WSOP: Galfond and Bellande Bag Bracelets
Two big names in the poker world picked up their first and third bracelets on Sunday at the 2018 World Series of Poker. Both are regulars in Bobby’s Room, playing the highest stakes mixed games going. They’re both pretty good at tournaments too, as they proved today.
Meanwhile, the Crazy Eights event played through another two starting flights, while the $365 PLO Giant starting flights end with a four-time bracelet winner as overall chip leader. Another $10K Championship kicked off too.
Here’s everything you need to know from July 1.
Phil Galfond Claims Bracelet #3 in $10K PLO 8 ($567,788)
Legendary online cash game player and Run It Once founder Phil Galfond picked up his third WSOP bracelet on Sunday, taking down Event #60: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo Championship for a massive $567,788 score.
Galfond has had quite a few weeks, what with the upcoming launch of his online site, the announcement that he’s expecting his first child with his wife Farah, and now another WSOP win for his incredible CV.
“There’s nothing like the first [bracelet], so that stands ahead,” Galfond said afterwards. “It still feels really good, on par with the second. I just ran really hot at the right time. I ran bad all summer, so I was saving it up for now. Now, it’s even.”
Galfond defeated Michael McKenna heads-up for the title, after hitting a pair in all-in-pre pot. McKenna racks up another close call, having finished fourth in a $1,500 Razz event earlier this summer.
Other notables to final table this one include Chad Power (4th – $168,725), Chris Lee (5th – $120,263), Marco Johnson (6th – $87,830), and David ‘ODB’ Baker (7th – $65,579). Galfond was facing a 2:1 chip deficit versus McKenna, but found a way to get it done.
Galfond said he’ll now turn his attention back to the launch of Run It Once Poker. “It feels like we’re almost there and finally I’ll be free,” he said. “But, I can only imagine there’s going to be more work once we launch the poker site. I’d like to find a way to play more poker because I really miss it. But, Run it Once poker is going to be the first priority.”
Final Table Results:
- Phil Galfond – $567,788
- Michael McKenna – $350,922
- Ali Abduljabbar – $240,497
- Chad Power – $168,275
- Chris Lee – $120,263
- Marco Johnson – $87,830
- David “ODB” Baker – $65,579
- Chase Steely – $50,086
Jean-Robert Bellande Wins First Bracelet in $5K 6-Max ($616,302)
Sunday started with a six-handed final table set in Event #58: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed. Jean-Robert Bellande led the survivors (see what we did there?), and he had a strategy coming in:
All this talk of me trying to finally get my 1st bracelet is a bit of a monkey on my back… I’m just gonna keep having fun and making outrageous calls. gg #dontgobrokehttps://t.co/hSl1PLqjYO
— Jean-Robert Bellande (@BrokeLivingJRB) July 1, 2018
It wasn’t an outrageous call that ended it though. More like an easy one, when Dean Lyall shoved with ace-three off heads-up, and Bellande woke up with pocket queens which held. A similar story saw him bust Kacper Pyzara in sixth (ace-seven into Bellande’s pocket jacks).
Eric Blair fell in fifth, followed by Tan Nguyen in fourth and Andrew Graham in third. Bellande began heads-up play with a 2:1 chip lead, and kept the pressure on before taking it down.
“I had a blast,” Bellande said after his win. “I had so much fun during this tournament, not just winning but mixing it up. Six-handed is cool because you’re always in action. The guys were all fun. We just had a good time. Every day we just had a blast.”
Final Table Results:
- Jean-Robert Bellande – $616,302
- Dean Lyall – $380,595
- Andrew Graham – $254,684
- Tan Nguyen – $173,598
- Eric Blair – $120,669
- Kacper Pyzara – $85,570
Michael Mizrachi Leads PLO GIANT
Well whaddaya know? After five starting flights in Event #11: $365 PLO GIANT Pot-Limit Omaha, it’s none other than Michael Mizrachi who tops the overall chip counts.
Day 1E played out today with 1,247 players taking a shot. Play ended with just 79 survivors, with Mizrachi topping tonight’s counts with 1,845,000 – more than any other end-of-day leader.
Other notables to advance today include Robert Dukes (1,530,000), Srinivas Balasubramanian (1,245,000), Mark Darner (1,165,000), Nick Guagenti (1,125,000), four-time bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche (360,000), and bracelet winners Robert Cheung (345,000) and Arne Kern (370,000).
Day 2 begins at 2pm Monday, with everyone guaranteed $843.
- Michael Mizrachi – 1,845,000
- Robert Dukes – 1,530,000
- Srinivas Balasubramanian – 1,245,000
- Mark Darner – 1,165,000
- Nick Guagenti – 1,125,000
- Cherie Baber – 530,000
- James Hoppner – 435,000
- Arne Kern – 370,000
- Dominik Nitsche – 360,000
- Robert Cheung – 345,000
Moorman, Salsberg Top Final Starting Flights in CRAZY EIGHTS
All four starting flights have now ended in Event #62: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold’em 8-Handed, with two notables bagging up the biggest stacks.
Chris ‘moorman1’ Moorman topped the 2,492 runners in Day 1C, bagging up 511,000. The former PocketFives #1 and all-time money leader was the only player to eclipse 400Km, with 140 players advancing.
Other notables to get through that flight included Eric Baldwin (250,000), Mohsin Charania (307,000), and Kevin Eyster (287,000).
Day 1C Top 10 Stacks:
- Chris ‘moorman1’ Moorman – 511,000
- Franz Ditz – 381,000
- Christophe De Meulder – 321,000
- Mohsin Charania – 307,000
- Kevin Eyster – 287,000
- Mark McGovern – 276,000
- Fabrice Casano – 275,000
- Marvin Rettenmaier – 242,000
- Champie Douglas – 229,000
- David Jackson – 151,000
Later in the day saw an additional 2,495 entries add to the overall prize pool. Matt Salsbarg would lead the 138 survivors on 1D, bagging 483,000. Joining him at the top of the counts include Ami ‘UhhMee’ Barer (254,000) and Ashton Griffin (170,000).
All survivors will now join together at 2pm Monday for Day 2. Everyone is guaranteed $1,331.
Day 1D Top 10 Stacks:
- Matt Salsberg – 483,000
- Han WoolJang – 356,000
- Au Ngo – 318,000
- Ami Barer – 254,000
- Dylan Wilkerson – 249,000
- James Alexander – 183,000
- Maurice Hawkins – 175,000
- Ashton Griffin – 170,000
- Andy Spears – 164,000
- Alexander Kuzmin – 155,000
Chris Vitch Looks to Defend Title, Chip Leads $10K Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo
Yet another Championship event kicked off on Sunday, with Event #64: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship attracting 133 runners. After ten levels of play on Day 1, the chip leader is none other than defending champion Chris Vitch.
Vitch bagged up 279,500, topping the 63 who made it through. He’s followed by Daham Wang (276,500), Stuart Rutter (236,000), Terrence Hastoo (220,000), and Ryan Miller (207,500). It might be early days, but if Vitch can continue the way he’s started and take this one down, he’ll join Matt Matros and Loren Klein as the only players to win a bracelet in three consecutive years.
Daniel Negreanu will also be back tomorrow, bagging up 76,500. David Benyamine (166,500), Jesse Martin (158,500), Eric Rodawig (79,500), Mike Sexton (72,000), Tom Koral (189,000), Scott Bohlman (156,000), Max Pescatori (85,500), Adam Friedman (79,000), James Obst (68,000), and Robert Mizrachi (35,500) will also return.
The same can’t be said for Eli Elezra, Esther Taylor, Frank Kassela, Scott Seiver, Brandon Shack-Harris, Erik Seidel, Allen Kessler, Mike Matusow, John Hennigan, Jeff Lisandro, and Brian Hastings, all of whom hit the rail today.
Registration is still open until the beginning of Day 2 at 2pm tomrorow, so there’s a chance those who busted could re-enter.
Top 10 Stacks:
- Chris Vitch – 279,500
- Daham Wang – 276,500
- Stuart Rutter – 236,000
- Terrence Hastoo – 220,000
- Ryan Miller – 207,500
- Soner Osman – 202,000
- Jose Paz – 195,000
- Tom Koral – 189,000
- David Prociak – 177,500
- Tim Finne – 168,500
Tomorrow’s Action (July 2)
We’ve reached that point, guys. It’s here.
Monday sees only one event kick off, but it’s a big one. The biggest one of all.
Day 1A of the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em MAIN EVENT – World Championship begins at 11am, with Day 1s following for the following two days after.
