Day 1b of Event #80: $800 Independence Day Celebration is done and dusted, with the 3,928 entrants reduced to a much more manageable 206 over the course of 22 levels. William Zaiss (2,280,000) bagged up the chip lead at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, followed by Indian superstar Nipun Java (1,925,000).
Java has won three bracelets during an illustrious career. He took down the $1,000 Tag Team No-Limit Hold'em and $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em online Championship in 2017 and added to his collection in 2023, winning the $777 No-Limit Hold'em Lucky 7s online event. The man third on India's all-time money list has done his chances of becoming a four-time bracelet winner no harm at all.
End of Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Binds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Zaiss | United States | 2,280,000 | 57 |
| 2 | Nipun Java | India | 1,925,000 | 48 |
| 3 | Che Chun Chu | China | 1,880,000 | 47 |
| 4 | Yuchung Chang | United States | 1,825,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Juan Alfines | United States | 1,730,000 | 43 |
| 6 | Joel Deutsch | United States | 1,700,000 | 43 |
| 7 | Hamid Izadi | United States | 1,695,000 | 42 |
| 8 | Ging Pang | United Kingdom | 1,695,000 | 42 |
| 9 | Benjamin Ector | United States | 1,690,000 | 42 |
| 10 | Srikanth Yadlapati | United States | 1,680,000 | 42 |
Bracelet winner Benjamin Ector (1,690,000) bagged up a top ten stack; the Georgia native won a $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout event last year.
Kudos to Dennis Backhaus (1,450,000) who entertained us throughout Day 1b by updating his MyStack chip counts with song lyrics. Backhaus hopes he'll hear the American national anthem as he collects a bracelet in the next couple of days.
Among the 206 Day 1b survivors are such luminaries as $25K Fantasy Draft pick John Riordan (1,100,000), Kenny Hallaert (830,000), Bradley Gafford (755,000), and Brett Apter (340,000).
At 11 a.m. local time on July 5, the surviving players from both flights combine to create a field of 356. Those 356 will lock horns and butt heads until only one of them remains. Play resumes on Level 23, meaning the blinds are 20,000/40,000 with a big blind ante of 40,000. Players will head on a 15-minute break every four levels, with a 60-minute dinner break scheduled before the final table begins.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the ground until that champion is crowned, bringing you updates live from the tournament floor.
