Sweat Time: Ivey, Negreanu Make Final 14 of WSOP $1,500 Eight-Game

Dan · June 27, 2014

Before the World Series of Poker started, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Ivey (pictured) offered a 1:1 bet up to $1 million. The concept was simple: if Ivey or Negreanu won a bracelet in Las Vegas this year, they win. If neither won a bracelet, you win. The odds: a seemingly generous 1:1. Many laughed at the concept of Ivey or Negreanu navigating three- and four-digit player fields en route to victory, while others pointed to the fact that they’re two of the top poker minds in the world.

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What has ensued, however, is sweat after sweat for those who took the pair up. Negreanu has cashed seven times already at this year’s WSOP, including four top-ten finishes and a runner-up performance in a $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball tournament for $156,000. Meanwhile, Ivey has been relatively quiet, cashing twice for $11,000 total, but he’s still considered the best player in the world by many. The pair owns a combined 15 WSOP bracelets.

If you bet against Ivey and Negreanu, prepare for your ultimate worst-case scenario, which will play out on Friday from the Rio in Las Vegas. What happened? Ivey and Negreanu both made the final 14 of a $1,500 Eight-Game Mix, meaning there’s a one in seven chance the bet pays off today if you consider every player has an equal chance to win. Ivey has the third largest stack at 220,000, while Negreanu (pictured posing with fans this week) is in ninth with 132,500.

Negreanu Tweeted on Thursday night, “End Day 2 of $1,500 8 Game, 14 players left, I’m one of them and so is Phil Ivey. I have 132,500, avg is 155K. Ivey has more.”

Second place belongs to PocketFiver Aaron ndgrinder59 Steury, who has $809,000 in live tournament cashes, according to the Hendon Mob, including a bracelet in a HORSE event in 2011. Steury has been a member of PocketFives since 2006 and has $572,000 in online winnings. He is nearly tied for the Eight-Game tournament’s chip lead.

The field trails two-time bracelet winner Dan Heimiller, who won this year’s Seniors Event for $627,000 and captured WSOP Circuit rings the last two years:

1. Dan Heimiller – 227,000
2. Aaron ndgrinder59Steury – 226,000
3. Phil Ivey – 220,500
4. Yuebin Guo – 211,500
5. Christoph Haller – 210,500
6. Bruce Yamron – 206,500
7. Devin looneyde Looney – 205,000
8. Stephen stevie444 Chidwick – 174,000
9. Daniel Negreanu – 132,500
10. Amnon Filippi – 117,500
11. Yehuda Buchalter – 94,500
12. Alex Rocha – 70,000
13. Abdel Hamid – 69,000
14. Christian crisper Pereira – 19,000