The $50,000 Poker Players Championship Begins at 3 p.m.
One of the most anticipated events of the 2017 World Series of Poker is upon us as the $50,000 Poker Players Championship begins Sunday at 3 p.m.
Many of the biggest names in the game consider this their main event, as winning in the eight-game format against the best in the world is what many believe to be the toughest challenge the WSOP schedule presents.
With a combined 26 bracelets won by the nine winners of this event, luck is certainly not what comes to the forefront in the PPC. The skill required to defeat the toughest tournament field of the summer by being proficient in each variant is what is consistently echoed by players and past champions.
David "Chip" Reese, the first champion of this event and for whom the Memorial Trophy is named, was long considered by his peers to be the best all-around poker player. After his win in 2006, Reese said, "It's not just one day or two days. It's every day." The past winners of this event have certainly proved in one way or another that they have withstood the test of time.
Defending champion Brian Rast is a two-time winner of this event, having won it the first time in 2011. The other player with multiple PPC titles is Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, who earned top honors in 2010 and 2012. Coupled with his fourth-place finish last summer, Mizrachi is the only player with three PPC final tables under his belt.
Here is a look at the past entries, prize pool, champions, and first-place prizes:
| Year | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 143 | $6,864,000 | Chip Reese | $1,716,000 |
| 2007 | 148 | $7,104,000 | Freddy Deeb | $2,276,832 |
| 2008 | 148 | $7,104,000 | Scotty Nguyen | $1,989,120 |
| 2009 | 95 | $4,560,000 | David Bach | $1,276,806 |
| 2010 | 116 | $5,568,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,559,046 |
| 2011 | 128 | $6,144,000 | Brian Rast | $1,720,328 |
| 2012 | 108 | $5,184,000 | Michael Mizrachi | $1,451,527 |
| 2013 | 132 | $6,336,000 | Matthew Ashton | $1,774,089 |
| 2014 | 102 | $4,896,000 | John Hennigan | $1,517,767 |
| 2015 | 84 | $3,696,000 | Mike Gorodinsky | $1,270,086 |
| 2016 | 91 | $4,176,000 | Brian Rast | $1,296,097 |
The schedule for Day 1 calls for six 100-minute levels to be played, which should have players bagging and tagging at about 2:15 a.m. Registration remains open until the start of Day 2.
Be sure to keep it here for live updates on all of the action, as the quest to crown the 2017 Poker Players Champion begins!