Welcome to our ongoing coverage of the 2014 World Series of Poker! Today will see the start of an interesting and prestigious event: Event #20: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout. The concept of a shootout is simple: defeat your table and advance to the next round where you'll have to do it all over again.
In past years, defeating your first table guarantees you a spot in the money. From there, if you can best your table on Day 2, you'll find yourself seated with the event's elite on Day 3 and in a good spot to take down the gold WSOP bracelet and first-place prize money.
Last year this event was won by Cliff Josephy, who claimed $299,486 in first-place prize money and his second WSOP bracelet. On his path to glory, Josephy bested a final table that included the likes of Steven Silverman, Tim West, David "Bakes" Baker, Max Steinberg, and Chris Klodnicki. The event saw a total of 477 entrants.
Players start with 9,000 in chips and blinds increase every 60 minutes. Day 1 will continue until a winner is crowned on every table. As always, PokerNews will be on hand to bring you the bust outs, bad beats, and big stories from the tournament felt!
On a pass through the shootout field, we spotted 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champion seated at the same table as 2012 Main Event champion Greg Merson. Sandwiched between the two champions is none other than three-time WSOP bracelet winner Barry Greenstein.
Both players have had great success on the felt since their respective wins and today they will compete against one another in an attempt to win their table and move on to the second round. Most notably, Cada has came close to clinching his second WSOP bracelet back in 2012 in Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. Cada made it all of the way to heads up play but ultimately finished runner-up to Carter Phillips. Despite being close to victory, Cada still pocketed over $412,000 for his finish. Cada also had two WSOP final table appearances during the 2013 series.
Merson, on the other hand, clinched a big score this past January during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. Merson made it to the final table of the $25,000 High Roller event where he ultimately finished runner-up to Jacob Schnidler. Merson pocketed $948,996 in prize money for his finish and added an incredible note to his poker resume. He'll be searching for his third WSOP bracelet today.
In between the two world champions sits Greenstein. A noted cash game and tournament player as well as poker author, Greenstein is on the hunt for his fourth WSOP bracelet today. Greenstein won his first bracelet back in 2004, rising to the top of the $5,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw event. He captured his second just one year later in a $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event. Finally, his third piece of WSOP jewelry came in 2008 when he bested the field in a $1,500 Razz event.
The presence of these three makes this for a star-studded shootout table and we'll be sure to keep you up to date on the action as the day progresses.
In 2004, Greg Raymer finished on top of what was at the time the largest World Series of Poker Main Event ever held, earning $5 million and cementing himself in the poker history books. It's been a decade since Raymer's incredible win, and one that's been filled with plenty of ups and downs.
PokerNews contributor Peter Alson recently sat down with Raymer to discuss everything from reflecting back on his big victory, his poker career since, and even his personal issues off the felt.
Humberto Brenes raised to 450 from under the gun and found calls from the players in both the small and big blinds. The flop came and all three players checked to see the fall on the turn. Action checked over to Brenes and he fired out a bet of 700. The small blind called and the big blind let his cards go, leaving the two heads up to the river.
The dealer put out the on the river and the small blind led into the middle for 2,500. Brenes came over the top with a raise to 6,200 and his opponent called, rolling over for the wheel. Brenes had that beat, though, and triumphantly showed down for tens full of deuces. Brenes was awarded the pot and now has about 19,800 in chips.
We arrived at the table in time to find a three-way all in already in progress. Jeremy Wien and a shorter stack were all in for their tournament lives against 2010 World Series of Poker champion Jonathan Duhamel.
Duhamel:
Wien:
Button:
The board ran out , giving the player on the button quad sixes and the victory in the hand. He was all in for 4,525 and secured himself a triple up and new life in the tournament. After paying for the quad sixes loss, Wien counted down his stack to be 14,450. His aces held as the best hand in the side pot against Duhamel and he was able to double through the champ.
Duhamel, on the other hand, has been knocked down to 16,000.
Kory Mitchell has become the first player to advance to Day 2. Mitchell bested Josh Arieh in heads up play and bagged up 82,200 to take into play tomorrow. A $7,805 score in just over five hours? Not bad for a day's work.
Jake Schindler had the button. He raised it up to 1,200 only to have Shannon Shorr come over the top for 2,300 total. Schindler would not be swayed, however, as he made a four-bet to 5,200. Shorr five-bet shipped all in and Schindler snapped him off.
Schindler:
Shorr:
The board fell down , keeping Schindler's pocket tens in the lead. Shorr was eliminated as the runner-up while Schindler advanced with a stack of 88,000. Schindler is now guaranteed at least $7,805 in prize money.
Joe Cada raised to 900 from under the gun and Kenny Hallaert made it 2,600 from the small blind. Cada four-bet shoved all in for his last 13,800 and Hallaert called.
Cada:
Hallert:
The board fell , ensuring Hallert's tens to hold as the best hand. Cada was eliminated from play and the table is now three-handed.
Picking up with the action on a board of , we saw Eric Froehlich's heads up opponent lead out for 8,200. Froehlich raised the action to 17,500 and his opponent shipped all in over the top for 34,600. Froehlich called and the hands were rolled over.
Froehlich:
Opponent:
Froehlich held the nuts with the ace-high flush and the board finished off with the . Froehlich was crowned the victor of his table and will advance to Day 2 with 88,200 in chips.
Faraz Jaka won his heads up match in lightning-quick fashion, locking up his seat for Day 2. Concurrently, Chris Bell defeated his heads up opponent and bagged up for the night.
Nick Abou Risk, who was earlier saved when his pocket sixes flopped quads against Jeremy Wien's pocket aces, has defeated 2010 WSOP Main Event Jonathan Duhamel heads up to advance to Day 2. Abou Risk bagged up 88,400.
![[user68268]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and all three players checked to see the 
fall on the turn. Action checked over to Brenes and he fired out a bet of 700. The small blind called and the big blind let his cards go, leaving the two heads up to the river.
on the river and the small blind led into the middle for 2,500. Brenes came over the top with a raise to 6,200 and his opponent called, rolling over 
for the wheel. Brenes had that beat, though, and triumphantly showed down 
for tens full of deuces. Brenes was awarded the pot and now has about 19,800 in chips.
, giving the player on the button quad sixes and the victory in the hand. He was all in for 4,525 and secured himself a triple up and new life in the tournament. After paying for the quad sixes loss, Wien counted down his stack to be 14,450. His aces held as the best hand in the side pot against Duhamel and he was able to double through the champ.
