October 24 was Day 25 of the 2021 World Series of Poker. It is also approximately the halfway mark of the schedule. There are 88 tournaments on the live schedule for events taking place at the Rio, and Event 44 found its champion yesterday. One of two responses follows this information, based on perspective and experience:
-1. Already?-2. Only halfway?
It’s also time to face some facts. Most of the events at this year’s WSOP report an attendance decline from 2019. Between a still-looming pandemic and the switch from summer to autumn – not to mention a vaccine mandate, staffing issues, and navigating health protocols and subsequent restrictions – it is not surprising that numbers are down. However, considering all of the obstacles, the WSOP is doing relatively well.
At a time when tournaments start to blend together and exhaustion sets in for a lot of staff, media, and players, it’s good to step back for a moment. Look at the bigger picture. It’s actually going pretty well. And the health of the game overall bodes well for a 2022 WSOP like no other.
Event 43: $1K NLHE Double Stack
The big weekend tournament is still in the thick of it. Day 2 thinned the field into the money spots and down to just 149 players. There is still a lot of play left, though. PokerGO commentator Jeff Platt leads the way into Day 3.
Event 43: Day 2 of 5
$1K buy-in
NLHE Double Stack (1RE)
Total entries:
3,991
Registration still open?
no
Total prize pool:
$3,551,990
Players paid:
599
Minimum payout:
$1,602
Winner payout:
$446,983
Chip leader:
Jeff Platt
Players remaining:
149
Day 1B start:
10am Monday
Event 44: $3K LHE
Ten players returned for this Limit Hold’em event, but the shorter stacks were the first to go, including Ray Henson and Justin Moeller. Japanese poker pro Kosei Ichinose came close to his first gold bracelet, but Borgata cash game player Ryan Hansen earned the title. He told PokerNews:
“I’m a little shell-shocked right now. I was kind of a Moneymaker-effect person. Came in after that like 2004-2005 and switched to Limit Hold’em. I think it’s a great game. … This is the dream. I never expected this to happen. Never expected this to happen. I was just having a shot, having some fun, and look what happened.”
An exciting day of the great game of PLO whittled this field down to just 18 competitors. On the way, John Racener and Robert Campbell were among those who hit the rail. Jesse Rockowitz and Corey Hochman were the last eliminations of Day 2, leaving just a couple tables for Day 3. They will play down to the final five today.
Event 45: Day 2 of 4
$10K buy-in
PLO 8-Handed Championship
Total entries:
344
Registration still open?
no
Total prize pool:
$3,207,800
Players paid:
52
Minimum payout:
$16,141
Winner payout:
$746,477
Chip leader:
Jonathan Witz
Players remaining:
18
Restart:
2pm Monday
Event 46: $800 NLHE Deepstack
It was a fast pace and only a long day for the 120 players who survived the structure and made it well into the money. The final day will play nearly as quickly and end the night with a winner.
Event 46: Day 1 of 2
$800 buy-in
NLHE Deepstack (1RE)
Total entries:
2053
Registration still open?
no
Total prize pool:
$1,445,312
Players paid:
308
Minimum payout:
$1,284
Winner payout:
$124,374
Chip leader:
Alejandro Andion
Players remaining:
120
Restart:
12pm Monday
Event 47: $5K NLHE Freezeout
Even with no reentries – or possibly because of that factor – more than 400 players paid $5K each to compete in this event. Day 2 will bring more than 80 players back though a couple dozen will leave without making the money. Action will likely find the final table later tonight.
Event 47: Day 1 of 3
$5K buy-in
NLHE 8-Handed Freezeout
Total entries:
421
Registration still open?
no
Total prize pool:
$1,941,863
Players paid:
64
Minimum payout:
$8,000
Winner payout:
$426,694
Chip leader:
Jamie Sequeira
Players remaining:
82
Restart:
2pm Monday
Event OB 5: $1K NLHE Championship
This fifth in a series of online bracelet events made available to players in Nevada and New Jersey delivered several hundred players and nearly as many reentries. The tournament ran at WSOP.com for more than ten hours, at which point a poker player from Japan named Kazuki Keuchi captured his first gold bracelet as the last player standing.
Sometimes, it can feel like money is just flying around at the World Series of Poker. It is. Marle Spragg breaks it down at the Bank of Poker.
https://twitter.com/MarleSpragg/status/1452678179693338627?s=20
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