Event #5: $25,000 Dealers Choice Championship
Day 2 Completed
2024 WSOP Paradise
Event #5: $25,000 Dealers Choice Championship
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2024 WSOP Paradise
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$1,225,000
Entries
49
Level
24
Blinds
0 / 0
Ante
0
Entries
36
Players Left
4
Level 20
Limit Flop/Draw: 50,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
What was scheduled to be the final day of Event #5: $25,000 Dealers Choice Championship at World Series of Poker Paradise wrapped up in the early morning hours with four players remaining with three former WSOP Player of the Years looking for their seventh and fourth bracelets.
2021 POY Josh Arieh and 2022 POY Daniel Zack will have to overcome the chip lead of Eric Wasserson as the Pennsylvanian looks for his first bracelet, as will 2015 POY Mike Gorodinsky, who will be looking to spin up a short stack that he was desperate to rid himself of late in Day 2.
$25,000 Dealers Choice Championship Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (In USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $353,340 | ||
| 2 | $262,090 | ||
| 3 | $194,430 | ||
| 4 | $144,230 | ||
| 5 | John Racener | United States | $107,000 |
| 6 | Benny Glaser | United Kingdom | $79,370 |
| 7 | Nacho Barbero | Argentina | $60,040 |
Hellmuth & Negreanu; Royal Flush for Nacho
There were 16 players who advanced to Day 2, but they were joined by a handful of new entries including reigning WSOP POY Scott Seiver and 17-time bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth, who took a seat next to fellow Poker Hall of Famer Daniel Negreanu.
The table pairing caught the attention of seemingly everyone with a camera in Paradise and climaxed with Hellmuth taking a trademark bite out of a tableside sandwich. For more footage of the bite, stay tuned for Negreanu's next vlog.
Both legendary players fell in similar fashion as they had aces cracked while playing Omaha. Negreanu got it all in against Seiver in a PLO hand where both players held aces, but Seiver runner-runner paired his danglers to put a nasty beat on Kid Poker.
In a later Omaha Hi-Lo orbit, Hellmuth's aces ran into a set and he couldn't improve on a combo draw to be eliminated ahead of the money. Others who fell ahead of the money included Mike Watson, Jared Bleznick, Michael "Texas Mike" Moncek, and Arieh's Team Lucky teammate Shaun Deeb.
Four-time bracelet and 17-time Circuit ring winner Ari Engel fell on the money bubble ahead of the eliminations of five-time bracelet winner Benny Glaser and Nacho Barbero, who despite complaining about how he was running poorly managed to flop a Royal Flush for the first time in his long poker career.
Action slowed down during five-handed play but the players made the most of it by cracking jokes, playing props and discussing one another's tanking strategies. Arieh it "by far the most fun I've had at a (WSOP) final table."
Shortly after Racener fell in fifth, the four remaining players bagged for the evening. They will return for Day 3 on Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. local time and will play to a winner, who will earn $353,340 and the gold bracelet.
Stay tuned as PokerNews will be back on-site tomorrow to see out the remainder of the $25,000 Dealers Choice Championship.
Level 20
Limit Flop/Draw: 50,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Day 2 has ended with four players remaining. Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,900,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
||
|
1,970,000
220,000
|
220,000 |
|
||
|
970,000 | |
|
||
|
635,000 | |
|
||
Level 20
Limit Flop/Draw: 50,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Omaha Hi-Lo
Mike Gorodinsky dreaded returning for Day 3 as the short stack and begged his opponents to eliminate him. "Please Josh, deliver me from this tournament," he said as he raised into Josh Arieh's big blind. "Please for the love of God don't fold."
"You get very religious when you're tired," said Eric Wasserson.
Arieh called and they saw a flop of 2♥8♣7♠. Gorodinsky bet and Arieh raised to put him all in. No way was Gorodinsky folding.
Mike Gorodinsky: A♣Q♥8♠5♦ 
Josh Arieh: K♣9♣6♠3♥
The board finished out Q♠A♠ and the two chopped the pot with Arieh taking the low and Gorodinsky getting the high, hardly the desired result.
"That was the worst possible outcome," Gorodinsky said.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
970,000
-430,000
|
-430,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
635,000
185,000
|
185,000 |
|
|
||
Level 20
Limit Flop/Draw: 50,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Omaha Hi-Lo
Daniel Zack limped the small blind, Eric Wasserson raised, and Zack called.
Zack check-called a bet on the A♦10♣3♠ flop.
On the 7♠ turn, Zack led and Wasserson called.
Zack led again on the 8♥ river and Wasserson quickly called. Zack tabled 5♥3♥3♣2♥ which was good enough for the scoop in one of the final hands of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,825,000
-175,000
|
-175,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,750,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
|
||
Level 20
Limit Flop/Draw: 50,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Limit Hold'em
After an active No-Limit 2-7 Triple Draw orbit for Daniel Zack, Josh Arieh raised on the button and Eric Wasserson called in the big blind.
Both players checked on the 4♠3♥7♦ flop and Wasserson bet on the Q♦ turn. Arieh called. Wasserson bet again on the 10♣ river and Arieh folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,000,000
950,000
|
950,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
-500,000
|
-500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
450,000
-300,000
|
-300,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 20
Limit Flop/Draw: 50,000-100,000, 100,000-200,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 30,000 Bring-In, 100,000 Completion, 100,000-200,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 50,000/75,000 Ante, 25,000-50,000 Blinds
Level 19
Limit Flop/Draw: 40,000-80,000, 80,000-160,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 20,000 Bring-In, 80,000 Completion, 80,000-160,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 40,000/60,000 Ante, 20,000-40,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 20,000 Bring-In, 80,000 Completion, 80,000-160,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 40,000/60,000 Ante, 20,000-40,000 Blinds
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,050,000
-70,000
|
-70,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,900,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,500,000
560,000
|
560,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
750,000
-450,000
|
-450,000 |
|
|
||
Level 19
Limit Flop/Draw: 40,000-80,000, 80,000-160,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 20,000 Bring-In, 80,000 Completion, 80,000-160,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 40,000/60,000 Ante, 20,000-40,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 20,000 Bring-In, 80,000 Completion, 80,000-160,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 40,000/60,000 Ante, 20,000-40,000 Blinds
Omaha Hi-Lo
Daniel Zack opened to 160,000 on the button and Mike Gorodinsky called in the big blind.
Gorodinsky checked on the flop of 2♦9♠7♠ and Zack bet. Gorodinsky called. Gorodinsky check-called again on the A♥ turn and 7♣ river. Zack showed Q♦7♦4♠2♠ for trips and the nut low to scoop the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,200,000
-550,000
|
-550,000 |
|
|
||
Level 19
Limit Flop/Draw: 40,000-80,000, 80,000-160,000 Limit
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 20,000 Bring-In, 80,000 Completion, 80,000-160,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 40,000/60,000 Ante, 20,000-40,000 Blinds
Stud Games: 20,000 Ante, 20,000 Bring-In, 80,000 Completion, 80,000-160,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 40,000/60,000 Ante, 20,000-40,000 Blinds
Pot-Limit Omaha
Mike Gorodinsky opened to hijack to 120,000 before John Racener jammed for 130,000 from the button. Eric Wasserson called in the big blind and Gorodinsky called.
On the A♣9♥5♥ flop, Gorodinsky bet 200,000 and Wasserson folded.
John Racener: J♦10♣9♣8♠
Mike Gorodinsky: A♠9♠8♣6♦
Racener was drawing thin and his fate was sealed on the 4♠ turn to the 4♣ river as he hit the rail in fifth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,750,000
550,000
|
550,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||