WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 4: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
Everyone is all business today in the Tournament of Champions, but they had a little fun last night when we hosted a Monster WPT Welcome Reception in the wonderful L Bar.
It might have been one of the biggest gatherings of poker champs outside a poker room.
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 4: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
After a series of raises, Shawn Buchanan got all in preflop from the cutoff against John Hennigan on the button.
Buchanan was on the wrong side of a cold-deck with his 
up against Hennigan’s 
. The board ran out 
and Buchanan was eliminated.
Hennigan took the pot and the chip lead.
John Hennigan – 171,000
Shawn Buchanan – Eliminated
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 4: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
It’s not been a good day for our 2014 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Champion but he’s still around. James Calderaro was down to only a few thousand chips when he got them in the middle again Adam Weinraub.
Calderaro was good with 
against 
after the 
board, he doubled up but still sitting one of the shorter stacks in the room.
James Calderaro – 8,500 (21 bb)
Adam Weinraub – 43,000 (108 bb)
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 4: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
On a flop of 
, Anthony Zinno bet 2,500 and Keven Stammen called. Aaron Mermelstein and Jonathan Jaffe folded and they were heads-up to the 
turn.
Zinno checked, Stammen checked behind and the river was the 
. Zinno checked and Stammen bet 3,700. There was 10 seconds left on the action clock when Zinno reached for chips to call.
He tossed in the call and Stammen tabled 
and Zinno mucked his hand.
Keven Stammen – 81,000
Anthony Zinno – 29,000
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 3: 150/300 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
There were a flurry of raises preflop between John Hennigan on the button and Aaron Mermelstein in the big blind. Hennigan raised to 2,000 and Mermelstein made it 6,600.
Hennigan tanked for a few moments and tossed in his time bank chip to take an extra 30 seconds on the hand. Hennigan raised to 14,000 and Mermelstein bet enough to put Hennigan all in. Hennigan called and was all in for 51,550.
It was a flip for Hennigan’s tournament life with his 
up against Mermelstein’s .
The board ran out 
and Hennigan doubled up.
John Hennigan – 103,250
Aaron Mermelstein – 18,500
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 3: 150/300 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
No sooner do we invoke the Dan Smith name, the man himself comes rolling into the meeting room ready to go. He came straight from the airport, luggage and all, to the tournament room and received his “action clock” instructions personally from Tournament Director Tony Burns.
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 3: 150/300 with a 50 ante
Total Players: 64
The WPT Tournament of Champions grew by one entrant but it didn’t really grow at the tables quite yet. Dan Smith, 2013 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic Champion, is running a little late and bought into the tournament before setting a foot in the casino today.
But this isn’t your standard late reg. Smith had airline problems getting out of Canada but he is reported to be in the area and on his way. The slow structure and deep stacks will keep him cruising along until he can get here.
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 3: 150/300 with a 25 ante
Total Players: 63
Players have returned from their first break and a familiar face leads them all. Griffin Paul earned his seat into the WPT Tournament of Championship this time last year when he won the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship.
He has a big early stack, mostly from busting newly minted WPT Player of the Year Mike Shariati.
Griffin Paul – 125,000 (417 bb)
Noah Schwartz – 88,000 (293 bb)
Amir Babakhani – 85,000 (283 bb)
Darren Elias – 75,000 (250 bb)
Jonathan Jaffe – 72,000 (240 bb)
Michael Mizrachi – 69,000 (230 bb)
Mike Scarborough – 66,000 (220 bb)
Guillaume Darcourt – 64,000 (213 bb)
Matthew Waxman – 64,000 (213 bb)
Tyler Patterson – 60,000 (200 bb)
Taylor von Kriegenbergh – 59,000 (197 bb)
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante
Total Players: 63
The WPT Tournament of Champion players is heading off on the first break of the day. Players actually don’t even have to leave the room for a breather. We have set up a nice lounge area in the back of the meeting room for players to relax, munch on some snacks, or enjoy an adult beverage.
Or they can converse with deep-thinker Phil Laak.
Time scientists use disks similar to these to send clips through the entanglement portals. @wpt #timescientist pic.twitter.com/Dm2dZEN7Oi
— Phil Laak (@PhilLaak) April 22, 2016
WPT Tournament of Champions
Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante
Total Players: 63
The player count stands at 63 with the most recent entry belonging to the top poker player in terms of cash earned. Antonio Esfandiari has taken home more than $26 million in his career with three WSOP bracelets, two WPT titles, and one WSOP Circuit ring from a few weeks ago.
The biggest part of Easfandiari’s earnings came courtesy of an $18 million for winning the WSOP Big One For One Drop $1,000,000 buy-in tournament. He won his first WSOP bracelet and WPT title in 2004 and hasn’t looked back since.