Richard Yong and Andrew Pantling are among the early chipleaders after thirty minutes of play. Rick Salomon already lost a portion of his stack to Pantling and is below 800,000.
The board showed and there was approximately 57,500 in the pot. Christoph Vogelsang check-called a bet of 15,000 from Rui Cao and the landed on the turn.
Vogelsang again checked to Cao who again fired in a bet, this time for 45,000. Vogelsang quickly released his hand and Cao pulled in the pot.
Wai Kin Yong, Ivan Leow, and Cary Katz saw a flop together with Yong first to act in the big blind. He checked, Leow bet 16,000, Katz called on the button, and Yong called as well. All players checked the on the turn.
The river was the and after two checks, Katz bet 31,500. Yong called, and Leow called as well after some thought. Katz tabled for a pair of kings, Yong mucked, and Leow flashed the and mucked as well.
Wai Kin Yong opened from middle position to 8,500 and Cary Katz defended his big blind. The dealer spread out on the flop and action checked to Yong who pushed in a bet of 10,000 that was swiftly check-called by Katz.
The landed on the felt, Katz led out for 25,000 and Yong thought for a moment before he called. A completed the board, both players checked and Katz tabled for two pair.
Yong mucked his hand, sending one of the first pots of the day over to Katz.
Shortly before play got underway, tournament director Luca Vivaldi announced the payouts for the event. Eleven players will finish in the money, with £1,100,000 awarded as the "min-cash".
The winner of the richest poker tournament of all time will receive £19,000,000 ($23,019,609), surpassing the $18,000,000 awarded to Antonio Esfandiari for winning the inaugural Big One for One Drop back in 2012, and making it officially the biggest prize ever to be awarded in the history of poker.