Mustapha Kanit Bags the Chip Lead After 2021 WSOP Main Event Day 1a
The Main Event is underway! Day 1a of Event #67: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event Championship wrapped up with Mustapha Kanit moving on to Day 2 as the chip leader. The flagship event of the 2021 World Series of Poker attracted 523 runners to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino for the first of six starting flights.
Kanit leads the 348 survivors after Day 1a after chipping up early and building his stack consistently over the evening. The Italian poker pro will be looking to win his first WSOP gold bracelet after making two final tables so far at the 2021 WSOP.
Several legends made an appearance on Day 1a, and among them continuing on to Day 2 are Poker Hall of Fame members Doyle Brunson, Billy Baxter, and Tom McEvoy.
2021 WSOP Main Event Top 10 Chip Stacks After Day 1a
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | |
| 1 | Mustapha Kanit | Italy | 363,500 | |
| 2 | Rittie Chuaprasert | United States | 345,700 | |
| 3 | Alex Livingston | Canada | 319,200 | |
| 4 | David Fong | United States | 298,500 | |
| 5 | Fabian Quoss | Germany | 273,800 | |
| 6 | Billy Baxter | United States | 248,600 | |
| 7 | Dragana Lim | United States | 237,700 | |
| 8 | Vladimir Vasilyev | United States | 232,000 | |
| 9 | Vidur Sethi | India | 226,200 | |
| 10 | Ayaz Mahmood | United States | 221,200 |
Brunson made his first appearance in the Main Event since 2013, and he will move on to Day 2 with 151,000 in chips. The 10-time WSOP champion was up to some of his old tricks, making great reads and dragging big pots late in Day 1.
McEvoy, the 1983 Main Event champion, will also return for Day 2 with 96,900 in chips. The four-time champion is playing in his 37th Main Event and he is looking for his third cash of the series after hitting the pay window in the 2021 $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha and $1,500 Seven Card Stud events.
Baxter will return among the leaders after bagging 248,000 chips. The seven-time bracelet winner was a serious contender throughout the day, and he'll have the opportunity to turn one of the bigger stacks into a deep run at the Main Event.
Other notable players making it through to Day 2 include Rittie Chuaprasert (345,700), Alex Livingston (319,200), David Fong (298,500), Fabian Quoss (273,800), and Perry Friedman (195,500).
Damian Salas arrived to defend his 2020 WSOP Main Event championship but he was on the rail before the end of the first level. He first lost almost his entire stack with a turned nut flush and then Peter Gould made a straight with pocket fives against Salas' ace-queen.
Other players not moving on to Day 2 include Calvin Anderson, Upeshka De Silva, Dylan Weisman, Jerod Smith, and 2021 Player of the Year points leader Jake Schwartz.
Day 1b will kick off on Friday at 11 a.m. and play the same five two-hour levels as today. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews live reporting team to catch all of the action from the floor in the second of six opening flights of the 2021 Main Event at the World Series of Poker.