A fabled WSOP bracelet remains in the pursuit of some of poker's biggest stars thanks to the Day 29 action. (photo courtesy: PokerGO)

It was another busy day at the 2021 World Series of Poker as three events moved closer to completion, with some of the biggest names in poker competing in the $25,000-entry Pot Limit Omaha Event #53, the Seniors Event closing out a huge Day 1b and the first day of action in the 9-Game Mix taking place at the Rio.

Ben Lamb Holds $25K PLO Lead

In the $25,000-entry PLO Event #53, it was Ben Lamb, the former WSOP Main Event third-place finisher from 2011, who made it to Day 3 with a chip lead. Just 25 players made the end of Day 2 with a stack, but no one bagged bigger than Lamb, who had piled up 3,885,000 by the close of play, with his nearest challengers Nathan Zimnik (2,535,000) and David Benyamine (2,340,000) some way behind his total.

Others who made the Day 3 cut included Joao Vieira (1,805,000), Bryce Yockey (1,420,000) and Jeremy Ausmus (1,280,000) just three examples of big names with big chances of success at the tail-end of the event. Another player who will hope to keep a great run going at this year’s World Series of Poker is Tommy Le (1,035,000), who won a second bracelet just the other day in PLO.

Plenty of big names were unable to make it through the day, with Chance Kornuth, Joseph Cheong, Ben Yu, Ian O’Hara, Scott Seiver, Eric Kurtzman all cashing but failing to make Day 3, with Niklas Astedt, Josh Arieh, and Stephen Chidwick busting outside the money places.

WSOP 2021 Event #53 $25,000 Pot Limit Omaha High Roller Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Ben Lamb – 3,885,000
  2. Nathan Zimnik – 2,535,000
  3. David Benyamine – 2,340,000
  4. LaDarren Banks – 2,000,000
  5. Shaun Deeb – 1,975,000
  6. Joao Vieira – 1,805,000
  7. Farhad Jamasi – 1,480,000
  8. Veselin Karakitukov – 1,445,000
  9. Bryce Yockey – 1,420,000
  10. Charles Sinn – 1,335,000

Seniors Come Out To Play

On a mammoth Day 1b of the $1,000-entry Event #52 the Seniors Event, Dany Georges bagged the biggest stack as he totaled 464,000 by the close of the day’s action. Georges had a good lead from players such as Scott Sisler (372,000) who finished second in chips and Mike Ruter (345,000) who also grabbed a podium place with over a thousand players still involved.

The total field of both days stood at 5,404 by the end of registration, with 622 players from the Day 1b field making it through. Big names to make the cut included the ‘Robin Hood of Poker’, Barry Greenstein (156,500), James Moore (104,000), who has already won the Super Seniors Event twice in his poker career, and Allen ‘Chainsaw’ Kessler (80,500), who highlighted the positivity of the day as the WSOP dealers at the Rio got a well-earned round of applause.

WSOP 2021 Event #52 $1,000 Seniors Championship Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Dany Georges – 464,000
  2. Scott Sisler – 372,000
  3. Mike Ruter – 345,000
  4. Ali Pabarja – 336,500
  5. Randy Marker – 311,500
  6. Steven Sheldon – 309,500
  7. Billy Sewell – 297,000
  8. Azim Popatia – 289,000
  9. Jarufe Farah – 286,000
  10. Matthew Shihadeh – 284,500

Rast, Elezra In $2,500 Nine Game Mix Top 10

Finally, Event #54 concluded with 136 players still in seats from 319 entries in the Nine-Game Mix which takes place six-handed throughout. After the first day’s play, Kao Saechao (240,000) had the chip lead, with Brian Rast – who won a WSOP bracelet as recently as on Day 28 – on 212,100 chips close behind him. Paul Holder came into the overnight counts third on 201,500.

Other notables to grab a bag at the close of play and plan for a Day 2 strategy included Kevin Gerhart (158,300), Adam Owen (154,300), WSOP Main Event runner-up David Williams (153,100), Maria Ho (135,900), three-time WSOP bracelet winner Josh Arieh (129,700) and ‘Kid Poker’ himself, Daniel Negreanu (62,000).

Other superstars weren’t so fortunate, with 16-time champion Phil Hellmuth, Frank Kassela, Chris Vitch, and Mike Watson all being eliminated before the end of Day 1. There will only be 48 paid places, so all of the remaining players have a lot to do yet before they can pat themselves on the back for making a profit in another WSOP event.

WSOP 2021 Event #54 $2,500 Nine-Game Mix Six-Handed Top 10 Chipcounts:

  1. Kao Saechao – 240,000
  2. Brian Rast – 212,100
  3. Paul Holder – 201,500
  4. Peiwen Wang – 201,400
  5. Eli Elezra – 196,100
  6. Ryan Himes – 190,900
  7. Ray Henson – 190,600
  8. Kentaro Hori – 175,800
  9. Christopher Putz – 169,000
  10. Matt Szymaszek – 168,900

Finally, Chris Moneymaker was quick to pour scorn on PokerGO presenter Jeff Platt’s run in Event #43 as proof that ‘anyone’ can win big at a poker tournament. Quick as a whip, Platt shot one right back at the 2003 WSOP Main Event world champion.