Jessie Bryant Tops Day 2 of Event #18: $565 PLO
Jessie Bryant finished as the chip leader at the end of Day 2 with the official final table of nine set right at the end of play. Bryant eliminated an opponent toward the end of Level 6 when his aces held versus a straight draw and he used those chips relentlessly to pound on his opponents and finish top of the heap going into the final day.
The $565 Pot-Limit Omaha event resumed in the Amazon Room at 2 p.m. with 107 players returning to do battle for 10 hour-long levels after Friday's two Day 1 flights saw a combined total of 3,332 entries set a new record for the largest live PLO tournament.
The longer levels on Day 2 did allow for a bit more room for maneuvering, but the eliminations flowed at a steady pace for the first six levels of the day.
Among the early fallers were Chris Ferguson, Dermot Blain, Erick Lindgren and Will Failla.
Jason Mercier kept his head above water for a long while and found a double up in Level 22 when he flopped a flush against Ankush Mandavia, but he eventually fell in the next level to Mark Radoja who rivered an ace high flush which saw Mercier call a river bet and muck. Mercier took home $6,214 for 31st place.
Thi Ngo was playing only her second PLO tournament and made a remarkable run, finishing 24th for $7,443. Ngo admitted that in her first PLO tournament, to her embarrassment, her table had spotted her googling how to play. It seems unlikely this will be her last shot at the four-card game.
Runaway chip leader at the start of Day 2, Cody Slaubaugh, lasted until just before the dinner break when he was eliminated in the 23rd spot taking home $7,443. It just wasn’t to be for Slaubaugh today after his amazing run yesterday.
One of the biggest names who had navigated his way through the huge field was two-time bracelet winner JC Tran. However, he was eliminated in 19th place for $7,443 when his flopped set of sevens was beaten on the turn by a John Dallaire flush and the board failed to pair on the river.
Joe “The Elegance” Beevers, one of the legends of the U.K poker scene, just failed to make a final table appearance when he fell in 14th place, making this his 19th WSOP cash of a remarkable poker career.
Play will resume Sunday when the final nine will play down to a winner who will get that fabled gold WSOP bracelet and $224,344.
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