Welcome to PokerNews' Day 2 coverage of Event #36: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball. After 10 levels on Day 1, the starting field of 241 entrants is down to just 38 players. They money is within reach as the top 28 players are paid and if the Day 1 elimination pace was any indication, a final table will be reached sooner rather than later. Up top is $89,483, and of course a coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
Brian Rast is on top of the chip counts entering Day 2 with 62,950, followed by Joseph Cheong with 54,475. Rast is looking for bracelet #3, while Cheong is still seeking that elusive first bracelet. An interesting story line to keep an eye on today will be that of Phil Hellmuth chasing his 14th bracelet. Hellmuth begins the day 11th in chips with 42,400, and is sitting to the direct right of Cheong, which should make for some interesting situations, to say the least.
Play is set to resume at 2 p.m. so be sure to keep it here at PokerNews throughout out the day as the quest to crown another bracelet winner continues!
Yuval Bronshtein ended up all in before the draw again and this time he was up against Phil Hellmuth.
Hellmuth showed and he was in great shape against Bronshtein's .
"Oh man, I misread my hand," Bronshtein said, who thought he was drawing to a ten.
Hellmuth drew a and paired his hand, so Bronshtein kept his hopes alive to double up. When Bronshtein also drew a Hellmuth erupted from his seat, because he had just lost quite a big pot.
"Jezus Christ!" Hellmuth yelled as he paced around the room.
"Sorry, I misread my hand," Bronshtein responded with a smile.
"You're not going to last long in this tournament if you keep playing like this, buddy," Hellmuth snapped back.
"Don't worry, I'm going to change how I play now," Bronshtein replied.
As recapped to us by Ali Eslami, he raised to 2,000 on the button. Eric Wasserson reraised all in from the big blind for about 10,000 and Eslami called.
Both players drew one card and Eslami made a for a ten-six. Wasserson, meanwhile, held a but failed to best Eslami's hand, thus finishing on the bubble in 29th place.
After an opening raise, Chris Viox reraised to 7,000 and Bryce Yockey responded with a four-bet from the big blind to, what looked like, 17,000. After a fold from the original raiser, Viox moved all in and Yockey called for about 40,000 total.
"Pat," Yockey said.
"Pat," Viox quickly responded and Yockey was in trouble.
Yockey showed and that was no good against Viox's . Yockey collects a min cash while Viox is one of the chip leaders.
On the very last hand before the break we lost former World Series of Poker Main Event runner-up John Racener. Racener was all in for about 4,100 and was called by Scott Abrams.
Racener drew a jack-low, while Abrams improved his with an to take down this pot.
The action started with a raise from Steven Wolansky who made it 3,600 to go. Scott Blackman called from the small blind after Phil Hellmuth three-bet up to 9,500.
Wolansky folded quickly, but Blackman took his time.
"I'll take this one kid, you'll take the next," Hellmuth told his opponent, but Blackman ultimately made the call.
Blackman took one card and Hellmuth stood pat.
Blackman slowly looked at his card before putting in a hefty bet of 21,300.
"Come on!" Hellmuth yelled as he got up from his seat.
"They play so bad! They just try to bluff it off against the best player in the world," Hellmuth sighed.
"How do these people even get this far, calling two raises out of position and then drawing," Hellmuth added.
After a while, Hellmuth flashed and folded his cards, leaving himself with 38,000 chips.
Brian Rast raised to 6,000 under the gun and Eli Elezra reraised all in for about 23,000 from the big blind. Rast called and both players proceeded to stand pat.
Elezra tabled , but his strong hand was bested by Rast's .
Phil Hellmuth raised to 8,000 in the hijack and action folded to Steven Wolansky in the small blind.
"How much do you have behind?" asked Wolansky.
"About 7,000," replied Hellmuth. "If you give it to me, I promise I'll put it to good use."
Wolansky called after a few moments and both players proceeded to draw one.
"It would have been more fun to go all in before the draw," remarked Hellmuth.
Wolansky bet 7,000 effective and Hellmuth called for his tournament life. Wolansky tabled , besting Hellmuth's to send the 13-time bracelet winner to the rail in 18th place.
Justin Gardenhire was all in for about 12,000 and stood pat with , facing Scott Bohlman who drew one with . Bohlman turned over the to make a ninety-eight to eliminate Gardenhire in 17th place.
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and he was in great shape against Bronshtein's 
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to make a ninety-eight to eliminate Gardenhire in 17th place.
