World Series of Poker: Day 15

Wednesday’s schedule:

11 a.m. — $2,000 No-limit Hold ‘em (3-day event)

Noon — $1,000 Pot-limit Omaha (Final table); $3,000 Six-handed No-limit Hold ‘em (Day 2)

2 p.m. — $10,000 Seven-card Razz Championship (Final table); $1,000 Limit Hold ‘em (Day 2)

3 p.m. — $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship (3-day event)

Player to watch:

* Jason Mercier goes for his second WSOP bracelet in three days in the $10,000 buy-in Seven-card Razz Championship, and many in the poker community will be sweating the outcome.

Mercier, who enters eight-handed play as the chip leader, said Monday following his victory in the $10,000 2-7 No-limit Draw Lowball Championship that he had side bets with several people on winning two bracelets this summer at 18- or 19-1 odds.

The scene at the Rio is expected to be reminiscent of 2010, when renowned high-stakes player Tom “durrrr” Dwan was heads-up in a $1,500 buy-in No-limit Hold ‘em event and stood to collect a rumored $9 million to $12 million on prop bets if he took down the bracelet. Simon Watt saved the poker economy from bankruptcy then, but a victory by the 29-year-old Mercier would decimate more than a few bankrolls.

Tuesday’s highlights:

* Marco Johnson won the $3,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament ($259,730). It was the second career bracelet for the professional poker player from Walnut Creek, California.

* Chase Bianchi won the $1,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em tournament ($316,920). The equity analyst and ROI consultant from Columbia, Maryland, previously had never cashed in a non-circuit WSOP event.

Quotable:

“It wasn’t a big deal if I lost the $65,000 heads-up because just the way the payouts were. I was just happy I didn’t get third.” — Jason DeWitt, who won the “Millionaire Maker” event on Tuesday night for $1,065,403. Second-place finisher Garrett Greer also took home a seven-figure payday.