Anibal Andres in Charge of WSOP 2011 $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em Event

Argentinian Anibal Andres leads going into day three of the $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) of 2011 in Las Vegas following a brutal 10 levels that saw nearly 600 players eliminated last night.

Just 44 entrants remain from an original field of 4,576 that started out on Saturday and Sunday in the chase for a WSOP gold bracelet and $648,880 as yesterday evening’s field was demolished, with approximately one player exiting every minute of the 10 levels of event #54.

However, with 468 places paid, we did reach the money very early yesterday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino – and the remaining players are now guaranteed at least $13,137 in prize money.

Anibal Andres, from Bahia Blanca – which is a city situated in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires – holds 799,000 in chips entering the penultimate day of play, to be followed by second-placed Stanislav Alekhin (786,000), of Russia, as well as Terrance Eischens (709,000), of Arizona, and Virginia’s Christopher Chatman (524,000).

Other players still in with a shout of WSOP glory in the final $1,000 bracelet of this year’s series include Maryland’s Matt LaGarde (517,000) and Moscow’s Max Lykov (338,000).

LaGarde made his move up the leaderboard late in the day when, on a board showing 2d-Kd-3s-9d-3c, he bet 60,000 into an already-considerable pot to get one caller. However, LaGarde showed 10s-10c to take the win and move up to 520,000, although he slipped back by 3,000 as the day came to a conclusion.

However, the likes of Paul Volpe – day one’s chip leader – Terrence Chan, Vitaly Lunkin, Martin Jacobson and Jeff Madsen were among the disappointed players to exit during day two, although they did all make the money.

Andres, meanwhile, raised all-in from under the gun in yet another closing hand of the day for about 500,000 to be snap-called by an opponent holding Kc-Ks.

Andres revealed Ac-Kh to be way behind, but took the massive pot on a 5d-Ad-Js-Qh-6d board to increase his stack by 380,000 and take the chip lead on 770,000. He added a few small pots thereafter to now sit on 799,000.

Another massively significant hand arrived late in the 10th level, when 21-year-old Canadian Vincent Jacques – who had held the chip lead less than four levels ago – hit the rail.

Quebec student Jacques, the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em event #5 runner-up last year, lost the majority of his chip stack when losing a big hand to Muscovite Alekhin.

Jacques, on the button, raised to 25,000, only for big blind Alekhin to make it 62,000. Jacques called.

Both then checked the 7s-8c-5d flop, while Alekhin check-called 60,000 following the revealing of the Qh turn. The river showed the 10d and Alekhin check-called Jacques’ 170,000 bet.

Jacques had to show his bluff with Kh-Jc while up against Alekhin’s Ad-Ac that gave the Russian a huge chip lead at the time.

However, Jacques was out soon after when giving up the rest of his chips after going all-in pre-flop while holding Qs-Js against his opponent’s Kh-Ks.

The board showed 2s-As-9h-4c-6h to give Jacques no help, and the one-time chip leader was gone.

The aim is to reach a final table in the Amazon Room tonight, and that should be achieved with just five tables scheduled and only 35 eliminations required over another 10 levels of play.

Top 10 chip leaders after day two of the WSOP 2011 $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event:

1. Anibal Andres (Argentina) – 799,000

2. Stanislav Alekhin (Russia) – 786,000

3. Terrance Eischens (USA) – 709,000

4. Christopher Chatman (USA) – 524,000

5. Matthew LaGarde (USA) – 517,000

6. Jeffrey Manza (USA) – 503,000

7. Nahabedian Raffi (Canada) – 477,000

8. Jason Bigelow (Canada) – 476,000

9. Mario Doria (USA) – 454,000

10. Aaron Overton (USA) – 453,000