Another record-breaking turnout in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship pushed the number of entrants to 874 yesterday — solidly surpassing last year's record of 811 and generating a prize pool of $8,128,200. Of those, just 56 will return today inside the Horseshoe Convention Center at 1 p.m. to battle for their spot at the final table.
Leading the way for the second straight day is Dutchman Javier Francort, who bagged a massive stack worth 4,060,000 after a swingy but dominant performance last night. Sitting a distant second is high-roller regular Quan Zhou with 2,410,000, and rounding out the top three is the always dangerous Alex Foxen, who will return to the felt with 1,910,000.
Foxen's poker resume includes a staggering $50 million in live-tournament earnings—almost exclusively from No-Limit Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha events—and three World Series of Poker bracelets. Most recently, Foxen cashed in both the $25,000 and $50,000 PLO High Rollers earlier in the series and will be looking to add another deep run to his already impressive track record.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javier Francort | Netherlands | 4,060,000 | 162 |
| 2 | Quan Zhou | China | 2,410,000 | 96 |
| 3 | Alex Foxen | United States | 1,910,000 | 76 |
| 4 | Simeon Tsonev | Bulgaria | 1,850,000 | 74 |
| 5 | Roussos Koliakoudakis | Greece | 1,835,000 | 73 |
| 6 | David Paredes | United States | 1,700,000 | 68 |
| 7 | Thomas Taylor | Canada | 1,645,000 | 66 |
| 8 | Brandon Crawford | United States | 1,590,000 | 64 |
| 9 | Isaac Kempton | United States | 1,475,000 | 59 |
| 10 | Dominykas Karmazinas | Lithuania | 1,465,000 | 59 |
The path to victory will be fraught with difficulty, however, as the remaining field is riddled with poker crushers. Other notables still in the hunt include Robert Mizrachi (1,270,000), Alex Livingston (1,255,000), Stephen Chidwick (865,000), Ryan Riess (650,000), Ben Lamb (545,000), and Thomas Taylor (1,645,000) — who will be hungry for a win after two bittersweet runner-up finishes in the $3,000 Nine Game Mix and $1,500 H.O.R.S.E events earlier this summer.
Everyone remaining has already secured a cash of $25,918 for their efforts, but all undoubtedly have their sights locked on the bracelet and the accompanying grand prize of $1,394,579.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,394,579 | 10-11 | $84,191 |
| 2 | $929,688 | 12-15 | $67,303 |
| 3 | $650,567 | 16-23 | $54,777 |
| 4 | $462,451 | 24-31 | $45,405 |
| 5 | $334,017 | 32-39 | $38,345 |
| 6 | $245,194 | 40-47 | $33,002 |
| 7 | $182,983 | 48-55 | $28,959 |
| 9 | $107,192 | 56 | $25,918 |
The action is scheduled to resume at 1 p.m. local time and play until just five hopefuls remain. The tournament clock will begin on Level 21, which features 10,000/25,000 blinds with a 25,000 big blind ante. Breaks will be held after every two hours of play with a 60-minute dinner break scheduled at the end of Level 26.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action leading to the final table and eventual next $10,000 PLO Champion!
