2017 World Series of Poker
Event #36: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
Day 2 Completed

Tables were once again filled by six-packs of players on Monday for Day 2 of Event #36: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed. The day began with 191 hopefuls and after ten more hour-long levels, just 18 remain.
Many of poker’s best entered play on Day 2, led by Faraz Jaka. Jaka had another solid day on the felt, bagging 1,213,000. Jaka led for a large portion of the day until he was eclipsed by 2016 November Niner Kenny Hallaert.
Hallaert tangled with fellow big stack Moritz Dietrich in a preflop blind versus blind battle ending with a six-bet jam from Dietrich which Hallaert snap-called. Hallaert’s pocket aces held to beat Dietrich’s ace-king suited, catapulting Hallaert to the top, and eliminating Dietrich.
Hallaert ended play with 1,767,000 to claim the lead heading into Day 3. Sitting second in chips is Chris Hunichen with 1,622,000 while Nadar Kakhmazov (1,262,000), Jaka (1,213,000), Rob Kuhn (1,041,000), and Dan Abouaf (1,041,000) round out the top five.
Also heading to Day 3 are Sam Soverel (845,000), Garrett Greer (626,000), James Obst (585,000),Jonathan Jaffe (442,000), and Mike Leah (246,000).
Players returned on Day 2 quite far from the money as just 87 would get paid. Notables lost along the way before the bubble burst include Nick Petrangelo, Antonio Esfandiari, Mohsin Charania, Greg Merson, Pablo Mariz, and 888poker ambassador and recent $3k 6-Max WSOP bracelet winner Chris Moorman.
Once Joseph Alban busted, getting his pocket kings cracked by Christian Rudolph’s ace-jack, on the bubble, the floodgates opened and the post-bubble bust-out bonanza kicked into overdrive.
Michael Mizrachi (31st - $13,159), Adam Owen (40th - $11,187), Ankush Mandavia (47th - $9,756), Dario Sammartino (49th - $8,734), Jonathan Little (59th - $8,031),John Racener (62nd - $8,031),James Mackey (74th - $7,591), and Sergi Reixach (75th - $7,591) are just some of the notables leaving with some consolation during play today.
Play will resume with Day 3 action kicking off at 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. In all likelihood, the remaining players will play down a winner but a fourth day may be required if ten more hour-long levels are not enough. Stay tuned to PokerNews for live coverage as we will be on the floor updating the live blog until a new WSOP champion is crowned.
Day 3 Seat Draw
Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Dan Abouaf | France | 1,041,000 | 87 |
1 | 2 | Christopher Staats | United States | 427,000 | 36 |
1 | 3 | Sam Soverel | United States | 865,000 | 72 |
1 | 4 | Nadar Kakhmazov | Russia | 1,262,000 | 105 |
1 | 5 | Mohsin Virani | United States | 449,000 | 37 |
1 | 6 | James Obst | Australia | 585,000 | 49 |
2 | 1 | Giuseppe Pantaleo | Germany | 585,000 | 49 |
2 | 2 | Louis Linard | France | 268,000 | 22 |
2 | 3 | Chris Hunichen | United States | 1,622,000 | 135 |
2 | 4 | Christian Rudolph | Germany | 1,005,900 | 84 |
2 | 5 | Garrett Greer | United States | 626,000 | 52 |
2 | 6 | Robert Kuhn | United States | 1,041,000 | 87 |
3 | 1 | Faraz Jaka | United States | 1,213,000 | 101 |
3 | 2 | Jacob Haller | United States | 651,000 | 54 |
3 | 3 | Mike Leah | Canada | 246,000 | 21 |
3 | 4 | Timothy Cramer | United States | 210,000 | 18 |
3 | 5 | Jonathan Jaffe | United States | 442,000 | 37 |
3 | 6 | Kenny Hallaert | Belgium | 1,767,000 | 147 |
The chip counts for the 18 remaining players who will return for Day 3 are as follows:
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
1,767,000
187,000
|
187,000 |
![]() |
1,622,000
298,000
|
298,000 |
|
||
![]() |
1,262,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
|
||
![]() |
1,213,000
293,000
|
293,000 |
|
||
![]() |
1,041,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
![]() |
1,041,000
311,000
|
311,000 |
![]() |
1,005,000
728,000
|
728,000 |
![]() |
865,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
||
![]() |
651,000
651,000
|
651,000 |
![]() |
626,000
381,000
|
381,000 |
![]() |
585,000
115,000
|
115,000 |
|
||
![]() |
585,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
||
![]() |
449,000
81,000
|
81,000 |
![]() |
442,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
![]() |
427,000
52,000
|
52,000 |
![]() |
268,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
![]() |
246,000
94,000
|
94,000 |
|

With about 55,000 chips already in the middle and the board reading , Olivier Busquet checked to his lone opponent, Kenny Hallaert on the button. Hallaert bet 31,000 and Busquet check-raised to 80,000. Hallaert called.
The turn brought the and Busquet and Hallaert got all the chips in the middle, Hallaert with the larger of the two stacks. Busquet tabled
, but was drawing dead against Hallaert's
for top set, so Hallaert took the pot to end Busquet's deep run in this event.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
1,580,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
![]() |
Busted |
The clock has been paused on Day 2 and each table will play four more hands before bagging for the night.
Place | Name | Prize |
---|---|---|
25 | Bobby Oboodi | $15,868 |
30 | Damien Le Goff | $15,868 |
31 | Robert Mather | $15,868 |
32 | Rocco Palumbo | $15,868 |
33 | Martin Mathis | $15,868 |
34 | Layne Flack | $15,868 |
Louis Linard got all his chips in the middle before the flop against Nadar Kakhmazov, who had him covered by a wide margin.
Linard:
Kakhmazov:
Linard had the preflop advantage and Kakhmazov needed to improve in order to send Linard home. The board ran out to give Linard the double-up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
1,280,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
||
![]() |
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
With what looked to be slightly more than 250,000 already in the middle of a board, Nadar Kakhmazov moved all-in and Timothy Cramer check-folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
1,300,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
||
![]() |
350,000
280,000
|
280,000 |

With about 70,000 already in the middle and the board reading , Christian Rudolph checked from the big blind, Jesse Sylvia checked from under the gun, and Chris Hunichen checked behind on the button.
The turn brought the and all three players checked.
The fell on the river and action checked around to Hunichen, who bet 165,000. Rudolph quickly folded and Sylvia check-raised all in for a total of 364,000, sending Hunichen into the tank.
"This is sick," said Hunichen after nearly three minutes. "The only way you can be bluffing is if you just think I'm bluffing."
After about five minutes total, Hunichen called. Sylvia tabled , but Hunichen flipped over
for trip tens to win the pot and send Sylvia to the cage.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
![]() |
1,920,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
||
![]() |
Busted |