By
Dan |
Published
Nov 07 2008, 07:34 AM
Thursday marked the second of two starting days at Foxwoods, the site of the World Poker Tour’s World Poker Finals. There were 412 total players in this year’s installment, creating a $3.9 million prize pool. It’s estimated that first place will pocket $1.1 million. Among those in the field chasing Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey and Jason JP OSU Potter, who are tied for the chip lead, are several members of PocketFives.com. The PocketFives.com contingent on Day 1B was paced by number eight ranked player Joe ender555 Ebanks, who ended play with 97,850 chips, well above the average of 50,000. Play will resume at 12:00 Noon ET today with a combined Day 2 field. PocketFivesLive.com, which provides WPT coverage of online poker players in the biggest live tournaments, is on site for the World Poker Finals.
Joe ender555 Ebanks is the number eight ranked player on the PocketFives.com Online Poker Rankings. A native of Kent, Ohio, Ebanks won the PokerStars $100 rebuy in August for $24,609. Earlier in the month, he showed why he’s in the top 10 in the Rankings by final tabling not one, not two, but three Sunday major tournaments in the same weekend. He finished second in the PokerStars $250,000 Guaranteed for nearly $67,000, won the Absolute Poker $150,000 Guaranteed for $37,500, and placed fifth in the Ultimate Bet $200,000 Guaranteed for $11,000. Although he trails Potter and Ivey, who have 183,825 chips each, Ebanks finds himself with an ample stack entering Day 2.
Randy Randers Haddox will hold 78,000 chips when play resumes on Friday. He had a pair of five-figure cashes in $1,000 rebuy events during the 2008 World Series of Poker for a combined total of $50,000. On the virtual felts, Haddox won the $320 buy-in Six-Max No Limit Hold’em tournament during the most recent PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker for over $70,000. He also took down the $100 rebuy in May for $59,000. Three weeks ago, he won the $100,000 Pro Bounty Guaranteed on Absolute Poker for $31,500. He’ll be in the hunt on Friday for glory at Foxwoods.
Adam Roothlus Levy (pictured), the newest member of Ultimate Bet’s Star Players Team, holds 43,625 chips at Foxwoods. He’s coming off a fifth place finish at the World Poker Tour’s last tournament, the Festa al Lago, where he won $266,000. As many watched on ESPN, he finished 48th in the 2008 WSOP Main Event and was berated by Phil Hellmuth at the featured table. The Orlando, Florida native is ranked 80th on PocketFives.com and won the PokerStars $200 rebuy in August for over $50,000. In July, he took third in the Super Tuesday on PokerStars for $54,000.
PocketFivesLive.com Tournament Reporter Court Harrington, who has been on the scene covering the World Poker Finals for the site, commented on Levy’s run so far: “Adam was able to dodge some big hands and get away from some tough spots throughout the day. He ended up with around an average chip stack, but has to be very happy just to be coming back for Day 2.”
Also in the hunt at Foxwoods and holding a slightly below average chip stack headed into Day 2 is Mike inissint Glasser (pictured). The former criminal defense attorney has already experienced success in the preliminary events at the World Poker Finals, taking fourth in a $3,000 buy-in event this year for $19,962. He’s logged cashes in other preliminary events during the last two WPF tournament series. Glasser finished eighth in a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em event during the 2008 WSOP for $85,394. Harrington added, “Glasser is another player who finished up the day around average in chips. He has had success in the past at Foxwoods and is very comfortable in this location and in these types of tournaments. His Day 1 play was steady and leaves him in solid shape going into Day 2 play.”
PocketFivers who successfully maneuvered through Day 1B include:
Joe ender555 Ebanks - 97,850
Randy Randers Haddox - 78,600
Ben bfineman Fineman - 63,275
Doug dougmanct Mandeville - 49,225
Adam Roothlus Levy - 43,625
Mike inissint Glasser - 43,400
Alex alexjacob Jacob - 31,900
Amit Amak316 Makhija - 25,075
Jason JCarver Somerville - 19,300
Kyle kwob20 Bowker - 10,975
Don dbase22 Yucius - 8,600
The top 10 chip stacks entering Day 2 are:
1. Jason Potter - 183,825
2. Phil Ivey – 183,825
3. Richard E. Dabal - 169,150
4. Vadim Trincher - 163,600
5. Steve Gross - 145,025
6. Jonathan Jaffe - 141,000
7. Kevin Saul - 135,350
8. Jonathan Little - 131,400
9. Will Failla - 124,800
10. Gavin Smith – 124,325
Join us for all of the action from Foxwoods on PocketFivesLive.com, the best source for WPT coverage.