Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Dia 1 | 2018 World Series of Poker

2018-06-15 07:53 UTC-7

It's Time for the Best to Showcase Their Skills; The $50,000 Poker Players Championship is Here!

Welcome back to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino and the 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) for Day 1 of the Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship!

Always one of the most anticipated events on the WSOP schedule, the Poker Players Championship pits the best-of-the-best against each other in an 8-game mix across five days of intense poker action. Mixed game tournament regulars will see players emerge from the darkness that is the high-stakes cash game worlds located in Bobby's Room and Ivey's Room located at Bellagio and Aria respectively in an attempt to be crowned the next Poker Players Champion.

Many of the world's best consider this tournament their main event as winning in this 8-game format against these players is believed to be one of the toughest challenges on the WSOP schedule. A roll call of previous winners sees a serious who's-who of the poker world capturing WSOP gold. Two players have won this event twice with Brian Rast (2016 and 2011) and Michael Mizrachi (2012 and 2010) ascended to the top to capture their third WSOP gold bracelet with each of their second wins.

Three other high-stakes cash game regulars have been spending plenty of time frequenting the mixed games in Bobby's Room already this WSOP, and three of them are also previous winners. Mike Gorodinsky (2015), John Hennigan (2014), and Matthew Ashton (2013) all won this event in consecutive years, and are all considered in a group of the world's best and most talented mixed game players.

In 2017, it would be a relative unknown compared to the list of previous winners emerging victorious over the 100-player field when the United Kingdom's Elior Sion defeated Johannes Becker heads-up for the $1,395,767 first prize, his first WSOP gold bracelet, and the David "Chip" Reese Memorial Trophy. Also making an appearance at the final table included Isaac Haxton, Daniel Negreanu, and Paul Volpe, while the likes of Shaun Deeb, Ashton, Scott Seiver, Mike Matusow, and James Obst registered an in-the-money finish.

$50,000 Poker Players Championship Past Results

Year	Champion	Country	Players	Prize Pool	First Prize
2017	Elior Sion	United Kingdom	100	$4,800,000	$1,395,767
2016	Brian Rast	United States	91	$4,176,000	$1,296,097
2015	Mike Gorodinsky	United States	84	$3,696,000	$1,270,086
2014	John Hennigan	United States	102	$4,896,000	$1,517,767
2013	Matthew Ashton	United Kingdom	132	$6,336,000	$1,774,089
2012	Michael Mizrachi	United States	108	$5,184,000	$1,451,527
2011	Brian Rast	United States	128	$6,144,000	$1,720,328
2010	Michael Mizrachi	United States	116	$5,568,000	$1,559,046
2009	David Bach	United States	95	$4,560,000	$1,276,806
2008	Scotty Nguyen	United States	148	$7,104,000	$1,989,120
2007	Freddy Deeb	United States	148	$7,104,000	$2,276,832
2006	David "Chip" Reese	United States	143	$6,864,000	$1,716,000

Note: The Poker Players Championship was played as H.O.R.S.E. from 2006 to 2009 before switching to the current 8-Game format from 2010 onward. The final table was played as No-Limit Hold'em from 2010-2011.

The schedule for the Poker Players Championship will see players begin with 250,000 in starting chips with each day playing six 100-minute levels with a 15-minute break after each level. Late registration is open for ten levels, or approximately until Day 2 (Saturday June 16th), at 10:20 p.m. (PDT).

The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to provide continuous live updates of every wheel, scoop, and outdraw live from Event #33: $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Action is underway from 3:00 pm (PDT), so stay tuned right here to PokerNews.com for all your live reporting needs.

Tags: Elior Sion

2018-06-15 14:10 UTC-7

Poker Players Championship Rewind: 2006 - David "Chip" Reese

Back at the 37th World Series of Poker in 2006, a new event was added to the schedule, and at the time it was called the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship.

The event attracted 143 entrants at the time, and created a prize pool of $6,864,000 that saw some of the world's best poker players take a seat in this inaugural event.

The likes of Cong Do, Ralph Perry, David Levi, Joe Cassidy, Barry Greenstein, Gavin Smith, Robert Williamson III, and Patrick Antonius all registered an in-the-money finish but fell short of the final table.

The final table would be one of the longest in history at the time lasting 12 hours, however it would be the heads-up battle between David "Chip" Reese and Andy Bloch that set the record at the time of lasting 7 hours and 10 minutes. Eventually it would be Reese claiming victory over Bloch for his third WSOP bracelet; and unfortunately last after he passed away in 2007.

Posthumously, the WSOP named the David "Chip" Reese Memorial Trophy after him, and awards it every year to the winner of the Poker Players Championship.

2006 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	David "Chip" Reese	United States	$1,784,640
2nd	Andy Bloch	United States	$1,029,600
3rd	Phil Ivey	United States	$617,760
4th	Jim Bechtel	United States	$549,120
5th	T.J. Cloutier	United States	$480,480
6th	David Singer	United States	$411,840
7th	Dewey Tomko	United States	$343,200
8th	Doyle Brunson	United States	$274,560

Tags: David Reese

2018-06-15 16:16 UTC-7

Salem Breaks to Negreanu's Eight

Nível 1 : 800/1,600, 0 ante

2-7 Triple Draw

The action folded to Naseem Salem on the button, and he raised to 1,600. Daniel Negreanu made it two bets to go from the small blind, and Salem called.

Both players drew two cards and Negreanu checked to Salem who bet 800. Negreanu called and drew two more, as Salem stood pat.

Negreanu checked, Salem bet, and Negreanu called. It was now Negreanu who stood pat, and Salem opted to break and drew one.

Both players checked, and Negreanu fanned his .

Salem mucked, and said he broke a nine.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Naseem Salem	245,000	-5,000
Daniel Negreanu	243,000	14,900

Tags: Daniel Negreanu Naseem Salem

2018-06-15 17:04 UTC-7

WSOP All Time Poker Players Championship Results by Player

Nível 2 : 1,000/2,000, 0 ante

The Poker Players Championship is one of the most prestigious events around the world, and some of the best players have made their mark in this event.

Michael Mizrachi and Brian Rast are the only two players to have won this event twice, and consequently they sit first and second on the all time list for Poker Players Championship earnings. Freddy Deeb sits third on the back of winning the Poker Players Championship with the biggest first prize.

The only two players in the top ten that haven't won a Poker Players Championship is Andy Bloch and John Hanson. Bloch took second back in 2005 to David "Chip" Reese while also adding a further three cashes and one final table. Hanson sits ninth overall on the back of two final tables and two cashes.

WSOP All Time Poker Players Championship Results by Player

Rank	Player	Country	Wins	Final Tables	Cashes	Earnings
1st	Michael Mizrachi	United States	2	3	3	$3,391,515
2nd	Brian Rast	United States	2	2	2	$3,016,425
3rd	Freddy Deeb	Lebanon	1	1	2	$2,360,462
4th	John Hennigan	United States	1	2	3	$2,325,329
5th	Matthew Ashton	United Kingdom	1	1	3	$2,025,385
6th	Scotty Nguyen	United States	1	1	1	$1,989,120
7th	Andy Bloch	United States	--	2	4	$1,813,988
8th	David "Chip" Reese	United States	1	1	1	$1,784,640
9th	John Hanson	United States	--	2	2	$1,641,679
10th	Mike Gorodinsky	United States	1	1	3	$1,519,715

2018-06-15 18:57 UTC-7

Poker Players Championship Rewind: 2007 - Freddy Deeb

Nível 3 : 1,200/2,400, 0 ante

The second installment of the then $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E. saw 148 players again take a seat in the world's biggest buy-in tournament at the time, and with it saw a prize pool of $7,104,000 created.

Mike Matusow, Chris Reslock, Greg Raymer, Thien Phan, Stephen Wolff, Mark Gregorich, Dewey Tomko, and Gabe Kaplan all reached the money, but it would be another stacked final table created.

Compared to the previous year, there was a little bit of International spice sprinkled among the final eight as Europe and the Middle East had representatives. Two of those would reach heads-up play as Freddy Deeb battled Frenchman Bruno Fitoussi. When the dust settled, it would be Deeb collecting his second WSOP bracelet and the biggest first prize of his career even to this date at $2,276,832.

2007 WSOP $50,000 World Championship H.O.R.S.E Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1st	Freddy Deeb	Lebanon	$2,276,832
2nd	Bruno Fitoussi	France	$1,278,720
3rd	John Hanson	United States	$852,480
4th	Amnon Filippi	United States	$586,080
5th	Kenny Tran	United States	$444,000
6th	David Singer	United States	$337,440
7th	Barry Greenstein	United States	$259,296
8th	Thor Hansen	Norway	$188,258

Tags: Freddy Deeb

2018-06-15 20:12 UTC-7

Rough Eight for Elezra

Nível 3 : 1,200/2,400, 0 ante

2-7 Triple Draw

Eli Elezra limped under the gun and Matthew Ashton raised the cutoff. Ian Johns called in the big blind, as did Elezra.

Johns and Ashton drew two, while Elezra drew three.

Johns bet, and both Elezra and Ashton called. Johns and Elezra drew one, while Elezra drew two.

Action checked round and each player drew one.

Elezra bet 2,400, Ashton called, and Johns folded.

Elezra fanned his , and Ashton mucked.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Anthony Zinno	300,000	20,500
Ian Johns	292,200	-20,800
Andrew Kelsall	283,000	-11,000
Eli Elezra	230,400	39,400
Stephen Chidwick	229,000	-2,000
Matthew Ashton	184,500	-27,500

Tags: Matthew Ashton Ian Johns Eli Elezra

2018-06-15 20:27 UTC-7

Chidwick Puts Kelsall to the Test

MrCleverFox

Nível 3 : 1,200/2,400, 0 ante

No-Limit Hold'em

Action was on the turn with a board of on the table. There was right around 10,000 already in the pot when Chidwick checked over to Andrew Kelsall, his lone opponent. Kelsall put out a bet of 5,700.

Action was back on Chidwick and he thought for a few moments before check-raising, making it 20,000 to go. This put Kelsall into the tank. He thought for a couple of minutes before he decided to raise it back, this time making a reraise to 53,000.

It was Chidwick's turn to drop into the tank. Chidwick took about two minutes before he put in another reraise, making it 115,000. Kelsall thought for about another minute before he decided to release his hand into the muck. A silent Chidwick scooped in the pot without a showdown, chipping up to just over 285,000 chips.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Stephen Chidwick	286,500	57,500
Andrew Kelsall	212,000	-71,000

Tags: Steven Chidwick Andrew Kelsall

2018-06-15 20:49 UTC-7

WSOP All Time Poker Players Championship Results by Country

Nível 4 : 1,500/3,000, 0 ante

In the past 12 versions of the Poker Players Championship, a total of 16 different countries have been represented.

The United States leads the way with 91 individual players, while the remainder of the countries all have less then 10 representatives. Here is how the statistics break down:

Rank	Country	Players	Wins	Final Tables	Cashes	Earnings
1st	United States	91	9	68	137	$50,407,012
2nd	United Kingdom	7	2	4	10	$4,445,518
T-3rd	Russia	4	--	2	5	$1,751,776
T-3rd	Canada	4	--	2	7	$1,187,837
T-5th	France	3	--	4	4	$2,176,601
T-5th	Germany	3	--	2	3	$1,359,675
T-5th	Sweden	3	--	2	3	$810,091
T-5th	Australia	3	--	--	5	$497,349
9th	Finland	2	--	1	2	$425,575
T-10th	Lebanon	1	1	1	2	$2,360,462
T-10th	Indonesia	1	--	1	1	$436,865
T-10th	Austria	1	--	1	1	$419,337
T-10th	Macau	1	--	1	1	$286,122
T-10th	Norway	1	--	1	1	$188,256
T-10th	Denmark	1	--	--	1	$123,895
T-10th	Lithuania	1	--	--	1	$83,630
Totals		127	12	90	184	$66,960,001

2018-06-15 21:17 UTC-7

Haxton Gets Suspicious

MrCleverFox

Nível 4 : 1,500/3,000, 0 ante

No-Limit Hold'em

Nick Schulman opened from the cutoff with a raise to 1,800. Isaac Haxton was on the button and he made it 7,300. Action folded to the big blind where Mike Matusow made it 22,000. Schulman quickly escaped while Haxton took a few moments before deciding to call.

The flop came down and both players checked to see the on the turn. There, Matusow led out with a bet of 22,000 and Haxton folded quickly.

"Did you bluff me, Mike?" Haxton asked after the hand.

"I four-bet you in the fourth level of this tournament in no-limit hold'em," Matusow responded. "There is only three hands I can have."

"I think you bluffed me," Haxton said, seemingly serious. "I think you had ace-eight suited."

"I promise you," Matusow said. "It was a top-three hand."

"I'm still suspicious," Haxton said.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Mike Matusow	305,000	45,000
Isaac Haxton	190,000	-30,000

Tags: Isaac Haxton Mike Matusow

2018-06-15 22:15 UTC-7

Straight Flush for Kostritsyn

Nível 4 : 1,500/3,000, 0 ante

No-Limit Hold'em

On a board reading with around 18,000 in the middle, Alexander Kostritsyn bet out 12,000 from the big blind.

Shaun Deeb was on the button, and in the tank, and after deliberating for an extended period of time, he made the call.

Kostritsyn tabled his for a straight flush, and Deeb mucked.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Alexander Kostritsyn	372,000	62,000
Shaun Deeb	240,000	-5,000

Tags: Alexander Kostritsyn Shaun Deeb