Matt Wakeman Leads the WSOPC Sydney $5K Challenge into Day 2
After fourteen 45-minute levels were played out in the first day of the $5,000 Challenge Event at the WSOP International Circuit Sydney stop, Matt Wakeman will return as the Day 2 chip leader after he bagged an impressive 981,000.
A field of 215 players came together, and 16 of them will return on Thursday, December 6, at 2:15 p.m. local time. The field surpassed the needed 211 to hit the $1,000,000 guarantee that was on offer and AUD $255,311 (~$185,713 USD) awaits the winner.
More Big Stacks Moving on to Day 2
A long way behind Wakeman are Robert Spano (505,000) and Dejan Boskovic (424,000) who round out the top three. Hannah Lee (382,000), Sam Khoueis (370,000),Gautam Dhingra (350,000), Shivan Abdine (206,000)[/B] and Australian Poker Hall-of-Famer Billy Argyros (204,000) all progressed through.
Day 1 Departures
Big names to depart throughout the day and miss out on the top 24 and a payday included; defending champion of this event Brendon Rubie, 2011 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Andrew Hinrichsen, Tristan Bain, Jarred and Connie Graham, last year’s WSOP Circuit Main Event Sydney champion Michael Kanaan, Nurlan Boobekov, Graeme Putt, James Broom, Ash Gupta, Daniel Laidlaw, Stevan Chew, Jonathan Karamalikis, 2005 WSOP Main Event Champion Joe Hachem, Gary Benson and Dean Blatt.
Blatt would finish as the money bubble when he called Isaac Lau's shove holding pocket queens and found himself up against ace-nine. The flop would bring an ace and that would guarantee the remaining 24 players a $9,426 return.
Those to make the money but miss Day 2 include Julius Colman, Australian Poker Hall-of-Famer Jason Gray and Sam Higgs.
When play resumes the blinds will begin at 5,000/10,000/10,000 big blind ante. PokerNews will be back with all the $5K Challenge Day 2 action as the remaining 16 players battle for a place at the final table before playing down to an eventual champion.
