Lorenzo Negri Leads Field in Event #43: $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1 of Event #43: $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em at the 2022 WSOP at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas has come to a close after 22 levels of play spanning 14 hours. From a starting field of 4,786 that generated a prize pool of $2,010,120, only 202 players were able to find a bag for Day 2. Those who return on June 21 are guaranteed at least $1,552 after the money bubble burst during Level 17, but all eyes will surely be on the $241,729 first prize and coveted WSOP gold bracelet that awaits the eventual winner.
Leading the survivors is Lorenzo Negri sitting on a stack of 1,860,000. Negri has $25,261 in career lifetime earnings, a total that he could blow out of the water if he carries his current momentum into Day 2. There are several players hot on his heels, however, including Robert Pettitt (1,590,000), Peter Schneider (1,570,000) and Alan Gendelman (1,550,000).
Event #43: $500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorenzo Negri | Italy | 1,860,000 | 62 |
| 2 | Robert Pettit | United States | 1,590,000 | 53 |
| 3 | Peter Schneider | United States | 1,570,000 | 52 |
| 4 | Alan Gendelman | United States | 1,550,000 | 52 |
| 5 | Carol Filipski | United States | 1,505,000 | 50 |
| 6 | Jared Ward | United States | 1,465,000 | 49 |
| 7 | Michael Suggs | United States | 1,420,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Mason Hinkle | United States | 1,325,000 | 44 |
| 9 | Matthew Biafore | United States | 1,290,000 | 43 |
| 10 | Connor Daynard | Canada | 1,285,000 | 43 |
Others to make it through the day include Women in Poker Hall of Fame member Maria Ho (565,000) and British poker pro Chris Moorman (880,000).
Notables to enter the fray but not emerge on the other side included David "Chino" Rheem, author Maria Konnikova, three time bracelet winner Chance Kornuth and all-time leading bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth.
Day 2 will resume at 12 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, June 21 with blinds of 15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 big blind ante. The structure will be the same as Day 1 with 30-minute levels, and play will continue until a winner is crowned.
Be sure to tune into PokerNews as its live reporting team continues to provide coverage of this and every other event at the 2022 WSOP at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.
flop left him drawing very thin. The 
turn closed the lid on a possible comeback and after the meaningless 
river was dealt, Hebert headed to the payout desk, coming up short very near the end of Day 1.
. The one-time chip leader quickly collected his payout slip and ran off to register for the H.O.R.S.E. event.
flop. The 
turn left his opponent drawing to just two outs but the river bricked out with the 
to keep Stevermer chipping up while sending the small blind player out of the tournament.
on the turn to pull ahead. The 
wrapped up the hand as Shak starting counting out his stack while the meaningless 
river was dealt. The rest of the table seemed to think Shak had been handed an absolute gift, with one player remarking that Shak "hasn't raised since Lincoln died". Certainly a double this close to the money bubble is a gift no matter how it comes.
river changed nothing, ensuring that Levy gets to keep his seat for the time being.
turn double paired the board, meaning Lococo's kicker no longer played and the two looked on course for a chop pot. It was not to be, however, as the 
, giving Hinkle a wheel to survive and in doing so putting a large dent in a bemused England's stack.