-
Fri Jul 04 2008 07:09 PST | Posted by hintze
Actor/comedian Ray Romano survived Day 1a action, finishing with 61,025 in chipsDay 1a Official Chip Counts Released
Final overnight tallies from the WSOP show that 636 players survived Day 1a action in the Main Event. Complete chip counts for all but a handful of non-reporting players have now been posted.
The overnight Day 1a leader is Mark Garner at 194,900 in chips. The official top ten players are:
Mark Garner 194,900
Brandon Adams 176,450
Kellen Hunter 155,200
Stefan Mattsson 154,275
Patrick Fortin 145,275
Jeff Frerichs 138,025
Soren Peterson 135,475
Adam Hudson 127,750
Wayne Brown 124,575
Todd Rebello 123,925
Other names of note finishing in the top 50 included Kido Pham, Mark Vos, Alexander Borteh, Svetlana Gromenkova and Bob Slezak. -
39th Annual World Series of Poker Main EventDay 1a completed
-
Fri Jul 04 2008 01:09 PST | Posted by Shamus
Wayne Newton and friendsEnd of Day 1a
After months of anticipation, poker's greatest spectacle, the Main Event of the World Series of Poker, has finally begun. Following a grand introduction by Wayne "Mr. Vegas" Newton and the UNLV Marching Band, the first of our four "Day Ones" finally kicked off sometime after noon today.
Day 1a saw a total of 1,297 players come out to test their fortunes. Many more have already registered, although the total number of entrants for the event is yet to be determined. Even so, many in the Amazon Room are currently speculating that number may well exceed last year's total of 6,358.
Our end of day chip leaders were able to grow their starting stacks of 20,000 up toward the 200,000-chip mark, with Mark Garner, Kellen Hunter, Patrick Fortin, Stefan Mattsson, Jeff Frerichs, Todd Rebello, Brandon Adams, Mojgan Stringham, Bryan Colin, and Kido Pham ending the day among our most prolific collectors of others' chips.
About half of those who came out today made it through the first five levels and will be back to play on Day 2a. Several notables saw their 2008 WSOP Main Event dreams dashed before the day completed, including Josh Arieh, Kevin "BeL0WaB0Ve" Saul, Dan Harrington, Joe Sebok, Freddy Deeb, David Benyamine, Tom "durrrr" Dwan, Eli Elezra, Lyle Berman, Erica Schoenberg, "Miami" John Cernuto, Gavin Smith, J.J. Liu, and 2007 Main Event runner-up Tuan Lam.
Official updated chip counts for Day 1a participants will be posted later on tonight. Thanks for following today's coverage, and be sure to come back tomorrow at noon Vegas time for Day 1b of the 39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event. -
Fri Jul 04 2008 01:04 PST | Posted by MarcC
Next Year BuddyThe Curse of the Last Twenty Minutes of Play
Andrew Wiggins has fallen in the last 20 minutes of play on Day 1 for the second year in a row. He was knocked out by local boy, Jeff Frerichs after they got it all in preflop.
Wiggins had
to Frerichs' 
.
The board ran
. -
Fri Jul 04 2008 01:04 PST | Posted by change100
Maya Makes a Good Laydown
On a flop of
, Maya Antonius led out for 2,800, the cutoff raised to 6,000 and after a short think, Antonius folded 
face-up. The cutoff nodded his head and was kind enough to let her know she'd made a good laydown by flashing 
. -
Fri Jul 04 2008 00:57 PST | Posted by MarcC
Ciao Ceci
Nick Ceci has been eliminated after an all-in preflop encounter whilst holding pocket queens. Unfortunately for him his opponent was holding the pocket rockets to bust him.
-
Fri Jul 04 2008 00:56 PST | Posted by change100
1986 Main Event Champion Berry JohnstonBerry Johnston Eliminated
A short-stacked Berry Johnston moved all in with
but ran into an opponent's . Another queen on the flop all but sealed it for Johnston and he could not pull out a miracle on the turn or river. -
Fri Jul 04 2008 00:54 PST | Posted by TassieDevil
Steve Sung BustoSteve Sung Eliminated
A short-stacked Steve Sung moved his last chips into the middle holding
on a board of 
. He looked good for a double-up when his opponent called with 
however the 
on the turn gave Sung's opponent the gutshot straight, leaving Sung in trouble. The 
on the river improved his opponent's hand to a flush to send Sung to the exit just short of a Day Two berth. -
Fri Jul 04 2008 00:54 PST | Posted by change100
Jonas Helness Doubles Up
Jonas Helness took his pocket fours up against
and lived to tell about it. Though his opponent flopped top pair, Helness hit another four for a set and doubled his stack to 28,000. -
Fri Jul 04 2008 00:49 PST | Posted by Shamus
Mekhi PhiferPhifer Flatlines
With the board showing
, star of ER Mekhi Phifer got the rest of his chips in the middle versus Maurice Hawkins. Phifer turned over for top pair and a flush draw, but Hawkins held 
for a set of fives.
The river was the
, and Phifer is out. Hawkins currently has 65,000.
Started 3rd Jul, 2008
