The second-biggest event so far at this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) has come to an end with Italy’s Rocco Palumbo taking home the gold in Event #44: $1,000 NLHE. 2,949 turned up on the first day of proceedings trying to sniff out this year’s 44th bracelet and it included legions of the big-gun pros. None of them was a match for Palumbo and he professed to Bluff Magazine that he was “happy for Italy” when picking up the $464,464 prize.
Viktor Blom currently sits atop this year’s biggest event so far, the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, and goes into the final day in front. Event #45 is one of those big events that everyone wants to win. Obviously it’s not up there with the Main Event or even the Big One for One Drop but this is one of those that falls into the “respected” category. Blom was way back coming towards the close and it was his decision to go all in against Joe Cassidy that paid dividends as his stack rocketed to 1,262,000. Daniel Negreanu even speculated on Twitter whether Blom even knows how to play some of the poker versions present in the PPC, stating: “A week ago Viktor Blom didn’t know how many cards you get in Razz, and now he is among the chip leaders in the $50k. Sounds about right.” He’s one quick learner if that’s true.
Day two came to a close in Event #46 with Joey Weissman out in front of the remaining 25 players on a stack of 1,239,000. It’s in the $2,500 NLHE event that Vanessa Selbst is making her latest assault on a WSOP bracelet and she returns in fourth spot with a stack of 786,000. Michael Gagliano (1,108,000) and William Reynolds (1,066,000) are the only other two above a million chips and thus look best placed the challenge Weissman.
Two more events got underway with Event #47 and #48 taking to the floors of the Rio. The former is the $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo with just 149 remaining of the 978 that turned up on day one. Alex Gomes leads the way with a stack of 143,300 – a fair way ahead of second placed Roch Cousineau on 95,500. Andy Frankenberger (76,000) and Joe Tehan (73,600) are among those lurking in the top ten.
The latter, Event #48 £3,000 Limit Hold’em, will welcome back 126 players on the second day of proceedings with Sam Barnhart holding a slender lead over the rest of the field.
