Photo Caption: Joseph Cheong (right) and Aubin Cazals (left) discuss postponement of the No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max late on Sunday night, following a record-setting heads-up semi-final match (Cazals versus Warwick Mirzikinian) that lasted 9 hours and 25 minutes. The two players agreed to return for the heads-up finale, which will begin Monday at noon. To see more photos from the 2012 WSOP, please visit the official WSOP PHOTO BLOG.
DAILY HEADLINES
Heads-Up Duration Record Smashed – Mixed-Max Semi-Final between Aubin Cazals and Warwick
Mirzikinian Runs Unprecedented 9 Hours and 25 Minutes
Finalists Aubin Cazals and Joseph Cheong Scheduled to Return Monday at Noon
71-Year-Old Alabaman Herbert Tapscott Wins Largest Omaha High-Low Tournament in Poker History
American Players Now a Perfect Seven for Seven in Gold Bracelet Events
$1,500 Buy-In No-Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry) Draws 3,404 Players – Biggest Number in Four Years
Seven-Card Stud World Championship Begins – Former “WSOP Player of the Year” Frank Kassela Among Leaders After Day One
Seven-Card Stud Championship Attendance Up from Last Year
"MIXED MAX" MAKES HISTORY (WITH AN ASTERISK)
When Aubin Cazals sat down with Warwick Mirzikinian at 1 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, he had no idea he was taking the first step of what would turn out to be a record-breaking journey.
One hour went by. Then, two. Then, three, and four. By 8 pm players and spectators began buzzing with questions about the longest heads-up match in tournament poker history. Their answer was -- 7 hours and 6 minutes. That’s the precise amount of time it took for David “Chip” Reese to defeat Andy Bloch in the final stage of the $50,000 buy-in Poker Player Championship, held six years ago.
By 10 pm, everyone inside the tournament arena -- and a worldwide audience following the action online -- knew they were witnessing something that had never happened before. As things turned out, seven hours was a mere sprint compared to the brain-bashing 9-hour and 25-minute marathon death match that took place in the Amazon Room at the Rio in Las Vegas. By the time Cazals finally extinguished the hopes of a most tenacious opponent, players, spectators, and even staff, were camped around the final table like a late night marshmallow roast.
Mirzikinian, from Australia, ended up as the toasted marshmallow. All those grueling decisions, all that thinking and re-thinking, all that careful planning and contemplation wiped out in a futile session that would have had the exact same financial consequences had he busted out on the first hand, instead of the 350th — some nine hours earlier. Poor Mirzikian could have had lunch, watched a movie, had a five-course dinner, and then seen a Vegas show for the amount of time he invested in what turnout out to be wasted, albeit, gallant effort.
Worse, Mirzikinian won’t actually get any “official” credit for being fodder on the sacrificial altar of poker history. Since the semi-final was not actually the “heads-up” stage of the tournament (which means between the last two players competing for a gold bracelet), the quasi-record setting match will carry an asterisk.
Monday at noon, the final two players – Aubin Cazals and Joseph Cheong -- are scheduled to return to the Rio and start all over again. Given the bottomless chip counts and generous blind structures, already there is talk that Monday’s match could eclipse the duration of the previous day.
No matter that happens, one thing for sure. Aubin Cazals – now entering his fifth punishing day in a row -- is going to get his poker fix in spades.
NOTE: The finale of the $5,000 buy-in NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM MIXED MAX begins Monday at noon. Cazals faces Cheong on the ESPN Main Stage. $480,564 and a WSOP gold bracelet will go to the winner.
THE WSOP TODAY
9:00 AM
The first tournament of the day is a $75 buy-in TURBO MEGA-SATELLITE.
NOON
EVENT #6, the $5,000 buy-in NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM MIXED MATCH tournament continues with the (unscheduled) play of Day Five. Today session begins with Aubin Cazals versus Joseph Cheong in the heads-up finale. It will stream live on WSOP.com with Dave Tuchman (@Tuckonsports) announcing.
EVENT #11 is a $1,500 buy-in POT-LIMIT OMAHA tournament. Registration will be open for the first four levels of play (plus two 20-minute breaks). This means registration will close at approximately 4:40 pm. Action will take place inside Brasilia. The Pavilion White and Black sections will be used for overflow. There will be a 90-minute dinner break -- expected to take place between 6:40 and 8:10. This is a three-day event.
EVENT #11 players are expected to play 10 levels, with action concluding around 12:40 am. Surviving players resume play on Tuesday at 1 pm for Day Two.
EVENT #11 UPDATES can be followed at WSOP.com. Coverage includes almost-live chip counts as well as written updates supplied from the tournament floor by our friends at PokerNews.com.
The official Structure Sheet for EVENT #11 can be viewed HERE.
1:00 PM
EVENT #9 (actually 9A and 9B), the $1,500 buy-in NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament continues with the play of Day Two. Today’s session begins with the survivors from the first two playing sessions, which took place on Saturday and Sunday. There are 514 players remaining. Action will take place inside Amazon, with overflow assigned to the Pavilion White and Black sections.
2:00 PM
EVENT #10, the $5,000 buy-in SEVEN-CARD STUD tournament continues with the play of Day Two. There are 91 survivors who will return for today’s action, with Bryn Kenney atop the leaderboard. Play will take place inside Amazon. Dinner break is expected to take place around 7:40 and will last one hour.
The first daily DEEP STACK NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament begins. The entry fee is $235. Registration is open for four (30 minute) levels, plus one break – which means until about 4:20 pm.
2:20 PM
Today’s gold bracelet ceremony includes the presentation of poker’s ultimate prize to the latest poker champion. Herbert Tapscott, from Decatur, AL will take the stage and collect his jewelry for his victory in Event #8, the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split tournament. The official WSOP gold bracelet ceremony takes place inside Brasilia, on the main stage. Media and the public may take photos and video of the ceremony – which includes a gold bracelet presentation, the playing of the national anthem of the winner’s country, and optional remarks from each champion. The ceremony takes place at the end of the first break of the noon tournament.
4:00 PM
The first MEGA-SATELLITE begins. The entry fee is $330.
6:00 PM
The second DEEP STACK NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament begins. The entry fee is $185. Registration is open for four (30 minute) levels, plus one break – which means until about 8:20 pm.
8:00 PM
The second MEGA-SATELLITE of the day begins. The game is SEVEN-CARD STUD, which feeds into EVENT #10. The entry fee is $550.
10:00 PM
The third and final DEEP STACK NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM tournament begins at 10 pm. The entry fee is $135. Registration is open for four (30 minute) levels, plus one break – which means until about 12:20 am.
2:00 AM
All WSOP gold bracelet tournaments end for the night.
WHAT ELSE
Through the conclusion of seven gold bracelet events, Americans are now seven for seven in wins. This is a bit unusual, since most WSOPs in the past few years have begun with a frenzy of players from other nations seizing the gold in early events. In 2012, all seven of the first champions (to date) have been from the United States. However, three of the winners were born outside the U.S.
Cash game action continues to expand and is now close to the height of number of games from last year. This means, in coming weeks, the number of cash games is likely to surpass the busiest times at last year’s WSOP. There are 82 poker tables dedicated to cash games inside Pavilion, plus an additional 14 poker tables dedicated to cash games inside the Rio (Main Casino). Right now, the most popular game spread is $1-3 No-Limit Hold'em. However, games of virtually all limits are being spread – including a monster-sized $500-$1,000 blind Pot-Limit Omaha game.
Single-table satellites are being held 24/7 inside the Pavilion. All satellite winners receive $500 buy-in tournament chips.
THE WSOP YESTERDAY
Herbert Tapscott, from Decatur, AL won EVENT #8, the $1,500 buy-in OMAHA HIGH-LOW SPLIT tournament. He collected his first gold bracelet. First place amounted to $254,400.
The NEWS FLASH of Herbert Tapscott’s victory can be seen here.
Among those who made deep runs in EVENT #8 were former gold bracelet winners Gavin Griffin (2nd), Allen Bari (15th), Dutch Boyd (18th), Daniel Negreanu (45th), Phil Hellmuth (52nd), Todd Brunson (61st), David Bakes Baker (63rd), Matt Hawrilenko (65th), Jeff Madsen (80th), Men “the Master” Nguyen (99th). Final results can be viewed HERE.
Eleven-time gold bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth cashed for second time this year, and 88th time in his career, which stands as the all-time lead in that category.
Seven-time gold bracelet winner Men “the Master” Nguyen cashed – his 74th time in-the-money at the WSOP. He currently ranks second to Hellmuth in that category.
On Day One, in EVENT #9, the $1,500 buy-in NO-LIMIT HOLD’EM (RE-ENTRY) tournament, played from 3,404 (combined) starters down to 514 survivors. Giorgio Medici currently leads the pack. Remaining players and chip counts can be viewed HERE.
EVENT #9 entries totaled 3,404 players – the largest field size for such an event in four years. The prize pool amounts to $4,595,400. The top 342 finishers will collect prize money. The winner will collect a whopping $781,398 plus a WSOP gold bracelet.
On Day One, in EVENT #10, the $5,000 buy-in SEVEN-CARD STUD tournament, played from 145 starters down to 91 survivors. Bryn Kenney currently leads the pack. Remaining players and chip counts can be viewed HERE.
EVENT #10 entries totaled 145 players. The prize pool amounts to $681,500. The top 16 finishers will collect prize money. The winner will collect $190,826 plus a WSOP gold bracelet.
* Please note that all listed times are estimates and subject to change
-- by Nolan Dalla