WSOP Update: Cantu Wins Battle for Second Bracelet

Heading into the final table of Event No. 48, a $1.5K pot-limit Omaha hi-lo tourney, there were two big names left.

Brandon Cantu and Lee Watkinson were both going after their second bracelets, and in the end they would play heads-up to see who would get it. In the end, Cantu, who came into the final table with the chip lead, would get the win, the bracelet and more than $220K. Despite the early lead, he started out behind Watkinson heads-up and Watkinson actually had a 6-1 chip advantage at one point before Cantu battled back.

Cantu adds a second bracelet to his victory in last year’s Bay 101 Shooting Star ($1 million for first).

Here were the payouts:
1. Brandon Cantu - $228,867
2. Lee Watkinson - $141,873
3. Mathieu Jacqmin - $92,946
4. Ted Weinstock - $74,727
5. Tommy Vedes - $47,617
6. Steve Jelinek - $36,893
7. Aaron Sias - $30,028
8. Ronnie Hofman - $25,618
9. William McMahan - $22,862

Reaching their second days were No. 49, the $50K World Championship H.O.R.S.E. tourney, and No. 50 a $1.5K limit hold’em shootout event.

The HORSE tourney still has not halved its field from the original 95, as 53 players remain. Among those accumulating big stacks are Gus Hansen, Erik “Erik123″ Sagstrom, first-day chip leader Hasan Habib, and last year’s fourth place finisher, Matt Glantz. A host of big names are still alive as well. Updates here.

The shootout played down to a final table. The two biggest names left, Greg “FBT” Mueller (one bracelet already this WSOP) and David Williams (second in 2004 main event, and one bracelet) won their tables. Also at the final table of 8 was Marc Naalden, who won his first bracelet in this WSOP — also in limit hold’em. Updates here.

Just one event started on Sunday: No. 51, a $1.5K no-limit hold’em tourney. The event sold out with 2790 paid entrants and has a prize pool of nearly $3.8M. Just 349 players remain; Men “The Master” Nguyen is the most notable name with a big stack.

Two events start today: No. 52, a $3K triple chance no-limit hold’em, and No. 53, a $1.5K seven card stud hi-low-8 or better tourney.

Check back at PTP for updates throughout this WSOP.