After an epic second day of play, it's former $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. champion David Bach who leads the way with 12 players remaining. Daniel Negreanu, fresh off a runner-up finish in the $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Single Draw, is in contention again as he will come into the final day third in chips. Brandon Shack-Harris, winner of the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha at the start of the Series, sits second in chips and he could be on his way to becoming the first two-time champ this summer.
In the early goings of Day 2, we said goodbye to Allen Kessler, Scott Seiver, David Oppenheim, and $1,500 Razz champion Ted Forrest. As the action slowly picked up some pace due to the ever increasing bets and antes, we also lost poker legend Doyle Brunson, $1,500 Six-Max No-Limit Hold'em winner Justin Bonomo, and last year's $50,000 Players' Championship winner Matthew Ashton.
As we neared the money, play slowed down, and we saw several big stacks lose their chips in rapid fashion. Brandon Cantu, Eli Elezra, and David Singer all had great stacks halfway through the day, but none of them made the money.
On the bubble, we lost Jesse Martin, despite Nick Schulman and Shack-Harris sitting on just a few bets. The latter went on an impressive heater in the final hour, and he closed out second in chips behind Bach.
Japanese poker phenom Naoya Kihara — the only Japanese WSOP gold bracelet winner — and online legend Brian Hastings look to win their second bracelet tomorrow, while Dan O'Brien, George Danzer, and Yuval Bronshtein are eying their first.
Make sure to tune back in with us tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the final day of the first ever $10,000 Razz Championship on PokerNews.com.
Roland Israelashvili had the bring-in and George Danzer completed before Paul Volpe raised all in for his last 20,000. Israelashvili called before Danzer raised and Israelashvili called. Danzer bet fourth and Israelashvili folded as both player's board ran out as follows:
Catching the action on fourth street we found David Bach betting and both Nick Schulman and Naoya Kihara calling as Kihara led on fifth with Bach calling and Schulman calling all in for 15,000. Kihara bet sixth and Bach called before Bach bet seventh and Kihara tank-folded.
Brian Hastings completed and Jesse Martin raised to 16,000. Hastings responded by making it 24,000 and Martin called before calling bets on fourth and fifth to be all in for his last 16,000.
Hastings: /
Martin: /
Hastings found the on sixth to take the lead as Martin paired the . On seventh Martin found the and Hastings the to send Martin to the rail as the bubble boy in 17th place.
Brian Hastings, Hoyt Corkins and Stephen Chidwick just created some fireworks on third street, which resulted in the latter being all in for his tournament life.
When Hastings announced, "five bets" it was time for Chidwick, who was caught in the middle of this raising war, to commit his final chips to the pot. Corkins called the raise and all three players went to fourth street.
Hasting bet fourth, Corkins called and on fifth he check-called a bet. On sixth street Corkins check-folded and Hastings showed for a six-five low. Chidwick tabled and he was drawing dead. Seventh street was meaningless and Chidwick left the tournament room empty handed.
Catching the action on fourth street, we found Andre Akkari betting out and David Bach calling before Mike Gorodinsky raised. Akkari three-bet, Bach called and Gorodinsky raised again as Akkari moved all in for 13,200 total and both Bach and Gorodinsky called.
On fifth street, Gorodinsky bet, Bach raised and Gorodinsky committed his final 13,600 with Bach calling to put both players at risk.
Akkari: /
Bach: /
Gorodinsky: /
On sixth, Akkari paired up with the , Bach found the and Gorodinsky paired the . On seventh Bach improved with the as Gorodinsky found the and Akkari folded to see Bach eliminate both players and soar to 220,000 in chips.
Ivey may be out, but he's still the talk of the town
Over on Table 353, Mike Gorodinsky turned his chair around to get a massage and that made Nick Schulman think of a great Phil Ivey story.
"A few years ago, I was getting a massage at the table but I had no cash on me, so I asked Ivey if he could pay the lady for me," Schulman said. "So when the massage was over, he gives the lady a thousand bucks," to which the the entire table bursted out in laughter because it was just a 90-minute massage, according to Schulman.
"Ivey said, 'We're at a thousand now,'" citing than Schulman now owed Ivey $1,000, and the laughter continued.
"Now that's a great move," Brandon Cantu added with a laugh. "That's one of the funniest things I've ever heard."
"That for sure was a pro move," Schulman replied with a smile.
Not too long ago we reported on George Danzer making a little comeback after value betting a queen low and now we can confidently say that the German is among the biggest stacks in the room.
Stephen Chidwick just completed and Danzer called after which the German bet all streets up until seventh. On seventh both players checked.
Chidwick: (X-X) / / (X)
Danzer: (X-X) / / (X)
Danzer tabled for an eight-six low and he raked in another decent sized pot.
Not many people are familiar with Bob Hooks, but he is a man the poker world should not soon forget. Despite not being active in the poker world anymore, Hooks came up as a Texas road gambler with the likes of Doyle Brunson, T.J. Cloutier, Johnny Moss, Amarillo "Slim" Preston, and so many more.
Hooks got his start in Texas, as so many of the old-time poker legends did, before he eventually made the leap to Las Vegas. Alongside his roommate Brian "Sailor" Roberts, Hooks made it to heads-up play in the 1975 World Series of Poker Main Event, but lost out on the title. Even without poker immortality reached, Hooks has so much to offer looking back on the old days of the game.
![[user20283]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
(folded on fourth)
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ 
/ (X)
/ (X)
and headed to the rail in 15th place for a $18,592 payday.
for a nine-six to beat Clements' 
on sixth to take the lead as Martin paired the 
to send Martin to the rail as the bubble boy in 17th place.
for a six-five low. Chidwick tabled 
, Bach found the 
