2018 World Series of Poker

Event #8: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball
Day: 1
Event Info

2018 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j53a
Prize
$180,455
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,500
Prize Pool
$722,250
Entries
321
Level Info
Level
29
Limits
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
0

Welcome to Day 1 of Event #8: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball

Jesse Martin
Jesse Martin

The World Series of Poker is under way but it's been almost all about no-limit hold'em so far, with the only exception being Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. Today, that changes as the first mixed event of the summer gets fired up.

It's time for Event #8: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball. This event remains in its infancy as this is just its third year running. The first year, Chris Vitch topped a field of 236 for $136,854 in prize money. Last year, Jesse Martin nabbed his second bracelet and $130,948 in a field of 225 runners.

This tournament will see players engage in three different lowball variants: A-5 triple draw, 2-7 triple draw and badugi. Each game involves aiming for making the lowest hand with slight variations. In A-5 triple draw, players look to make a wheel, with straights and flushes not playing a factor. In 2-7 triple draw, straights and flushes count and a wheel is deuce through five with a seven. In badugi, players aim for ace through four with four different suits. Learn more about badugi here.

Ten one-hour levels are on the docket for Day 1, starting at 3 p.m. local time with 150/300 betting limits. Things will progress to 1,000/2,000 by day's end with 15 minute breaks after every two levels. Late registration is available through the first eight levels and a final break, or until roughly midnight. Players will start with 12,500 in chips, and this year, they're allowed one reentry.

Stay tuned to PokerNews as we follow a long night of making bad hands.

Defending Champ in the House

Level 1 : 150/300, 0 ante
Jesse Martin, pictured in an earlier event.
Jesse Martin, pictured in an earlier event.

A-5 Triple Draw

Jesse Martin won this event last year and he's off to a nice start in 2018.

He made it three bets preflop from the big blind and it went three ways to the first draw. The small blind and the cutoff each took two, while Martin drew one. Martin kept the lead with a bet and two calls. Draws went the same, but this time Martin's bet chased away the small blind.

On the the final draw, Martin patted and his opponent took a card. Martin checked and showed down {9-}{6-}{4-}{3-}{2-} for the win when his opponent checked back.

Player Chips Progress
Jesse Martin us
Jesse Martin
19,500
19,500
19,500
Defending Champion
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Jesse Martin

"You Always Get There Right Away, Huh?"

Level 3 : 250/500, 0 ante
Chip Jett, pictured in an earlier event.
Chip Jett, pictured in an earlier event.

A-5 Triple Draw

John Racener check-called in the small blind against Chip Jett in the cutoff and then drew a card on the second pull. Jett patted.

"You always get there right away, huh?" Racener said with a smile, checking dark.

Jett bet and Racener called then drew a final card. Both players checked the end and Jett tabled {8-}{7-}{6-}{4-}{2-}. It's been a rough start for Racener, who is under half of a starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Chip Jett us
Chip Jett
14,100
6,800
6,800
John Racener us
John Racener
5,500
-9,500
-9,500
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Chip JettJohn Racener

A First for Kessler

Level 4 : 300/600, 0 ante
Allen Kessler
Allen Kessler

2-7 Triple Draw

Allen Kessler raised in the small blind and called when Jake Schwartz made it two bets. Both players took two. Kessler check-called and was behind on the second draw taking two again. He check-called again and both players drew one.

"You have a chance, Allen," Schwartz said with a smile.

"I never win these," "Chainsaw" responded.

It went check-check on the end and Schwartz announced an ace. Kessler rolled over {q-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}{3-Clubs}.

"You won it," Schwartz said. "First time."

Player Chips Progress
Allen Kessler us
Allen Kessler
11,000
4,000
4,000
Jake Schwartz us
Jake Schwartz
9,900
-2,600
-2,600

Tags: Allen KesslerJake Schwartz

Showers for Glaser

Level 5 : 400/800, 0 ante
Benny Glaser (captured in a previous event)
Benny Glaser (captured in a previous event)

A-5 Triple Draw

Benny Glaser has been eliminated from the tournament after losing his chip-stack for the second time today.

Jerry Wong was the one who sent him to the rail in what was originally a three-way pot with all players drawing for two. Glaser led out, Wong raised and while the other player called, he eventually gave up after Glaser three-bet and Wong four-bet.

Glaser called and put the rest of his chips in after the next draw where he patted and Wong took one.

Wong called and sweated the last draw. He had {A-}{2-}{3-}{4-} and the dealer shipped him the five-ball for the nuts. Glaser briefly showed his hand but it remained unclear to our eyes. Whatever it was, Glaser couldn't beat the nuts and left empty-handed.

Player Chips Progress
Jerry Wong us
Jerry Wong
25,500
500
500
WSOP 1X Winner
Benny Glaser gb
Benny Glaser
Busted
WSOP 5X Winner

Tags: Benny GlaserJerry Wong

Hastings Scores a Double KO

Level 8 : 600/1,200, 0 ante
Brian Hastings
Brian Hastings

A-5 Triple Draw

Mike Ross was all-in pre-draw, facing off in a three-way pot against Brian Hastings and another player. There was 9,100 in the middle and Ross and Hastings both drew one while the other player took two.

They checked for the side pot and all players changed one. Hastings bet in position and called off for 2,000 total, trying to bust two players.

Hastings had made {A-}{6-}{5-}{4-}{3-} and patted while Ross and the other player both tried to improve, drawing one.

Ross then observed that he was drawing dead, having kept a seven in his hand. He eventually made {A-}{7-}{4-}{3-}{3-}. The other player rolled over a seventy-six and Hastings notched the double knockout.

Player Chips Progress
Brian Hastings us
Brian Hastings
36,000
25,500
25,500
WSOP 6X Winner
Mike Ross us
Mike Ross
Busted

Tags: Brian HastingsMike Ross

Monnette, Ferguson, Ivey Among Late Arrivals

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 0 ante
Phil Ivey, pictured in an earlier event.
Phil Ivey, pictured in an earlier event.

A-5 Triple Draw

John Monnette, Chris Ferguson and Phil Ivey are among the group that has showed up and pushed registrations to 321 at close.

Monnette got off to a good start when he and two other players drew one the whole way. We didn't see who led the betting on early streets, but on the end, everyone checked and Monnette won showdown with {9-}{6-}{5-}{4-}{a-}.

Ivey and Ferguson just took their seats and will have to get cooking in a hurry with less than 10 big bets.

Player Chips Progress
John Monnette us
John Monnette
20,000
WSOP 5X Winner
Phil Ivey us
Phil Ivey
12,500
WSOP 10X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
Chris Ferguson us
Chris Ferguson
12,500
WSOP 6X Winner

Tags: Phil IveyChris FergusonJohn Monnette

Negreanu Finished

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 0 ante
Daniel Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu

A-5 Triple Draw

Daniel Negreanu put in a third bet before the draws on the button and got action from the cutoff. Both players drew two and checked before Negreanu was revealed to be behind in the draw taking two again. The cutoff bet and Negreanu called. Both players drew one and Negreanu called a final bet.

The cutoff sloppily tossed {6-}{5-}{4-}{3-}{a-} into the middle.

"I have no idea what that is," Negreanu observed as cards faced in several directions.

When it was revealed to be a six, Negreanu mucked, preserving just 1,100. That went in the next hand in badugi, with Negreanu pulling two the whole way and showing down {8-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{2-Clubs} with a laugh and failing to win against a nine-badugi.

Player Chips Progress
Daniel Negreanu ca
Daniel Negreanu
Busted
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer

Tags: Daniel Negreanu

Volpe, Volpe, Volpe

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 0 ante
Paul Volpe (captured in the $100k event)
Paul Volpe (captured in the $100k event)

Badugi

Paul Volpe entered the Mixed Triple Draw late after cashing in the $100k event and he's carried his wave of success to this event. Volpe has already notched a third-place finish in the $10k Super Turbo Bounty.

Volpe keeps the foot firmly on the pedal here in the triple draw as he demonstrated a few moments ago in a round of badugi.

The first hand saw Volpe (small blind) three-bet his right-hand opponent Alex Simma. Simma called and changed two while Volpe patted. Simma called additional bets on the following two streets, drawing for one. He folded on the river, leaving a nice chunk for Volpe.

Unfortunately for Simma, that wasn't the only bite Volpe took from his stack. In a three-way pot against John "Miami" Cernuto and Volpe, Simma had a made-hand pre-draw and stood pat. Volpe and Cernuto were drawing for one and Volpe raised Simma's bet after the first draw. Both of his opponents called.

Cernuto drew one and gave up after Simma bet and Volpe called.

Volpe and Simma both patted again and Volpe raised Simma's bet. Simma paused for a while but then couldn't talk himself out of the way. He called only to see Volpe turn up the nuts with {A-Clubs}{2-Spades}{3-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Paul Volpe us
Paul Volpe
35,000
35,000
35,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Alex Simma us
Alex Simma
28,500
-30,500
-30,500

Tags: Alex SimmaJohn CernutoPaul Volpe

Prize Pool Revealed

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 0 ante
Bracelet
Bracelet

Registration for the event closed with 321 entries. The winner of the event will bank $180,455 plus a WSOP gold bracelet, and a min-cash in 49th will pay out $3,721. For a full breakdown of the payouts, check out the corresponding tab above.