Lybaert Bags $1,500 6-Max Day 1 Chip Lead; Play 14 Off the Money
On Day 1 of Event #17: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed, Belgian player Bart Lybaert moved quickly from starting stack to 50,000 and proceeded to climb steadily throughout the rest of the day to bag 181,000 and the chip lead.
The payouts were also confirmed, with 250 players in the money. A min-cash will be worth $2,249 and the money bubble is expected to burst early on Day 2, with just 264 players bagging chips.
Other big stacks include Thomas Muehloecker (145,300), Alexandro Tricarico (143,900), Victor Figueroa (127,200), Chris Aiello (122,000), and Matt Silva (116,500).
Notables through to Day 2 include multiple bracelet-winners Mark Radoja (91,700), Adrian Mateos (79,000), Barry Greenstein (43,300), and Jeff Madsen (36,300), along with former Main Event champion Martin Jacobson (70,000).
If last year was anything to go by, a big field was expected on Day 1. Although it didn't eclipse last year's mark, the 1,663 player field was spread across three rooms at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Defending champion Anthony Marquez was in action early on, but wouldn't make as much of an impact on proceedings this year, as he was eliminated during Day 1.
Everyone from bracelet winners to WSOP Main Event champions joined the field, but it was Lybaert who shot into the chip lead early on after flopping the nut flush and getting paid on all three streets.
There were already 1,200 entrants by the first break of the day, and more players would join the field including Cary Katz, Dominik Nitsche, David Peters, Ben Keeline, Heidi May, and Ryan Laplante.
All these players would fall during Day 1's play, along with Andre Akkari, Fabrice Soulier, Steven van Zadelhoff, Chris Moorman, Ana Marquez, Ryan D'Angelo, Alex Foxen, Thomas Boivin, Ari Engel, Niall Farrell, and Michael Gathy.
Lybaert still lead at the dinner break, and as they returned no less than 42 bracelets joined the field, in the form of Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Ben Yu, Bryn Kenney, Barry Greenstein, and Steven Wolansky. Ferguson and Ivey would bust fairly quickly, both unable to build up a stack from just 12.5 big blinds in the penultimate level of the night.
As the night drew to a close, Lybaert remained as the big stack but was pushed all the way by Muehloecker and Tricarico. The tournament resumes on Friday in Amazon Orange at 12pm, with play just 14 eliminations off the money.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the live updates from the 2018 World Series of Poker.
board.
and that was good enough to take down the pot.
. Busquet wasted no time in moving all in for around 10,000 and after a short while, Kassela folded.
run out.
and it checked to Lybaert who bet 1,000. The big blind was the only caller, and they check-called another bet, this time for 3,600 on the 
and the big blind checked for a third time. Lybaert bet 13,500 and his opponent called. Lybaert turned over 
for a flopped flush, and his opponent mucked.
turn and Horak called.
board brought her the lead and eliminated her opponent.
both bricked, and Lee moved back to just under 3,000 in chips.
