2007 WSOP Updates – Event #9 – Jordan 'iMsoLucky0' Morgan Atop Windblown Tourney
The big story of Day One in the $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo event wasn't about the players and their quest to win WSOP gold. The dramatic winds that plagued the early rounds of the event shifted attention away from the players to the playing conditions in the Poker Pavilion Tent, which played host to this event's early tournament action. The brutal desert winds swirled in and out of the event's original starting spot, situated just outside of the Rio, and virtually made it impossible for players to concentrate.
Despite the nasty weather conditions and the frequent snarling of the wind, there were plenty of star players in Tuesday's tournament line-up. Joining the field of 690 players were Greg Raymer, Doyle and Todd Brunson, David Williams, Huck Seed, Darrell 'Gigabet' Dicken, Joe Tehan, 'Minneapolis' Jim Meehan, Thomas Wahlroos, James Van Alstyne, Bill Chen, Jeff Madsen, Scotty Ngyuen, Chip Jett, Eric Seidel, Phil Ivey, and Paul 'The Truth' Darden.
Unable to withstand the tough playing environment inside the tent, WSOP executives were forced to make a decision as to whether or not to continue the tournament or push it back a day. Eventually, it was decided that all players had to be moved into the Rio for things to continue. The decision was welcomed by the players and action resumed after an extensive dinner break at roughly 10:30 PM (PDT).
With players perhaps struggling to retain focus, the action remained heavy once things got started again. Leading the way early in the event was professional J.C. Alvarado, who amassed a big stack after taking down several key hands. Joining Alvarado high on the board in early play were Alan Mittleman, Raymond Davis, Dale Pinchot, and Robert Nino, while Scott Nguyen, Chad Brown, and Phil Hellmuth simply couldn't get things going and busted out early. However, as the evening progressed it was another Internet wonder making a charge, as Jordan 'iMsoLucky0' Morgan moved to the top.
At the end of the day's play, the top ten in chips are as follows:
Jordan Morgan — 43,400
Richard Ashby — 42,600
Kiran Patel — 39,200
Warren Karp — 34,200
Kirill Gerasimov — 28,900
John Phan — 28,100
J.R. Reiss — 27,000
Richard Tatalovich — 26,800
Alan Mittelman — 24,600
George Guzman — 24,400
180 players remain, including big names Tony Cousineau, Alvarado, Todd Brunson, Brandon Cantu, Robert Mizrachi, and Thor Hansen. Make sure to join Event #7 Day Two 'Live Reporting' on Pokernews.com at 3:00pm (PDT), as players battle it out for the $228,446 first-place cash and the coveted gold WSOP bracelet.
