The 2019 WSOP Main Event field has actually trimmed from 8,569 players to 354 and also while we do not understand who will certainly claim the $10 million reward on July 16, we do understand it will not be a previous champion. Qui Nguyen, the 2017 world champ, was the last previous champion still depending on Day 4 but was gotten rid of before the session ended.
While most of the big name pros are gone, there are still some acquainted faces returning for Day 5. That includes previous NFL celebrity protective end Richard Seymour, Mike Matusow, Antonio Esfandiari, and also Todd Brunson. And we absolutely can’t ignore our own discussion forum member Jacki Burkhart who left the Rio on Tuesday with lots of chips.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie Part II?
In 2005, Joe Hachem put on a show when he won the Main Event. He rapidly came to be a crowd favorite at the final table for his sophisticated demeanor as well as energetic rail that shouted, “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oy! Oy! Oy!” after every pot he won.
The Australian poker champ busted on Day Three except the money. But his child, Daniel, is still grinding, wishing to follow in his footsteps as a Main Event champion.
Daniel Hachem, whose appearance leaves no doubt he’s related to the 2005 world champion, bagged 2,450,000 chips. That’s good for 55th out of 354 remaining players.
Hachem isn’t the only child of a previous Main Event champion still standing, however. Todd Brunson, whose Poker Hall of Fame father Doyle, ended up Day 4 with 1,151,000, which is around the average. The elder Brunson won the Main Event in 1976 and 1977. The Brunson’s are the only parent-child combo in the Poker Hall of Fame.
Other Notable Day Five Chip Stacks
- Antonio Esfandiari (2,583,000)
- Dario Sammartino (2,352,000)
- Olivier Busquet (2,041,000)
- Jacki Burkhart (1,503,000)
- Alex Foxen (933,000)
- Mike Matusow (726,000)
- Jay Farber (436,000)
- Cary Katz (200,000)
Dean Morrone, an 888poker online qualifier, has the biggest stack (4,980,000).
Cary Katz pulled double duty on Tuesday. He went back and forth from the Main Event to the $50,000 High Roller which was also running in the Amazon room. The Poker Central founder also cashed in the high roller, finishing 12th for $112,357.
Brandon Adams, who recently won a bracelet in an online event, leads heading into the $50k final table.
Rough Day for Past Champions
Chris Moneymaker making the final table would have made for an exciting story. But the 2003 champion, who cashed in the Main Event for the first time in 16 years, was eliminated on Day Four in 687th place ($20,200).
Moneymaker’s demise left two past champions – Qui Nguyen and Johnny Chan. Chan was nursing a small stack for most of the day and the 1987 and 1988 winner busted in 560th place ($24,560).
It was up to Nguyen to carry the torch. And for quite some time it appeared he was destined for another deep run. But after getting his kings cracked by a set, he lost a big chunk of his stack. On his final hand, he moved all-in pre-flop with pocket fives but ran into a slightly better pair – sixes. The 2016 Main Event champion was eliminated in 455th place ($30,780).
So, when Day Five kicks off at noon PT on Wednesday, every remaining player will by vying for their first Main Event title.
