Twenty players survived the first full day of play here in Event #54: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low, and Jonathan Depa heads the chip counts with 442,000. The runners only played eight levels due to the massive Monster Stack field on Day 1, and 152 players returned for Day 2.
Depa is a relatively unknown Chicago native whose only six-figure score is for $127,669 in last October's Asia Championship of Poker in Macau. The top two payouts in this tournament would represent a career best for him.
Others bagging stacks included Fabrice Soulier (347,000), Florian Langmann (265,000), Ted Lawson (199,000), Lee Markholt (136,000), Eoghan O'Dea (96,000), and Paul Volpe (50,000). Toting the shortest stack into Day 3, Volpe will certainly have his work cut out for him.
Notables Tony Cousineau, George Danzer, Bart Hanson, Dylan Linde, Tom Koral, Day 2 chip leader Brett Shaffer, Brett Richey, and Andy Bloch all busted today but walked away with financial reward for their efforts, as they placed in the top 54. Melissa Burr, Tom Schneider, David "ODB" Baker, Rep Porter, Daniel Idema, Robert Mizrachi, David Bach, Dan Kelly, and Amnon Filippi fell short of the money.
The tournament will resume at 2 p.m. local time tomorrow, so be sure to tune back in to PokerNews for the relevant live updates and possible crowning of a champion.
Brett Shaffer, who began the day with the chip lead, just busted out.
He raised to pot from early position, and Ted Lawson tanked for about a minute on the button when action folded to him before repotting. Shaffer put in all of his chips.
Shaffer:
Lawson:
The board ran out , giving Lawson the pot with kings.
George Danzer has already claimed two bracelets at this year's World Series of Poker, but he'll have to wait for his third.
A player was all in for 12,000, and Danzer called from the cutoff. Andy Bloch potted from the button to 46,500, and Danzer had to think about it after the blinds folded.
"Fixty-six thousand," he said after counting his stack. "What can I do with 56,000?"
"Not much," he said after another minute. "I'm all in."
Bloch:
Danzer:
Middle position:
The board ran out , so the short stack tripled up, while Bloch's two pair was good for a KO on Danzer, who didn't improve.
A short stack was all in and called in two spots, and the flop came . Joe Lu bet 6,000 after his active opponent checked, and the player called. Two checks ensued on the turn, and the hit the river. Lu made another wager, but his opponent snap-folded, and Lu turned over for the quads.
Players are now in the money after a short break to color up some chips.
Perry Green opened for 3,200, and David Bach called in the cutoff. In the small blind, Josh Pender potted for 14,400, and both opponents called, with Bach being all in for 10,700. Green and Pender then got all in for the rest of Green's stack, which was around 45,000, on the flop.
Green:
Bach:
Pender:
Green's flush draw missed as the board ran out and then , and Pender pumped his fist thinking he had scooped the pot with aces up. However, Bach had ran diamonds to make a flush, and he tripled up. Pender still snagged the much larger side pot, busting Green.
Meanwhile, Joe Lu appears to be the new chip leader with 213,000.
"Josh, what are you going to put out there?" Amnon Filippi asked the dealer at Table 426. "What are you thinking, some suits, anything?"
FIlippi was facing two raises, as he'd come in for 1,200 and saw a player raise to 4,500 followed by Daniel Idema shoving for 10,600. George Danzer had cold-called in the blinds.
"You do your mistake yourself," Danzer said with a smile. "Don't blame the dealer."
Ultimately, Filippi folded, while the original raiser called.
Josh's flop was , and the turn and river were and as Danzer and his opponent checked it down.
Idema showed for jacks up, which was good for high. Danzer had and the third player had , so they chopped the low.
Fabrice Soulier has gotten a nice run early on Day 2.
Fabrice Soulier bet 3,400 on a flop, and one player called. The big blind, Jaspal Brar, who had checked, shoved all in for about 10,000, and Soulier got a count on the player behind before reshoving. The third player folded.
Soulier:
Brar:
Brar had a big wrap and a low draw, but Soulier's nut low draw with a set was in command. The board bricked out with the and , leaving Soulier's set best.
Also at that table, Melissa Burr, who has been having a fantastic World Series of Poker, appears to have busted out.
With two-thirds of the field out the door on Day 1, the contenders list has been cut to 152 in Event #54: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low. Two-time bracelet winner Brett Shaffer leads the pack with 97,900, but plenty of notables are going to be hot on his heels today.
George Danzer (75,400), Andy Bloch (72,600), Robert Mizrachi (60,100), Amnon Filippi (54,000), Perry Green (37,500), Fabrice Soulier (37,200), and Eddie Blumenthal (34,600) all come into the day toting above average chip counts, while plenty more lurk in the depths, hoping to emerge with the right run of cards and a friendly table draw.
Play will begin at Level 9 (400/800) and go for 10 levels. Players will receive 20-minute breaks every two levels, along with a 60-minute dinner break. Cards are scheduled to be in the air at 2 p.m., so don't go anywhere.
, giving Lawson the pot with kings.
, so the short stack tripled up, while Bloch's two pair was good for a KO on Danzer, who didn't improve.
. Joe Lu bet 6,000 after his active opponent checked, and the player called. Two checks ensued on the 
for the quads.
as Danzer and his opponent checked it down.
and the third player had 
, so they chopped the low.
