The $10,000 Championship events, with their massive starting stacks and slow structures, often see fairly unremarkable Day 1s that feature half of the field or more bag up chips and come back for moving day on Day 2.
Not so in Event #72: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, where a field of 88 runners — one more than last year's 87 in the often trampled-upon game — was reduced to just 29.
Foremost among those in terms of chip count was John Monnette. He finished with 371,000. Monnette already pocketed a bracelet this year, winning $10,000 2-7 Single Draw Championship and is looking for No. 2, along with WSOP Player of the Year honors, where he currently sits in third place behind Ryan Hughes and John Racener.
Both of those players busted out on Day 1.
Another player pacing the field was Perry Friedman. Clad in a shirt that sported his mini-marquee that had "Stud" scrolling in green letters throughout the day, he turned his 50,000 starting stack into 363,500. Friedman already has one bracelet to his credit, won back in 2002 in $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo.
Other players pushing for the lead included Chris Tryba (285,500) and Shaun Deeb (343,000). Deeb won the $1,500 Stud bracelet in 2016.
Some of the players who were eliminated during the 10 levels of play included Max Pescatori, Mike Matusow, Stephen Chidwick, Mike Leah, Brian Hastings and defending champion Robert Mizrachi.
With just 29 left, the field is close to the money, as 14 places will be paid. They'll return Saturday for Day 2 at 2 p.m., with everyone looking to best position themselves for the $245,451 first-place prize.
Ryan Hughes had up on fourth street and bet double with Randy Ohel showing . That chased away a third player, but Ohel called after thinking awhile. Hughes bet again on fifth, and Ohel raised. Hughes put his remaining chips in to get himself all in.
Hughes: /
Ohel: /
Ohel had two pair and blockers, so he was in solid shape. Hughes did not find another heart for a flush, and Ohel eliminated the current WSOP Player of the Year points leader.
With the close of registration, the World Series of Poker staff has released prize pool information for this event. The tournament will pay out to 14 places, with a min-cash being worth $14,667. The winner will bank $245,451 and a gold WSOP bracelet.
Check the "Payouts" tab above for a complete breakdown of the prize pool.
Adam Owen bet into John Monnette with an ace-high board on sixth street, and Monnette raised. Owen thought for a bit and called, then called a river bet, as well.
Monnette: /
Owen: /
Owen mucked his hand and dropped to less than half of a starting stack after recently sitting down.
On fifth street, Chris Tryba called an all-in raise from one opponent, as did a third player in the hand. On sixth, Tryba bet, and the other player in the hand folded.
Tryba tabled as his down-cards, way ahead of his opponent's . Tryba hit a on seventh, but his two pair was best anyway, and he was awarded the pot.
Ray Dehkharghani was already all in when we got to his table with fifth street on the felt. Mike Leah bet into one opponent who still had chips, and that player called. Both checked sixth.
Leah: //
Dehkharghani: //
Third player: //
Leah called a river bet but couldn't beat for a straight, and Dehkharghani took his leave without a showdown.
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Two-time bracelet winner and limit-game expert Chris Vitch has had an outstanding start to this event, amassing nearly three starting stacks already. In one recent pot, he tangled with Eric Wasserson, with Vitch betting into two players sporting a board. One folded, but Wasserson stuck around and called another bet on sixth.
Wasserson: //
Vitch: //
Vitch had picked up four to a straight, and he bet the river as well. Wasserson folded what he said was two pair.
Though the population in the $10,000 Stud Championship includes multiple bracelet winners with storied careers like Jeff Lisandro and young guns who have been killing the mixed games like Chris Vitch, one of the most feared players in the field is one without a bracelet or any other major tournament win.
French professional Alex Luneau has been playing and winning in some of the biggest cash games online, where he's piled up more than $4.5 million in winnings.
Turning his attention to the live tournament scene, Luneau has been quite active on the World Series of Poker grind in 2017, but he has yet to be rewarded with gold despite a number of deep runs. In the $1,500 Dealer's Choice, Luneau had a big stack on the final day but busted 15th for $4,771.
That prompted Justin Bonomo to announce how fortunate everyone else left was.
"The best player left probably just went out," he announced.
Luneau then narrowly missed the final table in the $1,500 8-Game, finishing ninth for $10,144. He made the final table of the $10,000 Stud Hi-Lo Championship but was first to go in eighth for $33,265. He then just missed another final table with a ninth-place finish in $2,500 Omaha Hi-Lo/Stud Hi-Lo Mix.
Luneau's been knocking on the door, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he broke through here for his first bracelet in the $10,000 Stud Championship.
up on fourth street and bet double with Randy Ohel showing 
. That chased away a third player, but Ohel called after thinking awhile. Hughes bet again on fifth, and Ohel raised. Hughes put his remaining chips in to get himself all in.
/
/
/
/
/
as his down-cards, way ahead of his opponent's 
for queens up, and they were good.
for a straight, and Dehkharghani took his leave without a showdown.
