Event 26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1 | 2012 World Series of Poker

Welcome to the PokerNews coverage of Event 26, the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. Last year, a field of 685 players gathered for this event and Sam Stein outlasted them all, earning $420,802 and his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet.

Each player in this event will begin with 3,000 in tournament chips and receive two additional add-on lammers that can be used anytime during the first four levels. Players who have not used any of the lammers by the end of Level 4, will automatically receive them then. Registration will also be open through the first four levels of play tonight.

A big field of competitors is expected for this one and we expect to see some more multi-tabling between some of the players still in the other events running today. The cards are set to be in the air at 5:00 PM, so get comfy and enjoy the action.

Tags: Sam Stein

Hans Winzeler has some very solid Pot-Limit Omaha results on his record and is seated another another tough table. He's over in the Tan Section of the Amazon Room at Table 350 with two-time bracelet winner Matt Graham, David "Doc" Sands, Keith Ferrera and Ludovic Lacay. Winzeler has gotten the best start of all of them, doubling up early on the following hand.

When our reporters arrived at the table, a pot of 1,875 was in the middle of the table on the {A-Diamonds} {Q-Diamonds} {7-Clubs} flop. Graham had bet 1,800 and Winzeler raised all in having Graham covered. Graham called.

Winzeler showed top set and a gutshot straight draw with the {A-Clubs} {A-Hearts} {K-Hearts} {J-Clubs} . Graham held the {K-Diamonds} {K-Clubs} {5-Clubs} {3-Diamonds} for a pair of kings and the nut flush draw.

The turn was the {J-Spades} and river the {Q-Hearts} , which gave Winzeler a full house and the pot. Graham called for a rebuy and use his remaining two add-on lammers to get a stack of 6,000. Winzeler moved to roughly 14,000 when you include his two add-on lammers.

Even though Graham may have lost this pot, he knows a thing or two about World Series of Poker events and how to go deep in them. Graham is a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won his first piece of hardware in 2008 when he defeated Jean-Robert Bellande heads up after making a massive comeback in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em - Shootout. He earned $278,180 for that finish. Then in 2009, Graham conquered the $10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha event for $679,402.

As we stated at earlier, Winzeler has numerous Pot-Limit Omaha records to his credit, including most notably a second-place finish to Jason Mercier in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Six-Handed event last year for $383,075. He also took ninth in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship last year for $68,410. To start 2012, Winzeler took second in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha side event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $90,000.