WSOP 2024 Day 36 – Vegas Golf Legend Heads-up for Bracelet

An unusual headline for sure, but Richie Sklar, more famous for his incredible life as Las Vegas’ leading golf bettor, ended an exhausting day at the tables heads-up against Las Vegas financier Arash Ghaneian. 

Sklarday36
Richard Sklar (courtesy of WSOP) 

Event #74: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

71-year-old Sklar and Iranian-born Ghaneian were two of the richest non-poker pros at the tables yesterday when 18 players returned for day 3.

Norman Chad’s hopes of a bracelet were dashed early, the famous commentator falling in 15th for $21k,  while Todd Brunson, son of the late, great Doyle Brunson, finished 4th for $122,663.

Sklar has played golf with the world’s biggest and best poker players for huge money, Phil Ivey among them, but today he will try to match the superstar’s poker ability with a gold of his own.

Final table Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip Count
1Richard SklarUSA5,530,000
2Arash GhaneianUSA4,495,000

Elsewhere in the Horseshoe and Paris casinos, Martin Alcaide took down gold in Event #70: $400 Colossus No-Limit Hold’em, while David Eldrige scooped Event #73: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha.

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Event #75: $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em

Day 2 started with a rush to the paid spots, some 216 teams from the 292 returning seeing some return on their $1k investment. Among those to cash, teams led by Chris Moorman, Josh Arieh, Martin Kabrhel, and Joe Salvaggi.

There will be 22 teams returning today for a shot at the Tag Team crown(s) and the $95,455 top prize.

Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayer/TeamCountryChip Count
1Joan Perez/Javier RodriguezSpain3,730,000
2Joshua Hopkins/Charles HonkonenCanada3,305,000
3Sheraton Hall/Malcolm TraynerAustralia2,545,000
4Julio Cacoilo/Christian HusouCanada2,155,000
5Richard Ali/Patsy AltomariUSA1,570,000
6Aaron Thomas/Burcu DagliUSA1,445,000
7Marcos Exterkotter/Henry FischerUK1,440,000
8Min Ji/Hang XuUK1,330,000
9Mark Bagin/Kevin BaginUSA1,160,000
10Toby Boas/Angel BoasUSA1,155,000

Event #76: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold’em (8-Handed)

It was a fast and furious day 2 in the $10k Mystery Bounty, one eye on advancing up the ladder and another on bagging potentially monster bounties.

Robert Heidorn did both excellently, a final table spot and at least 12 bounty “chests” to open, with a $100k and $75k among them, while Felipe Ketzer found the biggest bounty of all, pulling a splendid $250,000.

250kchest
The Biggest Bounty (courtesy of WSOP)

Those who left empty-handed included Daniel Negreanu and 2022 WSOP Main Event champ Espen Jorstad, but Johnny Chan, Ike Haxton and Maria Ho all made the paid spots.

The 236 players were reduced to just nine, with Damarjai Davenport leading the way with exactly 10million chips.

Final table Chip Counts

SeatPlayerCountryChip Count
1Damarjai DavenportUSA10,000,000
2Tuan NavesBrazil16,300,000
3William JiaAustralia2,125,000
4Simas KaraliunasLithuania6,875,000
5Matthew LambrechtUSA9,900,000
6Vladimir MinkoRussia7,475,000
7Robert HeidornGermany1,975,000
8Andrei KonopelkoBelarus1,775,000
9Eshaan BhallaUSA1,675,000

Event #77: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet

There were 468 entries for this seven-game beast, producing a $1,041,300 prizepool, with 71 players in the money. Hong Kong’s Wing Liu leads the chip counts, but Alex Foxen looms ominously on his shoulder.

Foxen was responsible for Phil Hellmuth’s late exit – naturally accompanied by a rant – after calling the Poker Brat’s all-in. With Hellmuth standing pat, Foxen drew one card and sent his unhappy opponent to the rail.

“If I always have a pat hand, you’re always 30%,” complained Hellmuth, with Foxen replying: “If you’re only shoving when you’re pat there, that’s pretty bad.”

“Motherfucker…Nice call Alex,” was Hellmuth’s parting shot, multiple f-bombs littering his exit.

HellmuthExitDay36
Hellmuth Exit (courtesy of WSOP)

Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChips
1Wing LiuHong Kong2,387,000
2Alex FoxenUSA2,243,000
3Allan LeUSA1,500,000
4Xixiang LuoChina1,370,000
5Chris KlodnickiUSA1,053,000
6Craig HartmanUSA1,048,000
7Hye ParkUSA937,000
8Denis StrebkovRussia842,000
9Andy BlackIreland756,000
10David LinUSA657,000

Event #78: $1,000 Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold’em

Some 6,093 entries were whittled down to 486 players on day 1 of the Mini-Main, producing a prizepool of $5,361,840 with those surviving already in the money.

India’s Paawan Bansal leads the way, with three-time bracelet winner Ryan Hughes the only multiple gold medalist left in the field.

Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip Count
1Paawan BansalIndia2,825,000
2Jamie DwanUK2,700,000
3James CarrollUSA2,700,000
4Connor RashUSA2,505,000
5Gustavo KameiBrazil2,300,000
6Shay RozenbaumIsrael2,300,000
7Remi DerossiFrance2,250,000
8Maher Al MousellyCanada2,202,500
9Marcello Del GrossoCanada2,200,000
10Dragos TrofimovUK2,155,000

Event #79: $50,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed)

The biggest buy-in PLO event of the WSOP kicked off yesterday, and it is Jason Mercier making the early running.

Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Stephen Chidwick all failed to make it through day 1 but this year’s hatrick hero, Scott Seiver, did, along with Ike Haxton.

Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip Count
1Jason MercierUSA1,575,000
2Jared BleznickUSA1,470,000
3Santhosh SuvarnaIndia1,360,000
4Michael MoncekUSA1,290,000
5Tim Van LooGermany1,280,000
6Isaac KemptonUSA1,250,000
7Chase SteelyUSA1,240,000
8Jonathan AzoulayUSA1,235,000
9Veselin KarakitukovBulgaria1,185,000
10Bryce YockeyUSA1,135,000

It’s Main Event time!

Starting today we have Event #80: $800 Independence Day Celebration No-Limit Hold’em but also the one everyone has been waiting for, the opening flight of Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship.

There are four Day 1s over the next four days, lettered a-d, and Day 2abc and Day 2d also allows players to late reg directly in. The field merges on Day 3 on July 9th, with the final table scheduled for July 16th and 17th.

We will, of course, be bringing you daily updates of all the best of the action, so be sure to check in regularly!

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Professional Poker Journalist
An avid poker player, he dreams of one day playing the WSOP Main Event and has promised himself he will fold aces and kings if he gets them on the first hand to avoid front-page headlines.
Filed Under: WSOP 2024 Live Poker News Poker News

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