Numerous Big Names Moving on After Day 1d in the WPT World Championship
While there was some overlay in the World Poker Tour (WPT) World Championship, Day 1d brought out a massive field, and the tournament is officially one of the largest in poker history.
Registration closed in the $10,400 buy-in event on Friday evening with 1,523 players registered for the final session, bringing the total to 3,835, a 30% increase from the 2022 edition. There were numerous high-profile players who bagged on Day 1d, including many big stacks such David Peters and Huck Seed.
One Last Shot at Millions
Friday was the fourth and final opportunity for players to either enter the tournament for the first time, or for them to take one last crack at bagging a stack.
A trimmed-down Shaun Deeb miraculously made his way to Las Vegas for the final session where he late registered. The tournament crusher said earlier in the day that he wouldn't be able to make it in time due to flight delays on his way back from The Bahamas and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Paradise event.
Although he did just barely make it, his stay was short-lived and he was eliminated before the end of the night. Xuan Liu was another late elimination on Day 1d when her small pair couldn't suck-out against a slightly bigger small pair.
There were many players who ended the 10-level session with big stacks, but none larger than the 982,000 Mateus Carrion bagged. In fact, the closest stack was Alex Jauregui with 791,000 chips.
A total of 590 players survived and advanced from Day 1d. On Saturday at noon PT, they'll head back to the Encore Ballroom along with the 810 others who bagged during the first three starting flights. Kyle Ho, who played Day 1c, will have the biggest stack — 1,211,000 — when Day 2 begins.
Chris Hunichen, Chris Brewer, Byron Kaverman, Lyle Berman and many others were among those who found a bag on Friday night. Full chip counts will be available in the morning.
*Image courtesy of World Poker Tour.