Bodog Beat

Team Bodog poker player Smith 'nevertilt22' Collinsis out in the field for Event No. 19 of the 2008 WSOP. (Bodog Beat Image)

We're onto about Day 11 of the WSOP and getting into the less sexy but more talent-oriented events of the World Series of Poker, like the $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw w/ Rebuys event that we wrote about yesterday. These events tend to draw out the more well-rounded poker players, those looking for more of a challenge than the No Limit Holdem donkaments that have become so popular. So, naturally, several Team Bodog poker players have come out to play in todays $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha event, including David Williams, Jean-Robert Bellande and Smith "nevertilt22″ Collins.

Omaha has been a favorite of a lot of pros over the last few decades and has recently been the game of choice for high-stakes online poker players, which means that this is trickling down to the lower levels and becoming more popular with the regular and low-stakes folks. To that end, 759 players ponied up there $1,500 to play in this event. The rate of elimination has been quite alarming only a couple hours in as about 300 players have already been sent packing.

Bellande has managed to do more than just "survive" this attrition. He doubled-up not too long into the day and jumped out to an early chip lead and is now hovering near the top of the leaderboard. Williams is biding his time and letting people drop like flies around him, chairs keep opening up and filling, and he just keeps his head down and plows ahead. Collins is sitting with almost double his starting chips and a few chairs opened up at his table, but were unfortunately filled with poker pros Men "The Master" Nguyen, Nam Le and Gank Jungblut. So, he's got a bit of competition there.

The players just cam back from break and will continue on through the day. Stay tuned for more live updates from the 2008 WSOP. Here are some Team Bodog pics taken today at the World Series of Poker: