![[user46298]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
The first few hands saw, as expected, a sparse crowd at the tables, ready to play, but a steady line of people checking the draw is dispersing around the room and taking stock of the opposition.
Noted:
Freddy Deeb
Brandon Adams
Barry Greenstein
John Tabatabai
Dan Shak
Willie Tann
Jennifer Tilly
Phil Ivey
Steve Brecher
I'm not sure what it is about the WSOPE Main Event, but, at kick-off, it has to be the worst attended event on the calendar. As Barry Shulman blows the starting whistle downstairs, upstairs, three tables are commencing heads-up. One involves Nenad Medic, who just gave a walk to queens, much to his opponent's chagrin.
Receiving top marks for punctuality are Nikolay Evdakov, Markus Golser, Greg Mueller, Chance Kornuth, Daniel Negreanu, Vanessa Rousso and the rarely sighted Tony Bloom. Right in the corner is a line-up tougher than a two-dollar steak: Mike Matusow, Juha Helppi, Eli Elezra and Jeff Madsen.
Day 1b is a go!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
The tables are all reset to even 30,000 stacks and the dealers are in position as the second wave of players in the £10,000 WSOPE Main Event prepare to take their seats. If you can get here within two 90-minute levels, you still have a chance in this tough, interesting field to take down a bracelet, but soon the total number of runners will be known, the prizepool calculated and displayed so that everyone knows what they're playing for. Of course roughly they already do - lots of GBP, the wrist-adornment, and the glow of pride at having beaten a field so liberally peppered with professional players it's spicy.
Gus Hansen and Jim Collopy, despite still being embroiled in the Heads-Up £10,000 final, will play today as it's their last chance, joining a multitude of local and flown-in poker talent in their first day of play.
Among them:
Barry Shulman, reigning champ in this event, back to defend his title. One of the first players to take his seat today was the last man standing last year, winning £801,603 after a hard-fought week which finally saw him see off Daniel Negreanu in 2nd place. He'll be announcing the 'Shuffle Up and Deal!' in about ten minutes.
Event #5: £10,350 WSOPE Championship No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1b Started
