Event 50 - $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout Day 1 | 2009 World Series of Poker

06-26-2009 12:42 UTC-12

More Faces

Shamus

Joe Sebok, Phil Tom, Ken Dickenson, Grant Hinkle, David Plastik, Scott Seiver, Matt Woodward, and Michael Mizrachi are here.

Evelyn Ng, Dennis Phillips, Jeff Williams, Barny Boatman, and Tom McEvoy are all seated at the same table.

06-26-2009 12:27 UTC-12

Names and Notables

Shamus

Maria Ho, Mark Seif, Cyndy Violette, Eric Froehlich, Sorel Mizzi, David "Chino" Rheem, Jesse Rios, Berry Johnston, and Michael Binger are all here.

Jimmy Fricke, Shaun Deeb, Alan Goehring, and Allen Cunningham are here, too, all at the same table.

Also, Svetlana Gromenkova, Humberto Brenes, and Michael Craig are seated together as well.

06-26-2009 12:17 UTC-12

Beat 16 Players, Make a Final Table

Shamus

Tournament Director Jack Effel is clarifying that the 64 winners today will return tomorrow at 2 p.m. to play eight eight-handed tables, and the winners from those tables will then meet up on Sunday afternoon for an eight-handed final table.

Prior to the start of today's event, one player was noting to us here how one only had to beat 18 players to make the final table of this shootout event. Make that 16 players, now -- the nine one faces at today's table, and the seven one would face tomorrow.

06-26-2009 12:12 UTC-12

Shuffle Up and Deal

Shamus

Cards are in the air and Event No. 50 is underway. Players are starting with 4,500 chips, with blinds at 25/50 and betting limits 50/100.

Level: 1

Blinds: 0/0

Ante: 0

06-26-2009 12:08 UTC-12

Five Minutes Away

Shamus

An announcement was just made that the tourney will be starting in five minutes. Right now the number of entrants listed on the big board is edging toward the 500-player mark.

From what has just been announced, there will be a total of 64 tables in play today, meaning a maximum of 640 entrants. That also means the top 64 spots will pay -- i.e., winning your table today guarantees a cash.

06-26-2009 11:26 UTC-12

Shootout!

Shamus

Event No. 50, the $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout, is set to begin a little over a half-hour from now.

The event has been capped at 1,000 players, meaning if we reach that number, we'll be looking at 100 separate ten-handed, one-table tournaments playing out tonight, with the winners of each returning tomorrow for Round 2. Those winning tomorrow's matches will then return on Sunday for the final table.

In other words, everyone sitting down to play today will be just three "sit-n-go" victories away from a WSOP bracelet -- although that's easier said than done, to be sure.

See you back here in a few.