WSOP Day 29: Benny Glaser Leads the Final 15 in $50K PPC

Bubble Burst in PPC, Ivey and Hellmuth Advance

The prestigious $50K Championship in mixed games, regarded as the “Main Event” for professionals, completed its third day. From an initial field of 108 entries, only 15 players are left vying for the coveted Chip Reese trophy, each guaranteed at least $102,474.

British mixed games specialist Benny Glaser sits atop the leaderboard, aiming for his ninth gold bracelet.

The day was filled with tension, especially during the bubble, which stretched over an incredible 47 hands. The unfortunate “bubble boy” was three-time bracelet holder Bryce Yockey, knocked out in PLO by Nick Guagenti. Just before hitting the money, former champion Brian Rast (19th place) also exited the tournament.

A lighthearted moment came when Phil Ivey appeared relaxed, watching the World Cup match between Colombia and Congo on big screens. When Eric Wasserson jokingly nudged him to “play poker”, Ivey retorted, asking not to be disturbed while watching football.

Phil Hellmuth also seemed in great spirits, with no signs of his recent COVID recovery, even taking time to juggle with Gus Hansen.

Other stars still in contention include Jason Mercier, Jesse Lonis, and Josh Arieh.

Top 10 Stacks After Day 3 – Event #60: $50,000 Poker Players Championship

American Dominance at Millionaire Maker Final Table

Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker has its final nine, emerging from a massive field of 11,769 entries. Notably, all final table players hail from the USA. Each has already secured $150,068, with the top two set for seven-figure paydays.

Michael Monroig dominates as the chipleader, and the only WSOP bracelet winner at the table is fifth-place Bradley Gafford.

A unique moment happened when Halford Fairchild and Garry Gurevich showcased remarkable reading skills, each guessing their opponent’s hand correctly. It’s no surprise both advanced to the final day.

The fourth day brought harsh endings for several favorites. Bo Chen, who started as a commanding chipleader, experienced a steep fall ending in 39th place. Mark Newhouse (16th), known for back-to-back Main Event finals, also concluded his deep run; his first bracelet will have to wait.

Final Table Line-Up of Event #50: $1,500 Millionaire Maker

Veteran Shines at Salute to Warriors Final Table

The charity event honoring veterans (Event #59: $500 Salute to Warriors) crowned its champion. American Prashanth Nataraj emerged victorious in a field of 4,478 entries, clinching his first gold bracelet and $208,800.

Nearly $180,000 was raised for veteran organizations like the USO during the event. Nataraj stated that contributing to a worthy cause made this win particularly special.

The most compelling story of the day was Navy veteran Holly Foley, a complete WSOP novice, who delivered an audacious performance, finishing fifth among thousands.

The tournament also saw a nostalgic attempt for a second bracelet by legend Jamie Gold, ending in 17th place nearly on the 20th anniversary of his Main Event triumph.

Final Table Results of Event #59: $500 Salute to Warriors

Naoya Kihara Chases Third Series Title

The exclusive Event #64: $25K High Roller PLO/NLH Mixed, combining two of poker’s most popular disciplines, kicked off with 140 entries and a preliminary prize pool of $3,290,000. Late registration remains open until the first two levels of Day 2.

After ten levels, Finnish veteran and two-time bracelet winner Juha Helppi leads the 60 survivors.

Just two spots behind him is the surging Naoya Kihara, aiming for his third title this WSOP and the fourth of his career. Kihara is also fourth in the WSOP Player of the Year rankings, providing extra motivation.

Klemens Roiter and Cary Katz, in fourth and seventh respectively, have positioned themselves well. Daniel Negreanu, at 24th, and Nick Schulman (42nd), also aiming for the POY title, remain in the fray.

Top 10 Stacks after Day 1 – Event #64: $25,000 High Roller PLO/NLH Mixed

Erotic Toy Incident at Super Seniors Tournament

The $1K Super Seniors event (Event #61), for players over 60, narrowed down to the final 103 out of an initial 3,323 entries after Day 2. Kelley Slay, the American leader, stands as the sole player with over two million chips.

A remarkable moment saw 90-year-old Joseph Kelley, the oldest player in Day 2, honored with announcing the iconic “Shuffle up and deal!” Though memories are all he takes away from the tournament.

Day 2 was also marked by a curious and rather bizarre scandal. British player Andrew Martin was asked by the staff to remove his card protector shaped like an erotic toy (anal plug).

Though Martin argued that no rule explicitly prohibits such an item, he received an official warning for violating decorum standards. Despite the controversy, Martin fought his way into the money and took away $2,654 from the tournament.

Top 10 Stacks After Day 2 – Event #61: $1,000 Super Seniors

Moncek Under Heavy Criticism

Event #62: $2,500 NLH concluded its second day, leaving 34 players from an original field of 1,736 entries. The overall prize pool reached $3,864,825, with $555,198 reserved for the winner. Tunisian Maher Achour enters the final day in pole position.

This event, however, was abuzz with Michael Moncek’s behavior, known as “Texas Mike,” during the previous day. Moncek, while still battling in the prestigious $50K PPC, bought a stack for this tournament and instantly shoved all-in blind with his first hand. Moncek won the hand with a straight using 9 h 7 h and then left the table to continue in the PPC.

Critics accuse Moncek of turning a prestigious WSOP event into a “circus act,” sending a bad signal to recreational players. Many point out that in re-entry tournament systems, poker skills diminish, turning the game into mere luck.

Moncek responded, stating that he “won’t apologize.” Citing heart issues that prevent him from long hours at the table, he uses an aggressive style to quickly build a stack, allowing him to rest. Moncek, however, was eliminated during Day 1 and didn’t advance.

The tournament saw Martin Kabrhel and Calvin Anderson exit in Day 2, while Roman Hrabec and Day 1 chipleader Blaz Zerjav still have a chance for another bracelet.

Top 10 Stacks After Day 2 – Event #62: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em

Joe Hachem's Son Could Expand Family's Title Collection

The $1,000 Omaha marathon (Event #57) enters its final phase. From a total of 3,763 entries, only 23 players remain competing for the bracelet and $390,300 top prize.

Day 2 witnessed dominance by Frenchman Francois Scapula, who built a lead of over 2 million in chips ahead of his closest rival.

The Final Day line-up includes Daniel Hachem, son of 2005 World Champion Joe Hachem, who sits 12th and is chasing a family double.

Meanwhile, the tournament saw exits from stars like Daniel Negreanu, Allan Kessler, and Allan Le.

Top 10 Stacks after Day 2 – Event #57: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha

Popular Mystery Millions Kicks Off

One of the most crowd-pleasing events of the WSOP, the $1K Mystery Millions (Event #63), started with its opening flight 1A. A total of 1,643 entries joined, with only 76 players advancing after 22 levels.

Frenchman Leo Soma emerged as the chipleader, with two-time bracelet holder JC Tran among the top 10. Strong starting positions also went to Zdeněk Žíža and David Baker.

The tournament has five more starting flights, which will determine the prizepool's total value and the number of million-dollar prizes.

Bubble About to Burst in NLH Freezeout

The traditional $1,500 freezeout format (Event #65), offering players a single bullet, attracted 2,617 participants. The total prizepool reached $3,474,067, with $449,067 reserved for the winner.

After Day 1, 410 players remain, with Day 2 continuing the fight for paid positions, as only the top 393 will cash. Frenchman Mario Boos claimed a dominant position on the leaderboard in the opening day.

A-listers like Main Event champ Martin Jacobson, Martin Zamani, Jason Wheeler, and Eric Baldwin join him in advancing.

Sources: WSOP, WSOP Live, X