Dark Horse Vamerdino Magsakay Leads in Final Day of $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed
The last mid-stakes tournament for the summer, Event #99: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed was attended by some of the biggest names in the industry. The event attracted a field of 735 entries, amassing a total prize pool of $3,381,000.
The remaining 68 players will return to the Horseshoe and Paris, Las Vegas, to become the next World Series of Poker champion, win the WSOP bracelet and the top prize of $606,849.
It was an eventful day with some enjoying their drinks and having fun, while others were getting into some heated discussions.
Despite all that and a tough field full of WSOP bracelet winners, Vamerdino Magsakay stands out, bagging 1,340,000 chips, and will be leading the pack into the final day. Coming in second is Joseph Beasy with 1,300,000. Completing the podium position is Daniyal Gheba with 1,270,000.
Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vamerdino Magsakay | Philippines | 1,340,000 | 54 |
| 2 | Joseph Beasy | United States | 1,300,000 | 52 |
| 3 | Daniyal Gheba | United States | 1,270,000 | 51 |
| 4 | Connor Rash | United States | 1,240,000 | 50 |
| 5 | Yuzhu Wang | China | 1,115,000 | 45 |
| 6 | Santiago Plante | Canada | 1,040,000 | 42 |
| 7 | Cherish Andrews | United States | 1,000,000 | 40 |
| 8 | Justin Liberto | United States | 950,000 | 38 |
| 9 | Cody Bartlett | United States | 940,000 | 38 |
| 10 | Julien Sitbon | France | 910,000 | 36 |
Still in the running are Justin Liberto, Julien Sitbon, Ali Eslami, Xixiang Luo and Joao Simao. Alex Keating, who won the same event in 2023, is also still in contention.
Colin Robinson burst the bubble when he shoved with pocket tens against Gheba. Infuriated, he left the floor steaming, leaving 111 players in the money, guaranteed at least $9,932.
Those who didn’t make it to the next day were John Juanda, Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, and Jonathan Tamayo, to name a few.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $606,849 | 10-11 | $36,636 |
| 2 | $404,532 | 12-15 | $29,218 |
| 3 | $283,554 | 16- 23 | $23,711 |
| 4 | $201,811 | 24–31 | $19,585 |
| 5 | $145,875 | 32–39 | $16,471 |
| 6 | $107,115 | 40–47 | $14,109 |
| 7 | $79,921 | 48–55 | $12,313 |
| 8 | $60,608 | 56–63 | $10,952 |
| 9 | $46,727 | 64–68 | $9,932 |
Play will resume Wednesday at 1 p.m local time in Horseshoe Silver on Level 21, with blinds 10,000/25,000 and 25,000 big blind ante, and will play until a champion is crowned. There will be a 15-minute break every four levels, with a 60-minute dinner break to be determined.
Remain tuned in to PokerNews for more live tournament action and to find out who the next WSOP champion will be.