The seat assignments for this afternoon's six-player final in Event 40, $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw, have now been announced by WSOP officials. John Phan and Gioi Luong are the leaders, and the finalists will be seated as follows:
Ben Ponzio is trying to win today his second WSOP gold bracelet. Ponzio's previous bracelet came last year, in $2,000 no-limit hold'em. Ponzio has one daughter and enjoys fantasy sports and professional football when away from the poker table.
Shun Uchida is making his first WSOP final table appearance today. He has seven previous cashes in WSOP tournaments. He was the overnight chip leader after Day 1 of the tournament.
David Sklansky is widely known for his "Two Plus Two" series of books on poker, having authored or co-authored a dozen of them himself. He has been playing poker for over 35 years and has 31 WSOP cashes to his name, including 3 gold bracelets, the last of which he won in 1983 in pot-limit Omaha. Sklansky has over $1,000,000 in career tournament earnings and is hoping today to end a 25-year bracelet-less drought.
Gioi Luong has cashed in 12 previous WSOP events, including once already this summer in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em event. Luong has over $2.1 million in career earnings, having cashed in over 100 tourneys.
Robert Mizrachi is fast approaching the renown of his brother, Michael, having racked up numerous cashes and deep runs in tourneys over the last few years. Mizrachi has cashed in over a dozen WSOP events, including three this summer. He made the final eight in $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Heads Up Championship (Event No. 25). Robert also has a couple of WPT final tables to his credit. His total career winnings exceed $2.7 million.
Chip leader John "the Razor" Phan is looking to become the first two-time bracelet winner at this summer's WSOP. He took first last week in Event No. 29, the $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em event, netting $439,789 for his achievement. This marks Phan's seventh WSOP final table. He has also made two World Poker Tour final tables, and won two World Poker Open bracelets. Phan has over $3.8 million in career tournament winnings.
Robert Mizrachi has come out swinging, and he's been taking aim at Ben Ponzio. Mizrachi and Ponzio tangled in back-to-back hands. In the first hand, Mizrachi called Ponzio's raise from the small blind after David Sklansky also called. Mizrachi drew two, Ponzio took one, and Sklansky took two. Ponzio bet, and both other players called.
The second verse was the same as the first on the draw, except that Sklansky folded after Mizrachi bet and Ponzio called. Mizrachi was pat on the third draw; Ponzio took one, then checked after Mizrachi checked. Ponzio dejectedly flipped open a king; Mizrachi showed a rough nine to take the first major pot.
The next hand, Mizrachi was the pre-draw aggressor from the button, and Ponzio the caller in the blinds. Both players drew two, then one, then one. Ponzio bet after the last draw, but Mizrachi quickly called.
Ponzio called a pair, showing two sixes. Mizrachi showed 8-7-6-3-2.
"Not a good start," said Ponzio, shaking his head.