Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Day 3 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$50,000
Prize Pool
$3,552,000
Entries
74
Level
27
Limits
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
0
Level 19
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
What a day for Phil Ivey in Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship. For the second straight night, Ivey bagged and tagged as the tournament chip leader, ending the day at 4,775,000 and keeping his hopes for his 11th WSOP bracelet very much alive. Ivey stayed at or near the chip lead for the entire day and has cashed in this event for the second year in a row, and the fourth time in his career.
The field in this event always represents the best of the best in poker, and this year’s remaining 12 players are no exception. Right on Ivey’s heels are bracelet winners Josh Arieh (4,029,000) and Bryce Yockey (2,386,000), who has clinched his fifth cash of the 2019 WSOP already.
Day 3 went down to the wire, as 13 players remained when play ended at Level 18, the last scheduled level of the night. Tournament officials decided to play until the money bubble broke and only the 12 money finishers remained.
This created a fascinating dynamic in the final hands of the night, as short stacks Timofey Kuznetsov, Daniel Cates, Andrew Brown and Chris Klodnicki all tried to outlast each other with the min cash of $72,078 on the line. All of these players spent most of Level 18 at five big blinds or less, with Kuznetsov busting out with about 20 minutes remaining in the day.
Hand-for-hand play commenced after that, and it was Klodnicki finally busting out in 13th place on the third hand of the extra level, sending the remaining dozen players into the money. Those 12 players have a combined 22 bracelets among them, including four-time champion and 2018 WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb, who looks to be building momentum in this year's race, closing in on the heights of the leaderboard.
Deeb sat to Ivey’s direct left for most of the day, giving spectators in attendance a chance to see two of the best players in the world go head-to-head. Deeb went on a surge in the last level of the day to end up at 2,450,000 and he’s in contention for his fifth career bracelet.
Play will resume with the continuation of Level 19 on Thursday 27th June, with the restart scheduled for 2 p.m. and 1 hour 34 minutes remaining in the level.
Notable eliminations on Day 3 included former Poker Players Championship winners John Hennigan (2014), and Matthew Ashton (2013). Other big names to hit the rail included Jason Mercier, Robert Mizrachi, Phil Galfond, Brian Hastings, David “ODB” Baker, John Monnette and Adam Friedman.
Considered among many to be the most coveted championship of the WSOP, the final two days of the 2019 edition of the Players Championship will surely not disappoint, with a loaded field of poker’s greatest battling it out in the 8-game mix. Thursday’s plan is to play down to six players, then bring those six back for the final table on Friday.
Follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team through the final two days of Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship and find out who wins the prestigious event.
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Bryce Yockey | United States | 2,386,000 | 47.72 | 23.86 |
| 1 | 2 | Andrew Brown | United States | 210,000 | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| 1 | 3 | Josh Arieh | United States | 4,029,000 | 80.58 | 40.29 |
| 1 | 4 | Chris Vitch | United States | 623,000 | 12.46 | 6.23 |
| 1 | 5 | David Oppenheim | United States | 2,108,000 | 42.16 | 21.08 |
| 1 | 6 | Dario Sammartino | Italy | 1,721,000 | 34.42 | 17.21 |
| 2 | 1 | Dan Cates | United States | 319,000 | 6.38 | 3.19 |
| 2 | 2 | Phil Ivey | United States | 4,775,000 | 95.5 | 47.75 |
| 2 | 3 | Phillip Hui | United States | 1,540,000 | 30.8 | 15.4 |
| 2 | 4 | John Esposito | United States | 1,200,000 | 24 | 12 |
| 2 | 5 | Talal Shakerchi | United Kingdom | 785,000 | 15.7 | 7.85 |
| 2 | 6 | Shaun Deeb | United States | 2,450,000 | 49 | 24.5 |
Level 19
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,775,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
||
|
4,029,000
309,000
|
309,000 |
|
||
|
2,450,000
-20,000
|
-20,000 |
|
|
||
|
2,386,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
||
|
2,108,000
-16,000
|
-16,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,721,000
239,000
|
239,000 |
|
||
|
1,540,000
-86,000
|
-86,000 |
|
||
|
1,200,000
-2,000
|
-2,000 |
|
|
||
|
785,000
-103,000
|
-103,000 |
|
623,000
-12,000
|
-12,000 |
|
319,000
-152,000
|
-152,000 |
|
|
||
|
210,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
Level 19
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
The final twelve players are bagging and tagging for the evening. Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action, as well as the Day 4 seat draw and chip counts of all the remaining players.
Level 19
: 50,000/100,000, 0 ante
No-Limit Hold'em
On the third hand back from break, Josh Arieh raised to 61,000 from under the gun, and Chris Klodnicki shoved for 166,000 in the big blind. Arieh called.
Chris Klodnicki: 
Josh Arieh: 
Klodnicki sighed after the 
flop gave Arieh top pair and an open-ended straight draw, leaving Klodnicki looking for one of the three queens remaining in the deck to survive.
Having wanted to avoid paint on the flop, Klodnicki now needed it to survive, but the 
turn was a brick, and after the 
river hit the felt, Klodnicki wished the table luck, with the remaining twelve players all now in the money.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level: 19
Limit Flop / Draw: 25,000/50,000
Stud Games: 10,000 (ante), 15,000 (bring-in), 50,000 (completion)
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 12000/24,000/36,000 ante
Level 18
: 40,000/80,000, 0 ante
The remaining 13 players are taking a fifteen-minute break. Here are chip counts on the direct bubble amidst hand-for-hand play. Upon return, play will continue until the bubble bursts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,770,000
-130,000
|
-130,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,720,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
2,470,000
740,000
|
740,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,306,000
-179,000
|
-179,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,124,000
-276,000
|
-276,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,626,000
-254,000
|
-254,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,482,000
82,000
|
82,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,202,000
-5,000
|
-5,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
888,000
228,000
|
228,000 |
|
|
635,000 | |
|
|
471,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
240,000
-270,000
|
-270,000 |
|
|
130,000
-70,000
|
-70,000 |
|
|
||
Level 18
: 40,000/80,000, 0 ante
No-Limit Hold'em
Josh Arieh raised to 60,000 from the small blind, and Chris Vitch called in the big blind.
Arieh bet 80,000 on the 
flop, and Vitch called.
Arieh bet 160,000 on the 
turn, and Vitch called again.
On the 
river, Arieh jammed for Vitch's last 635,000.
"Gahhh, I knew you were gonna do it!" Vitch said, standing up. He took a few swigs from his water, pacing around his seat for amoment before sitting against his chair. He finally pushed his hand away with a grimace after a few more moments of thought.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,720,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
635,000
-465,000
|
-465,000 |
Level 18
: 40,000/80,000, 0 ante
No-Limit Hold'em
With hand-for-hand play in action, John Esposito raised to 55,000 in the cutoff. Dan Cates reshipped all in for 326,000 from the button and Esposito asked for a count before folding.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,207,000
157,000
|
157,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
441,000
231,000
|
231,000 |
|
|
||
Level 18
: 40,000/80,000, 0 ante
With thirteen players remaining and only twelve players paid, the field has begun the hand-for-hand process. Stay tuned to see which player ends up as the bubble boy of the Poker Players Championship.