Sam el Sayed leads final 53 in WPT $25k Championship

Sam el Sayed leads final 53 in WPT $25k Championship

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

The field of 220 players at the Bellagio has been whittled down to just 53 for the World Poker Tour $25,000 Championship Event; WPT Amneville champion Sam el Sayed, is leading the field as one of only three players to have crossed the million chip mark.

Sayed’s 1.107m stack gives him the biggest load of chips in the room but right behind him is Nenad Medic (1.0985m) and coming up in third is WSOP bracelet-winner Steven Kelly (1.005m). Just outside the top three and the million chip club is online tournament legend Christian “charder30” Harder, looking to add to his $1.6m in live tournament cashes.


Sam Trickett is the highest-placed Brit in the chip counts with his 603,000 stack putting him a good chunk above the average count. He eliminated Jake Cody in a 99 v. AQ coinflip in the last hand of the day, propelling him up to 11th in the chip counts. Immediately behind him is everybody’s favourite Welshman (besides Matt Perry), Roberto Romanello. Also in the running for the UK is Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott.


As for other big names left in the field – where to start? Defending champion David Williams is just one of the remaining WPT winners looking for a second or even third title. The Godfather of Poker himself, Doyle Brunson, is still alive as is Daniel Alaei and Kenny Tran. Other names you may recognise include PCA winner Galen Hall; online cash game player and apparent endurance runner Ashton Griffin; November Niner Joseph Cheong; High Stakes Poker winner Haralabos Voulgaris and Partouche cheating scandal accused Ali Tekintamgac.


With 53 left there are still 26 players to be eliminated before we burst the money bubble. Every player at the six-handed final table will earn a cool $225,654 with the winner taking home a $1,618,344 first prize as well as the most coveted of all WPT bracelets.


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Tags: WPT Championship, Sam el Sayed, Sam Trickett, Devilfish, Roberto Romanello, Doyle Brunson, David Williams, Nenad Medic