Online Specialists Piekazewicz & Holtz Ready to Make a Splash on the Live Felt
Thursday, June 27, marked one of the busiest days of the 2024 World Series of Poker. Twelve separate bracelet events ran concurrently, with Daniel Negreanu's run in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship being the center of attention.
While all eyes were on KidPoker's long-awaited seventh bracelet triumph, Event #68: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em quietly kicked off inside Paris, Las Vegas, where a stacked field tried their luck at penning the first chapter of their own winner's story.
Andrew Chang's quill used up the most ink, as he locked up the chip lead from the 335 players, out of 2,229 runners, who made it over the first hurdle. Chang ended Day 1 with 1,022,000 and was the only player to wrap up the opening session with a seven-figure stack.
The Virginia resident is best placed to seize the lion's share of the $4,959,525 prize pool, where $667,963 awaits the eventual champion.
Chang faces plenty of obstacles on his path to glory, as online specialists Alisson Piekazewicz (832,000) and PokerNews' Mike Holtz (755,000) look to steal to spotlight for themselves.
Piekazewicz comes into Day 2 second in chips and is better recognized under his screen name "heyalisson". The Brazilian has more than $3 million in online earnings and is a player many stay clear of in the online realm.
Sitting in third is Holtz, who is also known to strike fear into opponents' hearts on the virtual felt. The co-host of the PokerNews Podcast is the reigning WSOP online player of the year, a feat he also pulled off in 2021.
Holtz has entered the winner's circle on many occasions, as his one bracelet and six circuit rings prove. However, these achievements have all come from online events and Holtz would undoubtedly love to make his first major splash in the live setting.
Just a few big blinds behind Holtz sits Phil Ivey. Like Negreanu, the poker icon ended his bracelet drought at the 2024 WSOP, where he reigned supreme in the $10,000 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship. Ivey has been in hot form over the last few weeks, notching 11 cashes along with his 11th bracelet win. He's also in the conversation for the Player of the Year race and another deep run here could see him take the top spot.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Chang (VA) | United States | 1,022,000 | 85 |
| 2 | Alisson Piekazewicz | Brazil | 832,000 | 69 |
| 3 | Mike Holtz | United States | 755,000 | 63 |
| 4 | Kai Cohen | United States | 749,000 | 62 |
| 5 | Damien Luis | France | 748,000 | 62 |
| 6 | Bart Lybaert | Belgium | 739,000 | 62 |
| 7 | Dongwoo Ko | Canada | 728,000 | 61 |
| 8 | Phil Ivey | United States | 719,000 | 60 |
| 9 | Miguel Lopes | Portugal | 701,000 | 58 |
| 10 | Alexandre Arnold | Australia | 680,000 | 57 |
Day 2 is set to begin on Friday, June 28, at 12 p.m. local time. Play will resume on Level 19, which features 6,000/12,000 blinds with a 12,000 big blind ante. Levels will increase to one hour from Day 2 onwards, and players will be sent on 15-minute breaks after every two levels. Day 2 will conclude after ten additional levels have been played.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the no-limit action leading to the final table and eventual next bracelet winner!