Photo Recap: Day 2 of WPT World Championship

Level 11: 1,200-2,400, 300 ante

By BJ Nemeth

Registration for the WPT World Championship finally closed on Sunday, and the total field size reached 220, improving on last year's number of 195. There were 32 players who joined the field on Day 2, including Freddy Deeb, Elky Grospellier, Tony G, Shaun Deeb, Phil Galfond, Allen Cunningham, Phil Hellmuth, and defending champion David Williams.

By the end of Day 2, there were 116 players remaining, with an average chip count of about 186,000. Here's a photographic look back at Day 2 of the WPT World Championship:



The balcony of the Fontana Lounge provides an excellent view of the famous Bellagio water fountains. This is the view that the players get during their breaks.



Daniel Negreanu stands on his chair to take an iPad photo of the players at his table before play begins on Day 2. Negreanu made it through the day to finish with a stack that is about half the average.



Table 49 may have been the most WPT titles we've ever seen at a single table. Six out of the nine players were former WPT winners, including one two-time winner.

Seat 1. Hoyt Corkins - WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals (Season II), WPT Southern Poker Championship (Season VIII)
Seat 2. Andy Frankenberger - WPT Legends of Poker (Season IX), current POY points leader
Seat 3. Doyle Brunson - WPT Legends of Poker (Season III)
Seat 4. Abe Mosseri - Chipleader
Seat 5. Dmitry Stelmak
Seat 6. David Chiu - WPT World Championship (Season VI)
Seat 7. Elky Grospellier - WPT Festa al Lago (Season VII)
Seat 8. Kyle Julius
Seat 9. Eugene Katchalov - WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic (Season VI)

Among this group, everyone survived to Day 3 except for Hoyt Corkins and Kyle Julius.



In typical Phil Hellmuth fashion, he arrived during the last level of registration and gives a few words to the WPT cameras before taking his seat. (As you can see by the clock behind him, Hellmuth arrived about halfway thru the 90-minute level.)



When Phil Hellmuth (right) took his seat, he found out he had position on both Kathy Liebert and Erick Lindgren. Among this group, late registration may have been the best strategy, as Hellmuth survived the day with 118,900, while Liebert and Lindgren were both eliminated.



With the board showing K85K on the turn, recent WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown champion Taylor Von Kriegenbergh (right) studies Josh Bergman after Bergman bet into him. Von Kriegenbergh would fold, and go on to finish the day with an average stack. Bergman carried the momentum from this hand to have a strong final level, nearly doubling his stack to finish sixth in chips with 415,600.



Yevgeniy Timoshenko (right) studies Jon Turner after Turner reraised all in preflop from the button. Timoshenko tanked long enough for someone to call the clock. Timoshenko let the countdown reach zero without acting, and his hand was declared dead. Turner won this pot, but finished the day with a below-average stack of 101,900. Meanwhile, Timoshenko finished the day 17th in chips with 315,800.



Abe Mosseri (right) took the chip lead during the first level of the day when he got his stack all in after the flop with top two pair against Kevin Saul's straight. Mosseri rivered a full house to double up, and he held the chip lead for most of the day. Mosseri finished with a tournament-leading 685,200. While Doyle Brunson (left) finished with "only" 244,000, that is still well above average with 116 players left.


1. Abe Mosseri - 685,200 (285 BBs)
2. Alan Sternberg - 606,400 (252 BBs)
3. Steven Kelly - 566,500 (236 BBs)
4. Roger Teska - 534,900 (222 BBs)
5. Scott Seiver - 461,300 (192 BBs)
6. Josh Bergman - 415,600 (173 BBs)
7. Justin Young - 414,100 (172 BBs)
8. Robert Mercer - 408,600 (170 BBs)
9. David Peters - 401,400 (167 BBs)
10. Darren Elias - 342,900 (142 BBs)

1st: $1,618,344
2nd: $1,061,900
3rd: $589,355
4th: $361,665
5th: $278,749
6th: $225,654
7th: $172,559
8th: $119,464
9th: $84,952
10th-12th: $63,714
13th-15th: $53,095
16th-18th: $42,476
19th-27th: $37,167

Day 3 begins at 12:00 noon PT. Return to WorldPokerTour.com for continuing live coverage, including hand updates, frequent chip counts, video interviews with Kimberly Lansing, and another episode of the Jess & BJ Show.

RISE Player of the Day - Abe Mosseri

Level 11: 1,200-2,400, 300 ante

Abe Mosseri Keeps on Rolling

Level 9: 800-1,600, 200 ante

Chris Moorman raises to 4,000 from the hijack and Legends of Poker winner Andy Frankenberger calls in the cutoff.  Abe Mosseri is in the small blind and calls as well.

The flop comes down 965 and Mosseri checks.  Moorman bets 8,500 and Frankenberger folds.  Mosseri check-raises 21,500.  Moorman thinks a while before he reraises to 43,000.

Mosseri deliberates a minute or two, then fires back iwth a raise to 80,000.  Moorman tanks for a while, then folds.

Abe Mosseri - 675,000
Chris Moorman - 125,000 

Doyle Brunson Laughs It Off

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Doyle Brunson is in the big blind and Abe Mosseri is under the gun on a board of QQ2.  Brunson checks, Mosseri bets 3,500, and Brunson calls.

The turn is the 7 and both players quickly check.  The river brings the J and Brunson bets 9,000.  Mosseri thinks for a minute or so before setting out a large stack of green 10,000 chips that is large enough to put Brunson all-in for his last 50,000 or so.

Brunson lets out a chuckle, then turns up 810 for a small flush as he tosses it in the muck with little thought.

Abe Mosseri - 440,000
Doyle Brunson - 52,000

For the WPT World Championship, a Table Stacked with WPT Champions

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Two-thirds of the players at this table are former WPT winners (6 out of 9), including one two-time winner. Another example of what a tough field this tournament attracts.

Seat 1. Hoyt Corkins - WPT Foxwoods World Poker Finals (Season II), WPT Southern Poker Championship (Season VIII)
Seat 2. Andy Frankenberger - WPT Legends of Poker (Season IX), current POY points leader
Seat 3. Doyle Brunson - WPT Legends of Poker (Season III)
Seat 4. Abe Mosseri - Current chipleader
Seat 5. Dmitry Stelmak
Seat 6. David Chiu - WPT World Championship (Season VI)
Seat 7. Elky Grospellier - WPT Festa al Lago (Season VII)
Seat 8. Kyle Julius
Seat 9. Eugene Katchalov - WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic (Season VI)

Photos From the Early Action of Day 2

Level 7: 500-1,000, 100 ante

The balcony of the Fontana Lounge provides an excellent view of the famous Bellagio water fountains.



Daniel Negreanu stands on his chair to take an iPad photo of the players at his table before play begins on Day 2. Negreanu has been posting more photos from tournaments on his Twitter feed.



Abe Mosseri (right) took the chip lead during the first level of the day when he got his stack all in after the flop with top two pair against Kevin Saul's straight. Mosseri rivered a full house to double up to a big chip lead. (Also pictured, the one and only Doyle Brunson.)

Abe Mosseri Takes the Chip Lead

Level 6: 400-800, 100 ante