Dan Smith Bags Chip Lead w/ 6 Left in WPT Big One for One Drop

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Dec 19, 2023 3 min read Last updated Dec 20, 2023

There's going to be a seven-figure money bubble on Wednesday at the final table of the Big One for One Drop, a $1 million buy-in World Poker Tour (WPT) event that is one day away from making one wealthy person much wealthier.

Although Phil Ivey didn't make it to Day 2 after busting late on Day 1, the 14 players who returned to Wynn Las Vegas for the second of three days of play were among the best in the world. Dan Smith, who busted Ivey, came in with the chip lead. He'd lose a chunk of his stack, but still remained at or near the top throughout most of the session.

When play resumes at the final table, everyone will be chasing Smith, who bagged the chip lead for the second straight day. Smith already has over $49 million in live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob. If he were to win the One Drop, which pays $7,114,500, he'd move into third place on the all-time list.

Day 2 Action in the Milly

Multiple high-profile players hit the felt on Tuesday, all out the $1 million entry fee. That includes Fedor Holz, Stephen Chidwick, Jason Koon, and the shortest stack entering Day 2, Chris Brewer.

Koon, a GGPoker ambassador, lost a race to bust in 10th place against Nick Petrangelo, who used that hand to catapult into the chip lead.

With eight players remaining, Rick Salomon, who had doubled up two hands in a row to stay alive earlier, was all in for his tournament life with 9♣9♠ but ran into the J♠J♦ Mikita Badziakouski had in the hole. Salomon, who plays in some of the biggest private games in the world, found no help from the board and was out of the tournament. Badziakouski, however, found himself right up at the top of the chip counts after that crucial hand.

The tournament was scheduled to play down to six before Day 2 wrapped, and Adrian Mateos, with under 20 big blinds, went all in with K♠Q♠ and found himself in a race against Smith's J♠J♣. Unfortunately, for Mateos, the board gave him no useful cards and he was out in seventh place.

Play then concluded just before 10 p.m. PT and will resume on Wednesday. Smith, for the second straight day, bagged the biggest stack at 4,865,000, about 60 big blinds. Mario Mosboeck is second in chips with 2,935,000. Petrangelo fell back after being in the chip lead earlier in the day and ended Day 2 with the smallest stack at 1,445,000.

Big One for One Drop Final Table Chip Counts

The final table will be live-streamed on the WPT's YouTube channel starting at 4 p.m. PT on Wedneday.

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