Matt Wakeman Leads the $5K Challenge into Day 2

After fourteen 45-minute levels were played out in the first day of the $5,000 Challenge Event, Matt Wakeman will return as the Day 2 chip leader after he bagged an impressive 981,000.

 A field of 215 players came together, and 16 of them will return on Thursday, December 6, at 2:15 p.m. local time. The field surpassed the needed 211 to hit the $1,000,000 guarantee that was on offer.

A long way behind Wakeman are Robert Spano (505,000) and Dejan Boskovic (424,000) who round out the top three. Hannah Lee (382,000), Sam Khoueis (370,000),Gautam Dhingra (350,000), Shivan Abdine (206,000)[/B] and Australian Poker Hall-of-Famer Billy Argyros (204,000) all progressed through.

Big names to depart throughout the day and miss out on the top 24 and a payday included; defending champion of this event Brendon Rubie, 2011 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Andrew Hinrichsen, Tristan Bain, Jarred and Connie Graham, last year’s WSOP Circuit Main Event Sydney champion Michael Kanaan, Nurlan Boobekov, Graeme Putt, James Broom, Ash Gupta, Daniel Laidlaw, Stevan Chew, Jonathan Karamalikis, 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem, Gary Benson and Dean Blatt.

Blatt would finish as the money bubble when he called Isaac Lau's shove holding pocket queens and found himself up against ace-nine. The flop would bring an ace and that would guarantee the remaining 24 players a $9,426 return.

Those to make the money but miss Day 2 include Julius Colman, Australian Poker Hall-of-Famer Jason Gray and Sam Higgs.

When play resumes the blinds will begin at 5,000/10,000/10,000 big blind ante. PokerNews will be back with all the $5K Challenge Day 2 action as the remaining 16 players battle for a place at the final table before playing down to an eventual champion.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matt Wakeman	981,000 190,000	190,000
Robert Spano	505,000 118,000	118,000
Dejan Boskovic	424,000 324,000	324,000
Hannah Lee	382,000 -53,000	-53,000
Sam Khoueis	370,000 145,000	145,000
Joshua McCully	356,000 106,000	106,000
Gautam Dhingra	350,000 234,000	234,000
David Wang	309,000 209,000	209,000
Hauman Darbani	273,000 -92,000	-92,000
Nathan Sawyers	255,000 -191,000	-191,000
Mladen Vukovic	245,000 100,000	100,000
Isaac Lau	228,000 -55,000	-55,000
Sean D.	223,000 -80,000	-80,000
Shivan Abdine	206,000 -37,000	-37,000
Billy Argyros	204,000 4,000	4,000
Simon Chahine	97,000 -188,000	-188,000

2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney

2018 WSOP International Circuit The Star Sydney

Matt Wakeman Leads the $5K Challenge into Day 2