Update: New Winners at WSOP

Steury wins $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event The action at the 2011 WSOP doesn't cease to excite industry observers and poker fans, who have spent over a week closely watching the events that started so far. In one of them, Event 17, the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E., a 24-year-old poker pro from Fort Wayne, Indiana, Aaron Steury, demonstrated his mastery of Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo Split Eight or Better, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Stud Eight or Better, outplaying some big names in a field of 963, and taking down his first WSOP bracelet and a prize worth $289,283. In the exciting heads-up, he defeated Michael Chow, who earned himself a paycheck of $178,691. In terms of Event 18, the $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em, which saw the biggest entry field yet at this year's World Series with 3 157 entrants, by the end of Day 3 the action reached level 28 with only nine survivors left, led by Allen Le. As for event 19: $2,500 Limit Hold'em - Six Handed on June 13 the play reached a final table of twelve, which was split into two tables, led by Alexander Kuzmin. The table also involved the third woman to make a final table, Kim Nguyen, who remained there by level 25 on late Monday night, facing Darren Woods in the heads-up. Hence, Nguyen has a chance to join a short list of women players who have achieved a WSOP bracelet in an open event: Annette Obrestad (2007 WSOP-Europe Main Event), Katja Thater (2007 Razz), Kathy Liebert (2004 Limit Hold'em Shootout), Cyndy Violette (2004 Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Split 8 or Better), Annie Duke (2004 Omaha Hi Lo Split 8 or Better), Jennifer Harman (2002 Limit Hold'em & 2000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball), Nani Dollison (2001 Limit Hold'em), Jerri Thomas (2000 Limit Seven Card Stud), Maria Stern (1997 Limit Seven Card Stud), Linda Johnson (1997 Limit Razz), Barbara Enright (1996 Pot Limit Hold'em), and Vera Richmond (1982 Limit Ace to Five Draw). Event #20: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em reached the Day 2 with Doug Lang in the lead, followed by a number of reputable names, such as Lex Veldhuis, Amnon Filippi, Yuval Bronshtein, Hoyt Corkins, John Phan, Scott Montgomery, Tim West, Shaun Deeb and Gavin Smith. By level 18, there were 49 players left with Yashar Darian in the chip lead. As for Event 21: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship, which attracted only 126 players but generated a prize pool of $1.18 million, it saw various big shots in the competition, including Ted Forrest, John Cernuto, Erik Seidel, Jeff Lisandro, Mike Sexton, Eli Elezra, Al Barbieri, Daniel Negreanu and Jennifer Harman. By the end of Day 2, there were 19 survivors still in the game at level 16, with Sorel Mizzi in the lead, but followed by some tough opposition: Alexander Kostritsyn, Matt Glantz, Chris Tryba, Chad Brown, Men Nguyen, Ville Wahlbeck and Jason Mercier. An event that started on June 13, event 22: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha, saw 1 071 entries, which by the end of Day 1 reduced to 134 players with Juha Vilkke in the lead and Nick Binger, Michael Moore, Jeff Sarwer, Michael Binger, James Akenhead, Melanie Weisner, David Chiu, Tommy Vedes, Dan Heimiller, Joe Serock, Shannon Shorr, and Dave Ulliott among the ones chasing him. Another event that started on June 13, Event 23: $2,500 Eight-Game Mix had 489 registered players, who produced a prize pool of $1.11 million. The format implies that players will alternatively play Triple-Draw 2-7, Limit Hold'em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No-Limit Holdem, and Pot Limit Omaha, and it's highly popular among poker pros, which this time included Phil Hellmuth, Vitaly Lunkin, David Williams, Joseph Cheong, Allen Bari, Eugene Katchalov, Marco Traniello, Jon Turner, Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Selbst, Justin Bonomo, Ted Forrest, John Cernuto, defending champ Sigurd Eskeland, Eric Buchman, Alex Kamberis, Jonathan Spinks, Gavin Smith, John Juanda, Jeff Shulman, Brandon Cantu and many more. At the end of Day 1, the action reached level 7, with 280 players still in the game, and a top ten chip count list comprising Abraham Mourshaki, Eric Buchman, Greg Mueller, KC Carlston, Nikolay Evdakov, John Racener, Nikolay Edvakov, Bryan Colin, Marco Traniello and Brett Richey.