button in SafariTal Avivi Bags the Largest Day 1b Stack; Leads Overall
The second of six flights in Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Millions has concluded, and it was another busy Day 1 at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. By the time the late registration period ended, 1,562 entries had been processed, bringing the running total to 3,197 with four flights remaining.
The aim for those playing Day 1b was to survive 22 levels. Only 57 of those starters achieved that goal, although those who busted have a few more bites at the cherry if their bankroll allows.
One man who doesn't need to join another Day 1 is Israel's Tal Avivi, a two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit ring winner. Avivi turned his 25,000 starting stack into an impressive 2,800,000. That huge stack was not only the largest stack of the flight, but of the tournament thus far.
Quang Vu bagged and tagged 2,000,000 chips at the close of play, placing him second on Day 1b and overall, while Qiang Pan's 1,400,000 chips were enough for third place on the day.
Event #1: $550 Mini Mystery Millions Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tal Avivi | Israel | 2,800,000 | 92 |
| 2 | Quang Vu | United States | 2,000,000 | 65 |
| 3 | Qiang Pan | United States | 1,400,000 | 48 |
| 4 | Caroline Schallock | Germany | 1,300,000 | 44 |
| 5 | Dave Stann | United States | 1,200,000 | 39 |
| 6 | Giovanni Zanette | South Africa | 1,100,000 | 36 |
| 7 | Michael Comisso | United States | 1,100,000 | 35 |
| 8 | Brandon Nguyen | United Kingdom | 960,000 | 32 |
| 9 | Robert Buckenmayer | United States | 940,000 | 31 |
| 10 | Steven Correll | United States | 900,000 | 30 |
Several bracelet winners navigated their way through 22 levels to give themselves a shot at adding to their WSOP jewelry collections. Valentino Konakchiev (570,000), Ryan Laplante (520,000), Brett Shaffer (505,000), Mike Leah (246,000), and Erick Lindgren (194,000) among them.
Some of those high-profile grinders who failed to progress to Day 2 from this flight but who secured at least a min-cash included Shawn Buchanen, Joey Couden, Joseph Cheong, Erik Cajelais, Chance Kornuth, and the legendary Billy Baxter, showing the lure this event has.
Day 1c of this event is scheduled to start at 10:00 a.m. local time on May 28, and it should see another huge crowd descend on the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. Will anyone eclipse the 2,800,000 chips Avivi bagged up today? We don't have too long to wait to find out.