Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan will want to forget the WPT Mandalay Bay Poker Championship in a hurry. Luckily for them the forthcoming World Series of Poker is the perfect distraction.
Both players will be trying to collect an historic eleventh WSOP bracelet when the World Series begins next month, but they could do with a bit more luck than they had at Mandalay Bay if they are to achieve that milestone.
Phil Hellmuth turned up traditionally late to the Mandalay Bay Poker Championships and by the time he arrived Johnny Chan had already been knocked out! The 1987 and 1988 WSOP main-event winner overplayed pocket jacks preflop and found Thomas Wahlroos more than happy to get it all-in with pocket aces.
And it wasn’t long before Chan was joined by his conqueror in 1989, Phil Helluth. Hellmuth ran headfirst into an opponent’s flopped quad deuces, and there are some hands that even the self-proclaimed best player in the world can’t overcome.
The top three at the end of Day One were Shawn Buchanon (158,075), Tim Herbert (155,175) and the WPT legend John Juanda (112,325). There are many other big names still in the hunt when Day Two kicks off at 12pm PDT.