2007 WSOP Overview, July 1st — Bracelets for Rodman, Amit

The July portion of the 2007 WSOP schedule began with action in five events, including two final tables. Blair Rodman and Rafi Afit were the day's victors, with Rodman capturing the $2,000 No Limit Hold 'Em title while Amit took down the $1,000 Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw event. The huge $1,500 No Limit event that began action on Saturday played down to its final table, while two more tourneys, including the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha championship, began play on Monday.

Rodman began the day mid-pack in the finale to Event #47, $2,000 No Limit Hold 'Em, with Steve 'Stan' Crawford leading in chips and Roland de Wolfe, Anna Wroblewski and Joe Pelton among those on the chase. In the end it came down to a see-saw duel between Rodman and Amato Galasso, with Rodman catching the breaks he needed to capture the bracelet and the $707,898 first prize. Galasso pocketed $448,808 for his runner-up finish.

Afit's triumph came in the delayed finish to Event #48, $1,000 Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, where he overcame start-of-day leader Jon Shoreman and survived a heads-up battle against Lenny Martin for the title. The bracelet was Amit's second; he also claimed $227,005 in prize money.

In Event #49, $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em, the original record-setting 3,151-player pack had been trimmed to 218, who began the action well inside the money spots but with the final table still a long day's play. By the end of the session that final table had been filled, with Taylor Douglas enjoying a solid Day Two to take over 2.6 million in chips into the final, more than twice that of his nearest competitors, Leandro Pimentel, John Hunt and Greg 'FBT' Mueller.

Event #50, $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha World Championship, a star-packed 314-player field was on hand for the noon start. 54 survived the day's action, with Jonas Flug-Entin and Dau Ly the chip leaders atop an overnight board that also includes Patrik Antonius, Michael Mizrachi and John Duthie. Scotty Nguyen, Marco Traniello, Andy Bloch, Annie Duke, Eric Froehlich, Greg Raymer, Doyle Brunson and others are also high in the standings.

Event #51, $1,000 S.H.O.E., attracted 730 entrants. This event, like H.O.R.S.E. but lacking the Razz element, played down to 146 survivors before reaching the 3am curfew. Susie Genard starts Day Two with the lead, narrowly ahead of Barry Hartheimer.

Today's offering is Event #52, $1,000 No Limit Hold 'Em (w/ Rebuys). The tourney kicks off at noon and should draw a sizeable field; the other $1,000 NLHE event (#8, in early June) drew 844 runners. After today, the WSOP has only two more preliminary events waiting to begin — one each on Tuesday and Wednesday — before the traditional 'Satellite Day' on Thursday and the Friday kickoff to the Main Event.