The 2016 World Series of Poker main event begins today....July 9,2016

[Greenbacks]

Seat 2.....Vojtech Ruzicka

Chip Count: 27,450,000 (6th)
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Age: 36
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $1,149,027
Biggest Poker Score: 2013 EPT Deauville High Roller — 3rd Place ($426,907)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 3.....Fernando Pons

Chip Count: 6,225,000 (9th)
Location: Palma, Spain
Age: 37
Profession: Account Manager
Lifetime Earnings: $20,653
Biggest Poker Score: 2012 Campeonato de España de Poker — 2nd Place ($19,127)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 4.....Qui Nguyen

Chip Count: 68,075,000 (2nd)
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Age: 39
Profession: Gambler
Lifetime Earnings: $52,986
Biggest Poker Score: 2013 Aria $125 Nightly — 1st Place ($3,220)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 5......Cliff Josephy

Chip Count: 75,000,000 (1st)
Location: Muttontown, NY
Age: 50
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $2,641,620
Biggest Poker Score: 2006 Aruba Poker Classic — 2nd Place ($446,975)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 6.....Michael Ruane

Chip Count: 29,800,000 (5th)
Location: Maywood, NJ
Age: 28
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $44,962
Biggest Poker Score: 2012 EPT Campione Main Event — 30th Place ($17,244)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 7.....Gordon Vayo

Chip Count: 50,450,000 (3rd)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Age: 27
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $974,714
Biggest Poker Score: 2014 WSOP $3,000 NLH — 2nd Place ($314,535)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 8.....Kenny Hallaert

Chip Count: 43,325,000 (4th)
Location: Hansbeke, Belgium
Age: 37
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $1,714,610
Biggest Poker Score: 2011 EPT Deauville Main Event — 6th Place ($210,962)

 

[Greenbacks]

Seat 9.....Jerry Wong.

Chip Count: 10,325,000 (8th)
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Age: 34
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $1,317,539
Biggest Poker Score: 2013 PCA Main Event — 3rd Place ($725,000)

 

[Greenbacks]

The 9 will take the traditional 3.5 month hiatus and return for the final table, which will air live on ESPN from October 30 through November 1.

 

[shdw01]

it is sad to me that 8 of the 9 are prof gamblers (7 are prof poker players). It makes sense considering how crazy the grind is for the main event. I just like seeing the jamba juice shift manager winning the satellite and transforming it into a final table.

 

[Greenbacks]

I have a little problem with waiting 3.5 months.....LOL.

 

[Betallsports]

Seat 5......Cliff Josephy

Chip Count: 75,000,000 (1st)
Location: Muttontown, NY
Age: 50
Profession: Poker Player
Lifetime Earnings: $2,641,620
Biggest Poker Score: 2006 Aruba Poker Classic — 2nd Place ($446,975)

Rooting for the Local Guy ( local to me )
know a few guys that know him and his Family

 

[Greenbacks]

I with you....Gotta root for the Oyster Bay New Yorker for sure.

 

[festeringZit]

Main Table: William Kassouf Eliminated by Griffin Benger in 17th Place ($338,288)

Hand 13:

Griffin Benger raises to 875,000 under the gun and William Kassouf three-bets to 2,300,000 from the hijack. Action folds back to Benger, who four-bets to 5,600,000. Kassouf tanks for several minutes before moving all in for 13,450,000. Benger quickly calls.

Benger shows...Ace/Club...Ace/Spade and has Kassouf's...King/Spade...King/Club in terrible shape. It's one of the bigger pots of the tournament with just shy of 27,800,000 the middle.

The flop is...10/Heart...8/Heart...3 Diamond and Benger keeps the lead. The turn is the 6/Club and Kassouf has two outs with one pull of the deck. The river is the 10/Diamond and Kassouf is eliminated, while Benger becomes one of the biggest stacks remaining.

Prompted by recent stalling during WSOP (Kassouf being one of them) the rules have been adjusted:

RULE CHANGE FOR 2017 – CALLING THE CLOCKWSOP is introducing a rule change designed to improve the pace of play and prevent habitual stalling, an issue thathas gotten worse, in part perhaps because of the wording of our old rule. Rather than implementing a firm “shotclock,” we have opted to take a more situational approach and the rule on calling the clock has been revised.Here are the highlights: Under the previous rule, participants were permitted to call the clock after a “reasonable amount of time”had passed, and two minutes was defined as the minimum reasonable amount of time. That two-minute guideline has been removed. Participants may now call the clock at any point if they feel a participant at the table is taking longer than isreasonable for the game situation. When a floor person initiates a clock, the participant will be given anywhere from 0 to 30 seconds, plus a 10-second countdown. The exact amount of time will be up to the discretion of the floor person.o This is a reduction in the amount of time given for a called clock. If a participant requests a clock, floor persons have the right not to initiate a clock at that time, based ongame situation. (This is intended to prevent abuse of calling the clock.) The floor person may then initiate aclock once he/she deems an appropriate amount of time has passed. Floor persons have the authority to issue a clock without prompting from a participant. Participants who appear to be deliberately stalling the progress of the game or who frequently call for aclock unnecessarily will be subject to penalty. This rule is intended to discourage stalling or taking an unreasonable amount of time for straightforwarddecisions. Participants are encouraged to be respectful of opponents who are involved in a hand. Participants are also encouraged to call the clock if another participant is habitually or repeatedly slowingdown the game.New Rule: Calling-for-clock: Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called, Floor People, intheir sole discretion, may give the participant an additional 0 up to 30 seconds to make a decision. If action has notbeen taken when prompted by the Floor Person, there will be a 10-second countdown followed by a declaration orstopwatch alarm. If a participant has not acted before the declaration or alarm sounds, the hand will be dead. Rio,in its sole and absolute discretion, reserves the right, at any time, to invoke a clock or speed up the amount of timeallotted for a clock. Any participant intentionally stalling the progress of the game or unnecessarily calling the clockwill incur a penalty in accordance with Rules 40, 113, and 114.Old Rule: Calling-for-clock: Once a reasonable amount of time, which is no less than two minutes, has passed anda clock is called, a participant will be given 50 seconds to make a decision. If action has not been taken by the timethe 50 seconds has expired, there will be a 10-second countdown followed by a declaration or stopwatch alarm. If aparticipant has not acted before the declaration or alarm sounds, the hand will be dead. Tournament Supervisorsreserve the right to speed up the amount of time allotted for a clock if it appears that a participant is deliberatelystalling. Any participant intentionally stalling the progress of the game will incur a penalty

 

[festeringZit]

The WSOP has also updated rule 80, referring to time allocated when a player calls the clock, in an effort to speed up play. Last year, the player on whom the clock was called had an extra minute to decide, once a TD had reached the table. This year, that minute shrinks to anywhere from 10 to 40 seconds in total, at the TD’s sole discretion.

Here’s the updated rule:

80. Calling-for-clock: Once a reasonable amount of time has passed and a clock is called, Floor People may, in their sole discretion, give the participant an additional 0 up to 30 seconds to make a decision. If action has not been taken when prompted by the Floor Person, there will be a 10-second countdown followed by a declaration or stopwatch alarm. If a participant has not acted before the declaration or alarm sounds, the hand will be dead. Rio, in its sole and absolute discretion, reserves the right, at any time, to invoke a clock or speed up the amount of time allotted for a clock. Any participant intentionally stalling the progress of the game or unnecessarily calling the clock will incur a penalty in accordance with Rules 40, 113, and 114.