Negreanu one of 27 remaining in WSOP Main Event

Professional poker player Daniel Negreanu is one of 27 players remaining in the World Series of Poker‘s Main Event, as the tournament reached the home stretch.
Negreanu, the all-time leading money winner and one of the most popular players in the game, bagged 8.495 million chips and was in ninth place when play in the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ‘em World Championship was halted early Tuesday at the Rio Convention Center.
The tournament continues at noon Tuesday at the Rio with Day 7 and will stop when nine players remain. Those players will return for the final table Nov. 8 at the Rio‘s Penn & Teller Theater, with the winner to receive $7.68 million.
Thomas Kearney of Las Vegas is the chip leader with 14.4 million, followed closely by Mozheng Guan of Holmdel, N.J. (14.23 million) and Erasums Morfe of Highlands Ranch, Colo., who will open the final day with 12.085 million.
Kearney has cashed in two events at this year‘s World Series of Poker, including a ninth-place finish in the $1,000 buy-in Pot-limit Omaha tournament. He won a big pot and eliminated two players while holding pocket aces to rocket into the overall lead.
Most of the attention Tuesday will be focused on Negreanu, a six-time WSOP bracelet winner who opened the Day 6 in 22nd place and steadily chipped up. Negreanu eliminated Wasim Ahmar of Longwood, Fla., in 31st place, then scooped one of the final pots when he four-bet to push out Thomas Cannuli and Max Steinberg.
This is Negreanu‘s fourth career Main Event cash and first since he was 211th in 2011. His best finish came in 2001 when he was 11th.
"It‘s got to be good for poker," said Joe McKeehen, who will open play in fourth place with 11.975 million chips. "Everyone knows he‘s great for TV. I can guarantee you he‘s having a ton of fun where he is. It would be good for poker if he went deep, but at the same time, if he‘s on my table (Tuesday), I hope I stack him and kill ESPN‘s hopes."
Among the notable bust outs on Day 6: Kelly Minkin, the last woman standing in the tournament, finished in 29th place ($211,821). Brian Hastings, one of the early chip leaders, saw his Main Event end in 49th place as he ran pocket kings into the pocket aces of John Hinds.
Play will resume Tuesday with 37 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the current level, and the blinds at 60,000/120,000 with a 15,000 ante..

CHIP COUNTS
1, Thomas Kearney (Las Vegas) 14,400,000
2, Mozheng Guan (Holmdel, N.J.) 14,230,000
3, Erasmus Morfe (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) 12,085,000
4, Joe McKeehen (North Wales, Pa.) 11,975,000
5, Mario Sequeira (Hanford, Calif.) 11,685,000
6, David Stefanski (East Lyme, Conn.) 11,485,000
7, Alexander Turyansky (Sourbruden, Germany) 10,785,000 -
8, Zvi Stern (Herzilya, Israel) 9,940,000
9, Daniel Negreanu (Toronto) 8,495,000
10, Justin Schwartz (Milford, Conn.) 7,510,000

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ.