button in SafariHall of Famer Eli Elezra Flying High on Day 1 of the $1,500 PLO8
Poker Hall of Fame member Eli Elezra (318,000) got off to a flying start on Day 1 of Event #21: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. The five-time bracelet winner, one of which came in the $10,000 buy-in edition of this event in 2022, finished just outside the top 10, but is nicely positioned for yet another deep run.
Day 1 attracted 1,093 entrants. After 15 levels, 173 players remained, with Elezra's name displayed next to 12th place.
Thomas Zanot (485,000) and Jordan Polk (483,000) were neck-and-neck at the chip counts' summit, followed by Michael Rodrigues (460,000), Schuyler Thornton (452,000), Jean Laurent (409,000), and Tobias Hausen (409,000), the only other players who bagged up 400,000+ chips.
Event #21: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Zanot | United States | 485,000 | 81 |
| 2 | Jordan Polk | United States | 483,000 | 81 |
| 3 | Michael Rodrigues | Portugal | 460,000 | 77 |
| 4 | Schuyler Thornton | United States | 452,000 | 75 |
| 5 | Jean Laurent | United States | 409,000 | 68 |
| 6 | Tobias Hausen | Germany | 409,000 | 68 |
| 7 | Andrew Voor | United States | 373,000 | 62 |
| 8 | Kevin Xu | United States | 372,000 | 62 |
| 9 | John Esposito | United States | 360,000 | 60 |
| 10 | Bouwe Claushuis | Netherlands | 359,000 | 60 |
Mixed game events tend to draw bracelet winners and $25K Fantasy Draft picks, and this tournament was no different.
John Esposito (360,000), Ray Fishman (327,000), and Dennis Weiss (291,000) bagged top 20 stacks, while Justin Fawcett (282,000), Pei Li (282,000), Ryan Hansen (280,000), and Robert Nehorayan (277,000) all return in the top 30.
Lower down the count but certainly not out of contention in this event are the likes of Nick Guagenti (260,000), Josh Arieh (244,000), Ryan Hoenig (243,000), Jim Collopy (209,000), Bryce Yockey (200,000), Robert Mizrachi (197,000), Anthony Zinno (143,000), and eight-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser (107,000).
Day 2 shuffles up and deals at 1:00 p.m. local time on June 5 with blinds starting at 3,000/6,000. Another 10 levels are planned, which should cut the field down to the last handful of tables.