Event 37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix Day 1 | 2012 World Series of Poker

Event 37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix

Day 1 Started

06-19-2012 14:47 UTC-6

Get Ready for the True Test of Poker Talent: Mixed Games!

Chad Holloway

John Monnette winning his first WSOP bracelet in this event in 2011.

Success at mixed games has long been considered the true testament of a poker player’s skill. Such proficiency will be tested today at the 2012 World Series of Poker with Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix, which features alternating rounds of Triple-Draw 2-7, Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No-Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha.

Last night, John Monnette proved his mettle in five of the aforementioned games by taking second in Event #32 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. to David “Bakes” Baker, which comes on the heels of a third and first place finishes in Event #15 $5,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better and Event #10 $5,000 Seven Card Stud respectively. He’s clearly a mixed-games specialist extraordinaire and a favorite for the 2012 WSOP Player of the Year title, but did you know his first gold bracelet came from a victory in this very event last year?

That’s right, Monnette conquered a field of 489 players to nab his first WSOP victory and the accompanying $278,144 first-place prize. What’s more, he did it by defeating a stacked final table that included John Racener (8th-$24,797), John Juanda (6th-$42,897), Brent Hanks (4th-$78,774), Michele Limongi (3rd-$109,245) and Eric Buchman (2nd-$171,855). We expect Monnette to defend his title here today, while hopefully adding some points to his WSOP POY total

Going back a bit further in this event’s history, you’ll discover that Sigurd Eskeland top a field of 453 players in 2010 to win a first place prize of $260,497. At that final table, he had to defeat the likes of Steve Sung, Scott Seiver, Alex Wice, and Jared Jaffee. In addition, Todd Brunson, Alex Kravchenko, Jose Ignacio Barbero, and Dario Mineri were eliminated on the second to last table. Needless to say, this event traditionally draws one of the strongest fields of the year.

The plan is to play triple draw 2-7, H.O.R.S.E, then No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha in every 60-minute level, and today, we are going to be play 8 levels. Be sure to stay tuned as hundreds of players will look to add their name to this list:

Former Eight-Game Mix Champions

Year	Player	Entrants	Prize
2011	John Monnette	489	$278,144
2010	Sigurd Eskeland	453	$260,497
2009	Jerrod Ankenman	412	$241,637
2008*	Anthony Rivera	192	$483,688

*Featured $10,000 buy-in.

Action will kick off at 5 PM PST and the field will play eight levels, pushing play into the early morning hours. As always, we’ll be on hand to bring you all the action and eliminations as Event #37: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix gets underway at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada!

Tags: John Monnette

Level: 1

Blinds: /

Ante:

06-19-2012 18:07 UTC-6

The Order of Things

Chad Holloway

Level 1

The tournament staff just gave the traditional, "Shuffle up and deal." The cards are in the air here in Event #37 $2,500 Eight-Game Mix, and players will begin playing Stud 8.

Here's a look at the order of games in today's tournament:

Stud 8

Triple Draw 2-7

No Limit Hold'em

Stud

Omaha Hi/Lo

Razz

Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)

Limit Hold'em

06-19-2012 18:11 UTC-6

Four Tweets for the Eight Game

Chad Holloway

Level 1

RyanTepen Ryan Tepen Playing $2500 8 game mix wsop event. 7500 to start. #teamdevotion #TeamRunGood June 19 2012

Kirk_Morrison Kirk Morrison Playing the WSOP $2,500 8-game mix tonight, got to see @jesswelman so I am already running good. June 19 2012

EricCrain Eric Crain Have tough starting table I 2500 8game with @zacpacker and @Enonpoker June 19 2012

SuddenlyBryce Bryce Yockey Started the 2500 8 game mix @AllenKessler and Tom Koral on my table. Playing super seriously right from the start. #hoodmodeinitiated June 19 2012

06-19-2012 18:18 UTC-6

PokerStars Well Represented

Happy_Freaked

We already found the following Team PokerStars Pro's in today's field. Late registration is open for the first four hours, and all the way throughout the second break of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexander Kravchenko	7,500

Martin Staszko	7,500

Daniel Negreanu	7,500

Marcel Luske	7,500

George Danzer	7,500

Max Martinez	7,500

Nacho Barbero	7,500

Victor Ramdin	7,500

Jonathan Duhamel	7,500

06-19-2012 18:25 UTC-6

The Players in The Amazon Tan Section

Happy_Freaked

Player	Chips	Progress
Adam Friedman	7,500

Erik Seidel	7,500

Brett Richey	7,500
John Monnette	7,500

Ylon Schwartz	7,500

Dan Kelly	7,500
Ben Yu	7,500

Stephen Chidwick	7,500

Bryan Micon	7,500
Lee Goldman	7,500
Nikolai Yakovenko	7,500
Matt Glantz	7,500
Matt Wood	7,500
Xuan Liu	7,500
Gavin Smith	7,500
John D'Agostino	7,500
Michael Binger	7,500
Kirill Gerasimov	7,500
Richard Ashby	7,500

Allen Kessler	7,500
Gary Benson	7,500

Daniel Idema	7,500

Matt Woodward	7,500

06-19-2012 18:34 UTC-6

Go Big or Go Home

Chad Holloway

Level 1

Stud Hi/Lo:

After action was brought in by the {2-Diamonds} , a player in Seat 2 completed with the {A-Hearts} . A couple of folds later, Eric Crain raised with the {K-Hearts} . Seat 8 came along for the ride, Seat 2 made the call, and it was three-way action to the turn.

Seat 2 kept the lead and led out, which Crain quickly raised. After the other players call, Seat 2 put out another bet on fifth, which only Crain would call. The action would be repeated on both sixth and seventh, prompting Seat 2 to say, “Two pair.”

“I have a set,” Crain responded and tabled his hand for the scoop.

Crain: {J-Spades} {J-Diamonds} / {K-Hearts} {3-Spades} {4-Clubs} {J-Hearts} / {2-Hearts}
Seat 2: {5-Spades} {4-Hearts} {9-Spades} / {A-Hearts} {3-Diamonds} {4-Diamonds} {5-Diamonds}
Seat 8: (x-x) / {6-Spades} {8-Diamonds} {10-Diamonds} fold

“So sick,” Seat 2 said as he stared at Crain’s board.

“I told you I want every chip in the tournament or to go home tomorrow,” Crain said in reference to his planned trip home back to Illinois this week. Crain is known for playing fast and loose, so we expect it’ll literally be a “go big or go home” strategy.”

Tags: Eric Crain

06-19-2012 18:34 UTC-6

Players in The Amazon Orange Section

Happy_Freaked

Player	Chips	Progress
Chip Jett	7,500
Jon Turner	7,500
Kirk Morrison	7,500

Andy Frankenberger	7,500

Jon Spinks	7,500
Scott Seiver	7,500

Andy Bloch	7,500

Thayer Rasmussen	7,500
Matt Hawrilenko	7,500
Dylan Linde	7,500

Terrence Chan	7,500

Christopher George	7,500
Cary Katz	7,500
Eoghan O’Dea	7,500
John Cernuto	7,500

Dutch Boyd	7,500

Brian Hastings	7,500

Eric Buchman	7,500

Dario Alioto	7,500

Frank Kassela	7,500

Rep Porter	7,500

Jennifer Harman	7,500

Aaron Steury	7,500

Tom Schneider	7,500

Ben Grundy	7,500

06-19-2012 18:49 UTC-6

Waiting in the Wings

Chad Holloway

Level 1

The tournament staff has prepped nine more tables for the late entrants, who will be joining the action at the start of Level 2. We've already spotted a few pros wandering about waiting for the start time including Greg Raymer, Cyndey Violette, and Marco Traniello.