Abdyl Konjuhi Leads Final 25 in Day 2 of Event #15: $1,500 Mixed: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better
Pot-Limit: 16,000 Ante, 8,000/16,000 Blinds, 32,000-56,000 Pot Limit Raise
Another full day of mixed Omaha action at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw 264 players whittle down to just 25 in Event #15: $1,500 Mixed: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. Standing tall at the end of the day was Abdyl Konjuhi, who ended as the only player over the three-million chip mark with 3,195,000. His next-closest competitor is six-time WSOP bracelet winner Benny Glaser, who bagged up 2,520,000 heading into Day 3. Just behind Glaser is Dustin Dirksen with 2,500,000 to round out the top three.
Aside from the chip leaders, the remaining field contain a who's who of poker talent, including Tyler Brown (1,475,000), Patrick Leonard, Alan Sternberg (875,000), David Shmuel (810,000), Rep Porter (625,000), and Crush Live Poker owner Bart Hanson, who will be seeking his first bracelet despite making several final tables in various WSOP events over the years.
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abdyl Konjuhi | United States | 3,195,000 |
| 2 | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | 2,520,000 |
| 3 | Dustin Dirksen | United States | 2,500,000 |
| 4 | Travis Pearson | United States | 1,915,000 |
| 5 | Shane Howeth | United States | 1,760,000 |
| 6 | Thomas Taylor | Canada | 1,755,000 |
| 7 | Tyler Brown | United States | 1,475,000 |
| 8 | Bart Hanson | United States | 1,465,000 |
| 9 | Patrick Leonard | United Kingdom | 1,275,000 |
| 10 | Sean Remz | United States | 1,245,000 |
Everyone remaining has already locked up at least $8,480 for their efforts so far, but a cool $258,193, which represents the lion's share of the $1,644,773 prizepool, awaits the eventual winner.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $258,193 | 10-11 | $16,100 |
| 2 | $172,077 | 12-15 | $12,800 |
| 3 | $121,736 | 16-23 | $10,336 |
| 4 | $87,325 | 24-25 | $8,480 |
| 5 | $63,527 | ||
| 6 | $46,879 | ||
| 7 | $35,098 | ||
| 8 | $26,666 | ||
| 9 | $20,564 |
Day 2 Highlights
Day 2 began with fewer than 100 eliminations to go before the money bubble and it took just under two levels for it to burst. Some notables who unfortunately busted before making the money include Sean Troha, Scott Abrams, Tom Koral, Jerry Wong, Richard Ashby, and Kathy Liebert.
The actual money bubble burst before hand-for-hand could get underway as a flurry of eliminations saw five all-in and calls just as the tournament director announced his intention to start hand-for-hand play. Only one of those resulted in elimination, however, and it was Davis Aalvik who got the unfortunate title of "Bubble Boy" after falling to Evgeni Tourevski's kings.
As expected, the short stacks began to exit en masse following the bubble. Among those who scored a min-cash for $3,029 include Kevin Gerhart, Jason Gola, Phillip Hui, Jeff Madsen, and Nick Kost.
Just before dinner break, Chris Vitch scooped a massive pot to land among the chip leaders while Hollywood Actor and WSOP regular James Woods bowed out for his 30th WSOP cash.
Following the extended break, Hanson took out the 1996 Main Event champion Huck Seed after Seed put in what he decided "might be a bad call."
James Obst, who was the chip leader entering Day 2, also fell late in the evening after running a set of deuces and a low into the nut-nut of Christopher Alcindor.
The swings of Omaha eventually caught up to Vitch in the closing hands of the night, as he was eliminated with just a few minutes left on Day 2. Meanwhile, Konjuhi seemed to rise out of nowhere and emerged with his dominating stack thanks to a late-night surge.
The final 25 players will return on Wednesday, June 4 at 1 p.m. to play down to a winner (although an unplanned Day 4 is certainly a possibility). Play will resume on Level 26, which features blinds of 40,000/80,000 and betting limits of 80,000/160,000. Levels will continue to last 60 minutes each and players will be sent on breaks after every two levels.
The final stretch of Event #15: $1,500 Mixed: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better is here, so be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the chops, quarters, and scoops leading to the latest Mixed Omaha champion!