You do not always have to spend a lot to win big at the poker tables, especially when those poker tables belong to PokerStars. The 50/50 Series returns to PokerStars from June 11 through June 18, guaranteeing a cool $3.5 million across 50 events costing $50 each.

The 50/50 Series is immensely popular with recreational and seasoned professionals alike. The $50 buy-in is low enough for lower-stakes players to take a shot, but high enough for high-stakes grinders to drop down. Despite the affordable buy-ins, there are some impressive guaranteed prize pools waiting to be won.

June 11 is when the 50/50 Series kicks off, and boy does it explode into action. The Series Opener shuffles up and deals at 3:05 p.m. BST, and it will dish out not a cent less than $65,000!

Later in the day, the first of the daily No-Limit Hold’em PKO Mini Bounty Builder HR starts. The June 11 edition boasts of a staggering $300,000 guaranteed prize pool, which is the second-largest guarantee across all 50 events.

Sizeable guarantees are the order of the day across the week before the closing tournaments on June 18 perfectly round off the week-long series. Five of the seven scheduled events will have six-figure prize pools, including the eagerly anticipated 50/50 Series PKO Main Event.

PokerStars Wants to Send You to the Las Vegas Grand Prix For $0.01!

PokerStars 50/50 Series PKO Main Event

The 50/50 Series PKO Main Event may only cost $50 to enter, yet PokerStars has slapped a $350,000 guarantee on its prize pool! To help reach that dizzy sum, Main Event players are permitted to purchase up to five re-entries during the first 3 hours and 15 minutes of the event.

Everyone in the Main Event sits down with a generous 50,000 starting stack and plays to a 12-minute clock throughout, with blinds starting at 175/350/40a. The curtain comes down on Day 1, 7 hours and 50 minutes into the action, with play resuming on Day 2 from 6:00 p.m. BST on June 19.

50/50 Series Full Schedule

Use the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar During the 50/50 Series

The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar is a free-to-use tool built into PokerNews that makes it possible to find your ideal poker tournament. It is available for 888poker, PartyPoker, and PokerStars tournaments.

This incredible tool allows you to set several filters that boil down each online poker site’s tournament schedule, leaving only the tournaments and events you want to play. Why not give it a whirl during the 50/50 Series?

When you hold the record for the most World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, there are perks.

For Phil Hellmuth, whose 16 bracelets (and counting) may never be touched, one of those perks is his own personal break room at Horseshoe Las Vegas. That’s a nice benefit especially on 90-minute dinner breaks.

Hellmuth granted PokerNews access to his small but intimate break room, which is in an undisclosed location. “Don’t disclose the location. I don’t need fans knocking on the door seeking autographs while I’m trying to rest,” the Poker Hall of Famer joked.

What’s Inside the Poker Legend’s Breakroom?

Hellmuth’s personal space at Horseshoe is quite small — about 12 feet by 8 feet — but it is cozy and a great spot to relax and reenergize following a bad beat.

Inside the room, the Poker Hall of Famer has his own snack table, drink cooler, and a small couch that is more suited for someone who is much shorter. Hellmuth is 6’7″, making him one of the tallest high-profile poker players ever, about an inch taller than fellow former world champion Huck Seed and slightly shorter than Phil Gordon.

So, how does take he a nap on such a tiny couch during dinner break? PokerNews’ Lara Neacy brought up the question.

“It’s a very short couch,” the astute Neacy commented. “Do you curl up into a ball?”

“I had a longer couch last year, and they asked me, ‘do you want a longer couch?” Hellmuth responded. “I said I think I’ll be fine because no matter what they’re not going to find one I’ll fit completely into.”

When pictures first surfaced of the room on social media, some poker fans were critical that Hellmuth was given preferential treatment. But, as the “Poker Brat” explained, the perks are deserved given what he’s accomplished in poker and at the World Series of Poker.

“I’d like to think that I’ve earned it,” Hellmuth said of getting his own personal room at the Horseshoe.

The small but intimate room also features a Pepsi-branded cooler for the poker pro to store drinks and refrigerated snacks such as fruit and cheese. At the time we visited, the fridge was stocked with some Fiji waters, coconut waters, string cheese, and bananas. As for his sizable snack table, he had some Oreo’s, Pop Tarts, chips, peanuts, and a few other goodies that he can chow on during breaks and at the poker table.

“The store is 50 yards away and I just said alright give me a box, the whole box,” Hellmuth said.

Hellmuth isn’t the only poker legend with such a valuable perk. Daniel Negreanu, now that he no longer has a space to park his RV, also has his own cozy break room inside the WSOP host venue.

Through the first 10 days of the 2023 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth has racked up three small cashes. He’s chasing his record-extending 17th bracelet, although he told PokerNews he couldn’t guarantee he’ll win one this year but his goal every summer is to add some hardware.

Though the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has only been underway for a week and a half, there have already been multiple female players who have closed in on WSOP bracelets.

First Kristen Foxen finished seventh in Event #6: $5,000 Mixed No-Limit for $69,683 (and later finished 12th in Event #16: $25,000 High Roller for $79,335), and later France’s Sarah Herzali made a deep run in Event #15: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em that had poker fans wondering if she would be the first female champion of the 2023 WSOP.

Though Herzali, who entered the tournament with $552,104 in Hendon Mob earnings, came short of winning a bracelet, she finished third for a career-best $207,720 and to make the deepest run of any woman at the WSOP so far this year.

PokerNews spoke with Herzali about her run in the event that drew 2,454 entrants for a prize pool of $3,276,090.

First WSOP Final Table

Herzali’s first tournament cash dates back to 2009 when she finished fourth in a Partouche Poker Tour event for $4,132. But she was first introduced to poker through cash games.

“I started to play poker in cash games in south France,” she told PokerNews. “I played a lot of cash games and after that I had a sponsorship, so I played more tournaments. And since then I don’t have my sponsorship (anymore), but I’m still playing tournaments.”

Herzali is a WSOP regular and noted that she attends the summer series “almost every year.” She made deep runs in the both the 2019 and 2022 WSOP Main Events, respectively finishing 561st for $24,560 and 314th for $40,900.

She also plays international stops. A few years ago, she met her husband, fellow French poker player Tom Jarry, during a poker festival in the Bahamas.

“Yeah, we met there,” said Herzali. “He was commentating for partypoker.”

A few years down the road and Jarry found himself in Las Vegas cheering his wife on as she made her first WSOP final table. It was on the rail that PokerNews spoke with Jarry as Herzali sparred with the four other remaining players in the $1,500 event.

“She’s just really good,” he said when asked about the best part of his wife’s poker game. “Really aggressive, and patient as well. Just overall really good, did study a lot in the past few years.”

Though they live in Edinburgh, Scotland, Jarry said the couple make the trip out to Las Vegas for the WSOP “every summer.”

“She’s been coming here even longer than me,” he said.

2023 WSOP Featured Females: Maria Konnikova & Kristen Foxen Making Runs

Rowdiest Rail of the Summer

Jarry wasn’t the only one cheering Herzali on from the sidelines. In fact, the $1,500 6-Handed event featured the rowdiest rail of the summer so far, in no small part because of a group of over a dozen French poker players rooting for Herzali. Team France was only outdone by the louder and deeper Team Brazil rooting for eventual champion Rafael Reis.

“It was a huge rail. It was really really amazing,” said Herzali. “It just was fun. It was really nice to not feel the pressure when they’re screaming (for you). It’s a more fun experience than something too serious.”

Herzali’s supporters were there cheering her on when she hit a straight flush during Day 3 in a hand where she didn’t get as much value as she wanted after checking the river (“I hoped a bluff or an ace-high flush would bet”), and they were rooting for her even harder when she doubled multiple times after losing most of her stack during four-handed play.

But the cheers couldn’t prevent Herzali from running king-nine into the pocket jacks of Reis in the hand that ended her bracelet run in third for $207,720.

“I ran pretty well yesterday on Day 2, and unfortunately my Day 3 was more difficult … so I just did my best,” said Herzali, who had started Day 3 as the chip leader with 15 players remaining.

While she wasn’t able to be the first female WSOP champion of the summer, a feat that would see her follow in the footsteps of fellow European pro and 2021 $1,500 The Closer champion Leo Margets, Herzali was in good spirits after earning the career-best six-figure score.

“I’m really happy about my tournament (and) how everything went well,” Herzali told PokerNews shortly after her elimination. “And I finished third, so I’m quite happy. I don’t regret anything.”

Read about last week’s WSOP Featured Females as Foxen and famed writer Maria Konnikova both made deep runs.

It was an all-out battle tonight at the final table of Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better at the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. On a final table that took close to nine hours to play out, half of those nine hours were a marathon back and forth heads up match between Nick Kost and eventual winner Jim Collopy.

Neither player was ever willing to give an inch, but after the dust settled, Collopy stood up from his seat with renewed energy at the realization that he had just taken down his third career WSOP bracelet and the first-place prize of $262,542 and with Limit Omaha 8 or Better being one of his favorite games, this win was special.

Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better Final Table Results

Winner’s Reaction

Collopy is no stranger to the winner’s circle. He told PokerNews that he likes to play hi-lo split games in general and has been working on these types of games a lot, so winning a bracelet in one of his favorite variants was not only a lot of fun, but also really rewarding.

When asked how it felt to get his third bracelet in a split event, he said, “It was terrific that over 1,000 people were here to play this event, so it’s just really special to close out the bracelet in a tournament like this.”

He’s also no stranger to marathon heads-up matches as he was one-half of one of the longest heads-up battles in WSOP history a number of years ago, so when it came to his ability to wait out his opponent and maneuver his spots, he came well-equipped.

Final Day Recap

When the final table began, Kost held the chip lead and did so for most of the final table, but as heads-up play approached, Collopy made himself more and more of a force at the table.

Brian Kelley was the first finalist to fall, and only a few hands later, Igor Zektser bowed out in eighth.

Then came the untimely demise of Kyle Cartwright, who seemed to have too many outs against James Obst‘s two pair.

Aubrey Gilbert crashed out in sixth before Australia’s Obst fell at the hands of Collopy in a massive pot.

Four-handed play ended when Kost eliminated Qinghai Pan, and heads-up was reached when start of Day 2 chip leader Kyle Burnside bowed out, with Collopy again doing the damage.

By the time heads-up play began, Collopy held a slight lead and would go on to trade blows for over four hours before the final hand came down

Collopy pulled away from Kost over and over again, and even though it was a back-and-forth battle, Collopy never let his opponent get him worse than even in chips. Kost would even go on to mention how strong of an opponent Collopy is, saying that he’s incredibly tough to play against.

Collopy made the final push toward the bracelet over the course of the last dozen or so hands that would see him take Kost from close to even in chips to out of the tournament. By finding spots to draw extra bets out of his opponent that many others may not have found, he was able to close out a very special win and add to his legacy.

With how well Collopy is playing right now, we could very well see him making other deep runs this summer, and after the performance he put on at this final table, it would come as no surprise if he found himself with a shot at a fourth bracelet sooner rather than later.

As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of the 2023 World Series of Poker from Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas!

The partnership between PokerStars and Oracle Red Bull Racing has once again come up with the goods, with one lucky PokerStars customer and their companion jetting off to the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix for only $0.01!

The latest Red Spade Pass tournament takes place at 3:00 p.m. BST on June 18. It is an all-in shootout costing a mere $0.01 to enter, yet its first-place prize is something quite epic. Whoever comes out on top of the “Red Bull Racing All-in Shootout – win your Red Spade Pass for Las Vegas” receives a once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 15-17.

The winner, hopefully, you and a companion, will fly to Las Vegas complete with hotel accommodation and transfers after investing only $0.01. Here’s what you can win:

• VIP viewing experience at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 15-17
• Return economy flights from any UK airport to Las Vegas
• Up to five nights’ accommodation in a four-star hotel in central Las Vegas
• Two-way transfers between Las Vegas airport and the hotel
• Transfers between the hotel and viewing experience each day of the event
• Special, exclusive activities hosted by PokerStars and/or Oracle Red Bull Racing

The amazing prize aside, the best thing about this Red Spade Pass tournament is you do not need to play poker for hours, battling against your fellow Formula 1-loving opponents. Why? Because the tournament is a heads-up all-in shootout where everyone is set all-in before the start of each hand, leaving Lady Luck to do the rest. Buy in for $0.01 then keep your fingers crossed that you are the last player standing and, therefore, the winner of the amazing Las Vegas Grand Prix package.

_{Please check the PokerStars website for full terms and conditions}

About the Las Vegas Grand Prix

The Las Vegas Grand Prix runs for the first time from November 15-18, making it the third Grand Prix in the United States to take place during the 2023 season after Miami and the United States Grand Prix.

Formula 1’s biggest stars will hurtle around the 6.120km (3.803 miles) track at breakneck speed, completing 50 laps on the newly built street circuit, which passes through the world-famous Las Vegas Strip.

Here’s hoping that you and a companion are there in the flesh to enjoy and experience the first-ever running of the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Use the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar To Find PokerStars MTTs

PokerStars has thousands of multi-table tournaments each week, so it is easy to miss out on an event that’s perfect for you. This is where the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar comes into its own.

Our tech team created the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar with several filters that make it quick and easy to display upcoming and tournaments in late registration that match your requirements. Check it out today, and find the perfect PokerStars tournament for you.

Use the PokerStars Welcome Bonus to Start Your Las Vegas Grand Prix Journey

New depositing PokerStars customers can claim a welcome bonus worth up to $400. Download PokerStars via PokerNews, create your free account and decide how much you want to deposit. Your deposit is matched 100% up to $400 as a bonus. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 60 days after making your first deposit are matched up to a combined total of $400. Make sure you enter the bonus code “STARS400”.

The bonus releases into your playable balance in $10 increments each time you generate 180 redemption points, which in turn are earned at a rate of five per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or spent on tournament fees (6.5 points per £1, 5.5 points per €1, and four points per CAD$).

Poker players are often described as going into battle with one another or fighting it out for massive prizes, but until July 31, bet365 is combining the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) with poker in the Fight Predictor promotion.

Fight Predictor sees you put your UFC knowledge to the test with a €1,000 purse waiting for the most accurate forecaster. You’ll earn leaderboard points for making predictions on upcoming UFC bouts, with additional points awarded if those predictions run true. €1,000 cash is all yours if you finish at the top of the Fight Predictor leaderboard at the end of each qualification period.

How Does Fight Predictor Work?

There are four elements to the bet365 Fight Predictor, but they are so simple that even a punch-drunk brawler could complete them with ease.

• Opt in during each qualifying period via the Missions section of your bet365 poker account.
• Make your predictions about the outcome of UFC fights and complete your mission.
• Earn one point for each prediction logged, and three points for each correct prediction.
• Watch as €1,000 cash lands in your bet365 poker account if you top the weekly leaderboard.

The qualification period runs from 12:00 a.m. GMT on Tuesday until 11:59 p.m. GMT on Monday. You must also complete your mission after making your predictions to lock them in. Details of those missions are clearly stated in the Fight Predictor mission.

The person who earns the most Fight Predictor points during each qualification period wins €1,000 cash. In the event of a tie, bet365 poker shares the €1,000 cash among everyone that has the same number of points.

Start Your Bet365 Career With a €365 Welcome Bonus

You need a Bet365 Poker account to get involved in the Fight Predictor promotion. Those with an account can fire up the Bet365 Poker software, opt-in, and start meeting the entry requirements. Anyone reading this without an account can download Bet365 Poker via PokerNews and become eligible for a sizable welcome package.

Regardless of your initial deposit size, new Bet365 Poker customers receive a €365 redeemable bonus that releases into your account as you play real money cash games and tournaments. You receive 10 Status Points for every €1 or £1 you contribute to the cash game rake or pay in tournament fees.

The first two €2.50 bonus payments will be released into your playable balance once you earn 25 and 50 Status Points, respectively. The following 24 increments land in your account each time you earn 100 Status Points, with the remaining instalments redeeming after every 250 Status Points earned.

In addition to the €365 bonus, you also reel in a €1 Twister ticket, a free spin on the Welcome Prize Wheel, and some special welcome missions where you earn one-off prizes

888poker has just launched its own subreddit.

Players now have another place to share hands, talk strategy, contact 888poker‘s customer service, and check out 888poker specific news.

As well as personal responses from a dedicated customer service team, /888pokerofficial has a pinned FAQ and regular updates on software changes and maintenance times. There is also a specific flare for suggestion posts, allowing you to suggest improvements to the software.

Reddit is well-suited to this sort of interaction. Recent and useful posts quickly rise to the top of the subreddit’s feed thanks to Reddit’s upvote-fuelled algorithm. The subreddit is also a great place to keep track of new promotions and the occasional corporate meme.

Other Ways To Follow 888poker

Reddit isn’t the only place to keep tabs of 888poker. The company also runs a Discord server for anyone who plays cards on its poker client.

The 888poker Discord grants you direct access to the 888poker sponsored pros as well as members of the 888poker StreamTeam. The Discord is particularly useful if you want to keep track of when the streamers are performing on Twitch and when new 888poker Youtube videos drop.

If Discord, Twitch and Reddit aren’t to your taste, 888poker is also Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Each of these sites is monitored by members of the 888poker team directly.

Click For More About The 888poker Discord Server

Find The Action With The PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

If you want to keep track of the upcoming tournament action on 888poker, check out the PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar.

The Online Tournament Calendar is our free-to-use tool that keeps you up to date on every tournament run by PartyPoker, 888poker, and PokerStars.

Upcoming 888poker Tournaments — PokerNews Online Tournament Calendar

How To Sign Up With 888poker

If you don’t already have an 888poker account, remember to download 888poker via PokerNews and create your free account.

You can use our PokerNews bonus codes to get $65 (about £50) worth of tournament tickets when you make your first deposit of more than £10 using the bonus code “GET50”. The tickets will be received as follows:

• First day after deposit: 15 tickets of $1 each
• Each day from the second to the sixth day after deposit: 10 tickets of $1 each

_{The GET50 bonus code is only valid for residents of the United Kingdom}

Alternatively, you can opt for a 100% matched deposit bonus. This has a maximum value of $1,000. However, unlike the tournament tickets, you will have to meet playthrough requirements before you can access the bonus funds. Check out the terms and conditions for full details of how to clear the bonus.

You can also click the button below to see our review of 888poker and find out more details about 888poker‘s bonus offers and how to download the 888poker software.

If you couldn’t make it south of the border for the 2023 World Series of Poker, then PartyPoker Ontario has you covered. From June 11 to June 26, PartyPoker Ontario is running the inaugural Ontario Micro Series.

The Ontario Micro Series caters to the low- to medium-stakes player who might not have the time or bankroll to fly to Vegas. The schedule is made up of online poker tournaments with buy-ins starting out as low as $0.11* and going up to $265.

There will be 88 events, most of which will be split out into three buy-in levels—Low, Mid, and High. There will also be a small selection of tournaments that will have a “Super High” buy-in level.

All told, the combined guarantees across this series will be $200,000.

_{*All $ amounts in this article are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.}

Highlights of the Schedule

With 88 events to choose from, there’s something for just about everyone in the Ontario Micro Series schedule. However, players will be most excited about a few major events.

The whole series begins with the PKOpener. A progressive knockout event that starts at 17:05 ET on June 11. Players can choose from three buy-in levels—a $0.55 with a $50 guarantee, $11 with a $1,500 guarantee), and $55 (with a $5,000 guarantee)—or you could play all three.

Later the same day, you can play the $10,000 GTD $109 High Roller 7-Max, and towards the end of June 26, there is a $12,500 GTD $265 Super High Roller 7-Max PKO which will nicely round off the series.

In addition to all the scheduled tournaments, there are also satellites running for most of the larger events. These start out from as little as $0.01, allowing even the most micro-stakes player to take a shot at the big-ish leagues. However, the most important tourneys which no one will want to miss are the two Main Event tournaments.

Download PartyPoker Ontario And Sign Up For the Ontario Micro Series Right Away

The Ontario Micro Series Main Event(s)

The Ontario Micro Series has two Main Events—the Micro Series #87-L: $5.50 Main Event and $55 Micro Series #87-H: $55 Main Event.

The Micro Series #87-L is guaranteed a $3,000 prize pool, the $55 Micro Series #87-H is guaranteed a $25,000 prize pool, and you personally are all but guaranteed a good time.

Both Main Events will be multi-flight tourneys with Day 1 action available twice daily at 18:05 ET and 20:30 ET from June 11 to June 25. The flights will all combine together for Day 2 on June 26, when they will play down to a winner.

There are also plenty of satellites for the Main Events including a series of twelve $11 tournaments with a one-seat guarantee.

Eligible iGames conducted and managed by iGO are only available to those physically present in the Province of Ontario. PartyPoker Ontario operates pursuant to an agreement with iGaming Ontario.

For more information, visit the Ontario Players Homepage

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Day 10 of the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas saw no fewer than three shiny gold WSOP bracelets awarded, and another handful of events finish with the much sought after piece of poker jewelry in reach of the surviving players.

Rafael Reis got the job done in Event #15: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em after defeating Daniel Barriocanal heads-up. Reis captured his first bracelet in front of a raucous Brazilian rail. The victory came with $465,501 in prize money, too.

Isaac Haxton removed his name from “the best players without a bracelet” list by triumphing in Event #16: $25,000 High Roller (8-Handed). Haxton added another $1,698,215 to his life poker tournament earnings tally. Runner-up Ryan O’Donnell walked away with $1,049,577 reasons to be happy with his performance.

The third bracelet of the day went to Jim Collopy, who took down Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better, a fine result that saw Collopy rake in a $262,542 score and his third bracelet. The heads-up battle with Nick Kost was a gruelling affair spanning more than 3.5 hours!

Gladiators of Poker Field Continues Growing; Another 4,571 Players Enter

Another 4,571 players piled into Event #18: $300 Gladiators of Poker, taking the total attendance to more than 8,500 with two flights remaining. After 22 levels of high-octane poker action, only 151 players bagged up chips.

Justin Arnwine shone the brightest on Day 1b, finishing the night with an impressive 3,080,000 chips. Matthew Krieger (2,760,000) and Bernard Muhire (2,485,000) round off the podium, while talented Dutchman Mateusz Moolhuizen (2,070,000) found himself in the top ten chip counts.

Day 1c shuffles up and deals a 10:00 a.m. on June 9 and should be the busiest flight yet; it would not be surprising to see more than 6,000 fresh faces. Of course, the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the ground throughout Day 1c proceedings and will be with you every step of the way until a champion is crowned.

Event #18: $300 Gladiators of Poker Day 1b Top 1 Chip Counts

Qiang Xu Has the Advantage Going Into Day 3 of the $2,500 NLHE Freezeout

China’s Qiang Xu is on course to reel in the $435,924 top prize in Event #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout, where only 11 players remain.

Xu has locked in his second live WSOP cash, and his second of the 2023 series. Xu cashed in the $1,000 Mystery Millions event a week or so ago, and now looks set for a first WSOP final table spot.

Standing between Xu and the coveted gold bracelet are some stellar names. Frenchman Alexandre Reard (4,800,000) returns second in chips, with Argentinian grinder Andres Korn (4,760,000) occupying third place at the restart.

Triple Crown winner Niall Farrell (1,700,000) also punched his Day 3 ticket, although he sits back down with the second-shortest stack, one that is the equivalent of 17 big blinds.

Each of the returning players is guaranteed at least $26,926 for their efforts, with a final table appearance boosting that prize to $34,210. Any player finishing in the top five banks a six-figure score, with the champion reeling in $435,924 and the all-important WSOP bracelet.

Play resumes at 12:00 p.m. on June 9, and continues until one man has all of the chip in play in front of them.

Event #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em Freezeout Chip Counts

Day 2 of the Badugi Ends With 13 Players; Popovych Has the Lead

Day 2 of Event #20: $1,500 Badugi saw the 183 returning players cut down to only 13, and what a final 13 they are. Serhii Popovych (1,885,000) holds a chip advantage going into the final day, but the chasing pack will make it as difficult as possible for him.

Three bracelet winners are among the Day 3 contingent. Two-time champion David “ODB” Baker (1,400,000) is the best placed of that trio; he returns in second place. Danny Tang (1,180,000) has a top five stack, while Owais Ahmed (620,000) has the third shortest stack.

Throw into the mix the likes of Jack O’Neill (1,200,000), Jon “Pearl Jammer” Turner (1,100,000), Matt Vengrin (830,000), and Terrence Chan (655,000), and you have all the ingredients for a thrilling final day.

Join PokerNews from 1:00 p.m. on June 9 and we wrap up the exciting Badugi event here in Las Vegas.

Event #20: $1,500 Badugi Top 10 Chip Counts

Suk Bang Clinches the Chip Lead on Day 1 of the $1,000 PLO

Some 2,017 players entered Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha but only 117 of them navigated their way through 17 levels, and bagged up stacks for Day 2.

Suk Bang (1,465,000) built a tournament-leading stack, one that is 45 big blinds larger than that in possession of Israel’s Ido Aboudi (1,020,000).

Bracelet winners Amnon Filippi (735,000) and Mike Gorodinsky (734,000) finished Day 1 in the top ten, while Lawrence Brandt (538,000), Max Pescatori (508,000), David Williams (428,000), Daniel Negreanu (289,000), and Josh Arieh (210,000) will grace Day 2 with their presence.

The Day 2 action starts at 12:00 p.m. sharp on June 9, with the hopes of reducing the field to the final five players. As always, PokerNews will be on the tournament floor reporting live from the event.

Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Top 10 Chip Counts

Nozomu Shimizu Leads After Day 1 of the Limit Hold’em Championship

Japanese star Nozomu Shimizu is the player to catch going into Day 2 of Event #21: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship, where 46 of the 104 starters progressed. The number of entrants is set to increase thanks to late registration remaining open until the start of Day 2.

Shimizu is in hot form having finished third in Event #12: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em a few days ago. He now has a realistic chance of a similar finish in this $10,000 buy-in tournament after cramming 334,000 chips into his overnight bag.

Kevin Song (322,000) almost finished on top of the pile but has to settle for second place on the leaderboard right now. Other luminaries such as 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir (266,000), Cary Katz (251,000), Nate Silver (199,000), 2015 WSOP Main Event champ Joe McKeehen (194,000), and popular pro Ronnie Bardah (188,000) bagged up top ten stacks.

Day 2 commences at 1:00 p.m. on June 9, with the plan to complete seven 90-minute levels. Return to PokerNews then if limit hold’em is what floats your boat.

Event #22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship Top 10 Chip Counts

What to Expect on Day 11 of the 2023 WSOP

June 9 is the tenth day of the 2023 WSOP, and there are no signs of the series slowing down, which is great news f you’re a fan of our updates!

Dat 1c of Event #18: $300 Gladiators of Poker kicks off Day 10, with Event #19: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em, Event #20: $1,500 Badugi, Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, and Event #22: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship either playing down to a winner or getting somewhere close.

Two new events enter the mix on June 9. Event #23: $50,000 High Roller (8-Handed) is the one that should garner the most attention from the poker community, but Event #24: $1,500 Razz is also a popular event.

A woman hit the nuts at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) on Thursday, and it wasn’t just when Sarah Herzali hit a straight flush in Day 3 of Event #15: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em. Later in the day, a woman on the rail of the same tournament delivered a blow to a man that was dubbed the “first ever bag-punch at the WSOP.”

The incident in question was captured by the PokerGO live stream and evoked a hilarious response from the PokerGO commentators.

“Was that a shot to the … did you catch that in the background?!” Brent Hanks reacted. “This guy’s going down. Oh god, she just hit him right in the goods!”

“Oh, that’s dirty!” David Tuchman added.

Go ahead and take a look at the video, which Hanks shared on Twitter.

As the unfortunate male was recovering from the hit, Isaac Haxton was scrubbing his name from the “Best Without a Bracelet” list as he took down Event #16: $25,000 High Roller (8-Handed) for $1,698,215, while Brazil’s Rafael Reis ended up winning the $1,500 6-Handed event for $465,501.