WSOP Day 33: Can Yueqi Zhu Win Back-to-Back Bracelets in the $1,500 Omaha Mix?

June 30, 2019

Get ready for another action-packed day at the 50th annual World Series of Poker with Day 33 featuring five continuing events and two new ones including the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship event.

Three bracelets will be awarded today, including one in the one-day $1,000 online event at WSOP.com. Georgios Kapalas is in the driver's seat to win his first bracelet with the chip lead in the $400 COLUSSUS, while Anatolii Zyrin leads the way in the $1,500 Omaha Mix with four players remaining.

The bigger news in the Omaha Mix is that defending champion Yueqi Zhu (lead photo) is on the final table in this event for the third straight year and is close behind Zyrin sitting in second place in hopes of becoming a back-to-back champion.

Here's what's on tap today, in the daily What to Watch For on PokerNews, sponsored by 888poker.

Event #61: COLOSSUS - $400 No-Limit Hold'em

As somewhat expected, the COLUSSUS, which was scheduled as a three-day event, added a fourth day. The field is down to just eight players out of an original field of 13,109 entrants with today's action kicking off at noon PDT and broadcasted at CBS All Access in the United States, Canada, and Australia, and at PokerGO in the rest of the world starting at 1 p.m. PDT.

Greece's Georgios Kapalas, who was just shy of $1 million in live tournament earnings entering the event, is guaranteed to surpass this figure by the end of today with a chip leading of 105,700,000. He is followed by the only former bracelet winner remaining Andrew Barber with 89,300,000 in chips and Maksim Kalman with 85,500,000 in chips.

Also still in contention are Ryan Depaulo (72,400,000), Juan Lopez (56,500,000), Sejin Park (48,400,000), Norson Saho (47,900,000), and Patrick Miller (18,500,000).

Event #61: COLOSSUS - $400 No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Seat Draw

Event #61: COLOSSUS - $400 No-Limit Hold'em Final Table Payouts

After yesterday's elimination of Diego Lima (ninth - $41,965), the returning eight players are each guaranteed a $53,925 payout with the winner walking away with the bracelet and the $451,272 top prize.

Event #63: $1,500 Omaha Mix

This event features three different split pot Omaha games with the game changing every eight hands between Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, and Big O (Five Card Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better).

The fourth and final day of play kicks off at 2 p.m. PDT with just four players remaining out of the original field of 717 entrants and Anatolii Zyrin (3,330,000) with the chip lead.

The big news in this tournament is that defending champion Yueqi Zhu (2,735,000) is in position to win his second straight bracelet in this event after winning the bracelet last year and the $211,781 top prize. This marks his third final table appearance the three times this event has been held after also taking sixth place in the inaugural year of this event in 2016 for $28,375.

They are joined by [Removed:146] (1,960,000) and former WSOP bracelet winner James Van Alstyne (585,000).

Event #63: $1,500 Omaha Mix Final Table Payouts

After yesterday's final table eliminations of Alan Sternberg (seventh - $21,582), Iori Yogo (sixth - $29,518), and Aron Dermer (fifth - $41,112), the returning four players are each guaranteed a $58,289 payout with the winner walking away with the bracelet and the $199,838 top prize.

Event #64: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em

The fourth and final opening flight kicks off today at 10 a.m. PDT and will feature 19 blind levels of 30 minutes each. The tournament allows for unlimited reentries until the start of Level 13, meaning many of the players that were unable to bag chips during the first three opening flights will be back again today hoping for a better result.

Players surviving the opening flights will compete for three more days on July 1-3 with one-hour blind levels until a winner is awarded the bracelet and the $888,888 top prize.

Thus far, 5,695 entrants have joined in on the action including 2,830 entrants on yesterday's Day 1c. Three players bagged seven-figure stacks on Day 1c out of the 333 players to survive; Ian Simpson (1,284,000), Alexandre Fradin (1,125,000), and Adam Daniel (1,078,000). All three of these players are behind Day 1b chip leader Michael Kane (1,360,000) and Day 1a chip leader Arsenii Karmatckii (1,323,000).

Event #65: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

A total of 18 new players joined the action in this Championship event before late registration closed at the start of yesterday's Day 2 to grow the field to 193 entrants for a $1,814,200 prize pool. A total of 29 players will walk away with at least a min-cash of $15,237 with the eventual winner taking home a much larger prize of $463,670 and the coveted gold bracelet.

The field is down to 43 players entering today's penultimate day. Two-time bracelet winner Christopher Vitch (795,000) will kick off the action at 2 p.m. PDT with the chip lead with blinds at 4,000/8,000.

On Vitch's tail are a pair of former bracelet winners in Scott Bohlman (628,000) and Bryce Yockey (535,000). A few days ago, Yockey suffered what many are referring to the bad beat of the series at the final table of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship to go out in fourth place for $325,989.

Event #66: $1,500 Limit Hold'em

Long gone are the days where limit hold'em ruled the land. That being said, this event always attracts a decent field, and yesterday's Day 1 was no different with 541 entrants generating a $730,350 prize pool.

Shirley Rosario will enter today's penultimate day on the top of the pack of the 184 survivors with a stack of 107,600. She is closely followed by Z Stein (106,100) with blinds set to be 600/1,200 with limits at 1,200/2,400.

Many former bracelet winners are still in contention including three-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser (77,200), 2015 WSOP Main Event champion and two-time bracelet winner Joe McKeehen (73,300), three-time bracelet winner Rep Porter (54,500), defending champion Otto Richard (53,100), two-time bracelet winner Eric Froehlich (52,700), three-time bracelet winner Brock Parker (48,900), six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu (34,200), three-time bracelet winner Ben Yu (27,200), two-time bracelet winner Anthony Zinno (24,500), and six-time bracelet winner and 2017 WSOP Player of the Year Chris Ferguson (17,500).

Event #67: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

Another four-day Championship event kicks off today at 3 p.m. PDT with players starting with a big stack of 60,000 in chips. This split pot game will play ten levels of an hour each on the opening day with the following three days featuring more extended 90-minute blind levels.

The final field size and the total prize pool won't be known until tomorrow with late registration open until the start of tomorrow's Day 2 at 2 p.m. PDT.

This event will be the final mixed game Championship tournament of the 2019 WSOP.

History of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better made its first appearance at the WSOP in 1976 with the first official Championship event taking place in 2007 with a $3,000 buy-in. Eli Elezra outlasted a field of 236 entrants to win the inaugural Championship event for $198,984.

The following year in 2008, the buy-in was increased to $5,000 when Sebastian Ruthenberg finished on top of a record field of 261 entrants to win the $328,762.

The buy-in doubled to $10,000 for the next three years. Jeff Lisandro bested a field of 164 entrants in 2009 to win the $431,656 first-place prize before Frank Kassela topped a field of 170 entrants to win a record top prize of $447,446 in 2010. The field was down to 168 players in 2011 when Eric Rodawig won the bracelet and the $442,183 top prize.

The buy-in was cut back in half to $5,000 for the next two years, which resulted in the field size growing back above 200 players. Adam Friedman won the bracelet and the $269,037 top prize in 2012 after besting a field of 212 players before Mike Matusow outlasted a field of 210 players in 2013 to win the $266,503 top prize.

The buy-in was once again increased to $10,000 in 2014 and has stayed there ever since. That year, George Danzer won the first of two bracelets in this event when he navigated through a field of 134 entrants to win the $352,696 top prize. He won this event again in 2016 against a slightly smaller field of 132 entrants to win the $338,646 top prize. Max Pescatori won the bracelet in between Danzer's two victories when he finished on top of a field of 111 entrants to win the $292,158 top prize.

Christopher Vitch outlasted a field of 125 entrants in 2017 to win the event for $320,103. Vitch may not get a chance to win a second bracelet in this event this year as we earlier mentioned in this report he is currently in the chip lead in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.

Last year, it was Dan Matsuzuki putting himself on the poker map after finishing on top of a field of 141 entrants to win his first bracelet and the $364,387 top prize. Matusuzuki came close to adding a second bracelet this year finishing runner-up in Event #42: $600 Mixed No Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha Deepstack 8-Handed for $120,374.

$10,000 Stud Hi-Lo Championship Past Results

Event #68: $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold'em Championship

It's Sunday, which means another bracelet is set to be won online at WSOP.com. Players can play from either New Jersey or Nevada from the comfort of their own homes or hotel rooms for a chance to win a bracelet. Players can be from around the world but must be at least 21 years of age and be within the borders of these two states to participate.

This weekend's online event kicks off at 3:30 p.m. PDT with players starting with 20,000 in chips and blinds increasing every 15 minutes starting at 20/40. Players will have plenty of chances to build a big stack with three reentries allowed during the four-hour late registration period.

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