Ivey Out as Shakerchi Leads Into Day 5 of $50,000 Poker Players Championship
The penultimate day in the most prestigious event at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) ended somberly as the biggest star left in Event #43: $50,000 Poker Players Championship, Phil Ivey, bowed out in sixth place before his five opponents bagged for the evening.
It looked like the the poker G.O.A.T. could win an 11th bracelet, his first since 2014, when he entered Day 4 fifth in chips of the 12 remaining players and outlasted bracelet winners Johannes Becker, Marco Johnson and Josh Arieh, who was after a sixth bracelet after winning Event #22: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship earlier in the month for $316,226.
Leading the way into Day 5 is high roller regular Talal Shakerchi as the only player with more than ten million chips, who is after his first bracelet and to add to his $12.7 million in Hendon Mob earnings at his second WSOP final table of the summer. Shakerchi will have to shake off two former champions in 2013 winner Matthew Ashton with 7,380,000 and Brian Rast, who is looking to join Michael Mizrachi as a three-time winner as he returns with 4,545,000.
Another bracelet winner, James Obst, continues his fantastic return to poker after leaving the game to pursue professional tennis. Obst, who won the 2017 $10,000 Razz Championship for $265,138, has already cashed three events this summer, including a fifth-place finish in Event #17: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better for $63,737 and an eighth-place finish in Event #25: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $48,300.
Meanwhile, California's Kristopher Tong is after his first bracelet after a runner-up finish in a $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo event in 2013 for $134,017. Tong also finished 79th in last year's $10,000 Main Event for $101,700.
Event #43: $50,000 Poker Players Championship Final Table
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Obst | Australia | 5,110,000 |
| 2 | Talal Shakerchi | United Kingdom | 10,170,000 |
| 3 | Brian Rast | United States | 4,545,000 |
| 4 | Matthew Ashton | United Kingdom | 7,380,000 |
| 5 | Kristopher Tong | United States | 2,500,000 |
Current & Future Hall of Famer's Battle on Day 4
Day 4 of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship featured a stacked cast of characters, including several who hope soon to join Ivey in the elusive Poker Hall of Fame.
Arieh, a five-time bracelet winner and the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year went out ahead of the unofficial final table in an Omaha Hi-Lo confrontation against Obst to come up short of his second bracelet of the summer.
Ray Dehkharghani, who is Jennifer Harman's pick for this year's HOF induction, outlasted the likes of satellite winner Hal Rotholz (8th - $141,125) and managed to score a final table double-up before falling against Ashton in No-Limit 2-7 Single Draw.
Ashton had raised with Jx8x7x6x4x, and Dehkharghani then jammed a short stack with 10x7x4x3x2x and stood pat. Ashton broke his jack and spiked a three to eliminate the 2016 $10,000 Razz Championship champion.
Also in the future HOF category is Rast, who managed to stay out of any major confrontations and slowly chipped up throughout the day on his quest for a sixth bracelet since his 2021 win in Event #51: $3,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold'em. Rast told PokerNews he felt that he deserved induction in 2022, the first year he became eligible at age 40.
Despite the stacked field, no one came close to overshadowing Ivey, who played quietly beneath a hoodie and cap as he managed to enter the seven-handed final table third in chips. But play at the final table didn't go Ivey's way, and he lost several pots throughout the rotation of games before a final confrontation playing no-limit Hold'em.
Down to the shortest stack at the table, Ivey moved all in with pocket threes as Shakerchi called with ace-jack before hitting an ace on the flop to mark the ten-time bracelet winner's elimination. Ivey quietly left the outer feature table as he was softly applauded by the dozens of poker fans on the surrounding rail.
Day 5 will commence on Thursday, June 22, at 2 p.m. local time with a one-hour delay for the PokerGO stream (3 p.m. start). Action on Day 5 will pick back up with 8 minutes and 20 seconds left in Level 23. PokerNews will report on a delay to avoid any spoilers.
Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back tomorrow as a 2023 champion is crowned in the WSOP Poker Players Championship.