David Benyamine was shaking his head after a PLO showdown against Chau Giang. Benyamine raised the button to 2,000 pre-flop, with Giang calling from the big blind. Giang coughed loudly after a flop of , then checked. Benyamine followed up with a bet of 3,600 that Giang called.
Both players verbally checked the turn, then checked again when the river made the board slightly scary. Giang turned over for a wheel, which was good enough.
It's a little difficult to compare year-to-year numbers when it comes to the $50,000 Players' Championship, primarily because the format has slightly changed every year.
2010 (8-game mix, televised, NLHE at final table): 116 entries
2009 (H.O.R.S.E., not televised): 95 entries
2008 (H.O.R.S.E., televised, H.O.R.S.E. at final table): 148 entries
2007 (H.O.R.S.E., televised, H.O.R.S.E. at final table): 148 entries
2006 (H.O.R.S.E., televised, NLHE at final table): 143 entries
This year's numbers are up a bit from last year's, no doubt due to the fact that (a) no-limit and pot-limit games have been added to the mix and (b) ESPN is televising the final table this year, where the 8-game mix will be abandoned in favor of straight no-limit hold'em.
Registration has closed and the numbers are in. 116 players entered the 2010 $50,000 Players' Championship creating a prize pool of $5,568,000. 16 places will be paid with the champion earning a $1,559,046 payday.
For a complete look at the payout schedule, click on the "Payouts" tab above.
Another smattering, for your statistical pleasure:
Phil Ivey - 140,000
Ted Lawson - 143,000
David Benyamine - 135,000
Pat Pezzin - 135,000
Chau Giang - 195,000
Scotty Nguyen - 160,000
Yuval Bronshtein - 128,000
Freddy Deeb - 205,000
Tim Phan - 130,000
Josh Arieh - 155,000
Chris Ferguson - 152,000
Steve Zolotow - 165,000
Ralph Perry - 125,000
Andrew Brown - 145,000
Marc Karam - 125,000
David Steicke - 163,000
David Oppenheim - 155,000
Vitaly Lunkin - 160,000
Tuan Le - 170,000
John D'Agostino - 170,000
David Baker - 145,000
The pot was four-handed to the turn on a board of . After Ralph Perry bet 8,000, however, it was down to heads-up. Steve Zolotow was the only caller.
The river fell . Zolotow was out of position and checked to Perry. Perry made a healthy bet of 18,000. Zolotow pondered his decision and asked the dealer to spread the pot.
"Pay off your ten-deuce?" Zolotow asked Perry. Finally he called saying, "Just the nut flush." He tabled . That was enough to drag the pot.
They call seven-card a "race to two pair" but that's not much comfort for Justin Smith after a pot against Dario Alioto. We caught up with the two at sixth street, with the players showing these boards:
Alioto: x-x /
Smith: x-x /
Smith led with a bet that Alioto called. The same thing happened on the river. At the reveal, Alioto showed in the hole for three aces. But in this particular "race to two pair", that wasn't enough. Alioto had as two of his hole cards for a king-high straight.
First in from the button, Brian Townsend opened the pot with a raise. Alex Kostritsyn and Daniel Alaei called from their respective blinds, and the three men went off to a flop of . The blinds checked, and Brian Townsend followed up his preflop aggression with a post-flop bet. Kostritsyn called, Alaei made it two bets, and both players called the raise.
The turn came the , and both opponents called another bet from Alaei. They action repeated on the river, and the cards were on their backs:
![[user75032]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, then checked. Benyamine followed up with a bet of 3,600 that Giang called.
turn, then checked again when the 
river made the board slightly scary. Giang turned over 
for a wheel, which was good enough.
. After Ralph Perry bet 8,000, however, it was down to heads-up. Steve Zolotow was the only caller.
. Zolotow was out of position and checked to Perry. Perry made a healthy bet of 18,000. Zolotow pondered his decision and asked the dealer to spread the pot.
. That was enough to drag the pot.
as two of his hole cards for a king-high straight.
. The blinds checked, and Brian Townsend followed up his preflop aggression with a post-flop bet. Kostritsyn called, Alaei made it two bets, and both players called the raise.
river, and the cards were on their backs:
(sixty-five low)