It's been a special privilege to pen this WSOP Diary over the past month, and hopefully we have inspired some of you to try and come to Las Vegas to take part in the WSOP Main Event. If that's your goal, you have only this weekend left to do it with PokerStars. Tomorrow, the Sunday Million takes a break and instead we're running our Mega WSOP satellite, with an astounding 200 Main Event packages guaranteed.
Yes, 200.
And there's every chance many more than that will end up securing their dream trip to Nevada. You can buy in for $350 + $20, or try to get in for much less - just $1 or using Frequent Player Points. Fire up the PokerStars Lobby, go to Events >> WSOP for more info. The big one kicks off at 4.30pm (ET) tomorrow.
At the time of writing, we already have 575 qualifiers for the Main Event. Each gets a brilliant $12,000 package made up of:
If you've been to Vegas with PokerStars before, you'll know it's a blast. If you're a Vegas virgin, then you're in for a treat. The staff at the Palms go the extra mile to make sure all PokerStars qualifiers enjoy their stay. And, of course, there's the famous PokerStars party! Good luck to everyone playing for a seat tomorrow. We hope to see you in Las Vegas soon.
While the Main Event does not start until July 5, the WSOP continues at a breathtaking pace. Today sees the start of events 36 and 37 - it's relentless.
Yesterday Team PokerStars Pro Victor Ramdin enjoyed a great run in the $2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha. He returns today sixth in chips out of the 14 survivors. 482 had entered and the winner will get a little over $260,000. Must be nice.
Ramdin got a key double-up early in the day in a pot-limit hold'em round. He checked from the small blind after a A♠Q♣5♣ flop, Thomas Giorgi checked and Mark Davis bet 3,900. Ramdin made it 23,000. Giorgi re-raised all in for about 55,000, Davis folded and Ramdin called for his tournament life:
Giorgi: A♣J♣
Ramdin: T♣2♣
The turn and river were perfect, coming 2♠T♦ and Ramdin was on his way to a good finish. The overnight chip leader is Jose-Luis Velador, and also still in are the likes of Phil Ivey, Rob Hollink and PokerStars player Kevin MacPhee, who won EPT Berlin back in March.
Congratulations to Team PokerStars Pro Johannes Steindl, from Austria, who finished 16th yesterday in the $1,500 HORSE event for $8,339. The $3,000 version of this format begins today.
The $1,000 Senior's No Limit tournament, for those aged 50 and over, began yesterday with a huge field of 3,142 players. Walking around the floor of that one made me feel young for the first time in ages. Team PokerStars Pros Tom McEvoy and Dennis Phillips were among the starters but were unable to survive the day, which saw 450 players progressing to today's day two.
While that was going on, one of the most eagerly-anticipated events of the WSOP was getting under way, the $10,000 Heads Up No Limit Championship. Two rounds were completed, and 64 players return today. Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Rousso, ElkY and Alex Kravchenko all made it through their two matches, with Rousso beating fellow Team Pro Johannes Strassmann along the way.
Other Team Pros not making the next stage were Jose 'Nacho' Barbero, current WSOP champion Joe Cada, Victor Ramdin (who lost his second round match to Phil Ivey while both were still heavily involved in the Pot Limit Hold'em/Omaha event), Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier, Dario Minieri, Barry Greenstein and Sandra Naujoks.
Good luck to everyone today.
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Tweets of the Day
@RealKidPoker (Daniel Negreanu): This made me laugh. Driving home a huge black cat just ran across the road in front of me. If I was superstitious I would have sped up (he wouldn't really, folks... I think)
@McEvoy_Tom: Went out after flopping the nuts, got my money in good and the board paired and my straight got beat by the boat. Off to dinner!
@ MarcinHorecki: Won a small side event @PokerStars Baltic Festival (100€ +1 rebuy 63 players). Hey, a win is a win ;)
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Thought of the Day
Hope your weekend is a qualified success
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Previous WSOP Diary entries
WSOP Diary: Anh Van Nguyen, remember the name
WSOP Diary: Love to hate Phil Hellmuth? You gotta see this
WSOP Diary: Classic rub down for Daniel Negreanu
WSOP Diary: Maria Mayrinck, something in the water
WSOP Diary: Who needs a rest anyway?
WSOP Diary: An apology
WSOP Diary: George Danzer just misses first bracelet for PokerStars
WSOP Diary: Negreanu, Danzer eye $10K Lowball bracelet
WSOP Diary: Hold me, darling - this is going to be BIG
WSOP Diary: Why Peter Eastgate is missing from the World Series
WSOP Diary: Ville Wahlbeck joins Team PokerStars Pro
WSOP Diary: Durrr misses biggest-ever poker payday, pros overjoyed
WSOP Diary: Poker's clean-up operation begins again
WSOP Diary: Manchester United soccer star Darren Fletcher tackles World Series of Poker
WSOP Diary: $10,000 Stud Championsip draws big names
WSOP Diary: Nh, gg, wp Daniel Negreanu, k?
WSOP Diary: Grinding out $1.5million with perfect timing
WSOP Diary: Team Pro Maridu needs Baker, Baker needs dough
WSOP Diary: Viva la revolution in Las Vegas
WSOP Diary: Safari, so good for Noah Boeken
WSOP Diary: Barry Greenstein mixes it up in the $50K
WSOP Diary: Going supersize in Las Vegas
Contact: blog@pokerstars.eu
