WSOP Day 19: Will Adam Friedman Win Back-to-Back Championships in the $10K Dealers Choice?

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Jun 16, 2019 6 min read Last updated Dec 19, 2019

Today's Day 19 at the Rio Convention Center features four continuing events and one new one. In addition, players will have a chance to win a bracelet remotely with the third online event of the series kicking off at WSOP.com.

All eyes are on whether Adam Friedman can win back-to-back bracelets in $10,000 Dealer's Choice Championship after winning the event last year and coming into today in the chip lead with just 11 players remaining.

Here's what's on tap today, in the daily What to Watch For on PokerNews, sponsored by 888poker.

Event #32: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship

After three days of play, the massive field of 5,916 entrants, each at least 50 years of age, is down to a more manageable field of 19 players. For a second straight day, Howard Mash (13,990,000) bagged the biggest stack after going wire-to-wire in the chip lead during yesterday's penultimate day in this event.

It will be a first bracelet for whoever wins this event by the end of the day. Other players entering the final day with an eight-figure chip stack include Jean-René Fontaine (12,250,000), Farhad Jamasi (10,425,000), and Alan Ho (10,065,000).

Event #32: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship Final Day Seat Draw

Today's action will kick off at noon PDT and will be broadcasted on a delay at CBS All Access in the United States, Canada, and Australia and at PokerGO in the rest of the world starting at 1 p.m. PDT.

Event #34: $1,000 Double Stack No-Limit Hold'em

The second of two opening flights ended yesterday with Yasheel Doddanavar (415,000) bagging up the biggest stack. Doddanavar will enter today's Day 2 behind six other players that bagged even more chips on Day 1a including Juan M. Esirviez (530,000), Sunny Chattha (478,000), Imran Mukati (432,300), Arianna Son (424,500), Andrew Rubin (422,200), and Gabriel Sack (416,000).

The tournament has been a huge success thus far with 6,214 entrants creating a $5,592,600 prize pool. Four former WSOP Main Event champions are among the 2,327 survivors with three days of action to go including Jamie Gold (54,600), Phil Hellmuth (33,000), Scotty Nguyen (31,900), and Chris Ferguson (16,300).

Today's action resumes at noon PDT with blinds at 1,000/2,000 and a big blind ante of 2,000.

Event #35: $10,000 Dealer's Choice Championship

This event is a treat for high-stakes mixed game players with the player on the button choosing between the following games.

After two days of play the field is down from 114 entrants to just a small field of 11 players.

A big story is developing as two-time bracelet winner Adam Friedman is in a prime position for back-to-back championships in this event entering the penultimate day in the chip lead with a stack of 1,289,000. Last year Friedman claimed the $297,275 top prize and a bracelet for the winning and is looking to add even more hardware along with a bigger first-place prize of $312,147 this year.

It isn't going to be easy for Friedman as each of the remaining players are hungry for the win. Michael McKenna (1,150,000) and 2018 WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb (1,002,000) are the closest competition and the only players coming into today's action with a seven-figure chip stack.

In addition to Friedman and Deeb, several other former bracelet winners are in the hunt including Phillip Hui (568,000), Bryce Yockey (559,000), two-time bracelet winner Nick Schulman (396,000), and six-time bracelet winner Jeff Lisandro (93,000).

Event #35: $10,000 Dealer's Choice Championship Day 3 Seat Draw

The day will kick off at 2 p.m. GDT and is scheduled to play down to six players.

Event #36: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Shootout

This event attracted 313 entrants or 50 less than the 363 to battle it out last year when 2009 WSOP champion Joe Cada claimed the $226,218 top prize.

This meant there were 40 tables yesterday, each sending a winner to today's penultimate day. The 40 tables winners will compete on ten tables of four players each. The final ten players will then compete tomorrow on a live stream at both PokerGO and CBS All Access.

Among the players in action today are three-time bracelet winner Justin Bonomo and two-time bracelet winners Eric Froehlich and Kristen Bicknell.

Event #37: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack

This event is the latest of the new deepstack tournament. The three-day tournament begins today at 11 a.m. PDT with players starting off with a stack of 40,000 and the ability to reenter once if they lose all their chips before the end of Level 12.

Today will feature 20-minute blind levels of 40-minutes each. Day 2 will also feature 40-minute blind levels with the final day increasing to 60-minute blind levels on Tuesday, June 18 when a live stream takes place at CBS All Access in the United States, Canada, and Australia and at PokerGO in the rest of the world.

Event #38: $600 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold'em Knockout Bounty

For the third Sunday in a row, WSOP.com is hosting a one-day online bracelet event where those located in Nevada and New Jersey have an opportunity to battle for a bracelet without leaving the comfort of their own homes or hotel room.

Online players start out with 20,000 in chips with blinds increasing every 15 minutes and bounties worth $100 each. Although there is a 225-minute late-registration period, those losing all their chips will not be able to reenter as this event is a pure freezeout.

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• Tags Chris Ferguson Eric Froehlich Jamie Gold Joe Cada Justin Bonomo Mike Matusow New Jersey Nevada Phil Hellmuth WSOP
• Related Tournaments World Series of Poker
• Related Players Jamie GoldPhil HellmuthChris FergusonMike MatusowEric FroehlichJustin Bonomo