WSOP Update: Main Event Is Under Way
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The event the poker world waits all year for is finally here. Although it might be noticeably smaller than in recent years.
The World Series of Poker’s $10,000 main event began with the first of four “day ones” on Friday. But there were just 1,116 entrants, which would be way off the pace of MEs of the last few years. Last year there were more than 6,800 entrants, more than 6,300 in 2007, and more than 8,700 in 2006.
While each day can accommodate 3,000 players, it’s not likely to improve today for the holiday, the Fourth of July. In fact, there were so few entries that it was decided to cut play short by one level today, and on every day one. If Sunday and Monday don’t produce big turnouts, this could be one of the smallest main events in years.
A lot of celebrities were in the field: pitcher Orel Hershiser, actors-turned-pro Jennifer Tilly and Gabe Kaplan, rapper Nelly, and actor/comedians Brad Garrett and Jason Alexander. Alexander was the big surprise of the day, building a stack of nearly 90,000 chips.
Cash-game specialist and one-time bracelet winner Eli Elezra was the biggest pro name near the top of the chip counts with more than 80,000.
Among those eliminated were Allen Cunningham, Freddy Deeb, Isaac Haxton and Andy Bloch.
The main event continues today with Day 1B. The players that started Friday will not play again until Day 2A, on July 7.
Check back at PTP for updates throughout the WSOP.
