Belgium’s Neuville moves into top spot after Day 5 of WSOP Main Event
It was moving day at the World Series of Poker’s Main Event, and nobody moved more than Belgium’s Pierre Neuville.
Neuville opened Day 5 of the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship in 77th place out of 237 players. But he will be the chip leader with 7.105 million when play resumes at noon Monday at the Rio Convention Center.
The Main Event runs through Tuesday, and there are 69 players from the field of 6,420 entrants still in contention for the $7.68 million first prize. All the remaining players are guaranteed a minimum of $96,445.
Neuville, a resident of Knokke-Heist, Belgium, has cashed in 19 WSOP events in his career, including a runner-up finish in last year’s $5,000 buy-in No-limit Hold ‘em Six Handed tournament for more than $385,000.
David Stefanski of East Lyme, Conn., is second with 6.48 million chips and shot up the leaderboard on the final hand of the night when he made a hero call on the river with two pair to pick off a bluff and eliminate Daniel Fuhs.
Thomas Paul of New York is third with 6.14 million, while David Peters of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (6.13 million) and Mozheng Guan of Holmdel, N.J. (6.03 million) round out the top five.
Joseph McKeehen of North Wales, Pa., who led after Day 4, was stuck in neutral and sits in 20th place.
Six-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu continued his climb up the chip count and has 3.62 million, good for 22nd place overall.
Kelly Minkin of Tucson, Ariz., is the last woman standing at this year’s Main Event. Minkin was below 400,000 chips at the 10:30 p.m. break but doubled up with pocket queens late Sunday and then won a big pot on the final hand of the night against Alexander Turyansky to finish with 2.145 million.
Other notables in the field include: Andrew Moreno (5,320,000), three-time bracelet winner Brian Hastings (4,740,000), Max Steinberg (4.285 million), Anton Morgenstern (4,200,000), Justin Schwartz (3,495,000) and Mark Kroon (3,250,000).
Among the notables to be eliminated on Day 5 were 1993 Main Event champion Jim Bechtel (121st place, $46,890) and seven-time bracelet winner Men Nguyen (211th, $40, 433).
CHIP COUNTS
1, Pierre Neuville (Knokke-Heist, Belgium) 7,105,000
2, David Stefanski (East Lyme, Conn.) 6,480,000
3, Thomas Paul (New York) 6,140,000
4, David Peters (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) 6,130,000
5, Mozheng Guan (Holmdel, N.J.) 6,030,000
6, Andrew Moreno (Las Vegas) 5,320,000
7, Matt Jarvis (Vancouver, British Columbia) 5,250,000
8, Thomas Cannuli (Cape May, N.J.) 5,070,000
9, George McDonald (Glasgow, Scotland) 4,940,000
10, Brian Hastings (Hanover Township, Pa.) 4,740,000
