After the first 10 levels of the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Championship, just 56 players remain with Ben Yu on top. This tournament drew a crowd of 102 players and the eventual winner will walk away $268,473 richer.
Just 16 places will get paid in this tournament and tons of top pros are in the hunt for a deep run. Australian World Series of Poker debutant James Obst sits in second place while 2011 runner-up Steve Landfish, $50,000 Players' Championship runner-up Jesse Martin, and "Miami" John Cernuto all have big stacks, too.
Henry Orenstein, inventor of the hole-card camera, did the "shuffle up and deal" at the start of the day and the 90-year-old survived the day with a very nice stack of 82,300.
The eventual winner of this tournament will not only win a gold bracelet and a ton of money, but they also get to see their name among the following list of champions.. Orenstein won this tournament in 1996, while Freddie Ellis, the 2009 champion, also remains alive.
Year
Buy-in
Entrants
Winner
First Prize
Runner-Up
Second Prize
2013
$2,500
246
David Chiu
$145,520
Scott Seiver
$89,980
2012
$5,000
145
John Monnette
$190,826
Huu Vinh
$117,913
2011
$10,000
126
Betrand Grospellier
$331,639
Steve Landfish
$204,924
2010
$10,000
150
Men Nguyen
$394,807
Brandon Adams
$243,958
2009
$10,000
142
Freddie Ellis
$373,751
Eric Drache
$231,013
2008
$10,000
158
Eric Brooks
$415,856
Fu Wong
$259,910
2007
$5,000
180
Chris Reslock
$258,453
Phil Ivey
$143,820
2006
$5,000
183
Benjamin Lin
$256,620
Shawn Sheikhan
$171,080
2005
$5,000
192
Jan Sorensen
$293,275
Keith Sexton
$162,430
2004
$5,000
144
Joe Awada
$221,000
Marcel Luske
120,800
2003
$5,000
96
Men Nguyen
$178,560
Mel Judah
$102,680
2002
$5,000
92
Qushqar Morad
$172,960
Steven Banks
$99,460
2001
$5,000
104
Allen Cunningham
$201,760
Michael Danino
$100,880
2000
$5,000
101
David Chiu
$202,000
Ken Flaton
$101,000
1999
$2,500
199
David Grey
$199,000
Eli Balas
$99,500
1998
$5,000
104
Jan Chen
$208,000
Don Barton
$104,000
1997
$5,000
88
Mel Judah
$176,000
Vasilis Lazarou
$101,200
1996
$5,000
65
Henry Orenstein
$130,000
Humberto Brenes
$74,750
1995
$5,000
77
Anthony DeAngelo
$154,000
TJ Cloutier
$88,550
1994
$5,000
72
Roger Moore
$144,000
Adam Roberts
$82,800
Make sure to tune back in tomorrow at 2 p.m. local time for the continuation of this tournament. The goal is to play down to a final table of eight, but with this great structure anything can happen.
"What should we call it: Being 'Freddied' or being 'Ellis-stasized'?" Cory Zeidman asked the table as Freddie Ellis was putting on a verbal show during a hand versus Steve BIllirakis.
"Let's call it being 'Freddied,'" Brian Hastings said, and the table agreed.
Ellis has a special approach to the game, and besides having a lot of fun at the table the 78-year-old also throws off his opponents by talking to them.
The hand was completed by Ellis on third and Billirakis raised from his immediate left. One more player called and on fourth street Billirakis bet, Ellis called and the third player folded. On fifth street, Billirakis hit a pair of tens and bet. Ellis called.
On sixth it was Billirakis who checked and Ellis bet. Billirakis called and on seventh Billirakis checked after lots of talking from Ellis. Ellis showed a and Billirakis wondered if that meant he had checked.
"No, I just wanted to show you," Ellis said with a big smile.
"You should watch out," BIllirakis kindly informed him. "For now, it's OK, but they might give you a penalty for that.
Ellis didn't seem to mind and eventually he checked behind announcing he had jacks up. Ellis showed and that was no good against Billirakis' for a bigger two pair.
Alex "Assassinato" Fitzgerald joins Nate and Andrew on the Thinking Poker Podcast to talk about growing up in Alaska, struggling with drugs, coming up in poker, and making and disseminating training material.
Freddie Ellis after winning his bracelet back in 2009
Back in 2009, a 74-year-old real estate broker from Brooklyn, New York, came to Las Vegas to play the World Series of Poker. It was the first WSOP for the former singer who entered one event, the $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Championship.
Ellis went on to win the tournament after beating another legend - Eric Drache - heads-up, solidifying his name to be forever remembered at the WSOP. Ellis' playing against a tough table with Brian Hastings and Cory Zeidman, but it seems like the 79-year-old has not lost his moves.
Seven Card Stud is a staple in poker and its championship event is always highly anticipated. Today is the day the best stud players in the world meet in the $10,000 Championship event, and we're right here to bring you all the coverage. For the first time since 2011 - and for the fifth time in World Series of Poker history - the Seven Card Stud championship has a $10,000 buy in and a stacked field is expected to play today.
Last year, when the tournament had a $2,500 buy in, it was David Chiu who took down the second Seven Card Stud championship of his poker career. Chiu won the event back in 2000 as well and this year he'll try to become a three-time winner. Men 'the master' Nguyen won this event in 2003 and 2010 and that shows once more that this tournament is a true test of poker skill.
Here's a look at the past 20 years of this tournament:
Year
Buy in
Entrants
Winner
First Prize
Runner-up
Second Prize
2013
$2,500
246
David Chiu
$145,520
Scott Seiver
$89,980
2012
$5,000
145
John Monnette
$190,826
Huu Vinh
$117,913
2011
$10,000
126
Betrand Grospellier
$331,639
Steve Landfish
$204,924
2010
$10,000
150
Men Nguyen
$394,807
Brandon Adams
$243,958
2009
$10,000
142
Freddie Ellis
$373,751
Eric Drache
$231,013
2008
$10,000
158
Eric Brooks
$415,856
Fu Wong
$259,910
2007
$5,000
180
Chris Reslock
$258,453
Phil Ivey
$143,820
2006
$5,000
183
Benjamin Lin
$256,620
Shawn Sheikhan
$171,080
2005
$5,000
192
Jan Sorensen
$293,275
Keith Sexton
$162,430
2004
$5,000
144
Joe Awada
$221,000
Marcel Luske
120,800
2003
$5,000
96
Men Nguyen
$178,560
Mel Judah
$102,680
2002
$5,000
92
Qushqar Morad
$172,960
Steven Banks
$99,460
2001
$5,000
104
Allen Cunningham
$201,760
Michael Danino
$100,880
2000
$5,000
101
David Chiu
$202,000
Ken Flaton
$101,000
1999
$2,500
199
David Grey
$199,000
Eli Balas
$99,500
1998
$5,000
104
Jan Chen
$208,000
Don Barton
$104,000
1997
$5,000
88
Mel Judah
$176,000
Vasilis Lazarou
$101,200
1996
$5,000
65
Henry Orenstein
$130,000
Humberto Brenes
$74,750
1995
$5,000
77
Anthony DeAngelo
$154,000
TJ Cloutier
$88,550
1994
$5,000
72
Roger Moore
$144,000
Adam Roberts
$82,800
The tournament will kick off at 4:00 p.m. local time and ten levels will be played. Late registration will be open throughout the break after the sixth level.
and Billirakis wondered if that meant he had checked.
and that was no good against Billirakis' 
for a bigger two pair.
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
