Welcome back to Day 2 of Event 47: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split 8-or-Better!
Despite its reputation as a game in which few are truly expert — or maybe because of it — a whopping field of 978 came out yesterday to test their mettle in one of poker's most volatile variants. That group created a total prize pool of $1,320,300, with $267,345 of it reserved for the winner.
Out of that field a total of 141 players survived for today's second day of action. Alex Gomes will be playing the biggest stack when the first hands are dealt today, having created some space between himself and the rest of the pack late last night in his effort to pick up a second WSOP win.
The Brazilian's 143,300 puts him well ahead of nearest challenger Roch Cousineau to start today, but there number of other formidable foes returning to healthy stacks as well, among them James Dempsey, Andy Frankenberger, Mark Herm, and Joe Tehan. Barry Greenstein, Adam Kornuth, Kevin Iacofano, Berry Johnston, and Chip Jett will also be starting the day with above average chips.
We expect the money bubble to burst shortly after play begins, as the top 117 make the cash. The plan is to play 10 one-hour levels today, starting at 1:00 PM local time. Come back then as we bring you all the highs and lows from today's play.
Andy Frankenberger began today fourth in chips, but things didn't go his way here on Day 2. Frankenberger, who currently sits in third place on the 2012 World Series of Poker Player of the Year Leaderboard, lots a lot of chips early and recently met an untimely end.
It happened when he got his remaining chips all in with on a flop of only to run into the of Marc Durand. The turn left Frankenberger drawing dead, and he was up out of his seat and exiting even before the dealer put out the on the river.
Not more than a half an hour ago, Joe Tehan sat atop the chip counts. That made it all the more surprising when he became our latest casualty. We're not sure of all the specifics, but we did arrive at his table just in time to see him get his last 35,000 in on a flop of . Mikhail Semin had him covered and at risk.
Showdown
Tehan:
Semin:
Tehan was ahead with jacks and fours when the chips went in, not to mention an ace-high flush draw, but the running turn and river gave Semin top two pair and the win.
A quick check of Tehan's Twitter reveals what left him with a less than average stack in the first place:
JoeTehan JosephUgh!!! 3 way all in on 982r board. I had A598 vs AJ98 and 4567! I had some pretty darn good equity in that 3 way, 85k pot. Turn 5, river 2June 27 2012
James "Flushy" Dempsey was just all in and holding against Matt Livingston's . The five community cards came , making no low and kings and sevens for Livingston, thus sending Dempsey railward.
After action folded around to Charalampos Lappas on the button and he raised to 10,000, Alex Gomes three-bet to 34,000 from the small blind. Barry Greenstein was in the big and called off for around 21,000, while Lappas called to see the flop.
Gomes immediately led out with a pot-sized bet, which forced Lappas out of the hand.
Showdown
Gomes:
Greenstein:
Gomes had flopped top set, but Greenstein had an open-ended straight draw and plenty of low outs. The turn completed both for Greenstein, while the on the river allowed him to scoop.
Despite losing that hand, Gomes managed to take down the small side pot and is still up from the last time we checked in on him.
We've just had a major chip swing — and a sudden, surprising elimination — over on Table 427. Such is the way of PLO8.
Following a flop of , Alex Gomes and Charalampos Lappas managed to bet enough to put all of Gomes's chips in the middle and most of Lappas's. Gomes held for top two pair while Lappas had for aces and the nut low draw.
The turn brought a , and Gomes was still good as far the high hand went, and Lappas had yet to make a low. Then a fell on the river, pairing the board to give Lappas the best high hand and all of Gomes's stack.
The short stacks continue to fall, with Barry Greenstein the latest victim in 32nd.
Greenstein was just all in before the flop with against the of Lawrence Berg. The flop came . "That's not good for me," said Greenstein. The turn was the and river the , giving Berg Broadway and sending Greenstein to the rail.
"Good game," said Berg to Greenstein. Then, as an afterthought: "Hey, where's my book?"
"No more books," said Greenstein as he stood by the table sending a tweet to report his elimination. After giving away copies of his Ace on the River for years to those who oust him from tourneys, Greenstein stopped doing so some time back.
Roch Cousineau has assumed the chip lead with 30 players remaining after knocking out Michael Gross.
Cousineau, Gross, and Lawrence Berg were all still around to see a flop, at which point Berg bowed out. Gross was already all in, and so he and Cousineau tabled their hands — for Cousineau, and for Gross.
The turn was the and river the , which meant the nut low for Cousineau for the low and a better two pair for the high, thus sending Gross out in 31st.
Dan Heimiller has been eliminated after having survived with a short stack for a considerable period. Just now all in with against Paul Ewen's , the board ran out . Ewen had the best low, and that river king nudged him ahead of Heimiller for the high, too.
Lee Watkinson opened for 27,000 from middle position and cleared the field all the way around to Roch Cousineau in the big blind. He thought for a good thirty second before three-betting, Watkinson four-bet all in for 67,000, and Cousineau called the little bit extra.
Showdown
Watkinson:
Cousineau:
The flop gave Cousineau a flush draw, though that wouldn't be what won him the hand. Instead, the appeared on the turn, followed by the on the river, and Cousineau's five ended up being good enough to win the pot.
Meanwhile, Matthew Wood followed Watkinson out the door in 24th place.
on a flop of 
only to run into the 
of Marc Durand. The 
turn left Frankenberger drawing dead, and he was up out of his seat and exiting even before the dealer put out the 
on the river.
. Mikhail Semin had him covered and at risk.
turn and 
. The five community cards came 
, making no low and kings and sevens for Livingston, thus sending Dempsey railward.
turn completed both for Greenstein, while the 
on the river allowed him to scoop.
, Alex Gomes and Charalampos Lappas managed to bet enough to put all of Gomes's chips in the middle and most of Lappas's. Gomes held 
for aces and the nut low draw.
. "That's not good for me," said Greenstein. The turn was the 
for Cousineau, and 
appeared on the turn, followed by the 
