Eyster Leads Final 10; Baker, Gaviao in Contention
On Monday, the final 133 players returned for Day 2 of the WinStar World Casino Resort River Poker Series Main Event. After 10 levels of play, the unofficial final table of 10 was set. Kevin Eyster bagged up the chip lead with 5.74 million and is the player closest to earning the $1 million payday guaranteed for first place.
Eyster is no stranger to tournament success, having over $2.1 million in live winnings to his name prior to this cash. While Eyster has been around the tournament circuit for quite some time, his most notable career victory came just months ago at the 2014 World Series of Poker. Eyster took down his first gold bracelet and over $622,000 in Event #24: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed. Eyster is looking to top that cash with a win on the final day of this event.
While Eyster bagged the largest stack at the end of the day, his path to glory will not be easy. Eyster is surrounded by tough competition at this prestigious final table. Perhaps the most notable player at the table is fellow WSOP bracelet winner David "ODB" Baker.
Baker advanced on Day 1c after firing a few bullets throughout the starting flights. Baker outlasted the tough Day 2 competition and will bring a stack of 1.705 million to the final day.
Also present at the final table is 2013/14 WSOP Circuit Harrah's Tunica Main Event champion Jonathan Gaviao. Gaviao had a roller coaster of a day, spiking a miracle during the final few levels to stay alive and secure his spot at the final table. Gaviao bagged 2.795 million to end the day.
Since each Day 1 flight played down to the top 10% of the field, the day began with each player guaranteed a payday of at least $4,415. Notable players to hit the rail on Day 2 include La Sengphet (130th), Seneca Easley (110th), Rep Porter (98th), Christian Harder (92nd), Grayson Ramage (87th), Andy Philachack (73rd), Scott Clements (70th), Brandon Steven (68th), Lynn Samples (41st), Austin Lewis (32nd), Bryan Campanello (21st), and Joseph Cheong (13th).
Here' a look at the seating chart and chips heading into the final day of play:
| Seat | Name | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rodeen Talebi | 725,000 |
| 2 | David "ODB" Baker | 1,705,000 |
| 3 | Rhett Trusler | 2,180,000 |
| 4 | Kevin Eyster | 5,740,000 |
| 5 | Travis Rice | 4,480,000 |
| 6 | Jonathan Gaviao | 2,975,000 |
| 7 | Jason Helder | 4,310,000 |
| 8 | Kong Li | 3,570,000 |
| 9 | Khoa Nguyen | 5,190,000 |
| 10 | Chris Drake | 2,505,000 |
Play will resume at 12 p.m. on Tuesday where the field will play down to a champion. As always, be sure to return to PokerNews for all of the latest as this exciting event reaches its conclusion.