Bjorin Leads After Day 1; Hellmuth Advances to Day 2 of Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
The first Championship Event of the 2018 World Series of Poker has kicked off at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas and Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship attracted a field of 161 entries so far, with 75 players advancing to Day 2.
However, the field size is not set in stone yet, as registration remains open until the cards get back in the air on Monday, June 4th, 2019, at 2 p.m. local time. All new entries will receive 50,000 in chips and the action continues with blinds of 2,000/4,000 and a big bet of 8,000.
Leading the field of Day 1 survivors is Sweden's two-time WSOP bracelet winner Chris Bjorin with 249,500, followed by fellow two-time champion Jesse Martin (232,000) and Daniel Ratigan (231,000). Other big stacks and notables in a field filled with the best mixed game players in the world include Viacheslav Zhukov (206,500), Robert Mizrachi (204,000), Nick Schulman (148,500) and Tom Koral (144,500). Record 14-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth entered in the late stages and bagged up an above-average stack of 136,000.
Frenchman Julien Martini, who claimed the gold bracelet in the extra day of Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, jumped into the action after his victory and bagged up 87,000. Runner-up Kate Hoang was less fortunate and failed to get through, 7th place finisher Rafael Concepcion made it through to Day 2 as one of the bigger stacks on 194,500.
Several other bracelet winners made it through to Day 2, while such big names as Benny Glaser, Todd Brunson, Chris Klodnicki, David "ODB" Baker, Joe McKeehen, Erik Seidel, Brock Parker, Adam Owen, Scott Clements and Daniel Negreanu were all eliminated throughout the 10 one-hour levels. Glaser, who won this very event in 2016, peaked at 220,000 before a streak of unfortunate hands decimated his stack. The Brit was eventually ousted by Jean-Robert Bellande in a three-way all in after the latter rivered the nut straight to eliminate Glaser and John Hennigan.
For Negreanu, the tournament ended in the penultimate level of the night after he got most of his short stack in with pocket kings and ran into the pocket aces of Nick Schulman. Despite flopping additional outs with a straight draw, Negreanu failed to get there and joined the rail.
Another 10 levels are scheduled for Day 2 and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to provide all the action until a champion is crowned.
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship Day 2 Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 428 | 1 | Ian Johns | United States | 82,500 | 10 |
| 428 | 2 | Daniel Alaei | United States | 69,500 | 9 |
| 428 | 3 | Anil Gurnaney | United States | 66,000 | 8 |
| 428 | 5 | Chris Bjorin | Sweden | 249,500 | 31 |
| 428 | 6 | Ismael Bojang | Austria | 29,500 | 4 |
| 428 | 7 | Noah Bronstein | United States | 31,500 | 4 |
| 428 | 8 | Howell Cheek | United States | 29,000 | 4 |
| 429 | 1 | Robert Stevanovski | United States | 124,000 | 16 |
| 429 | 3 | Perry Friedman | United States | 42,000 | 5 |
| 429 | 4 | Larry Kantor | United States | 179,500 | 22 |
| 429 | 5 | Jesse Martin | United States | 232,000 | 29 |
| 429 | 6 | Jean-Robert Bellande | United States | 102,000 | 13 |
| 429 | 7 | Matt Woodward | United States | 36,000 | 5 |
| 429 | 9 | Mike Matusow | United States | 74,000 | 9 |
| 430 | 1 | Jonathan Duhamel | Canada | 92,000 | 12 |
| 430 | 2 | Scott Cole | United States | 76,000 | 10 |
| 430 | 4 | Stuart Rutter | United Kingdom | 106,500 | 13 |
| 430 | 5 | Doug Lorgeree | United States | 177,500 | 22 |
| 430 | 6 | Anthony Zinno | United States | 120,000 | 15 |
| 430 | 8 | Tom Koral | United States | 144,500 | 18 |
| 430 | 9 | Viacheslav Zhukov | Russia | 206,500 | 26 |
| 431 | 1 | Marco Johnson | United States | 11,500 | 1 |
| 431 | 3 | Daniel Ratigan | United States | 231,000 | 29 |
| 431 | 5 | Wayne Diep | United States | 126,500 | 16 |
| 431 | 6 | Carol Fuchs | United States | 32,000 | 4 |
| 431 | 7 | Smith Sirisakorn | United States | 121,500 | 15 |
| 431 | 8 | Ben Yu | United States | 48,000 | 6 |
| 431 | 9 | Nikolai Yakovenko | United States | 203,000 | 25 |
| 436 | 1 | Illya Trincher | United States | 36,000 | 5 |
| 436 | 4 | Jared Talarico | United States | 95,000 | 12 |
| 436 | 5 | Christopher Logue | United States | 72,000 | 9 |
| 436 | 6 | Ben Landowski | United States | 130,000 | 16 |
| 436 | 7 | Jose Paz-Gutierrez | Bolivia | 44,500 | 6 |
| 436 | 8 | Jonathan Depa | United States | 109,000 | 14 |
| 436 | 9 | Eli Elezra | United States | 80,500 | 10 |
| 437 | 1 | Mark Gregorich | United States | 131,000 | 16 |
| 437 | 2 | Dylan Linde | United States | 122,500 | 15 |
| 437 | 3 | Andrew Kelsall | United States | 49,500 | 6 |
| 437 | 4 | Per Hildebrand | Sweden | 169,500 | 21 |
| 437 | 5 | Sampo Ryynanen | Finland | 137,500 | 17 |
| 437 | 6 | Felipe Ramos | Brazil | 60,000 | 8 |
| 437 | 7 | Kyle Miaso | United States | 130,500 | 16 |
| 438 | 2 | Esther Taylor | United States | 111,000 | 14 |
| 438 | 3 | Rafael Concepcion | United States | 194,500 | 24 |
| 438 | 4 | Tai Nguyen | United States | 211,000 | 26 |
| 438 | 5 | Christopher Roth | United States | 142,000 | 18 |
| 438 | 6 | Adam Coats | United States | 127,500 | 16 |
| 438 | 7 | Lars Gronning | United States | 57,000 | 7 |
| 438 | 8 | Talon White | United States | 53,000 | 7 |
| 438 | 9 | Jason Beckman | United States | 23,500 | 3 |
| 439 | 3 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | 136,000 | 17 |
| 439 | 4 | Ralph Perry | United States | 79,000 | 10 |
| 439 | 5 | Brandon Shack-Harris | United States | 88,000 | 11 |
| 439 | 6 | Scott Bohlman | United States | 165,500 | 21 |
| 439 | 7 | Dan Shak | United States | 131,000 | 16 |
| 439 | 8 | James Chen | Taiwan | 143,500 | 18 |
| 445 | 1 | Daniel Zack | United States | 98,500 | 12 |
| 445 | 2 | Grzegorz Trelski | United States | 102,500 | 13 |
| 445 | 3 | Calen McNeil | Canada | 157,500 | 20 |
| 445 | 6 | Robert Mizrachi | United States | 204,000 | 26 |
| 445 | 7 | Brian Rast | United States | 68,500 | 9 |
| 445 | 8 | Steve Chanthabouasy | United States | 228,000 | 29 |
| 446 | 1 | Paul Volpe | United States | 126,000 | 16 |
| 446 | 2 | Matthew Kelly | United States | 80,000 | 10 |
| 446 | 3 | Ryan Lenaghan | United States | 65,500 | 8 |
| 446 | 5 | Julien Martini | France | 87,000 | 11 |
| 446 | 6 | Patrick Pezzin | Canada | 90,000 | 11 |
| 446 | 8 | Paresh Doshi | United Kingdom | 66,500 | 8 |
| 446 | 9 | David Wales | United States | 37,000 | 5 |
| 447 | 1 | David Benyamine | United States | 59,000 | 7 |
| 447 | 3 | Nick Schulman | United States | 148,500 | 19 |
| 447 | 4 | Dustin Dirksen | United States | 156,000 | 20 |
| 447 | 5 | Andrew Yeh | United States | 29,500 | 4 |
| 447 | 6 | James Obst | Australia | 39,000 | 5 |
| 447 | 8 | John Monnette | United States | 115,500 | 14 |
, found a king with his 
to knock both Benny Glaser and John Hennigan out. "Johnny World" had 
open in front of him, while Glaser's hand was already face-down in the muck.
turn and 
river left the six-time bracelet winner second best.
flop, Hochman bet and Bjorin raised. Hochman again shook his head, carefully checked the own stack and opted to make it three bets, Bjorin called.
fell on the turn and Hochman bet 6,000 with 1,500 behind, Bjorin raised and Hochman called all in.
on the river gave Bjorin a boat and Hochman was sent to the rail. "Are you okay over there?" Dan Shak asked from the other side of the table.
on a 
and David "ODB" Baker on the button, who had bet, called. Owen bet the 
turn in order to pick up a call before checking the 
turn and 
river were of no help for Wang and he was eliminated.
turn. Bellande bet, Concepcion called, and Glaser called. The 
and both players checked to see the 
