$5,000 Main Event Day 1a | 2017 PokerStars Championship Bahamas

Player	Chips	Progress
James Martyn	197,400 104,400	104,400
Brad Marsh	173,200 23,200	23,200
Andre Crooks	160,400
Mikko Turtiainen	155,100
Alan Schein	140,100 140,100	140,100
Daniel Colman	136,100 75,100	75,100

Igor Kurganov	121,000 51,000	51,000

Adrian Mateos	120,900 75,900	75,900

Gaelle Baumann	119,200 29,700	29,700

Morris Dadoun	112,800 -7,200	-7,200
Nick Petrangelo	104,000 19,000	19,000

Christoph Vogelsang	100,300 27,300	27,300
Jason Mercier	92,200 7,200	7,200

Robert Mizrachi	88,000 38,000	38,000

Cliff Josephy	87,100 57,500	57,500

Byron Kaverman	83,000 63,000	63,000

Justin Bonomo	74,500 44,500	44,500

Mike Shin	59,600 19,600	19,600
Daniel Negreanu	58,200 32,200	32,200

Mike McDonald	54,600 9,600	9,600

Mitchell Towner	54,200 12,200	12,200

Stephen Chidwick	53,800 3,800	3,800

David Eldridge	44,100 2,100	2,100
Isaac Haxton	43,600 13,600	13,600

Govert Metaal	33,400 -31,600	-31,600

Player

Chips

Progress

James Martyn

197,400

104,400

Brad Marsh

173,200

23,200

160,400

155,100

140,100

136,100

75,100

Igor Kurganov

121,000

51,000

Adrian Mateos

120,900

75,900

Gaelle Baumann

119,200

29,700

Morris Dadoun

112,800

-7,200

Nick Petrangelo

104,000

19,000

Christoph Vogelsang

100,300

27,300

Jason Mercier

92,200

7,200

Robert Mizrachi

88,000

38,000

Cliff Josephy

87,100

57,500

Byron Kaverman

83,000

63,000

Justin Bonomo

74,500

44,500

Mike Shin

59,600

19,600

Daniel Negreanu

58,200

32,200

Mike McDonald

54,600

9,600

Mitchell Towner

54,200

12,200

Stephen Chidwick

53,800

3,800

David Eldridge

44,100

2,100

Isaac Haxton

43,600

13,600

Govert Metaal

33,400

-31,600

Day 1a of the 2017 PokerStars Championship Bahamas $5,000 Main Event attracted 229 players – up from last year’s 210 in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure — but after eight 75-minute levels of play, more than 100 of them had went the way of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and New York Giants – they were eliminated!

That meant 112 players managed to find a bag on Sunday night, but none put more in it than 30-year-old James Martyn, who finished as chip leader with 197,400. Martyn got a lot of his chips when he picked up pocket rockets and doubled through Andrey Zaichenko, who picked an inopportune time to shove with king-ten.

Others who finished with healthy stacks were Brad Marsh (173,200), Andre Cooks (160,400), Mikko Turtiainen (155,100), Alan Schein (140,100), Daniel Colman (136,100) and Igor Kurganov (121,000). They were joined by the likes of Nick Petrangelo (104,000), Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier (92,200), Cliff Josephy (87,100), and Mike “Timex” McDonald (54,600).

Another player to advance was 84-year-old Morris Dadoun, who qualified for the Main Event by winning a charity event. Dadoun had an offer to sell his seat, but he decided to live out a dream and play in one of poker’s most prestigious events. It couldn’t have gone much better as he was responsible for the tournament’s first elimination, played against 2016 GPI Player of the Year David Peters, and even went toe-to-toe with PokerStars Team Pro Daniel Negreanu. Dadoun, who had his wife on the rail, survived the night with 112,800, while Peters and Negreanu bagged 29,300 and 58,200 respectively.

Among those to try and fall on Day 1a were 2015 World Series of Poker champ Joe McKeehen, Friend of PokerStars Sergio Garcia, Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, last year’s PCA champ Mike Watson, and Charlie Carrel, who busted just a couple hours after finishing runner-up to Jason Koon in the $100,000 Super High Roller for more than $1.1 million. Speaking of Koon, he went on to bag 22,900.

Another player to fall on Day 1a was big-time Hollywood actor and poker aficionado Kevin Hart.

"Tell them that I went down swinging," requested Hart, who busted after shoving his short stack with deuce-six offsuit. Aslan Tchechoev held pocket tens, and Hart watched helplessly as the board ran out dry. Hart said it best earlier in the day:

"My poker is like the felt, it's smooth... but if you push it back in the other direction, it gets rough."

While the field lost one celebrity, they’ll gain one tomorrow when Aaron Paul of The Path and Breaking Bad fame takes his shot at poker glory. Others who’ll be in action on Monday are Team PokerStars Pro and 2003 WSOP champ Chris Moneymaker, ESPT4 Marbella champ Ludovic Geilich, and World Poker Tour Amsterdam High Roller champ Jason Wheeler, just to name a few. Meanwhile, many who either advanced or busted – such as Dan Shak, Christoph Vogelsang, and Paul Newey – are expected to take their shots in the $50,000 High Roller.

Day 1b will kick off at 11 a.m. local time on Monday, and we’ll be here to bring you all the action. Until then, check out Sarah Herring’s video with Dadoun, who today got to live out his poker dream.