Ian Simpson Bags Chip Lead on Day 1b of 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event
There was another exciting day of poker at the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event with 131 players entering on Day 1b and just 61 advancing. This brings the total number of entries to 237 with two more flights to come.
Day 1c gets underway on Saturday at 17:00 before the Turbo Day 1d starting at 12:00 on Sunday. The field combines at 17:30 on Sunday for Day 2, with late registration and unlimited re-entry available for one more level.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ian Simpson | United Kingdom | 556,000 | 185 |
| 2 | Matteo Ferrara | Italy | 468,000 | 156 |
| 3 | Marcus Normark | Sweden 402,000 | 134 | |
| 4 | Fabio Gutierrez | Spain | 373,000 | 124 |
| 5 | Oscar Gironella | Portugal | 358,500 | 120 |
| 6 | Ruben Lopez Ruiz | Spain | 355,500 | 119 |
| 7 | Beltran Garcia | Spain | 350,000 | 117 |
| 8 | Nico Giuri | Spain | 339,000 | 113 |
| 9 | Philip Hollederer | Germany | 318,000 | 106 |
| 10 | Omar Del Pino | Spain | 309,500 | 103 |
There was plenty of action early on in the Day 1b field, with 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson quickly running up a stack and vying for the chip lead. He would eventually bag XXX, good enough for the chip lead.
"I just played brilliantly," he joked with PokerNews shortly after bagging. "No but seriously I never really had to bluff all day, and when that happens it tends to be a good day."
However, there was less luck for fellow 888poker Ambassador Alexandre Mantovani.
Mantovani joined the field after the dinner break and was seated at the same table as Simpson, but failed to pick up any traction and would fall short of Day 2.
888poker LIVE Bucharest 2022 Main Event champion Slaven Popov was also eliminated on Day 1b along with Kees van Brugge, Carmen Zainescu, Jaime Sanchez and Jan-Mickael Kesanen.
Day 1c of the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event gets underway on Saturday at 17:00 local time with eleven more 45-minute levels scheduled. Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the action from the Casino Gran Via.