WSOP roundup: Hellmuth on the verge of record-tying performance

Just one week after he broke the career World Series of Poker bracelets record by winning his 11th WSOP tournament, Phil Hellmuth is looking to tie T.J. Cloutier's record of 39 career final tables and is just one bustout away from doing it.

Meanwhile, another anonymous $1,500 No Limit Hold'em final table took place (yawn), the $1,500 Razz tournament final table was pushed back to today, and the $2,500 Six-Handed No Limit Hold'em tournament got underway.

Perhaps the most interesting story of the day, however, was reported by Bodog Beat.

Apparently, Paul "Eskimo" Clark, who collapsed at an earlier event and was taken to the hospital, had similar convulsions twice yesterday, but continued playing and made the final table of the Razz event.

And Vinny Vinh, who went missing after being second in chips in a tournament earlier in the Series, has been behaving strangely at the table but doing remarkably well in the Six-Handed No Limit Hold'em event. Vinh sits in 24th with 42 players remaining.

Hellmuth looking to make record-tying final table
Hellmuth is one of the short stacks with 10 players remaining in Event #28, a $3,000 No Limit Hold'em event. But given his determination to hold every record he can reach, it's wouldn't surprise anyone to see Hellmuth overcome that chip count disadvantage to not only make another final table, but even to break his own record for WSOP bracelets tonight.

With just shy of $1.1 million chips, Dustin Holmes is the chip leader. Beth Shak is in second with $740,000 and Brett Richey is third with $738,000.

Hellmuth has just $213,000, but an early double-up could move him as high as fifth.

Noteworthy finishes: Norm McDonald of Saturday Night Live fame (20th), Evelyn Ng (25th), Maureen Feduniak (28th), Steve Dannenmann (35th), Greg Mueller (45th) and Phil Laak (62nd).

Razz tournament extended to three days
The $1,500 Razz event was originally scheduled for two days, but a slow structure meant that the final table wasn't determined until nearly 3 a.m. PST, so the players decided to extend the event to a third day.

O'Neil Longson holds a significant chip lead with $385,500 and is looking for his fourth career WSOP and his second in Razz. Clark holds the same credentials, but trails Longson in fifth with $88,500.

Larry St. Jean is in second with $171,000. Katja Thater, who was fifth in the $1,000 World Championship Ladies No Limit Hold'em event, is in fourth with $117,500.

Mark Vos, who won over $800,000 and a bracelet in last year's Series, is in sixth with $84,500, while Men "The Master" Nguyen, who has six career WSOP bracelets, has just $35,000 chips to work with.

Physics professor wins WSOP bracelet
David Stucke, a physics professor who started playing poker three years ago, won the third of six $1,500 No Limit Hold'em events at the WSOP on Monday night. Stucke's first-place finish earned him $603,069.

Stucke was all in early at the final table with pocket threes against two over cards and survived. Had he lost the hand and finished ninth, he would have won $36,340.

Young Cho finished second to win $382,357.

Shorthanded event down to seven tables
Just 42 players remain of the 847 who entered the $2,500 Six-Handed No Limit Hold'em event yesterday, and the loaded field will play down to six players today to set up tomorrow's final table.

Hoyt Corkins leads the group with $270,800 chips, while Joe Tehan is in third with $233,500.

Other notable players include: Alan Sass (sixth, $174,900); Mimi Tran (12th, $121,500); Erick Lindgren (15th, $101,400); Steve Billirakis (18th, $85,400); Vinny Vinh (24th, $73,800); Erik Seidel (35th, $43,900); Jon Friedberg (40th, $24,000).