Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:25 AM Local Time
A star-studded field of 422 players in the $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event has been narrowed to 171, but many notable players are advancing to Day 2 with their eyes on the $466,120 first place prize and a WSOP bracelet.
A grueling ten levels of play, which started at 4 p.m. Wednesday, ended around 3 a.m. Thursday with Darryl Ronconi as the chip leader with 211,100. Ronconi has 12 WSOP cashes to his name, totaling more than $900,000.
Close behind Ronconi are Ludovic Geilich with 194,000 and Joe Ebanks with 182,000.
Former Main Event champions Greg Merson and Martin Jacobson remain in contention with above average stacks. Also returning for Day 2 will be Joseph Cheong, Brian Rast, Jonathan Jaffe, Eddy Sabat, Jay Farber, Antonio Esfandiari, and Phil Hellmuth.
Day 1 saw the likes of Allen Kessler, Jason Mercier, Carlos Mortensen, Erik Seidel, and JC Tran take an early exit from Event #2. David Miscikowski, last year's champion in this event, also busted midway through Day 1.
Former NFL defensive lineman Richard Seymour came within one level of advancing to Day 2. The ex-New England Patriot and Oakland Raider left the Amazon Room shortly after the beginning of Level 10.
This event, which will pay 45 places, is scheduled over four days. Players will return to the Amazon Room Thursday at 2 p.m. to play another ten levels. Play is set to begin at 600/1,200 with a 200 ante.
A complete list of the outstanding Event #2 results will be posted in the 'Results' tab above. Live updates throughout Day 2 will be available on WSOP.com.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:15 AM Local Time
The clock has struck zero, and the day is done. Stay tuned for a recap of the action.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:10 AM Local Time
Following a bet of 11,300 from John Gale on a board, Greg Merson raises the action to 42,000 which is enough to have Gale fold and move Merson up to 82,000.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:09 AM Local Time
Barry Hutter had Calvin Anderson's number in this last level. On a board of , Hutter lead out with 37,000, which was enough to put Anderson all in. Anderson mucked, but on the very next hand he held on a 10-high board which was no good against Hutter's .
Hutter now sits with 135,000.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:01 AM Local Time
The clock is paused with ten minutes remaining in Day 1, and a card is drawn from the deck. It's a three, so each table will play that many hands before bagging and tagging for the night.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:52 AM Local Time
The Magician finds himself all in preflop holding versus the of Jeremy Wien. The board runs out and Esfandiari now sits with 50,000.Wien drops to 62,000.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:33 AM Local Time
Amit Makhija opens to 2,200 in middle position, and Christian Harder calls in the next seat over. Around on the button, the gentleman there squeezes in a reraise to 5,200, committing about 40% of his remaining stack to the pot. Makhija folds out of the way, and Harder considers for a long while before four-betting to 12,200. The button moves in for 12,500 total, Harder calls, and the cards are turned up.
Harder:
Button:
The board comes , securing the double for the button.
Christian Harder - 69,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:20 AM Local Time
Ryan Riess opens with a raise under the gun, and the player behind him calls all in for 1,900 total. When the action folds to Jason Koon's small blind, he squeezes all in for just less than 20,000 total. Riess folds.
"I have two red nines," Koon announces.
"I have two overcards," comes the reply from across the table. "Both red."
Koon tables his , and his opponent does the same with his .
"Oh, just give him the chips," Koon shakes his head. "That hand has never lost on the internet."
Live poker is not the internet, though, and the ends all the drama two cards early. The turn is the and the river the , and Koon has earned the knockout.
Jason Koon - 23,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:16 AM Local Time
Richard Seymour's run today has come to an end as his did not hold against the of Oliver Price.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:13 AM Local Time
Level: 10
Blinds: 500/1000
Ante: 100
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:11 AM Local Time
Phil Hellmuth has been active since the last break, but he recently made a laydown that keeps his tournament alive.
Seeing a flop of , Brazilian Luis Duarte bets 6,100 into Hellmuth, who sits in the cutoff. Hellmuth calls and the falls on the turn.
After both players check the turn, the river comes and, after a little hesitation, Duarte moves all in, which covers Hellmuth's remaining 26,000.
As Hellmuth ponders his options, he apologizes to the table for taking a while and says Duarte's accent leads him to believe he is a tricky player.
"If you didn't have an accent, I would've folded a long time ago," Hellmuth said.
Finally, Hellmuth folds and Duarte shows . Knowing he made the right move, Hellmuth, in good spirits, shakes Duarte's hand.
Luis Duarte - 63,000
Phil Hellmuth - 26,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 2:04 AM Local Time
Martin Jacobson checks to Dan O'Brien on a board reading . O'Brien then bets 8,000 only to be check-raised to 25,000 total by Jacobson. After some thought, O'Brien calls and the is dealt on the river. Both players check and Jacobson takes down the 70,000 chip pot with to move to 120,000. O'Brien falls to 50,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 1:45 AM Local Time
A middle position player raises to 2,000 before being three-bet by the cutoff to 5,500. Faraz Jaka sits in the big blind and four-bets to 16,300 causing both players to fold. Jaka now sits with close to 100,000.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 1:26 AM Local Time
Actions folds around to Scott Baumstein in the cutoff who opens for a raise to 1,700. Hellmuth calls on the button and the big blind also tags along.
The dealer spreads the flop and the action checks through to the turn. The action again checks through as all three players see the free hit the river. The big blind quickly checks for a third time, as well as Baumstein.
Hellmuth leans forward in his chair and pushes forward a bet of 4,300. The big blind quickly folds and Baumstein thinks over the decision.
"I'll show you this one" Hellmuth says as he turns towards Baumstein.
Baumstein counts out a call in his hand and nearly folds three times. After a few more moments of deciding what to do, Baumstein calls.
"Nuts" says Hellmuth as he rolls over . Baumstein just shakes his head as he snaps chips in his hand, eventually tossing his cards into the muck.
Hellmuth - 33,000
Baumstein - 98,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 1:25 AM Local Time
The cutoff opens to 1,800, and Scott Baumstein three-bets to 4,200 from the button. In the small blind, Phil Hellmuth rips one of his earbuds out, then digs for his reading glasses so he can better see what's what. He cuts down his stack, eyeballing the 19,700 chips he has before verbally moving all in.
The cutoff folds quickly, but Baumstein needs some time to think. At this point, Doc Sands walks up to the table and starts chatting with Hellmuth.
"They're four-bet folding to you?"
"Two-bet," Hellmuth points at the opener. "Three-bet," pointing at Baumstein. "And then four-bet ship it, baby," he finishes with a point to himself. Sands acknowledges, and Hellmuth's attention turns back to Baumstein.
"Nines or tens?" Hellmuth asks. "Makes a big difference." After another moment, he continues, "Maybe I'm just tilted and shoved with, like ace-deuce or something."
A minute or so later, Baumstein surrenders his cards into the muck.
Phil Hellmuth - 27,400
Thursday, May 28, 2015 1:24 AM Local Time
Registration is closed for Event #2, and the big board shows an unofficial total of 422 runners. There are 24 tables left in play, so just about half of the starters still remain.
The official numbers, including the prizepool and payouts, will be available shortly.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 1:09 AM Local Time
Level: 9
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100
Thursday, May 28, 2015 12:59 AM Local Time
Level 8 has expired, and the players are off for their final 15-minute break of Day 1. While they're away, the green 25 chips are being colored up and raced off. This also marks the last opportunity to register for this event.
Thursday, May 28, 2015 12:38 AM Local Time
Eddy Sabat opens to 1,300 under the gun, and a gentleman in middle position three-bet shoves for just about 10,000 total. Sabat calls with the covering stack, turning over . His opponent tables .
The board runs , and Sabat's queens hold to earn him the knockout.
Eddy Sabat - 67,000
Thursday, May 28, 2015 12:33 AM Local Time
After a raise to 12,600 from the button, Brian Hastings moves all of his remaining 30,700 chips into the middle. The button thinks long about this decision before giving up the pot.
Hastings now sits with 50,000.