Event 53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 Started
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$4,274,100
Entries
3,166
Level
33
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
Huge Field For Day 1
Welcome to our coverage of World Series of Poker Event 53: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em. We're expecting an enormous field for this one as the line to register is currently wrapped all the way through the queue and down the hall. Over 2,000 players are already registered and late registration will go through the first four levels. These $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em events always have large turnouts and because of that the prize pool becomes remarkably high. Once registration closes today we will have official prize pool information.
Last year this event saw an astounding 2,713 entries and may be on par to receive even more this year. This event was won last year by Athanasios Polychronopoulos, who not only has two final tables and one bracelet under his belt, but he also happens to have the longest name of any bracelet winner which is a title he will most likely hold for a long time.
Players will play a full eleven levels today which equates to eleven hours of poker. They will take a 90-minute dinner break after six levels and a vast majority of the field will have been eliminated by the end of the day. If this event follows the same trend as past $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em events this WSOP, we will hit the money after a few levels into Day 2 play.
As we wade through the remarkably large field today, make sure to also check out activities on the other side of the WSOP as forty-eight players return for Day 3 in Event 50: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em.
Also, if you need some tips to brush up on your no-limit hold'em game, our own Kristy Arnett caught up with poker pro Melanie Weisner to discuss strategy and her deep run in Event 49: $1,500 Ante-Only No-Limit Hold'em.
We're mere moments away from cards flying here in the Brasilia room and the mood is electric as every player who walks through the doors is focused on becoming the next WSOP champion. Stay tuned for all of the latest updates throughout the day!
Shuffle Up And Deal!
There was a special guest today to announce "shuffle up and deal" to the poker players in attendance for this event. Congressman Joe Barton from Texas' 6th congressional district came out to show his support for the game and reassure poker players that there is hope for the eventual return of online poker to the United States.
Barton urged players to join the Poker Players Alliance and continue to fight for the rights of poker players.
As a thunderous applause for Barton subsided, cards were officially in the air for this massive bracelet event.
Familiar Faces
Here are just some of the familiar faces found during an initial pass through the Brasilia room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,500 | |
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4,500 | |
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4,500 | |
|
4,500 | |
|
4,500 | |
|
4,500 | |
|
4,500 | |
|
4,500 | |
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4,500 | |
|
4,500 | |
|
4,500 |
Current 2012 WSOP Player of the Year Standings
Current 2012 WSOP Player of the Year Standings
| Place | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phil Ivey | 539.70 |
| 2 | John Monnette | 524.25 |
| 3 | Michael Mizrachi | 486.20 |
| 4 | Andy Frankenberger | 406.66 |
| 5 | Phil Hellmuth | 368.70 |
| 6 | Andy Bloch | 340.50 |
| 7 | Jan-Peter Jachtmann | 325.63 |
| 8 | Michael Gathy | 321.25 |
| 9 | David “Bakes” Baker | 317.94 |
| 10 | David “ODB” Baker | 314.88 |
Closer Look at Some Brasilia Players
Some of the players seated in the Brasilia room are in the midst of having a solid World Series of Poker. Here is a more in depth look at some of the achievements of these players:
Ronit Chamani - Chamani burst onto the WSOP scene two years ago during the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em Ladies Championship where she scored a tenth place finish for $10,833. Chamani was able to score one more cash at last year's WSOP and now already has four cashes in this year's series. Most notably, Chamani finished 13th Event 28: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Four-Handed.
Matt Matros - It seems that with every passing year Matt Matros is able to further his WSOP legacy. Coming into this year's WSOP Matros was the holder of two gold bracelets that he won in consecutive years. Matros was able to score his third in a row this year when he bested a 1,604 player field to win Event 16: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Six-Handed. Matros has been able to win one bracelet every year for the past three years. Could this year be the year he wins two?
Brock Parker - Parker is in the midst of a fantastic WSOP, already having four cashes and one final table under his belt. Parker made it to the semi finals of Event 12: $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em where he just missed out on a spot at the finals when he was defeated by Jason Mo. More recently, Parker scooped up a fifth place finish in Event 25: $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout. Parker is a two-time bracelet holder, winning both of his bracelets in 2009. While he has come close this year, he has been unable to seal the deal and is certainly wishing to go for the gold today.
Level: 2
Blinds: 25/50
Ante: 0
Fischman In the Field
Two-time World Series of Poker winner Scott Fischman has been spotted at his seat in the Brasilia room. Fischman won both of his WSOP bracelets back in 2004 and has been a force in the poker world ever since.
Most recently, Fischman has been able to take down three cashes at the 2012 WSOP. Fischman made the final table of Event 18: $2,500 Seven Card Razz and finished fourth. This was, of course, the event where Phil Hellmuth was able to score his record setting 12th WSOP bracelet.
Fischman is in the hunt for his first bracelet since 2004 today and will certainly be a force to be reckoned with.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,500 |
Massive Field
Level 2
: 25/50, 0 ante
As predicted today's tournament has amassed quite the large field. We're not even halfway through the second level and already 2,707 players are spread throughout the Brasilia room, the Amazon room, and the Pavilion. Players will be breaking in the other rooms and finishing out in Brasilia, so that is where a majority of our coverage will come from.
Once Around With Huck Seed
Level 2
: 25/50, 0 ante
We followed 1996 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Huck Seed for an orbit. Here are our findings:
Stack at Orbit's Start: 6,600
Hand 1 - Action folded around to Seed in early position. Seed folded his hand.
Hand 2- Seed was under the gun plus one and folded his hand when action folded to him
Hand 3 - Seed folded from under the gun. Seed got up from his table and walked around the Brasilia room, surveying the field. Seed then went on his cell phone for the remainder of the time before the next hand.
Hand 4 - Seed was in the big blind. A player raised to 250 and Seed folded.
Hand 5 - Seed was in the small blind. A late position player raised to 150 and the cutoff three-bet to 400. The button called and Seed shot his hand to the muck.
Hand 6 - Seed was on the button. There was a raise to 200 to him and he mucked his hand.
Hand 7 - Seed folded from the cutoff and then buried his head in his arms on the table for the remainder of the hand.
Hand 8 - There was a raise to 200 and Seed mucked his cards preflop.
Hand 9 - There were two limps to Seed and he peeked at his cards and limped as well. The player in the cutoff raised to 200 and the button called. The two original limpers called the raise and Huck mucked his hand.
A woman delivered Seed's food to the table during this hand and a shivering Seed said to her "I hope it's hot because it's freezing in here". We left Seed as he began to dig into his meal.
Stack at Orbit's End: 6,475
While it may not be the most interesting orbit in history, sometimes that's how tournament poker goes, especially in the early stages. When we came upon Seed he was already above the starting stack and it seems he wishes to be picking his spots wisely in the early goings.