button in SafariIn the Money and Back in Action: 672 Return for Day 2 of the $500 Salute to Warriors
Kicking off at 12 p.m. local time, the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas welcomes back the 672 players who survived Day 1 of Event #59: $500 Salute to Warriors No-Limit Hold'em.
This special World Series of Poker (WSOP) event sees $40 from each buy-in donated to the United Service Organizations and other veteran-focused charities. With a total of 4,478 entries confirmed by the close of registration, the initiative will generate $179,120 for organizations supporting veterans and active service members.
The large field generated a prize pool of $1,835,980, and Day 1 concluded only after the money bubble had burst. As a result, all 672 returning players have locked up at least $1,000, while the eventual winner will walk away with $208,800.
Nicholas Rigby returns as the overnight chip leader after bagging 1,278,000 at the close of Day 1. Trailing him are Hiroto Nishijima (1,204,000) and Sean Williams (1,175,000), who complete the top three stacks heading into Day 2.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Rigby | United States | 1,278,000 | 107 |
| 2 | Hiroto Nishijma | Japan | 1,204,000 | 100 |
| 3 | Sean Williams | United Kingdom | 1,175,000 | 98 |
| 4 | Naixuan Shi | China | 1,151,000 | 96 |
| 5 | Melissa Bartelme | United States | 1,147,000 | 96 |
| 6 | Nirath Rean | United States | 1,133,000 | 94 |
| 7 | Allen Lanier | United States | 1,109,000 | 92 |
| 8 | Eyyal Altar | United States | 1,086,000 | 91 |
| 9 | Nobuaki Sasaki | Japan | 1,070,000 | 89 |
| 10 | Arold Experience | Canada | 1,005,000 | 84 |
Further down the counts, a pair of former world champions remain in the hunt. Jamie Gold, winner of the 2006 WSOP Main Event, returns with 860,000, while 2019 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Alexandros Kolonias will look to spin up a stack after bagging 47,000.
The 25K Fantasy Draft also remains well represented, with Andreas Froehli (724,000), Brandon Sheils (322,000), Ari Engel (247,000), and Craig Chait (185,000) all advancing to Day 2 and carrying the hopes of their respective teams.
Day 2 is scheduled to play between 15 and 17 levels, with 15-minute breaks taken after every three levels. Players will also receive a 60-minute dinner break following Level 26, expected around 5:30 p.m. local time.
Action resumes at Level 18, with blinds of 6,000/12,000 and a 12,000 big blind ante, with each level lasting 40 minutes as play continues through Day 2.
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Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you all the action live from the tournament floor of this year's $500 Salute to Warriors.