WSOP What to Watch For: $50K PPC Bubble to Burst; Melissa Burr Aims for Cash, History

June 25, 2014

Martin Harris

WSOP What to Watch For: $50K PPC Bubble to Burst; Melissa Burr Aims for Cash, History 0001

It’ll be another busy one today at the 2014 World Series of Poker with five events in action. One plays down to a winner, two more march onward toward Thursday finales, while two new events get underway.

Event #46: $50,000 Poker Players Championship

Things become especially interesting today for Day 4 of the five-day Event #46: $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Just 22 players are left from the starting field of 102, but only the top 14 finishers will be earning a piece of the massive $4,896,000 prize pool and the chance to keep striving for the $1,517,767 first prize.

That means when play starts today the current big stacks — including chip leader Abe Mosseri (1,727,000) and his nearest challengers Brandon Shack-Harris (second, 1,185,000), Matt Glantz (third, 1,083,000), Robert Mizrachi (fourth, 1,020,000), and Frank Kassela (fifth, 1,004,000) — will be in position to pressure those below the average and in danger of missing the cash. Among the players in that latter group are Jason Mercier (in 19th position), John Hennigan (20th), David Oppenheim (21st), and Vladimir Shchemelev (22nd).

Right in the middle of the counts and in the spotlight is Melissa Burr whose stack of 622,000 puts her in 12th position and just below the average heading into today. Burr has already made two final tables this summer, finishing eighth in the Event #10: $10,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Low Championship and fifth in Event #30: $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Low. Burr also just missed a third final table last week with a ninth-place showing in Event #41: $1,500 Dealer’s Choice Six-Handed.

Not only is “burrrrrberry” hoping to make another WSOP final table, but she’s also aiming to become the first woman in the nine-year history of the $50K event to make the money. Burr was only one of two women to enter the PPC this year along with Vanessa Selbst who went out on Day 1.

They start back at 2 p.m. PDT today, with that big bubble likely coming by the late afternoon. Be sure to check the Event #46 live updates to see who makes it through to the cash as well as who survives to tomorrow’s final table.

Event #47: $1,500 Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em

Also on tap for today will be the final table of Event #47: $1,500 Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em where Jeremy Joseph will start with a stack of 689,000 to lead the final nine, sole survivors of a starting field of 714. Joseph hopes to earn his first career bracelet today after having made two final tables at the 2013 WSOP, finishing fifth and sixth.

Others there to challenge Joseph today will include Simeon Naydenov (second, 629,000) who also had a good WSOP last year when he won his first bracelet in the $1,500 NLHE Shootout.

Others with previous WSOP final table experience among the remaining players include Jesse McEuen (fourth, 384,000) who finished third in a $1K NLHE event a year ago, Ryan D’Angelo (fifth, 294,000) who has made two previous WSOP FTs with third being his best previous finish, and Arthur Pro (ninth, 122,000) who took runner-up in a $5K NLHE event in 2013. Adam “Roothlus” Levy (sixth, 269,000) will also be there today, making his 19th WSOP cash and first final table.

The final table begins at 1 p.m. local time today, which is when hand-for-hand coverage will start in the Event #47 live updates.

Event #48: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low

They played down from a starting group of 991 to just 152 yesterday in Event #48: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low with Cale Maclean building the biggest stack of 130,300, well clear of Yueqi Zhu in second position with 99,800 to start today’s Day 2.

The money bubble will burst today when they reach 117 players, at which point the dividing of the $1,337,850 prize pool will begin and the race toward the bracelet and $270,992 first prize will continue.

Others coming back to healthy stacks to start today’s play will include Jeff Madsen (fifth, 97,000), Michel Abecassis (sixth, 91,000), Bryce Yockey (eighth, 83,900), Bryan Campanello (ninth, 75,100), five-time bracelet winner David Chiu (12th, 63,000), and four-time bracelet winner Tom Schneider (13th, 60,100).

They get going again at 1 p.m. today, so click over to the Event #48 live updates then to see who makes it through to tomorrow’s final day.

Event #49: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em

The first of two new events getting started today will be Event #49: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em, the third of three different $5K NLHE events on the 2014 WSOP schedule after Event #24: $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em won by Kevin Eyster and Event #35: $5,000 Eight-Handed No-Limit Hold’em won by Brian Yoon.

Last year Matt Perrins won this event, topping a field of 784 to earn a $792,275 first prize. Today’s turnout will be compared to that one, while also measured against this year’s other $5K NLHE fields of 541 (Event #24) and 550 (Event #35).

Play starts at noon PDT, which is when the Event #49 live updates will get cranking as well.

Event #50: $1,500 Eight-Game Mix

Finally, Event #50: $1,500 Eight-Game Mix begins later in the afternoon today, an event sure to draw a lot of the big names who have busted from the $50K PPC as well as a crowd of other mixed-game enthusiasts.

The buy-in for the Eight-Game Mix has been adjusted downward this year after having a $2,500 price tag the last three years. Michael Malm topped a 388-player field to win the bracelet and $255,104 in the $2,500 Eight-Game Mix a year ago. Malm followed David “ODB” Baker (2012) and John Monnette (2011) as previous winners of the event.

This one starts at 4 p.m., so remember to open that tab up, too, to start following the Event #50 live updates then.

Here again is a full rundown of the five bracelet events in play today at the 2014 World Series of Poker (all times PDT):