Monday night marked the end of Day 2 of the 2013 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $50,000 Poker Players Championship (PPC), a tournament arguably more prestigious in the poker community than the $10,000 Main Event. The PPC debuted in 2006 as a H.O.R.S.E. tournament, with the idea that the expensive buy-in and mixed game format would determine who truly is the best poker tournament player in the world, at least for one year. In 2010, it switched to its present eight-game format. Leading the charge for the “David ‘Chip’ Reese Memorial Trophy” (named after the event’s first champion) is David Benyamine, who made a late run on Day 2 to grow his stack to 729,000 chips.
Despite the field being dense with big-name pros, attention was focused primarily on two players: Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi and Doyle Brunson.
Mizrachi has had many successes in poker, but his most impressive achievement is most certainly his dual Poker Players Championship victories in just seven years of the tournament’s existence. He won it in 2010, earning $1,559,046, and in 2012, nabbing a $1,451,527 payday. He entered Monday’s play in the bottom half the chip counts with 144,000, but unfortunately for him, was unable to add to that and advance to Day 3. On his exit hand, he made a Broadway straight on a Q♣-Q♥-A♥-J♣ board, but Cole South completed the nut flush when the 7♣ hit on the river. Mizrachi made a sizeable bet on the river, South put him all-in, and Mizrachi called after wondering out loud whether South had made a full house.
As for Brunson, his appearance in the tournament was a surprise to most. In May, the poker legend announced that he would not play at the World Series of Poker for the first time in decades. He communicated his intentions via his popular @TexDolly Twitter account, writing, “Afraid I am finally gonna give in to Father Time and pass on tournament play at WSOP. #toomanyhours”
He never said “promise,” though, and never pinky-swore, so there he was on Sunday, sitting down with another 131 players to make perhaps one final run at glory. He’s doing alright, too, still in contention after Day 2 with 265,000, good for 33rd place out of the remaining 78 players. Brunson was in trouble at the start of Level 10, the last level of the night, looking down at a stack of just 40,000 chips. He was able to double-up through his friend Jennifer Harman, though, to get up to 80,000 chips and a bit later made a huge leap on a lucky hand (hey, even the best need to get lucky sometimes).
In No-Limit Hold’em hand, Cole South and Brunson both checked on a T♣-3♦-9♦ board, only to see Paul Volpe bet 10,000 into a 25,000 chip pot. South called and then Brunson raised to 70,500. Volpe folded, prompting South to put Brunson all-in. The “Godfather of Poker” called for his last 40,000.
South had a big hand, holding two black 3’s for bottom set, while Brunson had two black Jacks for an overpair to the board. The T♠ on the turn didn’t immediately help, but it did give Brunson one more out; if he could catch the lone remaining Ten in the deck, he’d counterfeit South’s full house with a better full house. And guess what? The dealer revealed the T♦ on the river. With little reaction but a grin, Doyle Brunson raked in a big pot to bump his stack up to 250,000.
Play will resume Tuesday at 2:00pm PT and will wrap up after five or six levels.
2013 World Series of Poker $50,000 Poker Players Championship – Day 2 Chip Leaders
1. David Benyamine -729,000
2. Jonathan Duhamel – 666,100
3. Matthew Ashton – 635,500
4. Troy Burkholder – 623,000
5. Jean Gaspard – 611,000
6. Don Nguyen – 528,000
7. Brian Rast – 489,500
8. Justin Smith – 456,000
9. Shaun Deeb – 453,600
10. Adam Friedman – 436,600
