2017 World Series of Poker

Event #62: $50,000 Poker Players Championship (6-Handed)
Day: 1
Event Info

2017 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
qj75
Prize
$1,395,767
Event Info
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$4,800,000
Entries
100
Level Info
Level
28
Limits
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
0

Event #62: $50,000 Poker Players Championship (6-Handed)

Day 1 Started

The $50,000 Poker Players Championship Begins at 3 p.m.

2016 Poker Players Champion Brian Rast
2016 Poker Players Champion Brian Rast

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:

YearEntriesPrize PoolWinnerPrize
2006143$6,864,000Chip Reese$1,716,000
2007148$7,104,000Freddy Deeb$2,276,832
2008148$7,104,000Scotty Nguyen$1,989,120
200995$4,560,000David Bach$1,276,806
2010116$5,568,000Michael Mizrachi$1,559,046
2011128$6,144,000Brian Rast$1,720,328
2012108$5,184,000Michael Mizrachi$1,451,527
2013132$6,336,000Matthew Ashton$1,774,089
2014102$4,896,000John Hennigan$1,517,767
201584$3,696,000Mike Gorodinsky$1,270,086
201691$4,176,000Brian 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!

Tags: Brian RastChip ReeseMichael Mizrachi

Level: 1

Stud Games: Ante 200 - Bring-In 200 - Completion 800
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: Ante 100 - SB 200 - BB 400

Start-of-Day Field

Level 1 : 800/1,600, 0 ante

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 gb
Talal Shakerchi
250,000 250,000
Brock Parker us
Brock Parker
250,000 250,000
Ian Johns us
Ian Johns
WSOP 3X Winner
250,000 250,000
David Benyamine fr
David Benyamine
WSOP 1X Winner
250,000 250,000
Chris George us
Chris George
250,000 250,000
Mike Sexton us
Mike Sexton
WSOP 1X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
250,000 250,000
Daniel Negreanu ca
Daniel Negreanu
250,000 250,000
Alex Luneau fr
Alex Luneau
250,000 250,000
Jeff Lisandro au
Jeff Lisandro
WSOP 6X Winner
250,000 250,000
Mike Wattel us
Mike Wattel
WSOP 2X Winner
250,000 250,000
Phil Hui us
Phil Hui
250,000 250,000
Mike Gorodinsky us
Mike Gorodinsky
WSOP 3X Winner
250,000 250,000
Scott Seiver us
Scott Seiver
WSOP 4X Winner
250,000 250,000
Bruno Fitoussi fr
Bruno Fitoussi
250,000 250,000
Isaac Haxton us
Isaac Haxton
WSOP 1X Winner
250,000 250,000
Harry Madoff us
Harry Madoff
250,000 250,000
Matthew Ashton gb
Matthew Ashton
WSOP 1X Winner
250,000 250,000
Abe Mosseri us
Abe Mosseri
WSOP 2X Winner
250,000 250,000

Shakerchi Beats Lisandro

Level 1 : 800/1,600, 0 ante

Omaha Hi-Lo

Three-way to the turn, Talal Shakerchi bet out with the board reading {Q-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{4-Spades}{5-Spades}. Button Ian Johns folded but small blind Jeff Lisandro stuck around.

The river {5-Hearts} brought another bet from Shakerchi, and Lisandro check-called again.

Shakerchi showed {A-Spades}{10-Spades}{K-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} for a nut flush and Lisandro mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Talal Shakerchi gb
Talal Shakerchi
255,000 5,000
Jeff Lisandro au
Jeff Lisandro
WSOP 6X Winner
245,000 -5,000

Tags: Jeffrey LisandroTalal ShakerchiIan Johns

Gorodinsky Leads the River

Level 1 : 800/1,600, 0 ante

Pot-Limit Omaha

Mike Wattel was on the button in a multi-way pot with the action checked to him on {8-Spades}{A-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}. 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 {2-Clubs} 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 {10-Diamonds} river, leading out 10,000. Wattel mucked his hand after 10 seconds or so.

Player Chips Progress
Mike Gorodinsky us
Mike Gorodinsky
WSOP 3X Winner
265,000 15,000
Mike Wattel us
Mike Wattel
WSOP 2X Winner
240,000 -10,000

Tags: Mike GorodinskyMike Wattel

Sexton's Trips Are Better Than George's

Level 1 : 800/1,600, 0 ante

Pot-Limit Omaha

Following the turn of a {5-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{3-Spades}{10-Clubs} 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 {Q-Clubs} and both players checked.

George showed {K-Clubs}{K-Hearts}{5-Hearts}{4-Clubs} for trip fives with a king kicker, but Sexton tabled {A-Diamonds}{J-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs} for trip fives with an ace kicker to win the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Mike Sexton us
Mike Sexton
WSOP 1X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
260,000 10,000
David Bach us
David Bach
WSOP 3X Winner
246,000 -4,000
Chris George us
Chris George
238,000 -12,000

Tags: Chris GeorgeDavid BachMikeSexton

Defending Champion Brian Rast Enters

Level 1 : 800/1,600, 0 ante

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 us
Brian Rast
Defending Champion
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
250,000 250,000
Johnny Chan us
Johnny Chan
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 10X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer
250,000 250,000
Daniel Alaei us
Daniel Alaei
WSOP 5X Winner
250,000 250,000
Randy Ohel us
Randy Ohel
WSOP 1X Winner
250,000 250,000
Ben Sulsky us
Ben Sulsky
250,000 250,000

Tags: Brian RastJohnny Chan