Alex Kunichoff Refuses to Relinquish His Chip Lead Here on Day 2
Entering the second day of play with an overwhelming chip lead, as one of only two seniors with more than 100,000 after Day 1, Alexander Kunichoff has already claimed another 100,000 in short order.
We watched Kunichoff causally call Douglas Baughman's all in shove of 13,000 from the small blind, revealing and hoping his run good would continue.
Baughman held the , and although he was ahead, Kunichoff's live cards put him at risk of elimination.
The flop of kept Baughman out in front with top pair, but Kunichoff had picked up a open-ended straight draw, and the completed his hand.
"I got it," said Kunichoff, standing after the turn put him in the lead. "Practice makes perfect."
The river came , changing nothing, and the native of Houston, Texas notched yet another knockout as he rolls through this Seniors Championship.
Although Jonathan Battaglia Had Trouble Navigating These Halls, He Found His Way Into the Money Here at the Seniors Championship
Jonathan Battaglia likely spent the night restlessly dreaming about today's Seniors Championship, tossing and turning as he contemplated his strategy for this decisive second day of play. Holding a slightly above average stack of 36,700 entering play, Battaglia knew he would have room to maneuver as the payouts approached, but any big confrontations could easily leave him busted before the bubble broke. With a full night to sleep on it, Battaglia woke up refreshed and ready to take his seat here in the Amazon Room, with a shot at a gold WSOP bracelet within grasp... he just couldn't find that seat.
Apparently Battaglia got lost on his way to the Amazon Room, following bad directions for nearly an hour while the Seniors Championship progressed without him. In his absence, his unstacked pile of chips was blinded off, orbit after orbit, with players busting all around his empty seat.
Eventually, Battaglia stumbled upon the right entrance to the right room, finally making his way to Table #441 in the Purple section with just ten minutes or so remaining in the first level. When he started to stack his chips, still a bit flustered after his unexpected excursion into the wilds of the Rio, Battaglia heard his tablemates talking excitedly among themselves.
With realization slowly spreading across his face, Battaglia wondered aloud, "we're in the money?"
Having been outside of the room when the bubble bursting announcement was made, Battaglia had no idea that he had already cashed before looking at a single hand. Although he took an unorthodox route to securing his piece of the prizepool, Battaglia accomplished something nearly 4,000 other seniors did not, and all he had to do was get lost.
T.J. Cloutier Has Bit the Dust Here at the Seniors Championship
Just a few minutes after the announcement was made that the Seniors Championship bubble had been broken, T.J. Cloutier went broke as well.
We missed the action ourselves, but upon noticing the living legend's seat conspicuously empty, we inquired as to Cloutier's whereabouts.
"It was me, I'm the bad guy," said Alan Weiland, informing us that it was he who did the deed. "I open-shoved with , T.J. called me with , and an came on the flop."
After eliminating a six-time bracelet winner, and cashing at the WSOP, Weiland definitely has a few stories to tell when he returns home.
Jim Thomas Only Had Two of These Left When the Bubble Broke
Coming into Day 2 with a stack of only 6,100, Jim Thomas knew it would be a tight squeeze if he hoped to make the money. Just 45 minutes into the first level of play, Thomas hadn't seen a card higher than a , and with no chance to double, his stack had slipped to just 1,100, or less than a single big blind.
With the button being passed around the table slowly but surely, Thomas knew his last two chips would be forced into the middle in just three hands, and he was prepared to meet his fate holding a random hand.
That's when he heard the tournament director's voice boom over the microphone, announcing that dealers must stop and stand at the completion of the hand. After five minutes that must have felt like an eternity, during which Thomas assumed a few more hands would have to be dealt, a second announcement was made.
"Congratulations players, you have all made the money!"
With that, Thomas retook his seat secure in the knowledge that yesterday's grueling 11-level grind had paid off, and with his second cash in his fourth Seniors Championship, Thomas is now batting an impressive .500 in these massive field, shallow stack events.
John Strzemp (Seen Here in the 2011 PokerStars.net Caribbean Adventure Main Event)
If not for an unfortunate deuce on the river way back in 1997, casino executive John Strzemp would have a banner hanging from the Rio's rafters. Instead, Stu Ungar finished off his improbable, and sadly unsustainable, comeback from drug and alcohol abuse, winning the 1997 World Series of Poker Main Event by making the wheel straight on fifth street.
Strzemp has achieved extraordinary success since that fateful river card fell, rising to the position of Chief Administrative Officer for Wynn Resorts, but one accomplishment that has eluded him is the one all poker players desire most: a gold WSOP bracelet.
Strzemp entered the day with a respectable stack, but the longtime tournament player knew he needed to build during the protracted money bubble to give himself a realistic shot at returning to the WSOP final table stage.
In a recent hand, Strzemp did just that, doubling up with after getting his last 14,900 all in on the river. The final board showed , and with top set on the flop, Strzemp had strung his opponent along perfectly to notch the elimination.
Despite four cards to the wheel straight arriving on board yet again, Strzemp did not let lingering memories of that hand against The Kid affect him.
Day 2 of Event #26: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship is set to begin. The first day of competition featured a record-breaking field of 4,407 entrants. By the end of the day, all but 491 had been whittled away. With 441 getting paid, the money bubble will loom large at the beginning of day 2 as the remaining players work their way toward the first-place prize of $634,809.
Alexander Kunichoff is the current chipleader with 151,400. He is being chased by James Miller (125,300), George Wright (119,700), and Gary LaDuca (101,300), the only players who finished day 1 above the six-figure mark. There are also several notable players in contention, including one former Main Event Champion, Robert Varkonyi (39,900). He is joined by Young Ji (51,800), "Captain" Tom Franklin (48,100) Hoyt Corkins (48,100), and T.J. Cloutier (29,400).
Day 2 begins play at 11 a.m. so check back with PokerNews throughout the day to follow your favorite golden oldies, as they play their way into the money, and maybe even the final table.
While you're waiting for the money bubble to burst in the Seniors Championship, check out Sarah Grant's recap of all of yesterday's action here at the Rio:
and hoping his run good would continue.
, and although he was ahead, Kunichoff's live cards put him at risk of elimination.
kept Baughman out in front with top pair, but Kunichoff had picked up a open-ended straight draw, and the 
completed his hand.
, changing nothing, and the native of Houston, Texas notched yet another knockout as he rolls through this Seniors Championship.
, T.J. called me with 
, and with top set on the flop, Strzemp had strung his opponent along perfectly to notch the elimination.
