Wednesday 10 July 2013

WSOP Day 1: Burland Coolered


 
This past weekend, the World Series of Poker began its final journey of the summer as thousands of players packed into the Rio Casino for the $10,000 Main Event.

A total of 6,352 hopefuls took their seat to create a near-$60 million prize pool with the Day 1c showing of 3,467 setting the record for the largest one-day field in Main Event history.

Among the sea of tables were the Black Belt Poker faithful, led by Neil Channing who was on the hunt for his first bracelet having finishing second in a $1,500 event the year prior.

Despite Channing claiming "the event that decides who will be world champion plays like a £20 event", few will have foreseen the early and unquestionably cruel demise of former UKIPT Champion Jamie Burland.

With the opening level alive and kicking, Jamie made a full house with K-K on an A-K-5-5-8 board, but lost the entirety of his 30,000 starting stack to A-A. You'd have to be playing poker naked in a fridge freezer in the Arctic to encounter a deck that cold!

Meanwhile, fellow Blue Belt Kevin Williams - who was playing in his fifth Main Event - evaded such torture to complete Day 1 with 45,800 chips, despite losing a 30,000 pot with A-K versus Q-Q. He was joined on the survival list by Sensei Channing, who edged up to 37,300.

Black Belt Poker sent several players to Vegas this year, with three qualifiers tackling the Main Event. East End Live II finalist Carlo Hassan was hampered by gout and bust after dinner, but both Iain Brassell and James Morris remained unscathed with 24,000 and 82,000 respectively.

They weren't the only qualifiers in Sin City: Mark England played in the final $1,500 event as part of his WSOP Experience package and managed to crawl into the money, despite losing a crucial Q-Q versus A-K bout just a few hands from the bubble.

But this week, all eyes are on the Main Event. The pacesetter heading into Day 2 was Mark Kroon of the USA who boasted more chips than Harry Ramsden's: 246,000. Also flying high were Michael Mizrachi, Daniel Cates, Sorel Mizzi and charismatic Brit Yucel 'Mad Turk' Eminoglu.

With 4,186 players remaining, a third of the field has already been eliminated, but who will go on to make the return trip in the Fall to play for the $8.3 million first prize?...

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