Chris Gallagher Leads at the End of Event #1: $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'Em
After an action-packed day in Event #1: $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'Em, play has finally concluded with just 11 players remaining. Chris Gallagher will head into Day 2 as a slight chip leader with 519,000. This will be the first time Gallagher has cashed in a WSOP event, and he now looks to wrap up the title tomorrow. Chris Solomon isn't far behind, sitting with 513,000, and Jermel Stephens rounds out the top three with 418,000.
There were a total of 651 entries at the conclusion of registration which made up a prizepool of $325,500. They were all vying for the first place prize of $68,817 but only 11 remain with the hopes of capturing the first WSOP bracelet of 2017.
Play started off quickly with the first elimination coming in the first couple of hands, and that set the pace for the entire day. Players continued to drop quickly and often and Victor Kim burst the money bubble before the dinner break. Celebrations began as the remaining 98 players knew they were guaranteed to take home a minimum cash prize of $834.
Some notables that were in the field at the start of play but failed to reach the money included Kenny Hallaert, David Tuchman, Erica Lindgren, Dana Castaneda, Jesse Capps, and Molly Anne Mossey. Others that finished in the money are 2015 WSOP Casino Employees Event champion Brandon Barnette (20th place - $1,874), Christian Percevecz (37th place - $1,351), Christopher Womack (47th place - $1,182), and Kenji Ikeda (85th place - $856).
The remaining 11 players that return tomorrow will play until one more elimination takes place, and then redraw for the unofficial final table of ten. Blinds will begin at 6000/12000 with 2000 ante and be 60-minute levels. Play will conclude once a champion is crowned and a WSOP bracelet will be handed out.
Here is a look at how they stack up heading into Day 2:
| Tournament Room | Tables | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miranda | 600 | 2 | Alex Cordova | United States | 348,000 | 29 |
| Miranda | 600 | 3 | Chris Solomon | United States | 513,000 | 43 |
| Miranda | 600 | 4 | Nathan Bolinger | United States | 77,000 | 6 |
| Miranda | 600 | 5 | Bryan Hollis | United States | 290,000 | 24 |
| Miranda | 600 | 6 | Adem Arbuckle | United States | 243,000 | 20 |
| Miranda | 600 | 8 | Victor Kim | United States | 323,000 | 27 |
| Miranda | 601 | 1 | Haviv Bahar | United States | 145,000 | 12 |
| Miranda | 601 | 2 | Vincent Russell | United Kingdom | 216,000 | 18 |
| Miranda | 601 | 3 | Chris Gallagher | United States | 519,000 | 43 |
| Miranda | 601 | 4 | Josh Clanton | United States | 172,000 | 14 |
| Miranda | 601 | 6 | Jermel Stephens | United States | 418,000 | 35 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
519,000
124,000
|
124,000 |
|
513,000
263,000
|
263,000 |
|
418,000
58,000
|
58,000 |
|
348,000
-12,000
|
-12,000 |
|
323,000
-97,000
|
-97,000 |
|
290,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
||
|
243,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
216,000
-4,000
|
-4,000 |
|
172,000
-8,000
|
-8,000 |
|
145,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
|
77,000
-36,000
|
-36,000 |