Christian Pham wins his first bracelet in a game he’d never played before – and didn’t mean to register for
1. Event #23: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Draw: Pham’s best mistake
Poker pro Christian Pham registered and sat down for what he thought was a $1,500 NLHE event. To his horror the dealer dealt out five cards to everyone and he realized he was sat in a game he’d never played before.
It was too late to unregister so Pham folded hands, watched and started to pick up the rules and strategies of no-limit 2-7 draw. He picked it up and by the end of Day 1 he was the massive chipleader. He played his stack through to the end of Day 2 when he was still in front with just three players remaining. And he completed an unlikely wire-to-wire victory when he beat Daniel Ospina heads-up.
It’s Pham’s first WSOP bracelet and he’s now got a new favourite game. Talking afterwards Pham said, ‘I’d played lots of poker before, but not this game. I guess I learned fast.’
2. Incredible final table set for tonight
Eight runners remain in the hunt for the $5k NLHE bracelet. Pierre Milan has a big chip lead and is looking to win his second bracelet but he’s got some stiff competition behind him, with players that boast three WSOP bracelets and seven WPT titles.
New 888 pro Dominik Nitsche might be the shortest stack at the table, but he’s still got a playable stack and he knows how to win, with two WSOP bracelets already in his bag. Anthony Zinno is also short stacked but is the current WPT Player of the Year on the back of back-to-back WPT titles earlier in the year. Jonathan Little is second in chips and boasts over $6m in career earnings and two WPT titles. He’s looking for his first bracelet. Jonathan Jaffe and Dan O’Brien make up a ridiculously stacked final table.
The action resumes at 1pm, with the live stream kicking in with hole cards and commentary on a 30-minute delay. If you want a masterclass in NLHE final table play we suggest you tune in.
3. It’s a monster!
The $1,500 Monster Stack is the third huge NLHE event of this series. 3,027 players anted up on Day 1, down from 4,020 last year, and by the end of the day 825 had made their 15,000 starting stack count. Chi Troung leads the way, with Joseph Cheong (5th), Hoyt Corkins (39th), Martin Jacobson (59th), and Andy Black (71st) all with decent stacks. PokerPlayer’s Sofia Lovgren made it through the day as well with a stack of 88,000 keeping her just ahead of Vanessa Selbst.
Day 1B plays today and the WSOP will be hoping for 4,700 runners to match the total numbers of last year. It’s an early start as well – expect to see plent of bleary eyed players make their way to the Rio for the 10am start.
4. PLO draws the crowds
Event #26, the $1k PLO is in the record books as the largest live non-hold’em event of all time. 1,293 players have been reduced to the final 16, with Aaron Wallace leading them back in today to play down to the champion. It’s a cosmopolitan affair as well, with nine different nations competing for the gold.
Former Main Event champ Greg Merson fell short in 29th place. Action resumes today at 1pm.
5. Seven-card stud championship
After losing the $10k Razz Championship to Phil hellmuth heads-up, Mike Gorodinsky fell just short of the $10k stud final table when he was eliminated in nith spot to close play for the day earlier this morning. Brian Hastings is the chipleader, with Scott Clements and Max Pescatori in the hunt. Pescatori will be hoping he can win his second bracelet of the series after his triumph in the $1,500 Razz. The final table will be streamed later today with no hole cards and a five minute delay.
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