Day 1 of Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold’em at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), hosted at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, concluded with notable action and personalities taking the spotlight.
Leading the pack is Preston McEwen from Memphis, amassing a commanding 780,000 in chips. With nearly $2,000,000 in tournament earnings, McEwen seeks his first WSOP bracelet, setting the stage for an exciting Day 2.
Event #95: $1,979 Poker Hall of Fame Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Preston McEwen | United States | 786,000 | 98 |
| 2 | Luan Coelho | Brazil | 699,000 | 87 |
| 3 | Yang Lei | New Zealand | 616,000 | 77 |
| 4 | Xiaowen Zhao | China | 614,000 | 77 |
| 5 | Daniel Marques | Brazil | 609,000 | 76 |
| 6 | Daisuke Ogita | Japan | 593,000 | 74 |
| 7 | Martin Finger | Germany | 554,000 | 69 |
| 8 | Roman Korenev | Russia | 529,000 | 66 |
| 9 | Yuzhou Yin | China | 525,000 | 66 |
| 10 | Naseem Salem | United States | 470,000 | 59 |
However, it was Poker Hall of Famer Jack McClelland who stole the show, finishing strong with 209,000 in chips. McClelland has had a lengthy career as a Tournament Director and player. He was the World Series of Poker Tournament Director in the 1980s, forever changing this prestigious event's operation with his meticulous work ethic and attention to detail.
McClelland also has an impressive poker resume with tournament winnings well over $400,000. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2014. . McClelland made waves early on by securing a significant pot among four players.
Also in contention is Erik Seidel, another Poker Hall of Famer boasting an impressive track record with ten bracelets and over $46 million in winnings. Seidel, known for his transition from professional backgammon to poker, remains a formidable force in the tournament.
Mori Eskandani (46,000) was the only other HOF member to make it through to Day 2.
Out of the 1,124 initial players, only 167 will return tomorrow at noon to vie for the prestigious bracelet and the top prize of $313,370. Since the money bubble burst at the end of Day 1, all returning players are in the money, guaranteed a minimum payout of $3,923. The total prize pool is $1,979,713, ensuring intense competition as players battle for the coveted title, priceless bracelet, and $313,370 first-place money.
Noteworthy chip leaders include Luan Coelho from Brazil with 699,000 chips, followed closely by Zhao Xiaowen with 640,000 chips at the end of Day 1. A few of the players returning tomorrow are $25K Fantasy Draft pick Adam Hendrix with 373,000 chips and bracelet winner Rafael Reis (365,000).
Thirteen Hall of Famers started the day, including Billy Baxter, who was the first bounty eliminated when his set got crushed by Dara O’Kearney’s straight. Then his bounty was taken by Adam Croffut, who risked his whole starting stack to isolate the bounty, and it worked.
Barry Greenstein was eliminated when his suited ace-king ran into two medium pocket pairs in a three-way all in.
Atanas Kavrakov won Scotty Nguyen's bounty when he became short-stacked and was forced to move all in with king-jack offsuit.
Phil Hellmuth donated his bounty to Santiago Plante in a three-way all in when he lost to a flush on the river.
Other Hall of Famers who busted before the money included Johnny Chan, Berry Johnston, Barbara Enright and Tom McEvoy.
Action resumes in the Grand Ballroom at noon local time, with blinds starting at Level 17 (4,000/8,000) and a big blind ante of 8,000. The tournament will proceed until a champion emerges, with scheduled breaks every two levels and a dinner break at approximately 6:30 p.m.
For live updates and detailed coverage of the WSOP, stay tuned to PokerNews and catch every thrilling moment from this event.
