A massive field of 1,400 players came to the felt for Day 1 of the $1,500 No Limit Hold’em Shootout, Event #39 at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP). UB.com’s Bryan “Devo” Devonshire, Adam “Roothlus” Levy, and Michael Binger survived to play Day 2.
In a Shootout format, a player has to defeat their entire table to move on. With the large field for Event #39, it meant that 140 tables were in action and each table’s winner would earn a payday of at least $5,632. The 140 players will break down to 14 ten-handed tables today and the winners of those will determine a champion tomorrow. First place will take home $382,725 and a WSOP bracelet.
While Devonshire seemed to have little trouble working his way through his table, Levy had a much more difficult road. He was quite short – around ten big blinds – during Level 5 and, finding pocket queens, shoved his chips towards the center of the felt. His opponent woke up with pocket kings and looked him up with the opportunity to take Levy out. A queen on the flop resuscitated Levy’s game and he made the most out of the opportunity. “Roothlus” eventually made it to heads-up action and, after making two pair on the river against his opponent, was on to Day 2.
Another Team UB member, Binger, also was able to make his way through the minefield of the Shootout event to see Day 2. Binger was able to work his way out to a 30,000-15,000 lead over his opponent when, holding the worst hand in poker (7-2), he made trip sevens on a dangerous board of A-K-7-5-7. Moments later, Binger finished off his opponent when his pocket queens held up.
There are quite a few notable names that could potentially be opponents for Devonshire, Levy, and Binger when Day 2 begins this afternoon. Tony “Bond18” Dunst had a difficult time with eliminating his foe, doubling him up twice to pull the heads-up match closer. Dunst was able to emerge victorious from his Round 1 table to join the Day 2 festivities.
Other notable players who will be making their way to the felt for the second day of Event #39 include Annette Obrestad, original November Niner Ylon Schwartz, Victor Ramdin, Peter Costa, Chau Giang, Robert Mizrachi, and Isabelle Mercier.
Looking at the Team UB tote board for the WSOP, there is a new leader in the terms of cashes and money earned. 2009 CardPlayer Magazine Player of the Year Eric “basebaldy” Baldwin has moved into the top slot with three cashes over the first half of the WSOP. Binger and Levy have earned their first two cashes over the past couple of weeks and, with a third cash in the $1,500 Shootout, will tie Baldwin. Also earning their first two cashes at the WSOP are Brandon Cantu and Matt Graham, who join Team UB honcho Phil Hellmuth with two cashes each.
When it comes to the money front, Baldwin’s three cashes have moved him past Hellmuth for the lead. To the halfway point of the WSOP, “basebaldy” has been able to earn $76,338, outpacing the “Poker Brat’s” $39,989 in earnings. With his $23,481 in cashes, Graham is in the third place slot, Levy ($11,163) holds down fourth place, and Cantu ($9883) owns fifth.