Watching Event #17, a $1,000 no-limit hold'em tournament in which players started with $1,500 in chips, was a lot like watching an alpine disaster. At noon, the field was enormous, a testament to the still-growing popularity of poker. More than 200 tables sat eleven-handed and 500 alternates paced the hallways, hungry for action. It was a seemingly-steady poker mountain. But like any avalanche, it takes but just one small disturbance to weaken the entire beautiful landscape. With the mere utterance of "Shuffle up and deal," the poker-scape began to rush toward near total collapse. (WSOP Event #17 photo gallery)

No player wanted to get caught up in this man-made collapse. Yet, while everybody would cling to their very last chip, there was no stopping the speed. What most hoped would be a Department of Motor Vehicles snail's pace turned into a fast food drive through. By midnight, all but a couple hundred players were gone. (WSOP Event #17 Evening Updates)

Among the PokerStars players who found their way into the money was Costa Rica's own Humberto Brenes, who finished the night in the top ten in chips after two crucial hands. Also remaining are Victor Ramdin, William "Brett Favre" Jensen, and Robert "Hoogmeister" Hutchins.

Humberto Brenes


Victor Ramdin

Robert "Hoogmeister" Hutchins


William "BrettFavre" Jensen