Michael Mizrachi in Pole Position to Win His Third Poker Players Championship
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Welcome to PokerNews' Day 4 coverage of Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
The starting field of 87 players is down to just 12, each looking to have his name inscribed on the David "Chip" Reese Memorial Trophy and earn the distinction of being the best all-around player among their peers. Also up for grabs is the first-place prize of $1,239,126 and a coveted World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
On top of the chip counts is Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi who is looking to win the Poker Players Championship for the third time. Mizrachi won the PPC in both 2010 and 2012, earning his first and third bracelets in those events. Mizrachi came close again in 2016, but fell short in fourth place. The Poker Players Championship that year was won by another two-time winner still in the field. In addition to earning top honors in 2016, Brian Rast also won in between Mizrachi's victories in 2011. Rast is currently in peak form, too, having picked up his fourth bracelet less than one week ago.
The rest of the field is stacked, obviously, and perhaps no one left is more dangerous than 10-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey, currently fourth in chips. Ivey is back playing a full WSOP schedule for the first time since 2014, where he won that 10th bracelet in an eight-game mixed event similar to this one. Clearly, the field is tougher here, but Ivey is a favorite no matter the competition.
Here is the Day 4 seating chart:
| Room | Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | 1 | 1 | Chris Vitch | United States | 1,160,000 | 48 | 12 |
| Amazon | 1 | 2 | Aaron Katz | United States | 2,480,400 | 103 | 25 |
| Amazon | 1 | 3 | Phil Ivey | United States | 2,146,000 | 89 | 21 |
| Amazon | 1 | 4 | Dan Smith | United States | 1,816,000 | 76 | 18 |
| Amazon | 1 | 5 | Jean-Robert Bellande | United States | 213,000 | 9 | 2 |
| Amazon | 1 | 6 | John Hennigan | United States | 1,458,000 | 61 | 15 |
| Amazon | 2 | 1 | Mike Leah | Canada | 3,139,000 | 131 | 31 |
| Amazon | 2 | 2 | Shaun Deeb | United States | 533,000 | 22 | 5 |
| Amazon | 2 | 3 | Michael Mizrachi | United States | 4,232,000 | 176 | 42 |
| Amazon | 2 | 4 | Brian Rast | United States | 1,164,000 | 49 | 12 |
| Amazon | 2 | 5 | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | 1,967,000 | 82 | 20 |
| Amazon | 2 | 6 | Greg Mueller | Canada | 1,439,000 | 60 | 14 |
The cards are set to be in the air at 2 p.m. (PDT) and the plan for the day is to play down to the final table of six. That plan, however, is subject to change. Keep it here at PokerNews for live updates on all of the action as the quest to crown the next Poker Players Champion continues!
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and the river a 
, so Bellande hit the rail first here on Day 3.
, giving him a queen low, while Ivey got 
for a nine to get the easy knockout.
and Dan Smith raised with the 
. Smith paired and bet fourth then picked up trips, but Ivey paired his jack and moved in for his last 85,000 on fifth.
/
/
while Smith caught a brick with the 
. Ivey didn't improve when he got the 
but he only needed to fade one card and the 
and action checked to Mizrachi who bet. Rast made it two bets and Glaser quickly folded. Mizrachi then made it three bets and Rast tanked for a bit before calling. 
for the nuts and Rast mucked quickly. 
