WSOP: Gaspard Wins First Bracelet, Negreanu Hunting Seventh
For 13 years now, Jean Gaspard has been grinding away on the live tournament circuit, travelling from coast to coast across the United States. Friday night at the 2016 World Series of Poker, Gaspard might have found his signature win. Gaspard beat out a tough final table to win the first WSOP bracelet of his career and over $300,000. Gaspard’s victory was one of two bracelets awarded on Friday.
While that’s the first for Gaspard, a few other players have put themselves in position to add more hardware to their collection. Daniel Negreanu is one of seven players left in the $1,500 Razz event that already have a bracelet to their credit while the opening day of the $1,500 buy-in Millionaire Maker topped 3,000 entries.
Event #10: Mike Cordell Denies Pierre Neuville a Bracelet
For many, Pierre Neuville was the story of the 2015 WSOP Main Event final table. The then 72-year-old was the lovable underdog, competing against a table full of players who could be his grandchildren. He eventually busted out in seventh but not before earning himself a fan base and the respect of many. Friday night he almost broke through for the first bracelet of his career. instead, it as Mike Cordell beat Neuville heads up to win. Cordell’s victory came just a week after his mother passed away.
“She was always proud of anything I ever did,” Cordell said. The 46-year-old poker and pool player eliminated the last four players, but found Neuville to be the toughest opponent he faced at the final table.
“I struggled all day to bust Pierre, but couldn’t,” Cordell said. “Even one hand when I had quads and he had a full house, I couldn’t get his whole stack. He made a full house on the river and just flat called. How did he not go broke on that hand? He was sure tough.”
On the final hand of the tournament Neuville moved his last 1,200,000 all in and Cordell called. Neuville was racing with 
against Cordell’s 
. The 
flop was unkind to Neuville and the 
turn card was no help. The river ws the 
to give Cordell an unnecessary full house and the title.
Final Table Payouts
- Mike Cordell – $346,088
- Pierre Neuville – $213,837
- Robert Hankins – $148,885
- Lutz Klinkhammer – $105,063
- Javier Garcirreynaldos – $75,154
- Timothy Cha – $54,507
Event #11: Jean ‘Prince’ Gaspard Wins $10K Dealers Choice Championship
Jean ‘Prince’ Gaspard has won over $2,000,000 over the last 13 years, playing in poker tournaments across the United States. On Friday night he added another $306,621 to his lifetime earnings and won his first bracelet, taking down the $10,000 buy-in Dealers Choice Championship event.
Gaspard, who is originally from Haiti and once played professional basketball, took some inspiration and motivation from the passing of Muhammad Ali.
“This was the first tournament I circled and said I was going to play. I told myself – I was going to play my best in this tournament,” said Gaspard “Then, earlier this week when Muhammad Ali died – he was one of the people I respect so much. I learned from him that to be great, you have to dig in deep and be yourself. So, coming into this, I was really ready to win it.”
Gaspard eliminated William O’Neil heads-up and John Monnette in third place. O’Neil walked away with $189,505 while Monnette, who finished runner-up in another event just two days ago, earned $135,061.
Final Table Payouts
- Jean Gaspard – $306,621
- William O’Neil – $189,505
- John Monnette – $135,061
- Randy Ohel – $96,876
- Mikhail Semin – $69,937
- Viacheslav Zhukov – $50,818
Event #12: Syed Shah Leads $565 Pot Limit Omaha Final Table
The largest Pot Limit Omaha event in WSOP history started with 2,483 entries but is down to just nine players after Day 2 action. Leading the field is Syed Shah with 2,875,000 chips. He clears his next closest competitor by over a million chips.
While Shah leads the final nine players, most observers were watching the final hours of play on Friday to see what happened to Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson. The former Full Tilt exec has made his return to the WSOP this summer after a five year absence. Ferguson eventually busted in 13th place for $9,696. He’s now cashed in two events this summer.
Day 2 began with 80 players remaining but included in the 70 other eliminations on Day 2 were Mohsin Charania, David ‘ODB’ Baker and Robert Mizrachi.
The final table begins at Noon PT.
Final Table Chip Counts
- Syed Shah – 2,875,000
- Tesfaldet Tekle – 1,810,000
- Richard St. Peter – 1,555,000
- Charles Coultas – 1,385,000
- Adil Khan – 1,215,000
- Ryan Laplante – 1,105,000
- Darryll Fish – 1,000,050
- Matthew Livingston – 855,000
- Grant Ellis – 590,000
Event #13: Daniel Negreanu Bags Top Five Stack in $1500 Razz
Just 12 players remain in the $1,500 Razz event but to call the remaining field star-studded would be an understatement. Former Team PokerStars Online Pro Alexey Makarov leads the final 12 with 545,000 but there are seven players in the hunt who have already tasted WSOP victory.
The seven players ,lead by Daniel Negreanu’s six wins, have a combined 14 bracelets. Michael Gathy (2), Negreanu (6), Rep Porter (2), Matt Graphenthien (1), David Benyamine (1), Shaun Deeb (1) and Brendan Taylor (1).
Some of the players who busted on Day include Fabrice Soulier (14th – $5,798), Matt Waxman (21st – $3,973), Stephen Chidwick (22nd – $3,973) and Anthony Zinno (55th – $2,457).
Final Table Chip Counts
- Alexey Makarov – 545,000
- Daniel Weinman – 512,000
- Michael Gathy – 470,000
- Daniel Negreanu – 375,000
- Rep Porter – 309,000
- Matt Grapenthien – 286,000
- David Benyamine – 275,000
- Valentin Vornicu – 251,000
- Shaun Deeb – 196,000
- Max Kruse – 108,000
Event #14: Frank Rusnak Leads Smallest Millionaire Maker Day 1 Ever
The smallest ‘Millionaire Maker’ starting field since Day 1B in 2013 – the first year the event was offered – saw 3,088 players take to the felt in pursuit of the guaranteed $1,000,000 first place prize money and bracelet. Frank Rusnak survived Day 1A and was the only player to bag up a stack north of 200,000 – barely though. Rusnak finished with 200,500.
Dave Stefanski sits second with 181,400, putting him just ahead of Upeshka De Silva and Max Silver . Other notables still in the field include Brian Roberts, Eric Wasserson, Matt Berkey and former PocketFives #1-ranked player Patrick Leonard.
A total of 505 players survived the ten levels of play on Friday. Players who busted Day 1A are eligible to re-enter on Day 1B
Millionaire Maker Starting Field Sizes
2013 Day 1A: 3,713
2013 Day 1B: 2,630
2014 Day 1A: 3,255
2014 Day 1B: 4,722
2015 Day 1A: 3,347
2015 Day 1B: 3,928
2016 Day 1A: 3,088
Top 10 Chip Counts
- Frank Rusnak – 200,500
- Dave Stefanski – 181,400
- Upeshka De Silva – 179,300
- Max Silver – 173,800
- Johan Guilbert – 172,400
- Nicholas Goedert – 144,900
- Daniel Needleman – 142,100
- Joey Weissman – 136,900
- Ben Volpe – 128,200
- Mikiyo Aoki – 121,700
Event #15: Brandon Cantu Leads $1,500 Eight Game Mix
Brandon Cantu already has two WSOP bracelets and on Friday he tried his best to win a third. Cantu bagged a massive chip lead in the $1,500 Eight Game mix event, finishing with 126,800 and leaving himself 40,000 ahead of anybody else.
The Eight Game rotation includes No Limit Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Pot Limit Omaha, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo, Triple Draw Deuce to Seven and Limit Hold’em.
Christopher Kruk is the player closest to Cantu. He finished Day 1 with 86,300. Chris Klodnicki finished with 73,600 – good enough for sixth. And don’t look now Run It Up Nation, but Jason Somerville is in contention. Somerville finished with the 11th biggest chip stack.
made my second day two of the @WSOP in today’s $1,500 8-game! ~100 players remain, 74 pay. average stack is 35k, we’ve got 60k! #letsjustwin
— Jason Somerville (@JasonSomerville) June 11, 2016
Other notables still in the field include David Chiu (57,800), Martin Staszko (43,100), Paul Volpe (41,400), Anthony Zinno (37,800), Joao Vieira (34,000) and Jason Mercier (21,900). Allen Kessler, Ismael Bojang, Brian Hastings and Dzmitry Urbanovich were among the players unable to survive Day 1.
The event attracted 491 players with 107 advancing to Day 2 which begins at 2 PM.
Top Ten Chip Counts
- Brandon Cantu – 126,800
- Christopher Kruk – 86,300
- David Olson – 85,200
- Brant Hale – 79,100
- Todd Bui – 74,900
- Chris Klodnicki – 73,600
- Benjamin Benoit – 66,800
- Hope Williams – 65,200
- Marc Berman – 59,900
- Brian Tate – 59,900
