Level 17 Begins; POY Update

The players return from break to begin Level 17, with increased blinds of 5,000-10,000 and a 1,000 ante. With 28 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 543,000.

Action will continue today until the end of Level 18 (around 8:45 pm PT), and the top 18 players will finish in the money, earning at least $40,266. It looks like they may reach the money tonight, but it’s hardly a certainty.

WPT Player of the Year  –  Update

Will Failla has a tenuous lead in the WPT Player of the Year standings, and after his elimination yesterday, his fate is out of his own hands.

There are six POY contenders still in the field, and the biggest threat is Joe Serock, who only needs a 15th-place or higher finish to catch Failla. (Serock is currently 14th in chips.) The other contenders need to reach the WPT Final Table to have a shot, as you can see below.

15th Place or better:  Joe Serock
5th Place or better:  Moon Kim
4th Place or better:  Noah Schwartz
1st Place:  Antonio Esfandiari, Matt Juttelstad, Rinat Bogdanov