Andrew Kelsall is the World Series of Poker’s prime example of so close, yet still so far.
The Pennsylvania pro, usually seen proudly supporting a Philadelphia sports team, has one online WSOP bracelet but has yet to win a live event despite several close calls. Kelsall has five top-three finishes in WSOP events, including two times as runner-up.
Kelsall gets his chance to make another deep run as he’ll return with a massive chip lead when Day 2 of Event #42: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship begins at 1 p.m. local time. Kelsall takes 294,000 into the event’s penultimate day, more than 70,000 clear of his closest challenger Daniel Mayoh (220,000).
Mayoh also just missed out on his first WSOP bracelet when he finished second in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event just a few days ago. The rest of the field is littered with pros who have accomplished every poker player’s dream. Of the 40 returning players, 22 of them are bracelet winners. They include Yuval Bronshtein (203,000), Chad Eveslage (191,500), Andre Akkari (178,000), and Yuri Dzivielevski (169,500).
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|
| 1 | Andrew Kelsall | United States | 294,000 | 49 |
| 2 | Daniel Mayoh | Australia | 220,000 | 37 |
| 3 | Yuval Bronshtein | Israel | 203,000 | 34 |
| 4 | Chad Eveslage | United States | 191,500 | 32 |
| 5 | Andre Akkari | Brazil | 178,000 | 30 |
| 6 | Yuri Dzivielevski | Brazil | 169,500 | 28 |
| 7 | Don Coakley | United States | 166,000 | 28 |
| 8 | Maksim Pisarenko | Russia | 155,000 | 26 |
| 9 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | 145,000 | 24 |
| 10 | James Chen | Taiwan | 144,500 | 24 |
Defending champion Brian Yoon is also still in the hunt with 130,500, as is Robert Mizrachi (115,500), Alex Livingston (112,500), and Poker Hall of Famers Mori Eskandani (103,500), Brian Rast (81,000), and John Hennigan (43,000).
The event has attracted a small but elite field of 74 entries so far. Late registration remains open for the first hour of Day 2, so there is still an opportunity for even more of poker’s biggest names to jump in. The action on Day 2 picks up on Level 10 with limits of 3,000-6,000. Levels 10-13 will be 60 minutes long before lengthening to 90 minutes on Level 14 for the remainder of the tournament. There is a 60-minute dinner break at the end of Level 14 around 7 p.m.
Stay tuned to PokerNews throughout the day for all the live updates.
Tags:
Alex LivingstonAndre AkkariAndrew KelsallBrian RastBrian YoonChad EveslageDaniel MayohJohn HenniganMori EskandaniRobert MizrachiYuri DzivielevskiYuval Bronshtein
