With registration now closed, the tournament staff have announced the prize pool information.
A total of 1,594 players have created a $2,151,900 prize pool that is to be shared among the top 171 finishers. A min-cash is worth $2,840 and a final table appearance $28,986. Event #26's champion will walk away with $408,953 and a much sought after World Series of Poker bracelet.
Mark Radoja opened with a raise to 625 from under the gun and was reraised to 1,250 from the player next to act. The other active players folded back around to Radoja who put in a four-bet to 3,200. His opponent moved all-in for around 8,000 and Radoja called.
Both players held ace-king, Radoja the and his opponent . The board ran giving both players a Broadway straight and therefore the pot was chopped.
A player opened to 650 from under the gun and Jason Mercier three-bet to 1,800 from middle position and his opponent made the call. The flop was and Mercier's opponent check-raised to 4,200 after a bet of 1,650 from Mercier.
Mercier reraised all in for 12,850 total and his opponent made the call.
Mercier:
Opponent:
The board ran out and Mercier is now stacked at just under 30,000.
Halfway across the room is one of the tougher tables this event has to offer, one that is the home to Maurice Hawkins, Dan Smith, Jeff Madsen and Martin Jacobson among others.
Maurice Hawkins seems to be faring well and has chipped up to 25,600 while Swedish superstar Martin Jacobson is also doing OK for himself and has 22,200 chips in front of him.
Phil Hellmuth is, naturally, the centre of attention at his table now he has joined the tournament and there has been some good natured ribbing and some attempted last longer bets, but Hellmuth is largely ignoring his tormentors and keeping his own counsel.
In an early hand after the break Hellmuth in the big blind called a raise to 700 from the small blind and the two players saw a flop of . A bet of 700 from the small blind saw Hellmuth show the and fold saying he had to let his opponent bluff him whereupon he was shown the . “I tried to trap you.” Hellmuth continued in a familiar refrain, “They love to give me their money.”
On the next hand there was a raise to 700 from the under-the-gun player and a call from middle position. Hellmuth in the small blind asked for the chatter to die down a bit while he thought about what to do and the table fell respectfully quiet. Hellmuth made the call and the big blind threw in the extra.
The flop was and all four players checked. The turn card was the and when Hellmuth and the big blind checked the original raiser made it 1,325. The middle position caller immediately went all in and Hellmuth followed suit jamming his stack down on the felt to go all in too. The other players folded and while the all in player showed Hellmuth had flopped a set with this . The river was the and Hellmuth had got just the start he wanted.
Ted Forrest recently won his sixth World Series of Poker bracelet when he took down the $1,500 buy-in Seven Card Razz event, preventing Phil Hellmuth from winning what would have been his 14th bracelet.
Sadly for the Forrest fans out there, he busted shortly after returning from the dinner break so won't be adding this tournament to his many poker accomplishments.
and his opponent 
. The board ran 
giving both players a Broadway straight and therefore the pot was chopped.![[user269680]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Mercier's opponent check-raised to 4,200 after a bet of 1,650 from Mercier.
and Mercier is now stacked at just under 30,000.
.
and in front of the player receiving chips was the 
. A bet of 700 from the small blind saw Hellmuth show the 
and fold saying he had to let his opponent bluff him whereupon he was shown the 
. The river was the 
