Briefs | Poker: WSOP entrants start with more chips

Poker

World Series of Poker director expects longer main event this year: The main event of the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas will likely last a few hours longer this year as players start the tournament with more chips.

Tournament director Jack Effel said Saturday the series added chips to players' starting stacks this year to give them more time to size up the tables and maneuver during the tournament.

"It also gives the players a little more play time in the beginning — where a lot of the average players were feeling left out, like they didn't get their money's worth," Effel said. "These first few days of the main event, it's all about survival — these guys just want to make it through the first day."

Players began this year's $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas Hold'em main event with 30,000 chips, compared with 20,000 last year.

Effel said on the tournament's first day on Friday, about 300 players were eliminated from the field of 1,116, about 27 percent of the field. Half the players were eliminated the day they started play last year, he said.

More than 850 players entered the main event Saturday, when tournament officials expected the least number of players because of the Independence Day holiday.

The tournament was not on pace to match last year's numbers, when 6,844 players entered and generated a $9.15 million prize for winner Peter Eastgate.

At one point Friday, actor Jason Alexander — who played George Costanza on "Seinfeld" — was seventh in chip count.

Boxing

Moreno retains title: Anselmo Moreno of Panama retained his WBA bantamweight title with a split decision over Mahyar Monshipour of France in Poitiers, France.

Moreno (26-1-1) kept his composure as Monshipour (31-4-2) rallied in the late rounds. Two of the judges scored the bout 116-113 and 116-112 in favor of Moreno, and the third gave the fight to Monshipour 115-113.

Running

Kitwara, Chepkurui triumph: Sammy Kitwara of Kenya won the 40th Peachtree Road Race with a time of 27 minutes, 21 seconds in his debut in the annual 6.2-mile event through the streets of Atlanta.

Abdi Abdirahman of Tucson, Ariz., captured his third consecutive U.S. men's 10-kilometer championship in the race. Abdirahman, a three-time Olympian, finished in sixth place overall in the international field with a time of 28:11.

Lineth Chepkurui of Kenya won the women's race in 31:30.

Horse racing

Presious Passion prevails: Presious Passion led all the way to win the Grade I United Nations by 2 lengths over Lauro on turf at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Presious Passion led by 13 lengths after a mile in the 1-3/8-mile event and finished in 2 minutes, 10-4/5 seconds. The 6-year-old gelding, trained by Mary Hartmann and ridden by Elvis Trujillo, paid $7.40 to win in the $750,000 race.

Cat Moves wins: Cat Moves beat entrymate Light Green by three-quarters of a length to take the Grade I Prioress for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Cat Moves, trained by Tony Dutrow and ridden by Ramon Dominguez, ran 6 furlongs in 1:08-3/5 and won despite lunging in the air at the start. She paid $4.20 to win in the $300,000 race. Edward Evans owns the winner and Light Green, who is trained by Todd Pletcher.

In another dirt race at Belmont, Dry Martini won the $400,000 Suburban by 2 lengths over 8-5 favorite Asiatic Boy.

Dry Martini, a 6-year-old gelding trained by Barclay Tagg and ridden by Edgar Prado, ran 1-¼ miles in 2:00-4/5 and paid $23.60 to win in the Grade II event.

Monterey Jazz beats Artiste Royal: Monterey Jazz beat Artiste Royal by 3-¼ lengths in the Grade II American Handicap on turf at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.

Artiste Royal is owned by Dave and Jill Heerensperger of Bellevue.

Monterey Jazz, a 5-year-old trained by Craig Dollase and ridden by Tyler Baze, ran 1-1/8 miles in 1:46 and paid $7.40 to win in the $150,000 race.

Seattle Times news services