button in SafariMitchell Hynam Rallies to Chase His Second Bracelet in Mid-Stakes Championship
Day 2 of Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship has concluded, and just 167 players remain from the massive field of 3,668 entries. Those survivors will return to Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas for the final day of play, each with a chance to etch their name into World Series of Poker (WSOP) history. Awaiting the eventual champion is the coveted WSOP gold bracelet and the $1,159,182 first-place prize from the tournament's $9,793,560 prize pool.
With late registration remaining open until the start of Level 11, shortly after 1:00 p.m., the registration desk stayed busy as players rushed in for last-minute entries and re-entries. Once registration closed, the field began to shrink rapidly, with just 681 players remaining by the second break.
The money bubble burst shortly before the dinner break, and eliminations came at a relentless pace for the rest of the evening. By night's end, the massive field had been whittled down to just 200 players, all of whom advanced to Day 3 with hopes of capturing the coveted WSOP gold bracelet. Every returning player is guaranteed $8,779.
Leading the way into Day 3 is the United Kingdom's Mitchell Hynam, who bagged 2,560,000 chips. According to The Hendon Mob, Hynam has amassed more than $1 million in live tournament earnings and will be looking to add his first WSOP gold bracelet to an already impressive résumé.
Italy's Alan Ferraro sits second in chips with an even 2,000,000, while Adedapo Ajayi also finished with 2,000,000. Ajayi brings plenty of experience to the table, with nearly $2 million in live tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob, making him one of the more accomplished players still in contention.
Rounding out the top four is Day 1b chip leader Luis Faria, who continued his strong run by bagging 1,820,000 chips.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mitchell Hynam | United Kingdom | 2,560,000 | 102 |
| 2 | Alan Ferraro | Italy | 2,000,000 | 80 |
| 3 | Adedapo Ajayi | United States | 2,000,000 | 80 |
| 4 | Niall Farrell | United Kingdom | 1,870,000 | 75 |
| 5 | Uri Reichenstein | Israel | 1,860,000 | 74 |
| 6 | Luis Faria | Portugal | 1,820,000 | 73 |
| 7 | Dimitrios Gkatzas | Greece | 1,710,000 | 68 |
| 8 | Pavels Spirins | Latvia | 1,700,000 | 68 |
| 9 | John Ripnick | United States | 1,690,000 | 68 |
| 10 | Lou Garza | United States | 1,690,000 | 68 |
Several accomplished players remain in the hunt for the bracelet, including bracelet winner Niall Farrell of the United Kingdom (1,870,000), Israel's Uri Reichenstein (1,860,000), two-time bracelet winner Lou Garza (1,690,000), poker coach and ODB Draft pick Matt Affleck (1,000,000), and seasoned grinder Nicholas Palma (1,585,000).
Remaining Prize Pool
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,159,182 | 18-26 | $47,045 |
| 2 | $772,580 | 27-35 | $38,280 |
| 3 | $576,099 | 36-44 | $31,408 |
| 4 | $432,875 | 45-53 | $25,987 |
| 5 | $327,767 | 54-62 | $21,684 |
| 6 | $250,110 | 63-71 | $18,249 |
| 7 | $192,347 | 72-80 | $15,491 |
| 8 | $149,093 | 81-89 | $13,264 |
| 9 | $116,485 | 90-98 | $11,457 |
| 10 -11 | $91,740 | 99-152 | $9,985 |
| 12-13 | $72,835 | 153-167 | $8,779 |
| 14-17 | $58,298 |
Among the notable players who made the money but fell short of Day 3 were Brian Hastings (190th - $8,779), Kevin Choi (193rd - $8,779), Alec Torelli (216th - $7,789), Nicholas Seward (286th - $6,974), John Wasnock (294th - $6,974), Damian Salas (312th - $6,974), and 2013 WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Riess (341st - $6,301).
Action will resume on Sunday, July 12th at noon in the Paris yellow section. Blinds will continue at Level 30 with 100,000/200,000 and 200,000 ante, and the tournament will run ten levels. There will be 15-minute breaks every two levels. There will be a dinner break after level 26 at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Play will continue until a champion is crowned, so remain tuned in with PokerNews for live updates and find out who the next WSOP champion will be.