Cheung Leads; Matusow and Rast in The Hunt Going into Day 3 of Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better
Welcome to the third and final day of Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better here at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Out of a field of 566 hopefuls, only 18 are left in contention for the first-place prize of $755,610 and the coveted gold bracelet that awaits the winner at the end of the night.
Entering Day 3 as chip leader is James Cheung, who managed to bag up 1,805,000 last night. The next closest player is Seattle-based player Kao Saechao, who will bring 1,250,000 to battle with on the green felt.
Cheung is a relative unknown in the poker world, having only one other cash on his poker resume from Event #47: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. from a few days ago (wherein he placed 85th for $3,007). Nevertheless, Cheung has guaranteed himself a career-best cash and is currently best positioned to make a run at his first WSOP gold bracelet today.
Also in contention is four-time bracelet winner Mike Matusow and six-time bracelet winner Brian Rast, who is coming hot off a win from this year's $50,000 Poker Players Championship. Both Rast and Matusow are considered top contenders for this year’s WSOP Poker Hall of Fame and will surely be looking to pad their poker resumes with a win today.
Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Cheung | United Kingdom | 1,805,000 |
| 2 | Kao Saechao | United States | 1,250,000 |
| 3 | Patricia Yannuzzi | United States | 1,240,000 |
| 4 | James Juvancic | United States | 1,185,000 |
| 5 | Kyle Hinnerichs | United States | 1,175,000 |
| 6 | Michael Estes | United States | 1,120,000 |
| 7 | Mike Matusow | United States | 890,000 |
| 8 | Brian Rast | United States | 870,000 |
| 9 | Jose Paz-Gutierrez | Bolivia | 815,000 |
| 10 | Denny Axel | United States | 755,000 |
Play is set to begin at 1 p.m. local time and play down until a winner. Play will resume on level 26, which features a 10,000 ante, a 10,000 bring-in, and 40,000/80,000 limits. Levels will continue to last 60 minutes each and players will get a 15-minute break after every two levels. Any extended breaks will be determined by players and tournament staff.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as Event #55: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better races toward a final table and the newest WSOP bracelet winner is named!