Event 37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix Day 1 | 2012 World Series of Poker

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Kelly	56,800 28,800	28,800
Brendon Taylor	45,275
Miguel Benmudez	45,250
Jake Abdalla	43,750
Jeff Madsen	37,075 -12,925	-12,925

Ylon Schwartz	34,400 4,400	4,400

Anthony Nguyen	34,250
Marco Traniello	33,300 25,800	25,800
Bryn Kenney	30,500 14,500	14,500

Daniel Idema	29,800 4,800	4,800

Steve Zolotow	29,150 19,150	19,150

Gavin Griffin	28,900 -100	-100

Sorel Mizzi	28,725 25,325	25,325
Andy Bloch	28,575 21,575	21,575

John Cernuto	28,275 15,275	15,275

Chris Klodnicki	27,750 14,350	14,350

Greg Raymer	27,525 18,525	18,525

Michael Chow	27,175 20,075	20,075

Kevin Calenzo	25,250 17,750	17,750
Leif Force	25,050 11,050	11,050

Barry Greenstein	25,000

Vladimir Shchmelev	22,875
Max Pescatori	22,675 7,675	7,675

Greg Mueller	21,750 250	250

Eric Crain	21,600 -4,400	-4,400

Player

Chips

Progress

Dan Kelly

56,800

28,800

Brendon Taylor

45,275

Miguel Benmudez

45,250

Jake Abdalla

43,750

Jeff Madsen

37,075

-12,925

Ylon Schwartz

34,400

4,400

Anthony Nguyen

34,250

Marco Traniello

33,300

25,800

Bryn Kenney

30,500

14,500

Daniel Idema

29,800

4,800

Steve Zolotow

29,150

19,150

Gavin Griffin

28,900

-100

Sorel Mizzi

28,725

25,325

Andy Bloch

28,575

21,575

John Cernuto

28,275

15,275

Chris Klodnicki

27,750

14,350

Greg Raymer

27,525

18,525

Michael Chow

27,175

20,075

Kevin Calenzo

25,250

17,750

Leif Force

25,050

11,050

Barry Greenstein

25,000

Vladimir Shchmelev

22,875

Max Pescatori

22,675

7,675

Greg Mueller

21,750

250

Eric Crain

21,600

-4,400

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Kelly	56,800
Brendan Taylor	45,275
Miguel Rodriguez Bermude	45,250
Jake Abdalla	43,750
Kristan Lord	39,000
Giovanni Rizzo	38,375
Freddy Deeb	38,350 24,350	24,350

Chris McClung	38,000
Jeff Madsen	37,075

Johannes Holstege	36,875
Kyle Bowker	35,550 11,550	11,550

Konstantin Puchkov	35,350 20,950	20,950

Duc Phuong Nguyen	35,050
Rep Porter	34,575 16,575	16,575

Anthony Nguyen	34,250
Ylon Schwartz	34,000 -400	-400

Mayu Roca Uribe	33,675
Marco Traniello	33,300
Matthew Rasco	31,775
Noah Schwartz	31,075 19,375	19,375

Brandon Demes	31,000
Bryn Kenney	30,500

Raul Paez	30,500
Jaime Kaplan	29,850
Daniel Idema	29,800

Player

Chips

Progress

Dan Kelly

56,800

Brendan Taylor

45,275

Miguel Rodriguez Bermude

45,250

Jake Abdalla

43,750

Kristan Lord

39,000

Giovanni Rizzo

38,375

Freddy Deeb

38,350

24,350

Chris McClung

38,000

Jeff Madsen

37,075

Johannes Holstege

36,875

Kyle Bowker

35,550

11,550

Konstantin Puchkov

35,350

20,950

Duc Phuong Nguyen

35,050

Rep Porter

34,575

16,575

Anthony Nguyen

34,250

Ylon Schwartz

34,000

-400

33,675

33,300

31,775

31,075

19,375

Brandon Demes

31,000

Bryn Kenney

30,500

Raul Paez

30,500

Jaime Kaplan

29,850

Daniel Idema

29,800

On Tuesday night, the 2012 World Series of Poker continued with Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix, which featured alternating rounds of Triple-Draw 2-7, Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No-Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha. While a dozen less players turned up than last year, 477 still took to the felt and created a juicy prize pool of $1,085,175, with $271,312 reserved for first.

The man best positioned to make a run at the top prize is Dan Kelly, who bagged up a robust 56,800. Also in contention are two former champs in John Monnette and Jerrod Ankenman. The former has had a red-hot start to 2012 and is currently leading this year’s Player of the Year race, though he is extremely short on a stack of just 1,525, while the latter bagged an average stack of 17,575.

Things kicked off with a bang after the elimination of Andy Frankenberger in the first level of play. It happened in the no-limit hold’em round when there was an all in and a call on the turn with the board reading {3-Hearts} {Q-Clubs} {4-Diamonds} {2-Hearts} .

Andy Frankenberger
Opponent

Frankenberger was looking for the board to pair in order to stay alive, but the river was the {10-Hearts} . "Unbelievable!" Frankenberger cried as he realized his tournament lasted just under an hour. While he was one of the first eliminations, he certainly wasn’t the last.

Justin Young, Chad Brown, Galen Hall, Nacho Barbero, Ben “milkybarkid” Grundy, Shawn Buchanan, Phil Hellmuth, John Juanda, Michael Mizrachi and Isaac Haxton all joined him on the rail in the middle levels.

By the last two levels of the night, roughly 328 players remained in the field. It was at that time that the 1996 World Series of Poker Main Event champ, Huck Seed, tangled in a hand of pot limit Omaha. With 1,350 in the pot and a flop of {9-Diamonds} {4-Diamonds} {4-Spades} , Ali Eslami checked from the small blind and the player in the big did the same. That put action on who wasted little time in betting 500. Both his opponents made the call and it was off to the {8-Hearts} turn.

This time Eslami took the initiative and led out for a pot-sized bet, which was 2,850. The big blind proceeded to raise all in for 5,775, which Seed called. The big blind thought the action was over and briefly tabled his hand, which allowed Eslami, who had just 1,500, to catch a peak. He obviously didn't like what he saw as he laid down his hand.

Seed
Big Blind

Seed had his opponent drawing to the case four, which didn't come as the {J-Hearts} appeared on the river. With that, Seed scored the elimination and would end the night with 16,175.

Needless to say, Eslami would be eliminated a short time later, but he was followed out the door by the likes of Jonathan Duhamel, David “Doc” Sands, Erik Seidel, Kirk Morrison, Mike Matusow, Men “The Master” Nguyen, Jason Mercier and Doyle Brunson, who actually opted to abandon his chip stack after experiencing chest pains.

TexDolly Doyle Brunson Felt a little flutter I'n my chest at the poker tournament so I got up and left. Can't play cash and tourneys. Too long June 19 2012

While dozens hit the rail, a few players managed to hold on. Brendon Taylor (45,275), Miguel Benmudez (45,250), Jake Abdalla (43,750), Jeff Madsen (37,074), Ylon Schwartz (34,400), Anthony Nguyen (34,250) and Marco Traniello (33,300) all bagged up big stacks, while a slew of other notables made it to Day 2 like Greg Raymer (27,525), Barry Greenstein (25,000), Daniel Negreanu (19,575), Scotty Nguyen (11,300), Eugene Katchalov (8,225) and Bertrand “ElkY” Grosspellier (6,525).

Who will be the next to add their name to the list of Eight-Game Mix winners?

Former Eight-Game Mix Champions

Year	Player	Entrants	Prize
2011	John Monnette	489	$278,144
2010	Sigurd Eskeland	453	$260,497
2009	Jerrod Ankenman	412	$241,637
2008*	Anthony Rivera	192	$483,688

*Featured $10,000 buy-in.

The remaining 209 players will return on Wednesday at 2 PM PST and march through the money on the way to the final table. Join us then as we capture all the action and eliminations from Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix.

Tags: Dan Kelly