WSOP Main Event Day 1D Recap
The last of the first four days of the 2008 WSOP main event was exactly what everyone had been hoping for. With the 2,461 players who registered before the end of the second level of play on Sunday, July 6th, the 2007 number was surpassed, making this the second largest live poker tournament in the history of the game.Prior to the cards being dealt at the beginning of the day, tournament director Jack Effel and Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack thanked everyone for coming and said some introductory words. Pollack then introduced Congressional Representative Robert Wexler from Florida who has been one of the politicians fighting for poker in Congress, specifically with his H.R. 2610 bill that proposes a carve-out from the UIGEA for poker as a game of skill. Wexler spoke to the players about protecting their rights, and asked the dealers to “shuffle up and deal!”
This was the largest of the first days of the main event, and tables were set up throughout the Amazon and Brasilia Rooms, as well as outside Buzio’s restaurant near the entrance to the casino. Even as many of 30 of the tables began 10-handed due to the excess of players, but as soon as the field dwindled a bit, those tables joined the others in 9-handed play. The overall mood seemed to be excitement at the start of play, much more so than the other three days, but as it does, the jovial atmosphere left the building and business got underway not long after. There was a serious game to be played at the Rio.
And in the early evening hours, the players found out just how serious. The staff had computed the numbers and finalized the payouts to come up with a grand total of 6,844 entrants in the 2008 WSOP main event, which created a prize pool of $64,333,600 and a first prize that was set at $9,119,517. Other than the outstanding numbers of the 2006 WSOP main event, this was set at the largest ever.
Numerous former WSOP main event champions were in the field for the 2008 tournament, such as Jerry Yang, Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson, Carlos Mortensen, Johnny Chan, and Noel Furlong. Ferguson and Furlong weren’t able to make it through the day, but the others survived to play Day 2 on Wednesday.
Other notables in the crowd on Day 1D were Shannon Elizabeth, Jennifer Tilly, Godsmack lead singer Sully Erna, UFC fighters Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin, pro golfer Paul Azinger, and Major League Baseball stars Jose Canseco and David Wells. Also, the oldest player at the 2007 WSOP main event, Jack Ury, was back to compete again this year at 95-years old. The oldest player to ever compete in the main event will play again on Day 2.
When it was all said and done after five levels of play, there were 1,652 players remaining in the field. The top ten were as follows:
Steve Austin 149,000
Mohamad Kowssarie 146,000
David Stucke 140,525
Sami Rustom 140,450
Dylan Linde 138,425
Nikolay Losev 127,225
Victor Ramdin 124,600
Samir Shakhtoor 122,875
Christian Choi 122,225
Charles Dolan 121,625
All of the Day 1D finishers will join the 1026 that survived Day 1C to play again on Wednesday, July 9th. Those who had finished Day 1A and 1B will play on the day prior – Tuesday, July 8th. All Day 2 finishers will join together to play in one Day 3 on Thursday, July 10th.
Related articles
First Event of 2008 WSOP Triggers Excitement Meter
The first day of the World Series of Poker is exciting in itself, no matter what the event that kicks it off. But when the initial tournament is one that is sure to bring out the stars of the game – the best and most avid players from around the globe – the level of excitement increases exponentially. May 31, 2008
Pokerworks.com
Deutsches Poker
Poker Français
Póquer en español
Poker in Italiano
Magyar Póker
Hrvatski Poker
Dutch Poker
Brasileiro Poker