While there was controversy brewing in the Millionaire Maker, and the $50K Poker Players Championship welcomed the best of the best, the feel good story of Wednesday at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) centred on the brilliant $1K Tag Team event, which is shaping up to be a classic.
Of 1,373 teams who entered, only 31 remain, with fantastic tales scattered among them. The all-round great husband and wife pairing of Kristy and Andrew Moreno sit in sixth place, with the similarly delightful Angela Jordison and Maxwell Young in tenth. A little further down in 21st, you'll find Jamie Kerstetter and Corey Paggeot, a pairing that finished second in 2022. One better this time, guys?
For further context on the Moreno fairytale: As Alex Moreno's brother Johnnie Vibes pointed out, the Tag Team showing from the Morenos is essentially a one-woman show from Kristy (lead picture). Multi-tabling in different properties is not easy...
If you ever needed a reason to check out the PokerOrg Legends Lounge (and you shouldn't; it's free to all), talk to Michael Hauptman, who sits 14th overnight with his partner David Hong. Hauptman came to the mindfulness session in the Legends Lounge before sitting down to play, and subsequently enjoyed the day of his life at the tables. If anyone else needs that run-good, sessions start at 11:30am daily.
Michael Hauptman took his Legends Lounge run-good to the Tag Team eventA shout out too to Alan Keating and Cody Daniels, who were near the top of the counts for long periods before slipping to 29th overnight. The nosebleed cash game reg Keating bought Daniels into the Main Event last year, and their relationship blossoms still with this Tag Team deep run.
All are currently chasing German/Austrian duo Quirin Heinz and Felix Rabas at present, with the champions set to be crowned on Thursday.
$1m bonus prompts chip dump allegations
"No, not really."
Newly-crowned Millionaire Maker champion Jesse Yaginuma told PokerOrg that the alleged chip-dumping allegations that have overshadowed his victory are just that: allegations, rather than anything to get conspiratorial about.
In case you missed it, Yaginuma not only snagged the fourth bracelet of his career as the marathon $1,500 Millionaire Maker drew to a close on Wednesday, he also ignited a firestorm on social media after overcoming a nine-to-one heads-up deficit against fellow pro James Carroll.
Jesse Yaginuma squares off against James Carroll at the Millionaire Maker final tableThe final two from this near-12,000 strong field had already locked up more than $1 million apiece, but Yaginuma had the chance to add a further $1 million bonus thanks to his possession of a ClubWPT Gold Pass. The suspicious online investigators suggest an off-the-table deal between Yaginuma and Carroll, with the bonus only payable if the former took down the title.
PokerOrg's Matt Hansen has the full story, including a chat with Yaginuma. And when the first clouds of controversy have blown over, perhaps Hansen's conclusion that "bigger questions have to be asked about the position WPT has put the players in" will need to be addressed.
The second coming of Aaron Cummings
This time last year, Montana's Aaron Cummings was celebrating his maiden WSOP bracelet win, picking up $146,516 for success in the $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw event. Flash forward 12 months, and he's done it again, this time shoving $157,172 in the pocket on the other side of his pants, and strapping another bracelet on his other wrist.
Cummings joins a select band of players who have successfully gone back-to-back in the same WSOP event, an especially neat achievement given his last WSOP cash was that victory last year. This latest success represents another notable spike on his list of results, which more commonly features low four-figure pick-ups in various low buy-in hold'em events.
But cometh the lowball, cometh the Cummings.
Zambanini leads, Farrell lurks as $5K down to five
Matthew Zambanini probably doesn't shout too loudly about his ranking of third on the Delaware all-time money list. It's the second smallest state after all. But the dizzy heights of second on that list must now be in his sights after he bagged the chip lead in the ultra-competitive $5,000 6-Max, with only five players remaining overnight.
Zambanini (20,775,000 chips) was grateful to the dealer for delivering him a crucial 
on the river in a pot against Day 2 leader Robert Ashelm, which turned his 
into two pair to beat Ashelm's 
. And after that, Zambanini was never out of the lead.
However, Zambanini will need his wits about him when the tournament plays to its winner on Thursday, particularly with a chasing field still containing Scotland's finest Niall Farrell. Farrell, already a Triple Crown winner, sits in third place with 10,475,000 as he hunts a second WSOP bracelet, with fellow Brit Brandon Sheils (13,900,000) in second.
Adrien Delmas (8,475,000), of France, and Andjelko Andrejevic (4,775,000), of the United States, complete the final day line-up, with $203,292 already locked up and $855,515 on the line for the winner.
Lindgren heads Mizrachi in blast-from-the-past PPC
Registration finally closed on Wednesday to the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, and by the time the shutters came down the tournament had registered 107 entries, the biggest field since 2022. It put more than $5.1 million in the prize pool, and promised more than $1.3 million for its winner.
The resurgent Erick Lindgren -- best known as one of the stars of the boom years -- rolled back the clock to land in the lead of the 35 remaining. He bagged 2,969,000 chips. And Lindgren has some familiar company from fellow back-in-the-day representatives Mike Matusow, Matt Glantz, Phil Hellmuth, Michael Mizrachi and Daniel Negreanu, who also found bags.
Eric Lindgren leads the way in the PPCThose last two are a former three-time winner and the defending champion, respectively. And Mizrachi is close behind Lindgren in second place. But none are etching their name on the trophy again just yet. The tournament is not yet into the money -- only 17 will be paid -- so it's going to be a tense battle through the bubble first thing on Thursday.
Read Dave Woods' on-the-floor recap of Day 2 in the big one.
Flying Dutchman flying high
There's more to celebrate for fans of boom-era poker with the sight of Marcel Luske leading the $1,000 Super Seniors event. Luske, who used to serenade his bemused opponents at the tables, has also eschewed the trademark suit in favour of a lightweight sports jacket for this one, but his competitive spirit remains undimmed.
The Dutchman bagged 1,908,000 chips (good for nearly 120 big blinds) as a 3,338-entry starting field reduced to its last 134 on Day 2. John Myers (1,532,000) is second, with Thomas Ratkovich (1,487,000) third. Former bracelet winner Gary Benson (1,336,000) is in fourth, while other familiar faces include former EPT Player of the Year Fernando Brito (36th - 608,000) and WSOP legend Sammy Farha (70th - 378,000).
The tournament is deep into the money already, with $3,031 locked up. The winner is set for $356,494.
