Mark Davis Bags Day 1 Chip Lead in Event #81: $5,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
After 15 levels of play, the Day 1 action of Event #81: $5,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em concluded with only 153 players out of 756 total entries managing to find a bag to tag.
All those entries created a total prize pool of $3,487,050, guaranteeing the winner will walk away with $665,459 for first place and the coveted gold WSOP bracelet, while 114 players total will be in the money on Day 2 for at least $8,021.
Mark Davis takes the overnight chip lead with a huge bag of 1,127,000 chips. The Alabama native counts $1,521,508 in total live earnings and will continue to battle for the first gold bracelet of his career. Trailing in second place is Yuki Kashihara with 829,000, who has $61,950 in live earnings but will be looking to top that with a deep run in this event. Closing the podium for today is Tony Bracy with 704,000 who is looking for his first cash of the series.
Event #81: $5,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Top 10 Chips
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark Davies | United States | 1,127,000 | 141 |
| 2 | Yuki Kashihara | United States | 829,000 | 104 |
| 3 | Tony Bracy | United States | 704,000 | 88 |
| 4 | Johannes Straver | United States | 670,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Francois Pirault | France | 614,000 | 77 |
| 6 | Kitty Kuo | Taiwan | 580,000 | 73 |
| 7 | Terence Etim | United Kingdom | 524,000 | 66 |
| 8 | Tzu Yen | United States | 510,000 | 64 |
| 9 | James Romero | United States | 500,000 | 63 |
| 10 | Javier Carcirreynaldos | Spain | 491,000 | 61 |
Several other big names also advancing to Day 2 include Kitty Kuo (580,000), three-time bracelet winner Cliff Josephy (419,000), Galen Hall (319,000), Landon Tice (244,000), Andrew Lichtenberger (173,000), and Adam Hendrix (172,000). They are just a few of the many well-known players in the poker world that have made it through.
Some of those unfortunate to bust out here on Day 1 include Main Event champions Ryan Riess and Phil Hellmuth, as well as bracelet winners Kristen Foxen and husband Alex Foxen. Other notables to bust before end of Day 1 include Darren Elias, Ethan Yau, and Matt Berkey, to name a few.
Day 2 will start at 2 p.m local time, July 14th, and the battle will continue until the final five players are reached. Play will resume at Level 16 with blinds at 4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 big blind ante. There will be a 15-minute break every two levels and players will also enjoy a 60-minute dinner break after Level 21, six levels into the action.
With many top players still in the field and two more days of play ahead, it will be an exciting road to victory for the champion of this event. Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on all of the action in this tournament and what remains of the 2022 WSOP at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.