WPT World Championship, Day 2 Recap

Level 9: 800-1,600, 200 ante

By BJ Nemeth



There was a partial solar eclipse visible in Las Vegas on Sunday, and the peak of it coincided with the last level of Day 2 of the WPT World Championship. People in Northern Nevada were able to see an annular solar eclipse, in which the moon is in front of the sun, but smaller, so there is a ring of sunlight visible around it.



Steve O'Dwyer was the chipleader at the start of Day 2 with 231,750 in chips. O'Dwyer held strong and finished the day seventh in chips with 301,900.



In an unusual hand, Daniel Buzgon (left) faced off against Vanessa Rousso (right) over a board of Q109A10. Rousso check-raised the turn, and then bet out on the river enough to put Buzgon all in. Buzgon tanked for about five minutes before calling with A10 -- a full house, tens full of aces.

Rousso was stunned, and mucked her cards as another player said it was the longest tank he had ever seen with such a strong hand. Buzgon apologized to the table, and said, "It's either a slowroll, or I'm out."



Twenty Season X WPT winners earned entry into this event along with their titles, and 18 of them entered on Day 1. The two holdouts were Matthew Waxman (pictured) and Dave Shallow, who both joined the field early on Day 2.



Seated next to Tyler Smith (right), Noah Schwartz was sporting a new look -- he wasn't wearing his signature glasses. He had them on Day 1, but had laser eye surgery before Day 2 began. Get used to the new look of Noah Schwartz.



Scott Seiver (standing) and David Williams (seated) were the last two players to win the WPT World Championship, with Seiver taking the title last season, and Williams winning it back in Season VIII. The two other former WPT World Champions in the field are David Chiu (season VI) and Martin de Knijff (Season II).



Vanessa Selbst had a great run at the last WPT event here at Bellagio, the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. Selbst finished third in that event to win $338,351. Unfortunately, that will be the highlight of Selbst's season on the WPT, as she was eliminated here on Day 2.



David "Bakes" Baker (center) moves all in over a river bet against reigning WPT World Champion Scott Seiver (left) on a board of K10549. Seiver tanked for about two minutes before forfeiting the pot to Baker.



Poker reporter Tim Fiorvanti watches the partial solar eclipse from the Bellagio, as the sun slowly sets behind the Palms and Rio casinos over Red Rock Canyon. The eclipse wasn't visible with the naked eye, so Fiorvanti is wearing special glasses designed for observing the sun.



Daniel Negreanu (standing) four-bet all in preflop with AK against Lance Steinberg (seated, center) and Guillaume Darcourt (not pictured). The flop came QJ2, and Steinberg and Darcourt quickly got it all in. Before they showed their cards, Negreanu said, "Both of these guys got sets, but I'm still alive!"

Sure enough, Darcourt had JJ for middle set, and Steinberg turned over QQ for top set. Negreanu's A-K flopped a gutshot straight draw, and he needed a ten to stay alive.

The ten never came, and Steinberg won the pot to double up thru Darcourt and eliminate Negreanu from the tournament.



Rinat Bogdanov earned his entry into the WPT World Championship by winning the WPT Venice Grand Prix back in February. Bogdanov had an excellent Day 2, finishing second in chips with 381,000. Bogdanov will attempt to become the first player in seven years to win a WPT World Championship after winning a WPT title earlier that season -- Tuan Le did it back in Season III.



Allen Kessler (left) looks on as Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi (right) takes the chip lead late in the day. Mizrachi, who already has two WPT titles to his credit, finished at the top of the leaderboard with 428,200.



The field size has grown to 135 players, and there are 95 still in action. Registration remains open until the middle of Day 3, but here are the current chipleaders:

1.  Michael Mizrachi  -  428,200
2.  Rinat Bogdanov  -  381,000
3.  Guillaume Darcourt  -  356,600
4.  David Steicke  -  345,500
5.  Isaac Haxton  -  313,500
6.  Tony Ruberto  -  309,100
7.  Steve O'Dwyer  -  301,900
8.  Ubaid Habib  -  288,100
9.  John Esposito  -  284,200
10.  Matt Juttelstad  -  274,000

Day 3 begins at 12:00 noon PT, and registration remains open until the beginning of Level 12 -- about 5:00 pm PT. The field will revert to a more standard schedule of five 90-minute levels, and you can continue to get live coverage right here at WPT.com

Day 2 Ends With 95 Players

Level 9: 800-1,600, 200 ante

Day 2 comes to an end with about 95 players remaining from a field of 135. Here is an unofficial look at the top of the leaderboard:

1.  Michael Mizrachi  -  428,000
2.  Rinat Bogdanov  -  381,000
3.  Guillaume Darcourt  -  356,600
4.  David Steicke  -  345,500
5.  Isaac Haxton  -  313,500

Official chip counts will be posted later tonight, along with a photo recap, and Day 3 will begin tomorrow (Monday) at 12:00 pm PT.

David Steicke Doubles Thru Michael Kamran

Level 9: 800-1,600, 200 ante

David Steicke opens the pot for 3,600, Michael Kamran reraises to 8,500 from the button, Steicke four-bets to 18,500 and Kamran calls.

The flop is A43, Steicke bets 25,000, Kamran raises to 68,000, Steicke moves all in and Kamran snap-calls.

Kamran leads the flop with AK against Steicke's AQ.

The turn is a queen, giving Steicke two pair to take the lead.

The river is an 8, and Steicke doubles up to about 350,000 while Kamran is left with just under 60,000.

David Steicke - 345,500
Michael Kamran - 58,500

Blake Purvis Wins a 3-Way All In vs. Zach Hyman and Jake Cody

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

After a flop of A65, three players are all in -- Jake Cody, Zach Hyman, and Blake Purvis. Here are their cards in descending order of chip counts:

Jake Cody:  87  (eight-high heart flush)
Zach Hyman:  AQ  (pair of aces, queen-high heart flush)
Blake Purvis:  KQ  (king-high heart flush)

The turn is the 3, the river is the J, and Purvis rivers a king-high flush to win the main pot. Hyman wins the side pot with a queen-high flush.

Blake Purvis  -  145,000
Zach Hyman  -  45,000
Jake Cody  -  35,000

Cary Katz Doubles Thru Alistair Melville

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Alistair Melville raises to 3,000 from middle position and Cary Katz moves all-in from the button for his last 22,700. Melville gives it some thought, then calls with AQ. Katz turns over 1010.

The tens hold as the board runs out 9333 and Katz takes one of the last hands of the night to double up.

Cary Katz - 50,000
Alistair Melville - 53,500 

Big Stack Patrol

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

A pass through the room indicates that WPT Champions Club member Michael Mizrachi seems to be the chip leader at the moment with right around 400,000, but he isn't the only player starting to pull away from the pack as Day 2 winds down.

Season X WPT Venice Grand Prix Rinat Bogdanov is not too far behind him with 385,000 and Bay 101 Shooting Star runner-up Ubaid Habib is near the top of the counts as well with 340,000.

Sam Stein Eliminated By Brian Hastings

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Squeezed KJo vs Sam Stein's raise and called jam for 32bb with KJo and ran down his TT. Over 160k #heehaw #dontalllineuptocrossbooknow

— Brian Hastings (@brianchastings) May 21, 2012

Shawn Cunix and Martin Hanowski Eliminated

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Viacheslav Igin opens the pot for 3,000 from middle position, Martin Hanowski calls from middle position, the player on the button calls, Shawn Cunix moves all in for 20,000 from the big blind, Igin calls, Hanowski moves all in for 77,500, the button folds, and Igin tank-calls.

Shawn Cunix: 99
Martin Hanowski: AK
Viacheslav Igin: AQ

Board: 107628

Cunix lead before the flop with a pair of nines, but the board ran out four spades, giving Igin the the nut flush to win pot and eliminate both players in the same hand.

Viacheslav Igin - 245,000
Shawn Cunix - eliminated
Martin Hanowski - eliminated

David Williams vs. Justin Young

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Nicolas Fraioli raises to 4,200, Justin Young calls on the button, and David Williams reraises out of the small blind.  Both Fraioli and Young call and the three players see a flop of 832. 

Action checks to Young, who bets 17,000. Williams calls and Fraioli folds.  The turn brings the J and Williams checks again. Young bets around 30,000 and Williams calls.

The river is the 9 and Williams checks a third time. Young bets 81,000 and Williams gives it quite a bit of thought before laying his hand down.

Justin Young - 260,000
David Williams - 90,000

Daniel Negreanu Eliminated in a 3-Way All-In Situation

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Daniel Negreanu raises from middle position, Lance Steinberg reraises from middle position, and Guillaume Darcourt calls from the button. Negreanu four-bets all in for 33,400. Steinberg and Darcourt both call, and Negreanu says, "Great! Everybody's playing!"

Any further betting will create a side pot between Steinberg and Darcourt. The flop comes QJ2, and Steinberg moves all in for about 80,000. Darcourt quickly calls, and Negreanu says, "Both of these guys got sets, but I'm still alive!"

Steinberg shows QQ for a set of queens, and Darcourt flips over JJ in frustration -- he got caught in a set-over-set situation. Negreanu turns over AK for a gutshot straight draw, and says, "I need a ten!"

The turn is the 5, the river is the 8, and Lance Steinberg wins the pot with a set of queens to eliminate Daniel Negreanu and double up thru Guillaume Darcourt.

Lance Steinberg  -  265,000
Guillaume Darcourt  -  150,000
Daniel Negreanu  -  Eliminated