A thrilling day in the WSOP saw ten bracelet events in progress as Italian former WSOP Main Event runner-up Dario Sammartino won his first bracelet and some of poker’s finest battled to reach the final day of the Poker Players Championship and fight for the Chip Reese Trophy in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sammartino Seals Success at Last in Mixed Omaha Event

Italian poker sensation Dario Sammartino finished as runner-up to Hossein Ensan in 2019. Five long years later, Sammartino conquered a WSOP Event at last, winning the 61^st event of this year’s WSOP series as he won the Mixed Omaha and Stud event for a top prize of $222,703.

At the final table of this event, Paul Zappulla busted in ninth for $16,159, with Jeff Madsen finishing fourth for $71,810. The 2004 WSOP Main Event runner-up David Williams finished third for $102,335 as Sammartino went on to beat Jon Kyte heads-up for the trophy.

Five Remain in PPC as Kid Poker Chases Chris Brewer for Glory

Just five players remain in with a chance of becoming the 2024 $50,000 Poker Players Championship winner for a $1.1m top prize and the Chip Reese Trophy. Chris Brewer (10,465,000) has the chip lead from Daniel Negreanu, with the Canadian on 7,635,000 chips. Also making the final day are Dylan Smith (4,030,000), Bryce Yockey (3,670,000) and David Benyamine (900,000), with the French player some way behind in the pecking order.

The dramatic penultimate day saw two major players bust out just before the final five were formed, with the 11-time WSOP winner Phil Ivey missing out in seventh place for $158,719 when Dylan Smith made an 8-7-6-5-3 to beat Ivey’s 9-7 in Lowball. After Ivey’s elimination, Negreanu was at risk, but he doubled through Yockey after rivering a one-outer to propel himself up to second in chips instead. There was only time for one more player to bust, as the six-time bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus lost when David Benyamine and Chris Brewer chopped the high and low of a hand the three of them shared to send Ausmus home with $200,896.

Spitale Leads Final Six to Millionaire Maker Showdown

The Argentinian poker professional Franco Spitale holds the chip lead with just six players remaining in the $1,500-entry Millionaire Maker Event #54. With 83.6 million chips, Spitale sits some way ahead of his two main rivals, Canadian Stephen Dauphinais (68.7m) and Justin Carey (63.9m).

A total of 45 players made this event from the 10,939 entries,  and with the exits of players such as three-time bracelet winner Sean Troha, Day 3 joint chip leader Martin Mathis, fellow joint leader Max Neugebauer and popular pro Jason Wheeler, just half a dozen players are still chasing the top prize of $1,250,125, with just $289,630 going to whoever finishes sixth.

Eminoglu Ahead in Super Seniors

Turkish player Yucel Eminoglu (15.9 million) leads the last 11 players in the $1,000-entry Super Seniors Event #59 and has over double the chips of closest challengers Buck Bucceri (7,725,000) and Sean Jazayeri (7.05m). With a top prize of $368,025 on the line, others such as Paul Runge (6.75m), Kevin Song (4.4m) and Gregory Nichols (3.5m)  all still have a great shot at glory if things go their way from the kick off on finals day.

Rodriguez and Belforti Heading for Heads-Up?

Event #60, the $3,000-entry No-Limit Hold’em event, saw just 13 players left after 1,773 entries in the event. Noel Rodriguez (15,425,000) and Justin Belforti (15,050,000) are some way clear of their nearest rival Brandon Mitchell (6,050,000) as a top prize of $676,900 dangles in front of the players for tomorrow’s final day.

While big names such as Benjamin Spragg (75^th), Simon Wiciak (70^th), Anthony Zinno (62^nd), Andre Akkari (57^th), and Kristen Foxen (55^th) all busted, Vanessa Kade (5.62m) still has a shot at glory and her first-ever WSOP bracelet tomorrow.

Deepstack Drama as Hunyh the Hero

Just 60 players are left in the $600-entry PokerNews Deepstack Championship, also known as Event #62 on the ticket, with 767 players battling on Day 2 of this three-day event sponsored by PokerNews.

As superstars like Jamie Kerstetter, Ben Yu and Martin Kabrhel all faded out of contention for the top prize, others thrived, with Kenny Huynh (5,920,000), Michael Dobbs (5.8m), Darryll Fish (5.13m) and Kenneth Kemple (4.55m) all making it to a showdown worth $283,701 to the winner.

Funkhouser Among Final Six in Lowball Draw Event

Six players remain in the $1,500-entry No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Event #63, with a top prize of $123,314 on the line. French player Michel Leibgorin (3,995,000) leads the remaining players into battle, with Americans, Charles Tucker (2,325,000) and David Funkhouser (1,645,000) closest to Leibgorin.

On a dramatic penultimate day at the felt in this event, WSOP bracelet winner and the ‘Eminem of Poker’, Ryan Depaulo, busted along with Poker Hall of Famer Jennifer Harman, WPT multiple winner Bin Weng, the former WSOP Player of the Year Robert Campbell, Mixed Triple Draw bracelet winner Patrick Moulder and the three-time WSOP bracelet winner Chance Kornuth.

A New Trio of Events Kick Off on Day 30

Three new bracelet events began on Day 30 of this year’s WSOP, with Event #64, the $600-entry NLHE Deepstack event seeing 5,271 total entrants, with just 790 players making the money. Day 2 will only welcome 283 of them back to the felt, with Samuel Summers (1,750,000) leading from Jamie Robbins (1,700,000), Shinya Nakajima (1,625,000), Nick Guagenti (1,000,000), Justin Pechie (710,000) and Lexy Gavin-Mathers (670,000).

Event #65 saw 680 entries put down $5,000 each as the Seniors High Roller ended with just 161 in seats. Angela Jordison (707,000) leads after a superb day at the felt, with Michael Bickel (616,000), Scott Andrews (544,000), Bruno Lopes (256,000), Eli Elezra, (108,000) and John Juanda (98,000) all making the Day 2 cut.

Lastly, Event #66 saw 726 entries, each worth $10,000 as the Pot-Limit Omaha Championship began. Just 245 made Day 2 with James Chen (675,500) leading others such as Jim Collopy (636,500), Josh Arieh (410,000), Michael Mizrachi (405,000), Juha Helppi (376,500), Maxx Coleman (361,000), Danny Tang (315,000), Kahle Burns (290,500) and David Williams (257,500) into tomorrow’s second day in the event.

With thanks to PokerGO for their official WSOP photography. The 2024 World Series of Poker is available to watch exclusively on PokerGO. Subscribe today and watch all the drama play out in Las Vegas!