New record start the day at the WSOP Main Event Day 1C!

With a real quake, the start days of the WSOP Main Event ended with day 1c. Not only 4,879 players came together in the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and thus provided for the biggest start day in the history of the WSOP Main Event.

During the tournament, the players were surprised by one of several earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 7.1. The tournament management then sent the players early into the dinner break.

After an active 1,334 players on day 1a and a disappointing 1,914 on day 1b, the Rio was overrun on the third day. This year’s edition is with up-to-date 8,127 players now already the second largest Main Event of all times in the 50-year history of the WSOP (after 2006, 8,773 players). As the Late Registration is still open until the start of day 2, it will be interesting to see whether another record number of participants will be set for the anniversary edition of the WSOP.

Currently, there are approximately $80,000,000 in the prize pool, and the winner will be able to look forward to approximately $9,000,000. All players at the final table will probably leave the tournament hall as dollar millionaires. The exact distribution of the prize pool will be published later this Sunday.

For an entry fee of $10,000, players will receive the Main Event ticket and 60,000 chips. Day 1 saw 5 levels of 120 minutes each played, and after 10 hours, James Henson (316,100) could bag the most for day 2. After a high position in the chip counts Mike “Timex” McDonald (306.300) finished the day just behind Henson. Overall Chipleader after day 1 is Bryan Campanello (417.500), who already won day 1a.

Several superstars of the poker scene and former Main Event Champions gathered at the third start day in Rio. Last year’s runner-up Tony Miles and defending champion John Cynn were as well as the ex-champions Joe McKeehen, Martin Jacobson, Joe Cada and Jamie Gold. But Jacobsen, Cada and Gold also stayed on the track, as did megastar Phil Ivey, who had already finished work after one hour. Among the other celebrities, Bustouts are Jason Koon, Shaun Deep, Felipe Ramos and Sofia Lovgren.

On day 2, however, Sam (126,400) and Luc Greenwood (127,200), Mike Matusow (111,200) and Phil Laak (71,200) made it. Also for John Cynn (68,800) the topic of title defence is not yet ticked off. King’s Casino owner Leon Tsoukernik (167,200) got off to a good start and will also return on day 2.

The best German is Max Altergott (190,000) in the chip counts. Other well-known players from the DACH community who survived the cut are Thomas Muehloecker (130,000), online legend bencb789 (104,000), wunderkind Fedor Holz (55,500) and Manig Loeser (46,000).

Bracelet record holder Phil Helmuth did not show up at the Main Event so far. Since he generally prefers the late entry into a tournament we may be curious with which show the Poker Brat will enter day 2.

Besides the earthquake, not only one but two disqualifications caused an unexpected sensation. While one player was caught stealing poker chips from his neighbour, another was escorted from the tournament hall because of unsporting behaviour. More about that later.

Tomorrow it continues then with day 2AB, with which the remaining players of the starting days 1a and 1b come back to the tables.