The 2011 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) completed its third day on Tuesday and with just 25 players remaining, the finish line is now in sight. Topping the leader board is London’s Max Silver, sitting behind a 1,780,000 chip stack. Hot on his heels is fellow Brit Chris Moorman, with 1,769,000.
Silver’s live tournament results date back only to last year, but his cashes have all been impressive, none less than five figures in U.S. dollars. Last year, he won the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) Dublin Main Event and followed that up with a win in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event at the European Poker Tour (EPT) London stop. He didn’t cash for a year after that, but is back on a roll, placing fourth in that same UKIPT Dublin Main Event last month and pulling another fourth place finish in the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout event at the WSOPE just last week.
Perhaps the biggest hand of the day involved the man just behind Silver in the standings, Chris Moorman. With the tournament on the money bubble, Moorman raised pre-flop to 12,000 (blinds were 2,500/5,000) and the chip leader going into Day 3, Constant Rijkenberg, re-raised to 31,000 and Moorman called. After the flop of J-4-4, Rijkenberg put out a 25,000 chip bet, which Moorman took up to 56,000. Rijkenberg called and a 5 was dealt on the turn. This time, Rijkenberg checked, Moorman bet 114,000, and Rijkenberg called. Rijkenberg checked again after a 9 fell on the river, at which point Moorman moved all-in for his remaining 229,000 chips. Having 190,000 chips more than Moorman, Rijkenberg made the call. We don’t know if it was a crying call or if Rijkenberg truly thought he had the best hand, as he mucked when Moorman flipped over Q-Q.
That hand elevated Moorman’s chip stack to 810,000 and he didn’t look back the rest of the day. Rijkenberg fell to 190,000 and was eventually eliminated.
The first player eliminated Wednesday will receive €32,000, after which the next few payouts will jump to €37,000. The six figure payouts don’t show up until there are just eight players remaining, with the winner of the entire tournament cashing in for €1,400,000.
Play continues today at the Hotel Barriere in Cannes, France, as the remaining players jockey for the final table and the coveted World Series of Poker Europe Main Event bracelet.
2011 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event – Day 3 Chip Leaders
1. Max Silver – 1,780,000
2. Chris Moorman – 1,769,000
3. Amir Lehavot – 1,398,000
4. Shawn Buchanan – 1,267,000
5. Dermot Blain – 1,200,000
6. Jeremy Kottler – 943,000
7. Brian Roberts – 901,000
8. Elio Fox – 889,000
9. Andrew Moseley – 863,000
10. Giuseppe Sammartino – 838,000
