WSOP Update #16

Day One Begins!

After much anticipation, the first day of the WSOP $10,000 Main Event has begun. 1,297 players started off on Day One A, and they now expect to have around the same number of entrants as last year (approx 6,500) compete in this years event, meaning the Top prize for winning will likely be somewhere around $8,000,000. Each player starts off with $20,000 in chips.

As the tournament is so massive, not all the details are available, but here's what I have been able to find out so far.

Notables still in the hunt:

Mark Garner - $194,900 - Leads after day 1

Ray Romano - $61,000 - Yes, the actor

Barry Greenstein - $20,000

Notable Eliminations:

Alan Smurfit

Josh Arieh

Gavin Smith

Phil "OMGClayAiken" Galfond

Katja Thater

David Benyamine

David "Devilfish" Ulliot

Freddy Deeb

Eli Elezra

Mark Garner, the Day One A chip leader, finished 25th in this event 2 years ago. Not many players, even the biggest names in poker have that kind of experience, it will be interesting to see if he can use that experience and the early chip lead to improve upon his performance in 2006.