Despite initially saying that he wouldn’t play in the World Series of Pokerthis year, Doyle Brunson (pictured) entered the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship and has made it to Day 3. There are 78 players remaining right now and a top prize of $1.7 million is on the line. The top 16 will make the money after 132 players entered and a minimum payout of $111,000 will be awarded. This is Brunson’s first WSOP tournament of the year in Las Vegas.

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As you might know, Brunson is very active on Twitter and posted that he had a bevy of side bets headed into the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship: “Going to the 50k tomorrow. I have bets against 18 of the very best players. 30k to cash, 30k to make final table, 30k to win. #rungood.” He added, “I figure to lose money on my bets in the 50k, but if I go deep, there will be lots of blood on the carpet. Lose a little, but can win a lot!”

Blood on the carpet indeed. Brunson is still a ways away from making the money, but sits with the 33rd largest stack at 265,000. David Benyamine and Jonathan Duhamel lead the way with 729,000 and 666,000, respectively. Longtime PocketFiver Shaun shaundeeb Deeb (pictured) has the seventh largest stack at 493,000. Brunson has not cashed in a WSOP event since 2009.

Let’s get back to Brunson’s side bets now. He Tweeted that he could win as much as $800,000: “If I lose (and I’m a fav to lose), I will lose between 80K-140k. But if I win, I could win up to 800k maximum. Hoping to at least cash #gulp.” He went card dead during the day on Monday, according to his Twitter feed, but managed to claw his way back from a stack of 110,000.

Day 3 of the tournament takes place on Tuesday. On Monday, Brunson hit runner-runner late in the day to stay in contention. He got his chips in on a flop of 10-9-3 during No Limit Hold’em play with pocket jacks for an overpair, but Cole South had him dominated with pocket threes for a set. Running tens completed the board, giving “Texas Dolly” a better full house, and he doubled up. South also doubled up Ofir Mor at the end of the night after A-A outlasted A-K.

WSOP Vice President of Communications Seth Palansky told PocketFives, “It brings a smile to everyone’s face to see Doyle at the WSOP. Nothing would thrill us more than him winning his 11th WSOP gold bracelet.”

The Poker Player’s Championship consists of Triple Draw 2-7, Limit Hold’em, Omaha 8, Razz, Stud, Stud 8, No Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha. Here are the top 10 chip counts in the room:

1. David Benyamine – 729,000
2. Jonathan Duhamel- 666,100
3. Matthew Ashton – 635,500
4. Troy Burkholder – 623,000
5. Jean Gaspard – 611,000
6. Don Nguyen – 528,000
7. Shaun shaundeebDeeb – 493,000
8. Brian tsarrast Rast – 489,500
9. Justin Boosted J Smith (pictured) – 456,000
10. Adam Friedman – 436,600

In other WSOP news, David davidv1213Vamplew is one of three players remaining in Event #53, a $1,500 No Limit Hold’em tournament. He has 5.3 million in chips entering Tuesday’s conclusion, more than the other two players – Brett Schaffer and Arttu Raekorpi – combined. First place is scheduled to make $665,000, second place will get $413,000, and third place will walk away with $291,000.

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