Event #50: $1,500 Limit Hold’em Shootout (1,000 player max)

A total of 572 runners came out for Event No. 50, the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout. They were arranged around 64 tables, from which emerged 64 winners all of whom are guaranteed at least $4,350 for this event. "Crazy Mike" Thorpe was the first to win his table. Among those following him into Round 2 were Jean-Robert Bellande, Trai Dang, Greg "FBT" Mueller, David Plastik, Dan Heimiller, David Williams, Juha Helppi, Tom Schneider, and Brock Parker. Finally, about 3:40 a.m. local time, Mario Locicero won the night's final table, and Saturday's eight eight-handed tables were set. The winners of tomorrow's tables will reconvene on Sunday for an eight-handed final table, with the winner earning $194,854 and a WSOP gold bracelet for winning three tables in three days. Join us tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the second round of Event No. 50.

After a long, arduous heads-up battle in which the lead went back and forth, Shawn Buchanan had Craig Boyd all in before the flop holding    against Boyd's   . The flop came    . Boyd was still ahead, and had a flush draw as well. But the turn was the  , giving Buchanan eights. Boyd now needed an ace or club to survive. The river was the  , and Boyd was eliminated. Buchanan becomes the 63rd of the 64 players to make tomorrow's Round 2.

Benjamin Early, Michael Leah, and Brock Parker have all won their matches. Just three more to go.

With the new stakes, the two players at each of our remaining tables should have something like 13-14 big bets between them -- meaning this shouldn't take that long to settle these last seven matches.

Qinghai Pan has just won his table, meaning we have seven tables still ongoing -- all of which are heads up.

Vadim Shlez, Steve Kim, Brian Goddard, Michael Byrne, and Alan Snow have all won their matches.

Antonio Patelidas has knocked out William Erickson. On the final hand, Patelidas raised from the button, and Erickson called with the last of his chips. Patelidas had    and Erickson   . The board came out      , and Patelidas moves on.

Michel Halioua, Clint Keown, Roman Ginzburg, and Andreas Hagen have all made it through. That makes 48 winners thus far tonight. There are just 16 more spots remaining at tomorrow's eight-handed tables.

David Williams knocked out Howard Kahan to win his table. Also, Norman Michaud, Lennart Adam Knost, Keith Ray, Ronald Witteles, Johnny Neckar, and Andreas Hoivold all have moved on to Round 2.

Kind of a big jump from Level 7 (blinds 300/600, limits 600/1,200) to Level 8 (blinds 500/1,000, limits 1,000/2,000). Some of the players, having been absorbed in their heads-up matches for some time, reacted with surprise at the sudden increase in stakes. Greg "FBT" Mueller (who has already advanced to tomorrow's Round 2 and is still here sweating his roommate, Shawn Buchanan), had a ready explanation for the increase: "It's because it's supposed to be over now." There are still 37 matches ongoing.