2009 WSOP Event 5 - Pot Limit Omaha

Conceived as a three day affair, event 5 of the 2009 WSOP is the Pot-Limit Omaha. First introduced into the WSOP in 2005, this is the original version of the Omaha game and pot limit Omaha is often abbreviated as PLO.

The initial buy-in for The 2009 WSOP Event 5 Pot Limit Omaha is $1,500. Players start the event with $1500 in chips. Blinds start from $25 with a $50 call or $100-$175 to ‘make it’. PLO is a game of drawing. Even though this game can be played with more than four cards, most commonly with six cards, the WSOP version is played with four cards. In most cases the ‘pot’ can be quite substantial so players are wary to play with second best flushes or straights to the end.

In the previous edition of the WSOP this event attracted 759 players and the winner walked away with the prize money of $220,965 from a total prizepool of over a million dollars. The event has seen a constant increase in number of participants with a 31% increase in 2008 for the number of players who took part and this year is expected to be no different.

Monday, June 01, 2009 - Wednesday, June 03, 2009

$1,500 Buy In

$1,500 Starting Chips

Tournament Updates

Day 1 - Start of Tournament
Event Five begins today, which is a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament. The buy-in is $1,500 dollars, with a to-be-determined prize pool. The three day event begins at 12:00 pm pacific time today. The blinds begin at $25 and $50, with a $50 dollar call. All levels will last sixty minutes with breaks between every two levels that last twenty minutes. Day 1 will ride through level 10, at which time it will convene for the evening. Day 2 picks back up June 2nd, 2009. This should be an exciting tournament, but only time will tell.

Day 1 - In Progress
Event 5, a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament, kicked off today, and people are dropping right and left. 810 entrants are started the tournament, and at this time, there is no official count on the competitors left. Be sure to check back, as Event 5 of the 2009 WSOP will run into the late hours of Monday Night/Tuesday Morning. We'll have more updates when available.

Day 2 - Start of Day
Event 5, a Pot Limit Omaha tournament, has 81 out of 809 entrants left vying for the $11 million dollar prize pool. Jason Mercier leads with 227,000 chips, with the closest tail running at 162,000. Only eight players have over 100,000 chips left, So it is assumable that the current 81 will slim down rather quick. The resuming of the game has been delayed until 3pm EST, so the festivities have not yet kicked up.

Day 2 Recap
The final day for Event 5 is right around the corner, and 800 out of the 809 participants have been knocked out of the tournament. Kevin Iacofano is the current leader, standing on 770,000 chips. This is almost twice what seven out of the illustrious nine have remaning. Behind Iacofano is Johnathan Tare, the only other player who comes close to Iacofano's chip count, standing at 639,000. Pot-Limit Omaha usually carries a high level of excitement, due partly because of the difficulty making a hand could entail, but players are not expected to be eliminated so soon. This event should continue on for a few hours after resuming, if not longer. First place will be walking with that coveted bracelet as well as $237,415 dollars. Check back later for Day 3 updates.

2009 World Series of Poker Event 5 Recap
The Pot-Limit Omaha tournament that made Event 5 finished up late in the night. Jason Mercier took the bracelet, as he was expected to. Jason Mercier is another first time bracelet winner. Jason, 22, walked with $237,462 dollars, doubling his total tournament winnings. Steven Burkholder took second place, leaving with a sum of $146,748 dollars. Mercier held a commanding lead for much of the last day of the tournament, routing his opposition at every turn. Burkholder remained steadfast throughout the final leg of the competition, and his effort was one not of desperation, but of carefully thought out strategy. Sometimes the luck just goes against you.