The Season XIII WPT World Championship is currently taking place at the Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino. Day 2 of the prestigious event saw as many as 171 players sitting at the tables. Of those, 166 returned from Day 1 and 5 entered the Championship yesterday, as registration was open through Level 9.
Once registration was closed, organizers announced that all 239 players who entered the event created a prize pool of $3,462,050. Those who make it to the last three tables are to be paid. The WPT World Champion is to receive a prize of $973,683 and a number of other awards.
Day 3 of the Championship is scheduled to start today at noon local time. A total of 68 players will be seen returning with Michael Rocco as the chip leader. Yesterday, he managed to collect 439,500 in chips. Jonathan Jaffe, who won The Playground Poker Fall Classic/WPT Montreal, Kahnawake C$3,500 + 350 No-Limit Hold’em late last year, finished 2nd in chips with 428,000. Third in chips was Corey Hochman with 398,000.
Darren Elias and Anthony Zinno, who have both won WPT events, could not make it to the Championship’s next stage. However, despite his elimination, Zinno secured himself with the Season XIII WPT Player of the Year title.
Day 2 chip leader Michael Rocco is no stranger to the world of poker. Last year, the California-based player finished third at the WPT LA Poker Classic $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event where he received the amount of $423,440, his largest live cash so far.
The player took part in several other final tables at major events throughout his career. For instance, he finished 3rd at the 2013 WSOP No-Limit Hold’em Event #44 for $229,500. Furthermore, he topped the field of the 2013 March Borgata Guaranteed Tournaments No-Limit Hold’em Triple Play event and was awarded $113,050.
As for his performance in 2015, Rocco finished 2nd at a WPT Rolling Thunder No-Limit Hold’em event with a guaranteed prize pool of $150,000, where he was paid $45,570. He also cashed in several other events such as the Borgata Spring Open Championship with a guaranteed prize pool of $1 million and the 2015 Bicycle Casino WSOP Circuit Non-Ring Events, but could not make it to any other final tables.
As mentioned above, Day 3 of the WPT World Championship is scheduled to start today at noon local time.
