Kessler Hopes to Save His Summer on Day 2 of the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
By his own admission, the 2024 World Series of Poker hasn’t gone all that well for Allen Kessler. He can change that when Day 2 of Event #74: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship begins at 1 p.m. local time.
Kessler has just four cashes so far this WSOP, with a top score of $28,000 and $36,000 in total earnings. The first-place prize in this event will be much more than that, and that, along with his first bracelet, is what Kessler is chasing as he enters the day third in chips with 273,000.
A total of 74 players return for Day 2, with Ali Eslami taking a huge chip lead into the day with 395,000. He’s more than 100,000 clear of his closest challenger, bracelet winner Andrey Zhigalov (276,500). Brandon Shack-Harris (244,500) and Hisashi Yamanouchi (236,000) round out the top five.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Eslami | United States | 395,000 | 66 |
| 2 | Andrey Zhigalov | Russia | 276,500 | 46 |
| 3 | Allen Kessler | United States | 273,000 | 46 |
| 4 | Brandon Shack-Harris | United States | 244,500 | 41 |
| 5 | Hisashi Yamanouchi | Japan | 236,000 | 39 |
| 6 | Nacho Barbero | Argentina | 215,500 | 36 |
| 7 | Brad Ruben | United States | 205,500 | 34 |
| 8 | Maximilian Schindler | United States | 203,500 | 34 |
| 9 | Xixiang Luo | China | 203,500 | 34 |
| 10 | Rob Hollink | Netherlands | 190,000 | 32 |
Other notables still in the hunt include Nacho Barbero (215,500), Brad Ruben (205,500), Todd Brunson (187,500), Chris Vitch (181,000), $1,500 Stud Hi-Lo Champion Nikolay Fal (166,500), and Dario Sammartino (134,000). Poker commentator and TV funnyman Norman Chad returns with 138,500. Further down the leaderboard are Mike Matusow (99,000), Jeremy Ausmus (81,500), Robert Mizrachi (35,500), and Scott Seiver (17,500).
With 142 entries so far, the field has already surpassed last year’s total. It can get substantially bigger today as late registration remains open for the first hour. Day 2 picks up on Level 10 with limits of 3,000-6,000. Levels will be 60 minutes until Level 14 when they are extended to 90 minutes for the remainder of the tournament. There is a 60-minute dinner break at the end of Level 14 around 7 p.m.
The players will find out what they are playing for shortly after registration closes. Then it’s a race to the money bubble and setting yourself up for a run at the final table and, ultimately, the bracelet.
Stay tuned as PokerNews chronicles the entire journey today.