The $50,000 Players Championship is a five-day poker marathon in which the best players in the world face off against each other playing an eight-game rotation. Matt Glantz, a two-time final tablist, leads the way after Day 1, just like in 2012 when he also stood atop the leader board heading into Day 2.
The second day of play looks to be an exciting one, as players are still able to enter this tournament up until 4:00 p.m.. We're expecting to see legends of the game like Doyle Brunson, Gus Hansen, and John Juanda enter while Vanessa Selbst, Dan Shak, Michael Glick, Phil Galfond and Sergii Baranov were already eliminated during the first day of play.
Glantz got a hold of the chip lead early on after sending Selbst to the rail in a big no-limit hold'em pot, and he managed to dominate his table with Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and David "ODB" Baker the rest of the night. Dylan Linde, a first-time player of the $50K, currently sits in second place followed by Richard Ashby and Shaun Deeb.
Other notable big stacks include Frenchman Alexandre Luneau, Ismael Bojang from Germany, and Britain's defending champ Matthew Ashton. One spot behind Ashton we see the only two-time winner of this tournament, Michael Mizrachi. Current WSOP Player of the Year leader George Danzer sits just a tad below the starting stack while John Racener, Mike Gorodinsky, Nick Schulman, and Phil Ivey are looking to win some pots early on to stay in contention.
Play will resume at 2:00 p.m. local time and players will play five more levels of 100 minutes each. Join us then for continuing coverage of the Event #46: $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
Phil Ivey started the day with one of the smallest stacks in the room, but he's started the upward trend after winning back-to-back pots versus defending champion Matthew Ashton.
On the first hand the flop had come when Phil Ivey bet from the small blind and Matthew Ashton called. The turn was the , Ivey bet again, and Ashton called once more. The river was the and Ivey fired again, but this time he received no call.
The next hand was raised by Ashton before the flop and Ivey three-bet from the button. Ashton called and the flop brought out . Ashton check-called a bet, after which the turn brought the . Ashton check-folded this time, and Ivey picked up two nice pots.
When it comes to razz, 13-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth has proven he knows what he is doing. He won his 12th bracelet in the variant, and earlier this summer he finished runner-up to Ted Forrest in Event #7: $1,500 Seven-Card Razz. Hellmuth recently mixed it up in a hand of razz against two-time $50,000 Poker Players' Championship winner Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.
It began when Hellmuth completed with a and Melissa Burr called with her . Mizrachi came along with an , and it was three-way action to fourth street. Mizrachi led out for 2,000, and Hellmuth opted to bump it up.
"Let me raise that man up," he said before tossing in four orange T1,000 chips. Burr got out of the way, Mizrachi called, and it was heads-up action to fifth street. Mizrachi bet, Hellmuth called, and then both players checked sixth. Hellmuth then check-called a bet on seventh and discovered the bad news.
Hellmuth: / /
Mizrachi: /
Mizrachi tabled a 9-7-3-2-A low, and it was good as Hellmuth launched into a mini rant. "Are you f***ing kidding me?" he asked before mucking his hand and mumbling to himself.
Hellmuth seems to be stuck in reverse here in Level 6 while Mizrachi is chipping up nicely.
When we arrived on the scene the damage had already been done. Phil Ivey had his entire stack all in on the flop against Matthew Ashton, and the chips were being counted down as we scribbled to write down the shown cards.
The board showed while Ivey had out in front of him and Ashton's hand was already in the muck. Ivey was all in on the flop for a total of 94,700 and is sitting on a big stack while Ashton's back down to below the starting stack.
Fans line the rail to catch a glimpse of their favorite poker players in Event #46: $50,000 Poker Players' Championship
An older lady on the rail held up a handwritten sign that said, "Daniel, would you please sign my hat?" and waved it slowly as she carefully watched his every move.
As soon as Daniel Negreanu noticed the sign he said, "Well, of course I will. Let me just play this hand."
After the hand, Negreanu got up from his seat, signed autographs for at least five eager fans awaiting a few seconds with their favorite poker player.
"You're the best, man, I really like your play," a bystander said, who had nothing to be signed but felt happy to just get a handshake from the six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner.
After having his picture taken with a few people on the rail, Negreanu hopped back into his seat just in time for the next hand. The $50,000 Players Championship is not only one of the biggest events of the year for players, but also for fans looking to catch a glimpse of their favorite players.
Phil Hellmuth was doing his best to claw his way back into contention here in Event #46: $50,000 Poker Players' Championship, but a big pot-limit Omaha hand put an end to his comeback.
In what would be Hellmuth's final hand, Michael Mizrachi raised and Brandon Shack-Harris called. David Steicke then three-bet the size of the pot, and Hellmuth four-bet pot. Mizrachi called, Shack-Harris folded, and Steicke called. The flop saw Steicke get his remaining chips all in, Hellmuth did the same, and Mizrachi called to put both players at risk.
Steicke:
Hellmuth:
Mizrachi:
Steicke was ahead with two pair, and it held as the blanked on the turn followed by the on the river. Steicke took down the pot while Hellmuth was eliminated from the tournament.
"Good luck, everyone," Hellmuth mustered before exiting the tournament area.
Leo Wolpert joins Nate and Andrew from Las Vegas to discuss safety precautions for staying in hotels, the Rio flu, and the trio beak down three hands that Wolpert played at the World Series of Poker.
0:00 — Intro and Rio Flu talk
16:00 — Discussion of safety at the Rio and in Las Vegas in general
30:45 — The trio discusses three hands that Leo has played at the WSOP
Action folded to Daniel Negreanu on the button and he raised to 3,600. Online pro Elior "Crazy Elior" Sion was in the small blind and opted for a three-bet to 8,800, which Negreanu called after the big blind folded. The flop contained two diamonds, and Sion put out a bet. Negreanu moved all in and Sion wasted little time in making the call.
Sion:
Negreanu:
Negreanu had flopped top pair, but he had to dodge the diamond draw of Sion. He did so on the turn, but not on the river. Sion made his flush and that was all she wrote for "Kid Poker."
Meanwhile, Mike Wattel was eliminated in unknown action over at Table 362.
Matthew Ashton won this event last year to put his name on the map for good, but this year things didn't go so well for him. Ashton came into the day with a ton of chips, but doubling up Phil Ivey cost him early on and just now his last chips went to John Monnette.
Ashton raised to 5,000 and Monnette called in position after which the flop brought out . Ashton bet pot, which was 15,000, and Monnette did not waste a lot of time before putting in a raise to 50,000.
Ashton tanked for quite a bit before calling all in for 37,000 and the cards were turned face up.
Monnette:
Ashton:
The turn brought the and the river the knocking Ashton out as Monnette raked in the pot.
Bryan Micon joins the PokerNews Podcast at the top of the show to talk about bitcoins, outstanding debts and much more. Rich, Jason, and Donnie then talk about a bevy of stories in the final half of the episode, including all of the recent bracelet winners, the fight between Brandon Cantu and Jesse Martin, and more.
![[user20283]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
when Phil Ivey bet from the small blind and Matthew Ashton called. The turn was the 
, Ivey bet again, and Ashton called once more. The river was the 
and Ivey fired again, but this time he received no call.
. Ashton check-called a bet, after which the turn brought the 
. Ashton check-folded this time, and Ivey picked up two nice pots.
and Melissa Burr called with her 
. Mizrachi came along with an 
, and it was three-way action to fourth street. Mizrachi led out for 2,000, and Hellmuth opted to bump it up.
/ 
/ 
while Ivey had 
out in front of him and Ashton's hand was already in the muck. Ivey was all in on the flop for a total of 94,700 and is sitting on a big stack while Ashton's back down to below the starting stack.
on the river. Steicke took down the pot while Hellmuth was eliminated from the tournament.
turn, but not on the 
. Ashton bet pot, which was 15,000, and Monnette did not waste a lot of time before putting in a raise to 50,000.
and the river the 
