Can Daniel Negreanu secure the WSOP Player of the Year crown or will the UK’s Matt Ashton retain his lead?
The World Series of Poker Europe has been in full swing in Paris for over a week with six new bracelet winners crowned so far. Australia’s Jackie Glazier won the first, in the €1,100 Ladies Event. Sadly only 65 women bought in, leaving a very small field to compete for the coveted bracelet. Despite this, Aussie Glazier was a worthy winner and, with a 31st place finish in the WSOP Main Event, is having a fantastic year.
Jason Mercier got a third place finish in the €1,650 PLO event (worth €23k) and it was close but no cigar for the legendary Erik Seidel as he could only manage a runner-up finish in the €2,200 NLHE tournament. If Seidel could have finished the job it would have secured a stunning ninth WSOP bracelet, putting the American in an elite club with Phil Ivey and Johnny Moss.
With the WSOPE prelims out of the way all eyes have shifted to the €10,450 main event and, specifically, the exciting race to see who will be crowned WSOP Player of the Year. UK mixed games specialist Matt Ashton came to Paris with a strong lead after winning this summer’s prestigious €50k Poker Players Championship (amid a slew of other final tables) and his only real competitor is Kid Poker himself, Daniel Negreanu. After two cashes in Paris, including a 9th place finish in the €3k PLO event, Ashton has taken an even bigger lead. However, the Liverpool youngster is now out of the Main Event – lasting just six hands and 25 minutes according to his Twitter!
Daniel Negreanu has made it through to today’s Day Two but has a below average stack. With only the €25k High Roller tournament remaining Negreanu will likely have to final table both events to snatch that Player of the Year title that he so badly wants. It’s a tough ask but if anyone can do it, it’s Negreanu. Game on!
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