While the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event final table is underway, there is another final table steps away inside the Horseshoe Events Center that will be of interest to poker fans.
The $25,000 High Roller H.O.R.S.E. event is down to just nine players, two of whom have a chance to make some history. Phil Ivey is attempting to win his 12th WSOP bracelet, while Scott Seiver is hoping to become the first player in history to win four bracelets in one year, and also lock up WSOP Player of the Year.
Day 3 of the high stakes mixed game tournament has already been quite intense, with the elimination of Matt Glantz in 10th place out of 120 entrants, and the leaderboard changing drastically from the start an hour into the session. At the time of publishing, Seiver’s stack had significantly increased since play began, while Ivey’s chip count hadn’t moved much.
What’s at Stake for Two Poker Legends?
When this article went to publish, Ivey was fourth in chips and Seiver sixth, both with plenty of chips to make a run at another bracelet. Albert Daher held the chip lead, while Michael Moncek, aka “Texas Mike,” is looking to finish off an otherwise frustrating summer with a bang.
Each of the final nine competitors has a guaranteed minimum payout of $65,761, and the winner will take home $725,926. For Ivey and Seiver, there is even more at stake.
Last month, Ivey became the second player in history to reach 11 WSOP titles when he conquered the $10,000 2-7 Triple Draw Championship for $347,440, his first bracelet since 2014. A win on Tuesday would put the Poker Hall of Famer one step closer to Phil Hellmuth’s record 17 gold bracelets.
For Seiver, spinning it up in the H.O.R.S.E. tournament would arguably mean even more. That is because the seven-time bracelet winner would likely end any doubt as to who will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame next year when he becomes eligible at age 40. Not only would he claim his eighth bracelet and crack the $27 million mark in lifetime live tournament cashes, he would be the first player ever to win four bracelets in the same series and calendar year. And he would become just the seventh player all time to collect at least eight bracelets.
Seiver currently leads the WSOP Player of the Year race by a small margin over Jeremy Ausmus and Michael Rocco. Taking down the $25k H.O.R.S.E. tournament would all but wrap it up for Seiver, and even just by reaching the final table may have just about sealed the deal.
