The tension is beginning to mount in the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino’s Amazon Room in Las Vegas as the final days of the 2016 World Series of Poker’s Championship Event are in action. With only 251 players remaining from the monstrous 6737 player field, WSOP bracelet winner Bryan Piccioli is the player that rules the roost heading into Saturday’s play.
800 runners came to the line on Friday for action as Kenny Hallaert looked to keep ahold of the lead as the usual start of day “double or bust” frenzy began. Ashton Griffin was one of those who took the double option, getting his trip fours past Iaron Lightbourne to pump some much needed chips into the tank. On the other end of the spectrum, Liv Boeree looked to take out Daniel Dizenzo in the early action but found herself on the losing end, her Big Chick lacking the necessary Queen on the board to counter Dizenzo’s Big Slick. Down to 32K in chips after that hand, Boeree would show her fighting spirit in doubling up soon after that to stay viable. After battling valiantly, Boeree would be vanquished in 528th place for a $22,648 payday.
One of the more notable players throughout the day was Maria Ho, the manager of the Global Poker League’s L. A. Sunset. In early action against chip leader Hallaert, Ho would check-call a pot bet of 60K from Hallaert with a Q-J-8-3 flop and turn on the felt. A river Ace suddenly woke up Ho as she now fired a bet of 93K, or a bit more than half the pot, and a perplexed Hallaert went into the tank. After a few moments of contemplation, Hallaert made the call and promptly mucked his hand once Ho turned up pocket Aces for the flopped set, dropping his stack to 1.44 million and shooting Ho up to the top of the leaderboard (a place she would spend most of the day at) with her 1.65 million in chips.
If it seemed like it was Ladies’ Day at the WSOP, it was because the women were playing some outstanding poker. Alongside Ho, Melanie Weisner was rocking the tables and putting her name in contention for the lead. On a board that featured an 8-8-8-2 flop and turn, Weisner nearly beat Jeffrey Loiacono’s all-in move to the center with her chips, turning up pocket Aces against Loiacono’s pocket Queens. Once neither of the other ladies showed their face on the river, Weisner scooped up the pot and cracked the two million barrier (2.47 million at that time). Coming to the party on Saturday along with Ho (dropped a bit to 691K in chips) and Weisner (3.078 million, good for ninth place) will be Stacey Matuson, (1.186 million), Louise Francoeur (2.107 million), Jennifer Shahade (976K) and Gaelle Baumann (1.724 million).
By far the player of the day, however, was Piccioli. Battling late in the evening against Adam Friedman, Piccioli eyed a J-6-2 rainbow flop and pushed out a bet of 77K after Friedman had checked. Friedman went for the check-raise here, pushing the action up to 187,000, but Piccioli was adamant about playing the hand in moving all-in. An incredulous Friedman spent enough time in the tank that Piccioli finally called the clock on him and, at the last second, Friedman sent his cards to the muck. In winning the hand, Piccioli went over the three million mark in chips and pounded his opponents the rest of the way to his final stack for the day.
1. Bryan Piccioli, 4.026 million
2. Daniel Colman, 3.711 million
3. Thomas Miller, 3.648 million
4. Pierre Merlin, 3.396 million
5. Farhad Jamasi, 3.38 million
6. Goran Mandaic, 3.216 million
7. Adi Abugazal, 3.18 million
8. Daniel Zack, 3.085 million
9. Melanie Weisner, 3.078 million
10. Tom Middleton, 3.025 million
The tightly packed leaderboard features threats bubbling under the Top Ten. James Obst (11th, 3.003 million), Day 1 overall chip leader Valentin Vornicu (12th, 2.911 million), Global Poker League announcer Griffin Benger, 24th, 2.409 million), former “November Niner” Antoine Saout (27th, 2.283 million) and Chris “Big Huni” Hunichen (29th, 2.241 million) are all in the Top 30 and those players with more than a million chips (a stack that can do damage) number more than half of the remaining field (152 of the 251 players coming back on Saturday). Even players such as Max Altergott, Friedman, former World Champion Greg Raymer and Shahade with just under a million chips each constitutes a threat.
Day 5 is almost ready to start, with the plan for the day to either play five or six levels (120 minutes each. It is conceivable that the final five tables or so could be reached tonight, if the pace of eliminations is rapid, which would play in well to getting to the final three tables at the end of Sunday’s play. It will all lead to the determination of the 2016 WSOP Championship Event “November Nine” on Monday night, when the poker world will learn who will be the players vying for the title of World Champion.
