Praz Bansi stamped his distinctive name on the Texas Hold’em poker tournament and picked up where former chip-leader Wayne Bentley left off.  Bansi finished day 2 knifing his way to over 960k in poker chips.  Bentley on the other hand was taking a U-Turn and lost more than half his chips before getting some traction and hitting the gas.  The day one chip-leader, Bentley, a shrewd Brit kept himself from totally unraveling but even his comeback after a blow-up paled in comparison to Bansi’s action in the other corner of the room.

Bansi, is also a shrewd young Brit, and he was busy accumulating chips at a tough table with big pots and the helpless other players must have felt like he was leading a decimating banzai charge as he ran them over.  Bansi was clearly enjoying his time in the Bahamas.  Bansi most impressive feat were the names that he steamrolled.  They included Justin Bonomo, Glen Chrony, Dario Minieri, and Terrance Chan.  Several names that are both the present and the future of online poker and live tournament poker.

It didn’t get any easier as the tables broke.  Bansi found himself seated with Phil Ivey, Ivan Demidov.

884 players began the day but most buckled and parted ways with their chips stacks while the Banzai charge in full effect.   However, when the dust cleared and Bansi was sitting atop a heap of railbirded players more than 600 eliminations meant that day 3 would taste the money rather quickly.  The prize pool was announced and there was some surprises compared to the event from the previous year.  Over $2,200,000 to first place sounds like a huge paycheck but considering last year awarded over $3 million there was a big drop-off.

Course, that didn’t mean there were less runners in fact, the field grew in size, and arguably in skill, even if the median age plummeted with kids perched over cards and chips everywhere.  You might have to be 21 to get into a U.S. casino but that didn’t stop the hundreds of teenagers that knew they could play in the Bahamas from coming down and impacting the tournament.

It wouldn’t be surprised if a kid that can’t even buy an adult beverage stateside walks away with the biggest prize.  There will be a lot of teenagers sharing in the prize pool as there is $14 million to be divvied up.     While they took some money out of first, second place was tabbed to receive 1.75 million, 1.35 million to 3rd, and 1 million to fourth.  Possible there will be four new millionaires when it all wraps up.  Making it to the final 9 means 150k in prize money (same as 10th).  5th place is worth 700k, 6th place, 450k, 7th 300k, and 8th the odd number of 201.3k. 

One of the youngest bracelet winners ever at the World Series, Eric Froelich, who just a tad bit older got one to match his first, had a terrific day.  He climbed up the chip-leader board and was within threatening distance at 467k.  Second in chips was Marc-Etienne McLaughlin at 702k.  He pipped Wayne Bentley for that honor as Bentley managed to reclaim an intimidating chip stack with 602k.

Nasr El Nasr and Daniel Ades finished just behind Bentley.  Nasr El Nasr, who like New York, has a name so good they named him it twice sat on 528k as action completed for the day.  Ades found himself lording over a little over 500k. 

Bansi hopes to have a little bit better luck than Bentley did when he comes back the following day as chipleader.  However, if he loses half his stack he’d also love to enjoy the same type of comeback to put him near the top on Day 3.