Day 5 of the World Series of Poker Main Event has concluded with Kenny Hallaert and Michael Ruane both with a shot of making back-to-back final tables.
Day 5 of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event saw 212 players hung on meat hooks in the back room of the butcher’s shop, leaving 85 in contention for the $8,150,000 first prize, and leading them is the German player Robin Hegele.
When poker media print their poker poetry, the name of Robin Hegele, isn’t normally in a stanza, but he did run deep in this competition last year, finishing 124th for a $49,108 cash in his first appearance at the WSOP Main Event. Hegel is already guaranteed $72,514 come what may from this point onwards.
Yesterday, we waxed lyrical about Kenny Hallaert and his drive to make back-to-back Main Event final tables, and in doing so forgot about Michael Ruane. The American, who finished fourth for $2.5m last year is still in contention for making another final table bagging up 3 million in chips. Hallaert is still milling around this thing with 4.4m.
Nobody has won more bracelets outside of the USA than the British this year, and the Islanders retain a strong presence heading into Day 6. Max Silver leads the way with 8,665,000 as he seeks to win his second bracelet of the summer, after winning the $3,000 Limit Hold’em 6-Max bracelet. Paul Vas Nunes (6,780,000), Richard Gryko (5,835,000), and the Day 2c chip leader Artan Dedusha (4,330,000) are also in contention.
And the French also have a couple of stars shining like lamps in the darkness.
Antoine Saout made the final in 2009 finishing third, and last year he finished 25th. Saout currently holds 8,260,000 chips – good for a Top 10 spot. Benjamin Pollak is another fabulous French player still in contention with 5,690,000.
Other sticks of dynamite left in the competition that could explode include Bryan Piccioli (5,400,000), Ben Lamb (4,725,000), Matthias De Meulder (3,825,000), Connor Drinan (3,360,000), Jacob Bazely (2,805,000), Dario Sammartino (2,585,000), Nicolas Cardyn (2,545,000), Marcel Luske (2,290,000), and Martin Finger (890,000).
Only one multiple bracelet winner remains in the field, and that’s Ian John with 1,085,000.
Top 10 Chip Counts
1. Robin Hegele – 9,990.000
2. Joshua Horton – 9,360,000
3. Max Silver – 8,665,000
4. Frank Crivello – 8,500,000
5. Damian Salas – 8,400,000
6. Daniel Ott – 8,320,000
7. Karen Sarkisyan – 8,270,000
8. Antoine Saout – 8,260,000
9. Randy Pisane – 8,105,000
10. Joseph Dipascale – 7,450,000
