Tournament of Champions Dia 2 | 2022 World Series of Poker

2022-07-19 09:57 UTC-7

Welcome to Day 2 of the 2022 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions

MattHansen

Welcome to Day 2 of the 2022 Tournament of Champions at the World Series of Poker. Cards go in the air at 11 a.m. local time for the penultimate day in this year’s WSOP.

Robert Cowen leads the way with more than 200 big blinds as 149 survivors return from an initial Day 1 field of 463. That number is expected to grow today with late registration remaining open through the beginning of Day 2 in order to accommodate the final bracelet winners of 2022.

Tournament of Champions Top 10 Chip Counts

Place	Player	Country	Chips	Big Blinds
1	Robert Cowen	United Kingdom	428,000	214
2	Ali Eslami	United States	305,000	153
3	Daniel Sepiol	United States	285,000	143
4	Aleksejs Ponakovs	Latvia	247,500	124
5	Zachary Seymour	United States	241,000	121
6	Daniel Strelitz	United States	235,000	118
7	Cheryl Svenson	United States	221,500	111
8	Carlos Loving	United States	203,000	102
9	Fred Li	United States	183,500	92
10	Erik Bauer	Slovakia	183,000	92

Following Cowen is Ali Eslami in second and Daniel Sepiol in third. Alesejs Ponakovs and Zachary Seymour round out the top five. Razz-specialist Daniel Strelitz also makes an appearance in the top ten.

Day 1 was a star-studded affair with more than 575 bracelet winners and circuit grinders eligible to take their shot in the unique closing event. Entry is restricted to this year's bracelet winners and those that won rings on the WSOP Circuit. This includes Monday's bracelet winners Minh Nguyen and Gregory Jensen, as well as the recent first-time champion Gianluca Speranza.

Players will return to the Bally’s Event Center in Level 11 with blinds at 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante. The plan for Day 2 includes ten 60-minute levels with a dinner break after Level 16. The Day 3 finale is scheduled for Wednesday at a time that is to be determined.

Be sure to keep it here all day long for updates from the floor of the Bally’s Event Center as the Tournament of Champions continues at the 2022 World Series of Poker.

Tags: Aleksejs Ponakovs Ali Eslami Daniel Sepiol Daniel Strelitz Robert Cowen Zachary Seymour

2022-07-19 11:15 UTC-7

Nines Full for Zack

connorrichards

Nível 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Dan Zack opened to 4,500 in middle position and Ryan Laplante flat-called as the player next to act. Brett Freiler then three-bet to 15,000 from the hijack and only Zack called.

Zack checked on the flop and Freiler quickly checked back. Zack then led out for 16,000 on the turn and Freiler called.

The river brought the and Zack bet 64,000 to leave himself just 500 behind. Freiler called, only to muck when Zack showed to win the pot with nines full of eights.

"Not a bad start," Laplante commented.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Dan Zack	220,000 119,500	119,500

Ryan Laplante	75,000 -5,000	-5,000

Brett Freiler	60,000 -98,500	-98,500

Tags: Brett Freiler Dan Zack Ryan Laplante

2022-07-19 11:25 UTC-7

The Champ is Here

MattHansen

Nível 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

One of the last registrants to take his seat was Espen Jorstad, winner of the 2022 Main Event. Jorstad outlasted 8,663 entries to win his second bracelet of the year and the $10,000,000 top prize.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Espen Jorstad	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Espen Jorstad

2022-07-19 11:57 UTC-7

Final Payouts Announced

MattHansen

Nível 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

The final tally for the Tournament of Champions was 470 entrants, out of more than 575 players that were eligible. The total prize pool for the tournament is $1,000,000, with $250,000 going to first and a min-cash of $3,500 for the top 60 finishers.

Tournament of Champions Prize Pool

Place	Prize	Place	Prize
1	$250,000	10-11	$11,400
2	$150,000	12-13	$9,100
3	$100,000	14-17	$7,400
4	$75,000	18-26	$6,200
5	$50,000	27-35	$5,300
6	$37,500	36-44	$4,600
7	$27,500	45-51	$4,000
8	$20,000	52-60	$3,500
9	$15,000

2022-07-19 12:07 UTC-7

Double-Knockout for Weinman; Jorstad Also Eliminated

zedmaster84

Nível 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

The board was all but rushed away as Daniel Weinman raked in the pot with the , having beaten the of Brian Luo and the of Jonathan Pastore to leap up on the leaderboard.

On a king-high board, Weinman rivered a straight to score the double knockout.

One table over, the 2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad was all-in for the last 5,500 from under the gun. Clement Cure then pushed all-in for 27,000 and Alex Kulev jammed in the cutoff, all other players folded.

Espen Jorstad:
Clement Cure:
Alex Kulev:

The board ran out and Jorstad was eliminated while Cure doubled through Kulev. With the Irishman being left on a short stack as a result, those last few chips vanished shortly after as the next high-profile casualty on Day 2 ensued.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Daniel Weinman	180,000 92,500	92,500

Clement Cure	65,000 35,000	35,000
Jonathan Pastore	Eliminado

Brian Luo	Eliminado
Espen Jorstad	Eliminado

Alex Kulev	Eliminado

Tags: Alex Kulev Brian Luo Clement Cure Daniel Weinman Espen Jorstad Jonathan Pastore

2022-07-19 12:32 UTC-7

Eslami Hits Quads; Smith's Bad Luck Continues

connorrichards

Nível 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Ali Eslami opened in early position and Daniel Strelitz flat-called in the small blind. Spencer Smith took the opportunity to three-bet jam a stack of 42,500 from the big blind and Eslami four-bet to 95,000. Strelitz folded.

Ali Eslami:
Spencer Smith:

Smith was in trouble as he had run into kings and the flop of improved Eslami to a set.

"That's not good," reacted Smith.

The on the turn created some sweat potential as Smith picked up a gutshot straight draw but the arrived on the river to give Eslami quads to eliminate Smith, who won two Circuit rings earlier this year at WSOPC Cherokee for a total of $214,571.

"I NEVER WIN ANYTHING!!!" the two-time ring winner yelled sarcastically as players and floor staff erupted in laughter.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Ali Eslami	370,000 65,000	65,000

Daniel Strelitz	220,000 -15,000	-15,000

Spencer Smith	Eliminado

Tags: Ali Eslami Daniel Strelitz Spencer Smith

2022-07-19 12:54 UTC-7

Ponakovs Out-Flops Seymour; Big Hero-Call from Alikhani

connorrichards

Nível 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Zachary Seymour opened to 6,000 from under the gun and Aleksejs Ponakovs three-bet from the cutoff. Seymour called when the action folded around.

Seymour checked on the flop of and Ponakovs checked back. Seymour then led out for 27,000 on the turn and Ponakovs called.

Seymour checked on the river and Ponakovs checked back. Seymour shrugged before showing for ace-high, while Ponakovs showed to win the pot with a pair of nines after the frisky preflop raise.

"What a play! And he three-bets and get my set out," said Taylor Grassmick.

The very next hand, Ponakovs got to the river against Abbas Alikhani on a board of . With around 60,000 in the middle, Ponakovs moved all in to put Alikhani at risk with his stack of 59,000.

"Bluff-catcher. That's all I have," Alikhani said as he contemplated a call.

Eventually, Alikhani tossed in his stack for the call. Ponakovs showed a bluff with for jack-high and Ponakovs revealed to show he made a big call for his tournament life with third pair.

"Back in the game!" Alikhani cheered as he raked in the pot.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Aleksejs Ponakovs	370,000 110,000	110,000

Abbas Alikhani	180,000 9,000	9,000
Zachary Seymour	170,000 -71,000	-71,000

Tags: Abbas Alikhani Aleksejs Ponakovs Taylor Grassmick Zachary Seymour

2022-07-19 14:08 UTC-7

Cada Dealt Kings vs. Aces in Blinds as Cohen Departs

connorrichards

Nível 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante

Jonathan Cohen jammed a stack of 54,000 in middle position before Joe Cada called in the small blind. Sydney Krugh snap-called in the big blind with a stack of 27,000.

Sydney Krugh:
Jonathan Cohen:
Joe Cada:

It was a massive setup for Cada in the blind-against-blind situation. The board ran out and Krugh improved to a set to triple up.

Cohen was eliminated and left with his dog Riley as Cada was awarded a side pot, which the 2009 Main Event champ was less than enthusiastic about winning.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Joe Cada	110,000 20,000	20,000

Sydney Krugh	85,000 45,000	45,000
Jonathan Cohen	Eliminado

Tags: Joe Cada Jonathan Cohen Sydney Krugh

2022-07-19 14:27 UTC-7

Kalidas Intercepts Another Bluff from Ponakovs

connorrichards

Nível 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Most of the table gasped as Krishna Kalidas was seen picking off a bluff by Aleksejs Ponakovs for his tournament life.

On a board of , Kalidas had for two pair and had called off with his last 60,000 on the four-flush board. Ponakovs' cards had already been turned face-down.

"I would never have called!" someone at the table reacted.

Earlier in the day, PokerNews saw Abbas Alikhani make a similar hero-call for his tournament life against Ponakovs, showing the $100,000 High Roller champion's table mates aren't afraid to go to war against him.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Aleksejs Ponakovs	300,000 -75,000	-75,000

Krishna Kalidas	190,000 105,000	105,000

Tags: Abbas Alikhani Krishna Kalidas

2022-07-19 14:36 UTC-7

Cada Cannot Hold With Kings

zedmaster84

Nível 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

In a three-way all-in, David Goodman was the shortest stack of just 38,000 and up against Joe Cada as well as table big stack Michael Asti.

David Goodman:
Joe Cada:
Michael Asti:

The flop left Canada on the ropes with just one king still left in the deck. Goodman had a ton of outs with his flush draw and instantly got there on the turn to secure his triple up while the river brought no miracle escape for Cada.

Jogador	Fichas	Oscilação
Michael Asti	285,000 105,000	105,000
David Goodman	125,000 -7,500	-7,500
Joe Cada	Eliminado

Tags: David Goodman Joe Cada Michael Asti