Event 26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day 1 Started
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$1,607,970
Entries
589
Level
27
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
0
$3,000 PLO Kicks Off at 5:00 PM
Welcome to the PokerNews coverage of Event 26, the $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. Last year, a field of 685 players gathered for this event and Sam Stein outlasted them all, earning $420,802 and his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet.
Each player in this event will begin with 3,000 in tournament chips and receive two additional add-on lammers that can be used anytime during the first four levels. Players who have not used any of the lammers by the end of Level 4, will automatically receive them then. Registration will also be open through the first four levels of play tonight.
A big field of competitors is expected for this one and we expect to see some more multi-tabling between some of the players still in the other events running today. The cards are set to be in the air at 5:00 PM, so get comfy and enjoy the action.
Level: 1
Blinds: 25/50
Ante: 0
Shuffle Up And Deal!
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
The cards are in the air for Event 26.
Players in the Field
Here's a list of some of the names we've spotted thus far. Take note that of this list, Michael Binger, Ashton Griffin, Scott Clements, Chris Bell and Luke Greenwood are all seated at the same table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 |
Another Tough Table
Our reporters have spotted another tough table in the room that consists of the following names. When Nenad Medic joined up late, he mentioned to the table that they were all in for a treat as he has been up for three days playing cash games and also partying. He mentioned that one of the reasons he registered for this event was to stay awake.
He said, "I want to watch the Heat/Thunder game tonight and new if I went home that I'd just fall asleep, so I signed up."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 |
Winzeler Starts Off Right By Busting Graham Once
Hans Winzeler has some very solid Pot-Limit Omaha results on his record and is seated another another tough table. He's over in the Tan Section of the Amazon Room at Table 350 with two-time bracelet winner Matt Graham, David "Doc" Sands, Keith Ferrera and Ludovic Lacay. Winzeler has gotten the best start of all of them, doubling up early on the following hand.
When our reporters arrived at the table, a pot of 1,875 was in the middle of the table on the 
flop. Graham had bet 1,800 and Winzeler raised all in having Graham covered. Graham called.
Winzeler showed top set and a gutshot straight draw with the 
. Graham held the 
for a pair of kings and the nut flush draw.
The turn was the 
and river the 
, which gave Winzeler a full house and the pot. Graham called for a rebuy and use his remaining two add-on lammers to get a stack of 6,000. Winzeler moved to roughly 14,000 when you include his two add-on lammers.
Even though Graham may have lost this pot, he knows a thing or two about World Series of Poker events and how to go deep in them. Graham is a two-time WSOP gold bracelet winner. He won his first piece of hardware in 2008 when he defeated Jean-Robert Bellande heads up after making a massive comeback in the $1,500 Limit Hold'em - Shootout. He earned $278,180 for that finish. Then in 2009, Graham conquered the $10,000 World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha event for $679,402.
As we stated at earlier, Winzeler has numerous Pot-Limit Omaha records to his credit, including most notably a second-place finish to Jason Mercier in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha - Six-Handed event last year for $383,075. He also took ninth in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship last year for $68,410. To start 2012, Winzeler took second in the $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha side event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure for $90,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
14,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
9,000 | |
|
6,000 |
New to Pot-Limit Omaha? PokerNews Has You Covered
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
Today's Event 26: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha features a game that not everyone may be familiar with, but has certainly grown immensely in popularity over the past couple of years. The game we're talking about is Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO). In fact, some of the largest games in the world are run strictly with PLO because it tends to induce more action. We all know poker players love action and to gamble, which makes PLO such an intriguing and fun game for them.
For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the game of PLO, you can refer to the PokerNews Poker Rules: Omaha Poker page to check things out and get a feel for how the game is played. The page is complete with game rules, terms and also strategy links.
Omaha is similar to Hold'em in that it is a flop game, but instead of two hole cards, you receive four. The trick is that you must you two cards from your hole cards and only two cards, to make your best five-card hand at the end. This is the part that sometimes confuses people new to the game as they'll make the mistake of only using one card from their hand or trying to use three.
Just like Hold'em, there is a betting round preflop followed a betting round after each of the flop, turn and river. The most popular form of Omaha is pot-limit, which you'll see here today in Event 26. That means you are only able to bet up to the current amount of the pot at any given time.
If you think you've got the basics down and would like to dive into some strategy, Lex Veldhuis joined Kristy Arnett and Donnie Peters on the Strategy with Kristy podcast to discuss some PLO. Click here to check it out. There's also another podcast with high-stakes cash pro Jared Bleznick where he discusses some PLO. Check that one out here.
Rebuy! Rebuy! Rebuy!
Level 1
: 25/50, 0 ante
It's no secret that Pot-Limit Omaha is a game of action and there's been plenty of it here in the first level already. The call of "Rebuy!" has been heard over and over from the dealers, and also from players. When a player busts one of their stacks, they call for a rebuy and use one of the add-on lammer chips to get another 3,000, or 6,000 if they choose. The tournament staff is certainly working extra hard and sometimes running from table to table in order to get all the chips distributed back into play so as to not slow the action.
PokerStars Presents Half Price Sunday
Level 8
: 300/600, 0 ante
The buy-ins for several major PokerStars tournaments are being cut in half on Sunday, June 17 for Half Price Sunday, including the most affordable Sunday Million that PokerStars has ever run. The huge prize pool guarantees stay fixed, so you get to play for a share of millions in cash prizes for less than ever before!
We have 10 tickets to give away for the Sunday Million in the following tournament:
Tourney ID #573942652 (Live now)
Name: PokerNews - Half Price Sunday Million
Date: June 16
Time: 14:00 ET
Buy-In: $3 + .30
Password: StarsHPSM
Prizes: 10 Bonus Half Price Sunday Million tickets (for June 17 only) will be awarded to the top 10 finishers on top of the cash payout.
All players are eligible who pay the buy-in fee and register with the password, which will be distributed in PokerNews editorials and the live reporting pages.