Richard Kirsch Controls $10K PLO Final Table Chip Lead

The second of eight U.S. Poker Open events featured a $10,000 buy-in Pot Limit Omaha High Roller and when Day 1 concluded, 64 entrants built up another sizable USPO prize pool. Event #2 is the first of two non-No Limit Hold’em events during the USPO, with the $25,000 Mixed Game Championship set to begin next week.

That event will featured an eight-game mix, but before we get there, the USPO must crown a four-card champion. Richard Kirsch, who made December’s WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic final table that was broadcast live on PokerGO, returns to another streamed final table. This time, he brings the Event #2 chip lead with him. Kirsch finished the opening day with 2.5 million chips, nearly 1 million more than his nearest competitor.

Germany’s Rainer Kempe and Serbia’s Andjelko Andrejevic round out the top half of the final table, as they each bagged close to 1.4 million. PokerGO fans will know Rainer Kempe from his 2016 Super High Roller Bowl victory and poker fans will know Andrejevic from his WPT Amsterdam in 2016. Mike Gorodinsky, who won the Poker Players Championship in 2015, will take just over 1.2 million to Saturday’s PokerGO live stream.

Cary Katz and Anthony Zinno, who both cashed in the opening $10,000 No Limit Hold’em event, are now two-for-two during the U.S. Poker Open. They’ll return with short stacks, looking to get back into contention when today’s Pot Limit Omaha stream goes live at 4:00 PM ET.

Event #2 paid out 10 spots, meaning four players made the money before Day 1 concluded with the final six. Ben Yu (10th) and Joshua Ladines (9th) each earned $19,200 for their finishes. Benjamin Pollak has been riding a wave of success since he final tabled the WSOP Main Event, but he couldn’t make the final table. The Frenchman bowed out in 8th, good for a $25,600 score, while Dan Shak finished 7th, for $32,000.

A handful of big names came close, but missed out on USPO cashes in Event #2. Daniel Negreanu has yet to re-enter in either of the first two events, but he has also yet to record his first score. Sam Soverel, who final tabled the opening $10,000 event, fell short of his quest for back-to-back scores. He was the Event #2 bubble boy, with Isaac Haxton also going out near the payouts.

Before we look ahead to Saturday’s $25,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller, which will play to a winner on Monday, the Event #2 final table needs to crown the second USPO winner of the week. That will happen live on PokerGO, beginning at 4:00 PM ET.

The Event #2 final table seat draw, along with the player’s chip counts, is provided below:

1. Mike Gorodinsky – 1,275,000
2. Cary Katz – 770,000
3. Anthony Zinno – 580,000
4. Andjelko Andrejevic – 1,405,000
5. Richard Kirsch – 2,530,000
6. Rainer Kempe – 1,440,000

A list of the remaining Event #1 payouts is also provided below:

1. $179,200
2. $128,000
3. $83,200
4. $64,000
5. $51,200
6. $38,400

Subscribe now to watch the world’s best players compete in the eight-event U.S. Poker Open on PokerGO.