Takao Shimizu Heading into Day 3 as Chip Leader
Today marked the commencement of Day 2 for Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Champions at the World Series of Poker, hosted by Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. A total of 918 players qualified for Day 2. Late Registration spanned an hour, allowing each player one re-entry opportunity. Despite the lengthy late registration queue, some participants still missed their chance to join the action on time.
Ultimately, the event attracted 3,177 entries, amassing an impressive $8,482,590 prize pool. The top prize, accompanied by the much sought after bracelet, totals a substantial $1,041,989.
Leading the chip counts with an impressive 3,155,000 chips is Takao Shimizu from Japan.
As play progresses to Day 3, only 147 players remain in contention. Among the top contenders are Lucas Reeves from the United Kingdom, holding 2,320,000 chips, Asi Moshe, a four-time bracelet winner with 2,155,000 chips, and Hannes Jeschka from Austria, boasting 1,900,000 chips.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takao Shimizu | Japan | 3,155,000 | 126 |
| 2 | Lucas Reeves | United Kingdom | 2,320,000 | 93 |
| 3 | Asi Moshe | Israel | 2,155,000 | 86 |
| 4 | Travis Egbert | United States | 1,975,000 | 79 |
| 5 | Hannes Jeschka | Austria | 1,900,000 | 76 |
| 6 | Oleksii Kravchuk | Ukraine | 1,855,000 | 74 |
| 7 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russian Federation | 1,800,000 | 72 |
| 8 | Nikola Gunchev | Bulgaria | 1,750,000 | 70 |
| 9 | Jack Salter | United Kingdom | 1,660,000 | 66 |
| 10 | Tjan Tepeh | Slovenia | 1,650,000 | 66 |
Bracelet winner and and main event champion Scott Blumstein (1,290,000) who was chipping up the whole day including this hand where his tens crushed nines for a knockout is sitting with a healthy stack. Other notable contenders include 25K Fantasy Draft pick John Riordan (440,000), Florida's grinder Tony Miles (405,000), Brazil's charismatic bracelet holder Rafael Reis (310,000) and 25K Fantasy Draft pick, seasoned poker coach and champion Brock Wilson (320,000).
Action resumes tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. for Day 3, featuring ten levels of play. Scheduled breaks occur every three levels, with a 60-minute dinner break following Level 29 around 7:30 p.m. The starting blinds for Level 21 are set at 10,000/25,000 with a big blind ante of 25,000.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates and comprehensive coverage from the 55th World Series of Poker.