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After two days of playing at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, a field of 176 strong that showed up for Event #67: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship has been whittled down to its final 11 hopefuls. As can be expected in a championship field like this, the usual suspects showed up in force to create a total prize pool of $1,636,800.
Among the final 11, a few storylines are brewing that will pique any poker fan's interest, headlined by deep runs of various poker royalty.
Take lowball legend Billy Baxter, for example. The seven-time bracelet winner — all in lowball games — won his first bracelet all the way back in 1975! Baxter's last piece of gold came in 2002, and what a story it will be if he clinches number eight, 24 years after his last victory.
Billy Baxter's WSOP Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | $1,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $35,000 |
| 1978 | $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $90,000 |
| 1982 | $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $95,000 |
| 1982 | $2,500 Ace to Five Draw | $48,750 |
| 1987 | $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $153,000 |
| 1993 | $5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $130,500 |
| 2002 | $1,500 Razz | $64,860 |
While Baxter will attempt to break a 24-year drought, Todd Brunson is also among the final 11 to break a 21-year dry spell of his own. The Poker Hall of Famer is looking to double the number of bracelets on his résumé and finds himself in pole position to do so, returning as the overnight chipleader.
Then there's fellow Hall of Famer Nick Schulman, who's already made four final tables this summer, including topping the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. to win his eighth career bracelet. Schulman will return alongside Naoya Kihara, who's trying to win his third bracelet of the summer to put him alongside elite company such as Benny Glaser, Scott Seiver, and Jeff Lisandro, who all won three events in a single series.
Add luminaries such as AJ Kelsall, Justin 'Boosted J' Smith, Brandon Shack-Harris and other crushers into the mix, and a memorable day could be awaiting in Las Vegas. Alongside the bracelet, the winner will receive $392,478 at the end of the night.
Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Todd Brunson | United States | 2,010,000 | 25 |
| 2 | Justin Smith | United States | 1,960,000 | 25 |
| 3 | Koji Fujimoto | Japan | 1,275,000 | 16 |
| 4 | Nick Schulman | United States | 1,125,000 | 14 |
| 5 | Andrew Kelsall | United States | 1,085,000 | 14 |
| 6 | Tommy Hang | United States | 875,000 | 11 |
| 7 | Billy Baxter | United States | 665,000 | 8 |
| 8 | Robert Wells | United Kingdom | 600,000 | 8 |
| 9 | Naoya Kihara | Japan | 430,000 | 5 |
| 10 | Nam Le | United States | 420,000 | 5 |
| 11 | Brandon Shack-Harris | United States | 140,000 | 2 |
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $392,478 |
| 2 | $256,181 |
| 3 | $172,064 |
| 4 | $119,011 |
| 5 | $84,845 |
| 6 | $62,404 |
| 7 | $47,401 |
| 8-9 | $37,224 |
| 10-11 | $30,255 |
