Robert Mizrachi trying for first WPT title

January officially belongs to the Mizrachi family.

Robert Mizrachi, currently in third place at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure with $1.7 million chips, is trying to make his second World Poker Tour final table and earn the $1.5 million first prize.

Last January, Robert's brother Michael made two WPT final tables, finishing second at the Gold Strike and winning the Borgata Winter Poker Open for earning that exceeded $2 million.

(Partly for his efforts in January, Michael was the Casino City Editorial staff's selection for the No. 2 Poker Player of the Year in 2006).

If Robert can maneuver through the remaining 15 players and earn his first WPT title, the Mizrachi family might just extend their holiday season through the year's first month.

To win the championship event, Robert will have to best Issac Haxton, a tournament newcomer sitting behind $3.7 million chips.

Haxton is the dominate leader heading into day three, possessing nearly twice as many chips as second place Jonathon Little.

Lurking behind the leaders are Scott Clements and Justin Bonomo.

Clements is best known for beating Phil Hellmuth heads-up this summer in an Omaha Hi-Lo 8/OB World Series event to earn his first gold bracelet.

The Clements/Hellmuth match-up drew much fanfare as Hellmuth was attempting to win his record-tying tenth WSOP bracelet. The young man from Vernon, Washington delayed the Poker Brat's dream (Hellmuth captured his tenth bracelet later that summer), carving his name into the WSOP record book by defeating one of the series' greatest players.

Clements followed his WSOP success with a WPT victory in the October Canadian Poker Open. Although the event wasn't televised, Clement proved he belonged with poker's big boys, earning his second six-figure paycheck in 2006.

Clements has $1 million chips for a good hold on seventh place. He would earn his first career seven-figure payday with a win in this event.

Just behind Clements is Bonomo who has played the best-tournament poker of his career in the last two months. He finished seventh at the WPT North American Poker Classic in December and has been high on the Caribbean Adventure leaderboard since the tournament began.

Bonomo finished 30th in this event in 2005.

The biggest story heading into day two of the championship was the play of defending champion Steve Paul-Ambrose. The tournament leader after the two day-one flights, Paul-Ambrose had the experience and the chips to make consecutive Caribbean Adventure final tables.

But it wasn't mean to be for the 23-year old rising poker star.

Taking a large hit early, Paul-Ambrose battled back to enter the top ten-once again, but as other players increased their stack, Paul-Ambrose saw his fade away. He lasted for most of the day, but finally succumbed when a failed all-in ousted him in 20th place.

Paul-Ambrose earned $36,026 one year after winning the 2006 $1.3 million top prize.