Chris Brewer, Daniel Negreanu Lead Final Five Into the Last Day of the $50,000 Poker Players Championship
Stud Games: 50,000 Ante, 50,000 Bring-In, 200,000 Completion 200,000-400,000 Limits
No-Limit & Pot-Limit: 100,000/150,000 Ante, 50,000/100,000 Blinds
Winning the $50,000 Poker Players Championship is the pinnacle of a poker career. It seals the champion’s reputation forever as they’ll always be known as the one who conquered the toughest, deepest field on the poker calendar. It’s the one many professionals would admit to wanting to win the most. That dream is still alive for just five players after Day 4.
Chris Brewer, helped by his massive bustout of Johannes Becker at the final table, leads the way into the event’s final day as he bagged up 10,425,000. At one point today, he held more than a two-to-one chip lead over the rest of the field. He’s the clear favorite heading into tomorrow for the biggest title of his already stellar career.
“It’s exciting. I’ve just been really fortunate and had a lot of good runouts. I’m not going to try to think about it too much, either way and just hope that keeps happening,” Brewer said at the close of play.
“It would be a cool one. It’s not something I try to think about too much until after. The only thing I care about is the next hand I’m going to play tomorrow. I’ll worry about anything else when the tournament is done.”
Lurking behind Brewer is arguably the game’s biggest star, who has been chasing this title for nearly 20 years. Daniel Negreanu played in the inaugural edition of this event in 2006 and has been back every year since, but he’s made it this far just once, finishing in fifth place in 2017. He last won a bracelet in 2013 and hasn’t won one in Las Vegas since 2008. But a late-night miracle catapulted Negreanu into second place with 7,675,000.
Day 4 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Brewer | United States | 10,425,000 | 26 |
| 2 | Daniel Negreanu | Canada | 7,675,000 | 19 |
| 3 | Dylan Smith | United States | 4,000,000 | 10 |
| 4 | Bryce Yockey | United States | 3,700,000 | 9 |
| 5 | David Benyamine | France | 850,000 | 2 |
Dylan Smith (4,000,000), Bryce Yockey (3,700,000), and David Benyamine (850,000) will try to chase down the two leaders when the final five return to play tomorrow at 2 p.m. local time inside the Horseshoe Event Center.
Day 4 Action
Day 4 began with 12 players remaining out of a starting field of 89. Michael Mizrachi was the first to fall when he lost a hand of Seven Card Stud to Jeremy Ausmus’ trip aces as the three-time champion had to settle for 12th place. James Obst, chip leader over the first two days of the tournament, then four-bet shoved for 2,540,000 with ace-jack but Becker snapped him off with ace-king and held on to bust the two-time bracelet winner in 11th.
Renan Bruschi (10th) and Joao Vieira (9th) was the next to go as the eight-handed final table was set. Smith led at the start of the final table with 4,835,000, with Brewer in third place with 4,355,000.
Phil Ivey made a big jump up the leaderboard and began stirring up hopes for a run at bracelet number 12 when he bet 1,000,000 after the draw in 2-7 Single Draw. Ausmus called with a 10-6, but Ivey had 8-7 to win the pot and move up to 4,200,000. Ivey then took the chip lead from Brewer when he bet the river with top two pair and Brewer called in Omaha Hi-Lo.
Brewer moved back into a big lead when he made an 8-5 against Negreanu’s 8-7, a pot that pushed him past 7,000,000. Brewer then flopped top set with two aces and Becker called off his last 2,200,000 with aces and tens to fall in eighth place.
Ivey had a steady fall from atop the leaderboard until, with just 1,110,000 remaining, he got all his chips in the middle against Smith in 2-7 Single Draw. Ivey drew a 9-7, but Smith caught an 8-7 to send the Poker Hall of Famer to the rail in seventh place.
Negreanu made No. 2 in 2-7 Triple Draw to knock Ausmus down to a short stack, but Ausmus then caught his own 7-6 to win a big pot off Benyamine. Benyamine soon doubled up against Brewer with 8-7-4 against 8-7-6.
The night was going to be brought to an end with the next elimination, and Smith looked like he wouldn’t return tomorrow after he shoved his last 1,840,000 with king-jack and Yockey woke up with two queens. Smith, though, spiked a king on the turn to double up and prolong the day.
Then came a hand that saved Negreanu’s tournament and had Yockey replaying the same bad memories he had five years ago after his memorable hand against Josh Arieh at the final table. Negreanu had most of his chips in the middle in Omaha Hi-Lo as Yockey made a full house, but Negreanu spiked a one-outer on the river to make a straight flush and take the massive pot. Negreanu and Benyamine then quartered Ausmus to leave him with just 300,000. The six-time bracelet winner was eliminated on the next hand as the night ended.
The action on Day 5 picks up with 16:55 remaining in Level 24 with limits of 200,000-400,000 and blinds of 50,000-100,000 in no-limit and pot-limit games. Everyone left is guaranteed $265,054, with the champion earning $1,178,703 and the glory of taking down this prestigious title. The final table will also be streamed on PokerGO.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow as the final five take their seats on the main feature stage to play down to a champion who will write their name in WSOP lore.