Vladimir Peck and Venkata Tayi to Battle for Bracelet in Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball
Out of a field of 253 entries in Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball, only two players remain as the first event of the 2021 World Series of Poker requires an additional day to determine a winner. Vladimir Peck and Venkata "Sandy" Tayi have already locked up at least $83,056 for their efforts but the coveted gold bracelet and top prize of $134,390 is still up for grabs.
Day 3 started with just 12 players remaining on two six-handed tables and after the completion of ten full levels, one duo remained. Peck and Tayi were given an extra level to wrap things up but didn't get there so the decision to bag for the night was made. Tayi will return as the chip leader with nine big bets while Peck is only one pot away from taking over the lead with five big bets at his disposal.
Both will be vying for their first gold bracelet and decided to return at noon local time on Monday, October 11. The last former champion to depart was Joao Vieira, who finished in third place. Another three WSOP bracelet winners were among the returning hopefuls. Mike Gorodinsky and Gary Benson bowed out prior to the seven-handed final table and Brian Yoon had to settle for fifth place.
Seat Assignments for the Extra Day
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vladimir Peck | United States | 3,275,000 | 5 |
| 2 | Venkata Tayi | United States | 5,575,000 | 9 |
The day had barely begun when Gorodinsky lost his short stack and he was soon followed to the rail by Brian Tate and Michael Trivett. Jason Daly started Day 3 as the chip leader but he was also among the early casualties. Aussie Poker Hall of Fame member Benson then bubbled the final table as the final seven combined to one table.
It didn't take long for the final seven to get whittled down to five as Carlos Rodriguez and Hal Rotholz departed in quick succession. Yoon's bid for a fourth gold bracelet was off to a decent start as he grabbed an early lead but the tides eventually changed and he had to settle for fifth place.
With the elimination of Aaron Rogers in fourth place, Tayi held more than three quarters of the chips in play and was seemingly destined to wrap things up as the runaway chip leader. However, Vieira and Peck both battled back and took turns at the top of the leaderboard thereafter.
Eventually, Vieira saw his stack reduced to fumes and missed out on a superior A-5 draw to succumb in third place. The heads-up duel between Peck and Tayi lasted for another two hours with both players taking commanding leads but neither of them were able to close it out just yet.
Final Table Results and Remaining Payouts Event #18: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $134,390 | ||
| 2 | $83,056 | ||
| 3 | Joao Vieira | Portugal | $57,558 |
| 4 | Aaron Rogers | United States | $40,443 |
| 5 | Brian Yoon | United States | $28,818 |
| 6 | Hal Rotholz | United States | $20,828 |
| 7 | Carlos Rodriguez | United States | $15,272 |
The remaining two players will return to their seats on the side feature table of the Amazon Room at noon local time with limits of 300,000/600,000. Stay tuned for the conclusion of this event as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back then en route to crown the next WSOP gold bracelet winner.