2017 World Series of Poker

The end of Day 2 in Event #67: $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed High Roller has come with just 20 players remaining. Iraj Parvizi continues to lead the way with 3,750,000 chips after a rollercoaster day.

Parvizi came into the day with the chip lead and quickly found himself over the 1,000,000 chip mark. However, not long after, Parvizi was back down to around 400,000. He continued to bounce around 1,000,000 chips for some time before vaulting himself into a massive chip lead. Parvizi made his first WSOP cash earlier this summer in the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet event. He will be looking to substantially increase his career live earnings as he currently has just $13,992.

Dario Sammartino made a big run at the end of the night, bagging 2,675,000. Alexey Rybin (1,650,000) and Aaron Katz (1,505,000) also bagged healthy stacks to return to on Day 3.

The day started with 103 players returning from Day 1, and with 18 more players registering before the start of play, that brought the total entries to 205. That broke the record from the previous two years for the number of entries into this event. With that, a prizepool of 4,868,750 was formed with 31 players getting paid. They would all be in search of the first place prize of $1,289,074 and the WSOP gold bracelet.

Many of those that took to late registration tried to run up a stack early on, but the only one succeeding to make it through a tough Day 2 was Esther Taylor. She built her chip stack to over 1,000,000 by the dinner break and held on to bag 515,000 at the conclusion of play.

When it came time to get serious around the money bubble, hand-for-hand play lasted over an hour until Konstantin Bucherl busted at the hands of Dan Smith. Bucherl flopped the nut straight but when the board paired on the turn, Smith's flopped set turned into a full house. The remaining players were all guaranteed $37,776.

Once the bubble burst, the eliminations started coming a lot faster. The likes of John Beauprez (31st place - $37,776), Jason Gray (27th place - $37,776), and Max Silver (22nd place - $42,393) all hit the rail before the night was over.

With many notable faces entering the field for this high roller event, it was a fact that not all of them would find success. Some of those to fall early on in Day 2 included Sam Trickett, David Williams, Bryn Kenney, Daniel Cates, Eric Wasserson, Brian Rast, Roberto Romanello, Jason Mercier, Phil Galfond, Chris Ferguson, and JC Tran.

When play resumes on Friday at 2 p.m. local time, players will be scheduled to play down to a final table and then return for the final day on Saturday. Continue to follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team for all of the updates.

Day 3 Seat Assignments

There were 20 players to bag chips at the end of the night and here is how they stack up heading into Day 3.

In the last hand of the night, Dario Sammartino raised on the button, Dan Smith potted to 210,000 from the big blind, and Sammartino repotted to 642,000. Smith thought for a little while and called. On the flop, Smith potted, putting Sammartino to a decision for the rest of his chips. Sammartino looked uncomfortable, stared at Smith for a little while, and after a couple minutes, he called.

Smith:
Sammartino:

Sammartino's aces and queens were ahead. The turn and the river were safe for Sammartino. He doubled through and Smith took a hit to his stack before bagging for the night.

On the heads-up turn showing , Felix Bleiker bet 390,000 and James Park raised the pot to give Bleiker just two options: All in or fold. Bleiker opted for the latter and dropped down.

Soon after, Rifat Palevic raised from the cutoff and Felix Bleiker three-bet to 160,000 on the button. Palevic called and the duo checked the flop and the turn. Palevic bet the river and Bleiker folded.

William Kakon three-bet the pot once and raised the pot another time, flashing pocket aces both times, to build his stack.

Last but not least, short stack Eddie Ochana doubled through Esther Taylor. Ochana was at risk with the and Taylor showed pocket kings. The board ran out and Ochana got there with a runner-runner flush to double for 242,000.

The action was folded to Ben Tollerene in the small blind who raised to 72,000. Martin Kozlov called from the big blind and the flop came . Tollerene led out for 50,000 and Kozlov called.

The turn was the and Tollerene check-called a bet of 125,000. The river brought the and both players checked. Tollerene tabled for a flush and Kozlov mucked his hand.

Tom Hu was in the big blind with a raise of 125,000 in front of him and Artem Babakhanyan put in enough chips to raise before announcing "Call." The floorperson was called and it was ruled as a raise. Hu called all in for around 205,000 and they showed down.

Hu:
Babakhanyan:

The board ran out , and Babakhanyan won with aces up. Hu was eliminated in 21st place for a payout of $42,393.

The chips have been flying over on table 18 and Dan Smith as well as Iraj Parvizi were among those to cause the most action. Just now, Smith raised to 84,000 and Max Silver three-bet the pot to 288,000 with 30,000 behind. Parvizi reraised the pot to 984,000 from one seat over and Smith folded, Silver called all in.

Max Silver:
Iraj Parvizi:

Silver nodded and the board of failed to improve the Brit, sending Silver to the rail in 22nd place for $42,393.

Michael Kamran raised to 60,000 from the cutoff and once the action was on James Calderaro in the big blind. "Just give me a pair of deuces," he joked and called after having peeked at his cards.

The flop came and both players checked before doing so again on the turn. After the river, Calderaro bet 125,000 and Kamran reluctantly folded. "That's for you, we want to make him tilt," Calderaro said and showed his cards to Tom Hu next to Kamran, flashing his for a successful bluff.

Three players put in 96,000 preflop and Dan Smith bet out 200,000 in the small blind. Tommy Le folded in the big blind and Alexey Rybin called. The turn was the and Smith led out for 400,000. Rybin folded and the pot went to Smith.