WSOPC Event #11: $1,700 MAIN EVENT

Day 3 of the 2015 World Series of Poker had a different feel than the first few days. There was a buzz in the air, a palpable excitement, as each of the 1,796 players who returned to the felt were within reach of making the money.

By dinner, 1,051 players remained, and the players reached the money bubble shortly after returning from dinner break. Tournament staff paused play with exactly 1,002 players remaining. This is the first time in the history of the WSOP Main Event there were this many players on the bubble. For the first time ever, this year the World Series guaranteed that the top 1,000 players would be paid, regardless of how many people entered the event.

The 1,002 players began hand-for-hand play. There were no eliminations on the first hand, but on the second there were two. Jonas Lauck busted out when his top pair ran into a straight. At another table, Roy Daoud got all in preflop with pocket    against   . Unfortunately for Daoud, the board ran out with two high pair, counterfeiting his fives, and his opponent won the hand with a seven kicker.

Roy Daoud was eliminated on the bubble, but receives a free entry into the 2016 Main Event

It has become traditional at the Main Event for the bubble boy to be awarded a seat into next year’s tournament. Lauck and Daoud engaged in a high-card contest to see which would receive the $10,000 entry as a consolation prize. Daoud drew the  , and Lauck got the  . Roy Daoud, this year’s official bubble boy, is in many ways an embodiment of the global nature of the World Series of Poker. He was born in Lebanon, raised in Canada, and now lives in Dubai. And he’ll be back in Vegas a year from now for the 2016 WSOP Main Event.

After the bubble burst, all 1,000 remaining players were guaranteed a payout of at least $15,000. Up to date results are available here.

At the beginning of the day, many players felt like making the money was within their reach. Now, at the end of Day 3, 661 players remain (just over 10% of the starting field), and players are just a few days away from potentially reaching the November Nine.

Amar Anand began and ended Day 3 with the chip lead

The chip leader heading into Day 4 will be Amar Anand, who now holds that honor for the second day in a row. Anand bagged 1,139,500. He’s followed by Joseph McKeehen (1,052,000), Brian Hastings (1,034,500), and Fedor Holz, who just barely missed the million chip-mark with 994,000.

There are also still five Main Event champions still alive, leaving open the possibility of a repeat winner. Jim Bechtel has the most chips of the group, coming back tomorrow with 575,000. Joe Hachem returns with 414,500, and they’re joined by Phil Hellmuth (170,500), Ryan Riess (143,500), and Jonathan Duhamel (53,000), who already has a seven-figure payout this summer after winning the $111,111 One Drop High Roller event.

Play resumes at noon on Saturday, as the 661 remaining players continuing their pursuit of the most prized trophy in poker, the WSOP Main Event bracelet, and the $7,680,021 first-place prize that comes with it.