and-neck and deep in contention in Event 15, $5k Stud Hi-Lo, drawing the eyes of the media and virtually everyone else.
With just 19 players left, both Ivey and Hellmuth are in solid chip positions and well within reach of the final table, ready to chase down bracelets #9 and #12 respectively.
In other ongoing events, Jeff Madsen and Layne Flack are in the final 12 of the $1,500 Shootout and Nick Maimone leads the $1,500 Six-Max after Day 1.
Ivey, Hellmuth in Top 7 of $5k Stud with 19 Remaining
There’s just something about Phil Ivey and Phil Hellmuth winning WSOP bracelets that never gets old.
No matter the event or the circumstances, if either Ivey or Hellmuth gets deep in a WSOP event, the air in the Rio shifts a little.
Crowds start to drift over, players crane their necks from their tables and a general buzz starts to take over the room.
It happened again last night as the two went deep in Event 15, $5k Stud Hi-Lo, and wrapped the night in sixth and seventh place, respectively, with just 19 players remaining.
Ivey is slightly ahead in chips with 234,000 to Hellmuth’s 233,000 but both are safely in the top 10 and within striking distance of the leaders.
Those leaders happen to be Adam Freidman, a long-time WSOP grinder, with 323,500 and two-time bracelet winner John Monnette with 314,500.
Bryn Kenney is in the top 10 as well while Todd Brunson, Eli Elezra and Allen Bari are also still alive.
Day 3 action is set to resume at 2 pm in Las Vegas with play going all the way down to a winner.
Once the final table of nine is reached action will be streamed live on WSOP.com
The top 10 and chip counts:
1. Adam Friedman 323,5002. John Monnette 314,5003. Brian Twete 284,5004. Sven Arntzen 273,5005. Nikolai Yakovenko 256,5006. Phil Ivey 234,0007. Phil Hellmuth 233,0008. Bryn Kenney 162,0009. Jesse Martin 150,00010. Alexander Krapivinsky 146,000Arsht Wins First Career Bracelet in $1,500 Limit Hold’em
They say poker is game for the young these days but 66-year-old David Arsht proved there was still a little life left in the tank for the old guys yesterday.
Arsht, a doctor, pulled away from the final 25 after 11 hours of play in Event 15, $1,500 Limit Hold’em, to earn his first career bracelet.
Arsht took home $211,921 for the win while Steven Hung took $130,903 for runner-up.
Al “Sugar Bear” Barbieri, the most well known name at the final table, finished third for $84,388.
Lori Kirgan, the fifth female player to make an open final table so far this year, was the first player to bust in ninth.
The final nine and payouts:
1. David Arsht $211,9212. Steven Hung $130,9033. Al "Sugar Bear" Barbieri $84,3884. Donald Auger $61,8205. Glenn Englenert $45,9536. Ben Landowski $34,6207. Jeff Weiss $26,4018. Alex Queen $20,3709. Lori Kirgan $15,886Madsen, Flack Marquee Names in Shootout Final 12
2006 WSOP Player of the Year Jeff Madsen and back-to-back bracelet winner Layne Flack both earned spots in the final 12 of Event 14, $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout by winning their tables yesterday.
Madsen, who also turned 27 yesterday, had to battle through one of the toughest tables in the room with David “Doc” Sands, Lauren Kling, Joe Cada and Randal Flowers all at his table, but some run good at the right time helped him through.
Flack, for his part, used a steady diet of Coors to keep his spirts up before finally defeating Casey Jarzabek to earn his ticket to the final 12.
They’re not the only experienced pros to make it however as Brandon Steven, Brandon Schaefer, Jarred Solomon, Dylan Horton and Justin Schwartz will join them.
Play will pick up again six-handed on two tables to narrow the field down to 10 before they’ll be joined into one final table.
Action resumes at 1 pm from the Rio in Las Vegas with live streaming of the final table available on WSOP.com.
Maimone, Radoja, Matros Off to Good Start in $1,500 Six-Max
The high action Event 16, $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Max, got off to a quick start yesterday with 1,600 entrants whittled down to just 137 remaining at the end of the day.
Leading the feld is Nick Maimone with 175,900 with WSOP bracelet winner Mark Radoja close behind with 172,500.
Fellow bracelet holder Matt Matros also had a strong showing, bagging up 118,700 to end the day fifth in the chip counts.
Pros Sam Grafton, Tristan Wade, Frank Kassela, James Akenhead, Chino Rheem, Adam Junglen, Matt Glantz, Andy Frankenberger and Mike Matusow are also still alive.
Viktor "Isildur1" Blom earned his first cash of the Series but busted out in 151st place for just $2,706.
Action resumes at 1 pm at the Rio in Las Vegas and will play down to a final table.
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