Highlights from day 5 of the 2012 WSOP Europe (September 25)
Antonio “The Magician” Esfandiari (pictured) has taken out the second largest tournament in WSOP Europe history, earning his third gold bracelet.
The win comes on the heels of his one-of-a-kind championship performance in the WSOP’s Big One for One Drop this summer for which he received a record-setting $18 million in prize money.
WSOPE Event 2, an €1,100 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry tournament, boasted a decidedly different field than this summer’s One Drop event.
The former’s buy-in was a staggering $1 million and attracted a much smaller, experienced field of 48 entrants. Tuesday night in Cannes, Esfandiari further proved his game is suited to best anyone’s on any playing field – large or small.
Event 2 drew 626 entrants making it the second-largest tournament in WSOPE history. The prizepool eclipsed €600,900 and the top 63 finishers made the money. Esfandiari took home €126,207 for first.
The win marks Esfandiari’s third gold bracelet victory and second in the last three months. He now finds himself in elite company and within shouting distance of some of the very best the game has to offer. He joins Jesper Hougaard and JP Kelly as the only players to have won WSOP and WSOPE bracelets in the same year.
WSOP Europe event 2: €1100 No Limit Hold’em final table payouts
1 Antonio Esfandiari (USA) €126,207
2 Remi Bollengier (France) €78,059
3 Salvatore Bonavena (Italy) €57,059
4 Antonin Teisseire (France) €42,356
5 Valentin Detoc (France) €31,869
6 McLean Karr (USA) €24,309
7 Ashly Butler (USA) €18,798
8 Jamel Haddad (France) €14,736
9 Florian Ciuro (France) €11,707
• Joe Hachem’s victory in the 2005 WSOP Main Event is known throughout the poker world, but a second bracelet has so far proved elusive. But after day two of the €5300 Pot Limit Omaha event, Hachem is poised for another shot at gold as he enters the final 10 lying fifth in chips.
French pro Roger Hairabedian emerged as the chip leader, while Michael Mizrachi (third in chips) will be out win his second bracelet for 2012. Jason Mercier is also still in contention while Vanessa Selbst bowed out in 12th.
WSOP Europe event 3: €5300 Pot Limit Omaha end of day two chip count
Roger Hairabedian (France) 335,000
Ville Mattila (Finland) 297,500
Michael Mizrachi (USA) 211,500
Jussi Ryynanen (Finland) 168,500
Joe Hachem (Australia) 148,000
Jussi Nevanlinna (Finland) 87,000
Michel Abecassis (France) 85,500
Jason Mercier (USA) 75,500
Michael Schwartz (USA) 48,000
• Additional reporting, WSOP.com
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