Event #62: $50,000 Poker Players Championship (6-Handed)
Day 1 Started
Event #62: $50,000 Poker Players Championship (6-Handed)
Day 1 Started
One of the most anticipated events of the 2017 World Series of Poker is upon us as the $50,000 Poker Players Championship begins Sunday at 3 p.m.
Many of the biggest names in the game consider this their main event, as winning in the eight-game format against the best in the world is what many believe to be the toughest challenge the WSOP schedule presents.
With a combined 26 bracelets won by the nine winners of this event, luck is certainly not what comes to the forefront in the PPC. The skill required to defeat the toughest tournament field of the summer by being proficient in each variant is what is consistently echoed by players and past champions.
David "Chip" Reese, the first champion of this event and for whom the Memorial Trophy is named, was long considered by his peers to be the best all-around poker player. After his win in 2006, Reese said, "It's not just one day or two days. It's every day." The past winners of this event have certainly proved in one way or another that they have withstood the test of time.
Defending champion Brian Rast is a two-time winner of this event, having won it the first time in 2011. The other player with multiple PPC titles is Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, who earned top honors in 2010 and 2012. Coupled with his fourth-place finish last summer, Mizrachi is the only player with three PPC final tables under his belt.
Here is a look at the past entries, prize pool, champions, and first-place prizes:
Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 143 | $6,864,000 | Chip Reese | $1,716,000 |
2007 | 148 | $7,104,000 | Freddy Deeb | $2,276,832 |
2008 | 148 | $7,104,000 | Scotty Nguyen | $1,989,120 |
2009 | 95 | $4,560,000 | David Bach | $1,276,806 |
2010 | 116 | $5,568,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,559,046 |
2011 | 128 | $6,144,000 | Brian Rast | $1,720,328 |
2012 | 108 | $5,184,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,451,527 |
2013 | 132 | $6,336,000 | Matthew Ashton | $1,774,089 |
2014 | 102 | $4,896,000 | John Hennigan | $1,517,767 |
2015 | 84 | $3,696,000 | Mike Gorodinsky | $1,270,086 |
2016 | 91 | $4,176,000 | Brian Rast | $1,296,097 |
The schedule for Day 1 calls for six 100-minute levels to be played, which should have players bagging and tagging at about 2:15 a.m. Registration remains open until the start of Day 2.
Be sure to keep it here for live updates on all of the action, as the quest to crown the 2017 Poker Players Champion begins!
The cards will be in the air shortly for the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.
Level: 1
Stud Games: Ante 200 - Bring-In 200 - Completion 800
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: Ante 100 - SB 200 - BB 400
These players have taken their seats directly at the start of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Unsurprisingly, it's a stacked field, with two six-time WSOP bracelet winners (Jeff Lisandro and Daniel Negreanu) among them.
Matthew Ashton (winner in 2013) and Mike Gorodinsky (winner in 2015) have also sat down at the start of level 1.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Talal Shakerchi | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Brock Parker | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Ian Johns
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
David Benyamine
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Chris George | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Mike Sexton
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Daniel Negreanu | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Alex Luneau | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Jeff Lisandro
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Mike Wattel
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Phil Hui | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Mike Gorodinsky
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Scott Seiver
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Bruno Fitoussi | 250,000 | 250,000 |
Isaac Haxton
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Harry Madoff
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Matthew Ashton
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Abe Mosseri
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Omaha Hi-Lo
Three-way to the turn, Talal Shakerchi bet out with the board reading . Button Ian Johns folded but small blind Jeff Lisandro stuck around.
The river brought another bet from Shakerchi, and Lisandro check-called again.
Shakerchi showed for a nut flush and Lisandro mucked.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Talal Shakerchi | 255,000 | 5,000 |
Jeff Lisandro
|
245,000 | -5,000 |
Razz
Glantz: /
Shakerchi: / - fold
Talal Shakerchi completed on third street, Matt Glantz raised, and Shakerchi called. Glantz bet on fourth street, Shakerchi called, Glantz bet on fifth street, and Shakerchi folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Matt Glantz | 253,000 | 3,000 |
Talal Shakerchi | 251,000 | -4,000 |
Pot-Limit Omaha
Mike Wattel was on the button in a multi-way pot with the action checked to him on . Wattel potted it and Mike Gorodinsky, sitting in the small blind, was the only player willing to continue for the offered 1,500.
The turn saw Gorodinsky check and Wattel potted again, making it 4,500. Gorodinsky, however, remained in the contest, calling.
Gorodinsky switched to the aggressive mode on the river, leading out 10,000. Wattel mucked his hand after 10 seconds or so.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Mike Gorodinsky
|
265,000 | 15,000 |
Mike Wattel
|
240,000 | -10,000 |
Pot-Limit Omaha
Following the turn of a board with about 10,000 in the middle, Chris George checked from the small blind and David Bach checked from the big blind. Mike Sexton bet 7,000 from the button, George called, and Bach folded.
The river was the and both players checked.
George showed for trip fives with a king kicker, but Sexton tabled for trip fives with an ace kicker to win the pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Mike Sexton
|
260,000 | 10,000 |
David Bach
|
246,000 | -4,000 |
Chris George | 238,000 | -12,000 |
Brian Rast has taken his seat at Table 718, the same table as Matthew Ashton, Abe Mosseri, Harry Madoff, and Brett Richey. Last year, three-time bracelet winner Rast lifted the trophy for the second time in his career and won $1,296,097.
Another player to jump into the action is none other than 10-time bracelet winner Johnny Chan, who sat down at the same table as Scott Seiver, Bruno Fitoussi, Daniel Alaei, and Isaac Haxton.
"Johnny Chan the Master!" quipped an ecstatic Seiver as the poker legend sat down. "There's no room for Phil Hellmuth, though," he added.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brian Rast
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Johnny Chan
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Daniel Alaei
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Randy Ohel
|
250,000 | 250,000 |
Ben Sulsky | 250,000 | 250,000 |