WSOP Lake Tahoe Main Event Day 1 | 2007 WSOP Circuit Event - Lake Tahoe

11-16-2007 17:06 UTC-4

More Names

We're about 50 minutes into level one and most of the players have made their way to their seats. PokerNews has spotted Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson, J.J. Liu, 2006 Lake Tahoe circuit winner Clint Baskin, Mark Karam and Hans 'Tuna' Lund.

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11-16-2007 16:48 UTC-4

View from the Sidelines

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Paul 'Eskimo' Clark is here, though not currently playing in the tournament. Clark was in the news most recently for collapsing twice during the 2007 WSOP, once with the chip lead, but he refused to quit playing. Clark was forced to sign a waiver absolving Harrah's of all responsibility before returning to the table.

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11-16-2007 16:38 UTC-4

Notable Names

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After perusing through the tournament area, it's evident that the field is quite strong. So far, we've spotted Michael Binger, Jonathan Little, Kirk Morrison, Kathy Liebert, J.C. Tran, and 2007 WSOP bracelet winners Bill Edler, Scott Clements, Tom Schneider and Ciaran O'Leary.

Tags: Kirk Morrison

11-16-2007 16:23 UTC-4

Last Chance

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Talk about a crap shoot . . . A member of the Harvey's Poker Room staff just announced that there is one seat left in a $500 super-turbo single table satellite, offering 1 seat to the main event.

The structure of these turbo satellites: 3,000 chips, 5-minute levels with blinds starting at 25-50. Desperate times call for desperate measures!

11-16-2007 16:18 UTC-4

Preliminary Numbers

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So far, we've counted 17 tournament tables in play, though not all of them are full. The tournament is being played nine-handed and several players have yet to take their seats.

The tournament staff anticipates a field in the ballpark of 130 players and by the looks of things, they're going to surpass that number.

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

11-16-2007 16:08 UTC-4

Shuffle Up and Deal!

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Tournament director Janis Sexton (wife of PokerNews columnist Tom Sexton) has just given the command to 'Shuffle Up and Deal,' and we're underway!

11-16-2007 16:07 UTC-4

The Tournament

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The 2007 version of the Harvey's Lake Tahoe circuit event is scheduled for three days, with the final table set to take place on Sunday, November 18. The buy-in to the event is $5,000+150 and players will start with 10,000 in tournament chips.

Players will play seven 75-minute levels on Day 1 and will play down to the final nine on Day 2. The winner of the main event will receive a WSOP Circuit Championship gold ring and a $10,000 buy-in to the 2008 WSOP main event.

11-16-2007 15:42 UTC-4

The Venue

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For a fourth consecutive year, Harvey's Lake Tahoe is playing host to a World Series of Poker Circuit event. Harvey's was originally opened in 1944 by Sacramento meat wholesaler Harvey Gross. The complex saw extensive growth in its first three decades, until a 1980 bomb attack by an unhappy patron of the casino left the building in ruins.

Harvey Gross passed away at the age of 78 in 1983 but the hotel and casino lived on under family management. Most recently, Harvey's was acquired by Harrah's Entertainment on April 24, 2001 for $625 million.

Since then, the casino has undergone extensive renovations including an overhaul of its hotel rooms within the last year. The world famous Improv comedy club has a home inside Harvey's and currently features headliner Dat Phan, winner of the inaugural Last Comic Standing show on NBC.

A friendly and accomodating staff tops off the Harvey's experience, while the sheer beauty of South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area only adds to the warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Tags: Harvey's Lake Tahoe

11-16-2007 14:59 UTC-4

Day 1

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Members of the WSOP’s traveling tournament crew are currently making their final preparations for the 2007 Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOPC Main Event, which begins today at 12:00 noon local time. Harvey’s has expanded their regular poker room to fit 35 poker tables, including a sharp looking final table and stage set up just a few feet away from the Improv box office.

Last night, 2000 WSOP Champion Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson participated in an interview/question and answer session led by Nolan Dalla, giving fans the opportunity to pick the brain of one of poker’s living legends. Chris is expected to be one of the big name pros playing in the main event. We’ve also spotted the likes of Kirk Morrison, Bill Edler, J.C. Tran and Eskimo Clark around and about the poker room and it’s quite likely they’ll all be playing today.

PokerNews will be on site for the duration of the main event, bringing you chip counts and live updates direct from the tournament floor. We hope you’ll join us at 12:00 p.m. PST for our Day 1 coverage of the Harvey’s Lake Tahoe WSOPC Main Event here in beautiful South Lake Tahoe.