World Series Of Poker -- Lowball Event Surpasses Last Year's FieldVedes Goes Into Day Two With One Of Biggest Stacks |
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Day one of event no. 19 ($10,000 2-7 lowball no limit championship) saw some questionable strategy, comebacks from severe short stacks and a lot of big names.
The event drew 101 players, eclipsing last year’s total of 96. They accumulated a prize pool of $949,400. There will be 14 places paid with the first player to cash earning $19,272. The winner of the event will take home $294,321.
Tommy Vedes (pictured left) finished the day with one of the biggest chip stacks in the field, but other notables like David Baker, Brandon Cantu and Steve Zolotow are nipping at his heels.
Billy Baxter, who has six WSOP bracelets in lowball events, also sees his name amongst the leaders.
Players started play with 7,500 in chips. But they also had three red add-on chips worth 7,500 apiece, thus making their starting stacks 30,000. Players had the option of cashing in their add-ons at any time during the first four levels. After the fourth level players were forced to cash in their add-ons.
Most players held on to their add-ons and elected to cash them in only when they lost their initial starting stack, and then only cashing them in one at a time. One player who took the opposite approach was Dario Minieri, who cashed in all three add-ons at the start of the tournament.
Whatever strategy Minieri was trying to employ, it failed miserably as he was the first player eliminated from the tournament halfway through the second level of play.
Here is are the hands that led to his elimination as reported on CardPlayer.com’s live updates:
The Supreme Dario
Dario Alioto raised to 350 and the player in seat 3 made the call. Dario Minieri then raised it to 1,925. Alioto tanked before deciding to push all in for 6,350 more. Minieri made the call and drew one card.
Alioto stood pat and showed 8-7-5-3-2. Minieri paired up, showing 8-8-5-4-2 and Alioto doubled to 13,300 with his three add ons still intact. Minieri was down to around 4,000 with no add-on chips behind.
A few hands later, Minieri raised to 850 and Alioto made it 3,000 to go. Minieri then pushed all in for the rest of his chips and Alioto called.
Minieri stood pat after Alioto decided to draw one card.
“What do I have to beat?” Alioto asked.
Minieri turned over 10-9-5-3-2 while Alioto showed the four cards he kept, 8-7-5-2. Alioto then sweated his card and flipped over the 6
to make a better low and send Minieri to the rail early in the day.
There were only a few eliminations before the dinner break, but players started dropping after they had some food in their system. Erick Lindgren, Phil Ivey, Howard Lederer and Johnny Chan were some of the biggest names to fall on the first day.
One player who was on the verge of elimination was Brett Richey. He was down to his last 1,000 chips at one point, totaling just about two-and-a-half big blinds.
But Richey persevered and brought his stack all the way back and was in the top-10 at one point. He finished the day with an above average chip stack.
The remaining 74 players will return to at 3 p.m. Thursday to play down to a final table. The money bubble will burst at 14, with the first player to cash receiving $19,272.
Stay tuned to CardPlayer.com as we bring you hourly live updates from all of the action on day two.
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