Yuki Sako – Shunsuke Tokoo ,$1,000 Tag Team Chips leader

2023.09.02
WSOP

Team Sako Leads Heading into Day 3 Event #51: $1,000 Tag Team

It was a mad dash to the money as Day 2 has officially concluded in Event# 51: $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold’em at the 2023 World Series of Poker at the Paris and Horseshoe Las Vegas, and just 26 teams remain in contention for the $95,331 first place prize and the coveted gold bracelet.

Day 1 started with 1,282 registered teams, creating a record prize pool of $570,490, with only 252 coming back for the second day and the 193-player money bubble breaking during the third level of the play.

A minimum cash was worth $801 and with only 26 teams returning for Day 3, each team is guaranteed a payday of $3,213.

Three teams have crossed the two million chip mark, with Team Sako leading the way at 2,340,000. Team Williams and Team Java have 2,085,000 and 2,065,000, respectively, to round out the top three and Team LaBranche is not far behind with 1,750,000.

Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayer/TeamCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Yuki Sako – Shunsuke TokooJapan2,340,00078
2David Williams – Theo TranUnited States2,085,00070
3Nipun Java – Ronald PhippsIndia2,065,00069
4John Ventre – Kenneth GalloUnited States1,645,00055
5Jorge Machado – Lucian CamargoBrazil1,645,00055
6Jonah LaBranche – Dustin WillsUnited States1,475,00049
7Lindsey McDougall – Joshua McDougallUnited States1,375,00046
8Sean Cosgrove – John LucasUnited States1,275,00043
9Mitchell Collins – Arash AsadabadiUnited States1,265,00042
10Vincent Moscati – Tanner BibatUnited States945,00032

Chips were flying early in the day with some notable players exiting the field Ebony KenneyJon Van Fleet and Jon Pardy.

Other well-known players to head to the payout desk on Day 2 include Team Sluder, consisting of William Sluder and Matt Berkey, and Team Mariott, consisting of Julie Marriot and Dara O’Kearney.

Chips were moving late in the day, including in a couple of hands belonging to the eventual chip leaders, Team Sako, wherein the first one, they found themselves all-in with ace-jack against the pocket sixes of Team Savakinas. They were able to spike the ace on the turn and held to cross the million chip mark.

Team Sako were on the right side of cooler in another hand against Team Jia, as well, where they were able to get it in pre-flop with aces against Jia’s ace-king, which hovered them right around two million chips.

David Williams - Theo Tran
David Williams – Theo Tran

Team Williams also found themselves on the receiving end of some run good toward the latter part of the day, as bracelet winner David Williams was able to eliminate Team Weng in a 1,400,000 chip pot, when Williams made aces full of eights against the trip aces of Weng.

Day 3 will resume at 12 p.m. local time in the Horseshoe Event Center and will play down to a winner, so Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back tomorrow to report on the tournament action.