Phil Ivey Closing in on 11th Bracelet; Rast Playing for the Poker Hall of Fame?

June 21, 2023

Phil Ivey could make history Thursday at the $50,000 Poker Players Championship if he were to take down the bracelet, which would be his first title at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) since 2014.

The widely accepted poker G.O.A.T. is one of three players — Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson are the others — tied for second all-time with 10 WSOP bracelets. Phil Hellmuth, with 16 titles, is the record holder. But there could be just one player sitting in second place within the next 24 hours.

Ivey has reached the final table of Event #43: $50,000 Poker Players Championship, arguably the second most important poker tournament each year (WSOP Main Event is the most prestigious, of course).

On top of Ivey's presence there are a few other major stories to follow. James Obst, who left poker four years ago to pursue a tennis career, is back and with a vengeance. Brian Rast, who has six bracelets, is also at the final table and is seeking to become the second three-time Poker Players Championship champion (Michael Mizrachi won it in 2010, 2012, and 2018). Equally important, it very well could put him over the hump in his quest to reach the Poker Hall of Fame in 2023.

Erasing a Forgettable Summer

Entering the Poker Players Championship, Ivey, who now has 77 bracelet event cashes lifetime, had cashed in exactly zero events this summer. He even bubbled the $250,000 Super High Roller. Suffice to say, it had been a forgettable summer up to this point for the Poker Hall of Famer.

It no longer is a forgettable summer for the poker legend. And if he were to go on and win the PPC, regardless of what he does the rest of his 2023 WSOP, it will be a successful series.

At the time of publishing, with eight players remaining, Ivey was sitting in second place with 4,750,000, just behind Matthew Ashton (5,700,000), who began Day 4 with the chip lead.

First place will pay $1,324,747 and would put Ivey to just under $40 million lifetime, according to Hendon Mob. But more importantly, he'd claim arguably the most prestigious win of his illustrious career. In doing so, he'd end a nine-year drought without a bracelet.

Poker Hall of Fame for Rast?

Rast told PokerNews in 2021 that reaching the Poker Hall of Fame was a passion of his. He felt that he deserved induction in 2022, the first year he became eligible at age 40. Layne Flack, however, was selected instead one year after passing away.

Flack had six bracelets, one more than Rast has currently. But a third PPC title and sixth overall bracelet just might get him over the hump in the Hall of Fame voting this summer.

Arieh, who won his fifth bracelet earlier in the series, is also on the short list of candidates. The 2021 WSOP Player of the Year busted in ninth place on Wednesday.

Jeremy Ausmus is another player who is in contention especially after winning his sixth bracelet on Tuesday in Online Event #8: $3,200 No-Limit Hold'em for $360,036. Other commonly mentioned candidates include Matt Savage, Isai Scheinberg, Kathy Leibert, Michael Mizrachi, and Mike Matusow.

Rast, sixth in chips at the time of publishing (2,955,000), will be difficult to beat if he were to go on and win the 2023 Poker Players Championship.

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Senior Editor U.S.

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