The past week at the World Series of Poker saw the tournament's momentum pick up. Seven tournaments finished up in as many days, with several others still in progres. The biggest news of Week 2 of the WSOP was the completion of the Millionaire Maker Event and the results of the Razz tournament, which was won by veteran Ted Forrest.
Below are recaps for the last seven days of completed events. As the action continues, expect to see more big names showing up in the winnings. Some should make their appearance at final tables. Plenty of poker's top pros have been acted so far, including Forrest, Phil Hellmuth, Huck Seed, and Vanessa Selbst.
Event #2: Mixed Max No-Limit Hold'em
Vanessa Selbst won the Mixed Max No-Limit Holdem event, which had a $25,000 buy-in. Her winnings were $871,148 for taking 1st prize. Jason Mo finished second and won $539,308 in earnings. Both Selbst and Mo living in Las Vegas these days.
Event #3: Pot-Limit Omaha
Brandon Shack-Harris won the Pot-Limit Omaha event last week. Shack-Harris, a resident of Chicago, won $205,634 and his first WSOP bracelet. He defeated Morgan Popham of Marietta, Georgia to take 1st place. Iori Yogo of Nagoya, Japan came in third.
Event #4: No-Limit Hold'em
Kyle Cartwright won the $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event, which was fourth on the docket this year. This Mr. Cartwright's first bracelet, though he's cashed 8 times over the years. The resident of Bartlett, Tennessee collected $360,278 in winnings for his feat. He defeated Jason Paster of Morganville, New Jersey. Ylon Schwartz of Austin, Texas finished in third.
Event #5: Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball
Tuan Lee won the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball event. The Los Angeles resident took home $355,324 in winnings. This was his first bracelet, though he has finished in the money 9 times. Jason Bonomo of Glendale, Colorado and Eli Elezra of Henderson, Nevada finished in 2nd and 3rd place.
Event #6: No-Limit Hold'em Shootout
Alex Bolotin of Brooklyn collected $259,211 in winnings as the champion of the No-Limit Hold'em Shootout. He defeated Dimitar Danchev of Bulgaria to win the tible. Jon Lane of Menasha finished third. Josh Arieh from Alpharetta, GA
Event #7: Seven Card Razz
Ted Forrest defeated Phil Hellmuth in an heads-up showdown of poker heavyweights to win a $1,500 Seven-Card Razz. The game of Razz, which plays like an inverted game of seven-card stud, is considered by many to be one of the truest tests of poker ability. Wih a 352 player field, seeing legends like Forrest, Hellmuth, and Huck Seed among the final twelve is confirmation the recent event was played at its highest level.
Ted Forrest, who is known as one of the best ring game players in the world, won $121,196 for his 1st place finish. It was his 6th World Series of Poker bracelet. Phil Hellmuth won a bit under $75,000, while Greg Pappas finished in third and collected $48,275.
Event #8a: Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em
Jonathan Dimmig won the $1,500 Buy-in Millionaire Make No-Limit Hold'em event. He collected $1,319,587 in earnings. The Millionaire Maker Event had 7,977 entries, which makes the field comparable to some of the largest WSOP Main Events of the past 10 years.
The reason the Millionaire Maker event is such a draw is the combination of low buy-in and large prize pool. Gamblers can enter the field for fifteen hundred dollars, while the winner becomes an instant millionaire. Jonathan Dimmig is a relative unknown from Amheart, New York. He defeated Jeffrey Coburn of Chino Hills, California to win the event. Coburn walked home out $815,963, so he's likely to be satisfied with his results. James Duke came in third placce, and collect $614,368 in earnings.
WSOP Previews
In the coming weeks, 57 more events will take place. ESPN viewer favorites like the H.O.R.S.E. title, Ladies Championship, Seniors Championship, and Players Championship are still to be played. Hardcore fan favorites like the Omaha, Pot Limit, and Seven Card Stud titles are yet to be determined. Each week will feature a couple of said events, with new personalities emerging each time to challenge the veterans.
The World Series of Poker culminates on July 5, when the WSOP Main Event begins. The Main Event transpires over 10 days and ends its July phase with nine players remaining--the so-called November Nine. This represents the final table of the World Series of Poker.
