2018 WSOP Main Event: Day 2 Winners and Losers

The $10,000 WSOP NLHE Main Event drew a total of 7,874 players across three starting days, 5,940 of whom survived through to either 2AB or 2C. A couple of days later, and both these days have now been completed, with 2,799 players progressing through to a communal Day 3 scheduled to get underway today at 11:00 am local time.

Day 2AB

Day 2AB saw 2,460 players return to the Rio in Las Vegas, but following two grueling five hour sessions just 1,131 survived the day with their Main Event aspirations intact. Heading the pack is Shawn Daniels on a massive 532,500 stack, with the player’s previous biggest score a 72nd place at last year’s Main Event for $101,444.

Completing the top three biggest stacks was Eric Liebeler (531,000) and Samuel Bernabeu (524,000), while in 9th place is Day 1B chip leader, Smain Mamouni, who managed to maintain his positive momentum to finish the day with 481,500 chips.

Amongst the notables also finishing on solid sized stacks was Alex Foxen (238,900) and Kristen Bicknell (202,800), with the former putting much of his progress down to a compliant table, stating:

“I picked up a few hands but for the most part, my table didn’t really want to play back at me.”

They were then joined by Brian Altman (476,500), Kelly Minkin (380,800), Christopher Kruk (370,500), Ben Yu (311,000), and Chris Hunichen (207,100). Four former Main Event winners still remain in contention, too, namely Chris Ferguson (160,000), Johnny Chan (107,200), Scotty Nguyen (74,300), and Greg Merson (68,300).

Amongst the players bowing out at this year’s contest was Antoine Saout, Joe Hachem, Ryan Riess, Erik Seidel, Tony Dunst, Gaelle Baumann, and Jeremy Ausmus. The UK’s John Hesp, a grandfather who finished last year’s Main Event in 4th place, also hit the rail, after which he commented:

“[The reception] has been incredible. Everything has just been so lovely and fun. I’m just so so grateful that these people are enjoying my style of play and everything else in that regard.”

Day 2C

Day 2C welcomed back 3,480 survivors from Day 1C, but only 1,668 players would subsequently advance through to Day 3. Leading the way was Ignacio Sanchez on a 627,200 stack, a farmer who apparently plays poker just once a year. In 2014, Sanchez finished the Main Event in 582nd place for $20,228, and has memories of being bluffed by Phil Hellmuth in the tournament. Evidently in fighting mood, Sanchez said of Hellmuth:

“He bluffed me but I’ve gotten better than then.”

Rounding off the top three positions is France’s Eric Sfez (551,600), and Canada’s Matthew Klapstein (531,700).

Heading the list of notable players surviving the day is Phil Ivey who finished on a sizeable stack of 434,200 chips, and as explained on the WSOP website, “Ivey made some sick calls, well-timed bluffs and value bets” throughout the day. Meanwhile, Phil Hellmuth managed to build up a 162,700 stack throughout the course of the day, and emphasizing the approach he needs to maintain going forward, said:

“I understand more than ever that my biggest enemy in the Main Event is myself. I need to stay calm. I need to understand just how much skill there is and how many big blinds I have at all times.”

Also progressing through to Day 3 is Ivan Luca (339,900), Samuel Touil (405,500), Jan-Eric Schwippert (338,600), Ludovic Geilich (333,900), and Cliff Josephy (285,400).

Amongst the pros exiting the competition on Day 2C was Adrian Mateos, Joseph Cheong, Dominik Nitsche, David Williams, Natalie Hof, Steven Wolansky, Bart Hanson, Joe Serock, Andrey Zaichenko, Vivian Saliba, and Mark Newhouse.

Day 3 Beckons

Day 3 will get underway later today at the Brasilia, Pavilion, and Amazon rooms in the convention area of the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Amongst the other recognizable players not already mentioned also hoping to progress further on their way to poker glory is Loni Harwood, Barry Greenstein, Chris Moorman, Liv Boeree, Andy Bloch, Men Nguyen, Shannon Shorr, Jake Cody, David Sands, and Steffen Sontheimer, to name but a very few.