Day 4 of this year’s $10,000 buy-in World Series of Poker main event is over, with the money bubble breached at the second level of play on Friday afternoon Las Vegas time, earning 693 players at least $18,406, but more importantly a continuing opportunity to make the November Nine this year and reach the really serious money.
When the chips were bagged just 291 players were still in action, with Matthew Haugen holding the chip lead on 2.80 million, hotly pursued by Zach Jiganti on 2.36 million and Griffin Benger on 2.32 million, and several other 2-million plus stacks right behind them.
Day 3 chipleaders Andrew Liporace and Mehrdad Yousefzadeh are still in the chase, although further down the chip counts, but Phil Ivey’s ambitions for a dream 11th bracelet in the main event are finished – he exited at 430th.
As the money bubble approached all tables began hand-for-hand play, and on the first hand five all-ins were called across the room. Three of the five hands resulted in eliminations, and that put the 692 survivors into the money.
Busting on the bubble were John Dwyer, Kori Hunter and Zhen Cai, who split the 693rd-place prize of $18,406 three ways and played a game of “high card” to determine who would earn the traditional bubble boy seat to the 2015 Main Event. It was Cai who won that consolation.
Massachusetts poker pro Ronnie Bardah set a new record by making the cash bubble – his record fifth consecutive WSOP main event cash.
Among the 291 survivors of the 746 players who started the day there is still plenty of poker talent and firepower, including Martin Jacobson, Matt Waxman, Jared Bleznick, Rep Porter, David Tuthill, Mukul Jauhuja, Maria Ho, Jeff Madsen, hedge fund manager David Einhorn, Vitaly Lunkin, Isaac Baron, Dan Smith, Brian Hastings, Ola Amundsgard, Brian Townsend, Ali Eslami, Mike Sowers, John Kabbaj, 2013 November Niner Mark Newhouse, Kory Kirkpatrick, Faraz Jaka, Brett Richey and John Monnette.
Not so fortunate were a slew of notable names who were eliminated, including former Main Event champ Huck Seed, five-time bracelet winner Allen Cunningham and Barry Hutter, all of whom fell just short of the money.
Also out are John Juanda, Rando Ohel, Olivier Busquet, Angel Guillen, Vinny Pahuja, Joe Kuether, Jonathan Little, Phil Galfond, Abe Mosseri, Daniel Alaei, Chris De Maci and Michael Binger.
Players return Saturday, when the final table should be reached, and the first six-figure score awarded to the 72nd player to bust.