The third starting day for the World Series of Poker 2015 Main Event was as expected, the most popular. By the time late registration closed, another 3,963 players had paid the $10,000 buy-in to create a total field of 6,420 and a prize pool of $60,348,000.
The players who have the luck, skill and stamina to make it to the final table and become part of the 2015 November Nine will all take home over $1 million. The winner will take home $7,680,021, and in total 1,000 players will make a profit on their entry fee with the minimum cash worth $15,000.
The record turnout for Day 1C could not obscure the fact that the total attendance for the Main Event is down from last year’s field of 6,683. This year’s field is larger than the 2013 figure of 6,352, but it is still the second smallest field since 2007.
Last year’s champion, Martin Jacobson, managed to shrug off his cold to give the traditional “Shuffle Up and Deal” at the start of play. He took his seat, but fans will not be seeing a back-to-back victory after he failed to survive the day’s play.
John Gorsuch bagged the most chips when play ended for the day with a stack of 198,100. That is enough to make him the overall chip leader when play restarts for the official Day 2. The Day 1B chip leader, Hamid Feiz will have the second biggest stack with 182,675 chips.
Former Main Event champions were abundant. 2013 winner Ryan Reiss ended the day with 108,800 chips, but Phil Hellmuth, Jamie Gold, Joe Hachem and Peter Eastgate all remain in the tournament with a chance of booking a second Main Event victory.
Former champions who fell at the first hurdle included Joe Cada, Greg Merson and Jerry Yang.
PokerStars Team Pro Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier barely moved off his starting stack, finishing the day with only 22,375 chips, but his team mate Daniel Negreanu ended with a much more impressive 73,825.
WSOP official sponsors, 888poker stepped up and did the “right thing” by sponsoring Kevin “Phwap” Boudreau to play in the event. Boudreau is a well known online player who suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and stroke in the parking lot while taking a break during a WSOP event in 2013.
“Given the challenges that Kevin has faced over the past couple of years and his determination to resume his playing, 888poker was honored to enable him to join this prestigious event,” said Itai Pazner, SVP at 888 Holdings
His performance will crown a video documentary “The Kevin Boudreau Documentary” which is being filmed by Ian Tuason.
“[The documentary] will use voice over narration and combine visual effects and animation to drive Kevin’s narrative forward,” the author told PokerNews. “The film will show present-day video footage leading up to the Kevin’s big game, intercut with stories from his past surrounding his stroke, all weaving together as Kevin nears the big climax of the tournament itself.”
5,000 players have survived to play on Day 2. The first Day 2 begins on Wednesday for the players who took part in Days 1A and 1B. Players from Day 1C will have their Day 2 on Thursday.
