button in SafariMichael Mizrachi Enjoys Strong Start to $2,500 Freezeout
From a field of 1,561, just 274 players remain after Day 1 of Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout, and there is plenty of star power near the top of the counts.
James Goldblatt (780,000) may be the clear chip leader, but five bracelet winners feature in the top 10, including Tom Hall (635,000) and Faraz Jaka (482,000), as well as 25k Fantasy Draft picks Marco Johnson (490,000) and Christian Roberts (452,000).
Event #49: $2,500 Freezeout Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Goldblatt | United States | 780,000 | 130 |
| 2 | Gerald Stogner | United States | 646,000 | 108 |
| 3 | Tom Hall | United Kingdom | 635,000 | 106 |
| 4 | Honghao Zhang | China | 510,000 | 85 |
| 5 | John Ypma | United States | 495,000 | 83 |
| 6 | Marco Johnson | United States | 490,000 | 82 |
| 7 | Faraz Jaka | United States | 482,000 | 80 |
| 8 | Alexander Condon | United States | 460,000 | 77 |
| 9 | Scott Drobes | United States | 457,000 | 76 |
| 10 | Christian Roberts | United States | 452,000 | 75 |
Speaking of star power, it was a good start for defending WSOP Main Event champion Michael Mizrachi who sits just outside the top 10 with 437,000. In fact, he's one of three former Main Event champions through to Day 2, including Joe McKeehen (425,000) and Jonathan Tamayo (156,000).
The list of notables through to Day 2 is extensive, but looking forward to action resuming will be three-time WSOP bracelet winner Naoya Kihara, PokerStars Ambassador Maria Konnikova, and PokerNews podcast host Mike Holtz.
On Day 2, levels increase to 60 minutes with play getting underway at 1 p.m. The plan is to play ten levels, with a 15-minute break after every two levels and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 21.
PokerNews live updates begin on Day 2, so stay tuned to all the action, bustouts, and double-ups right here.