Joseph Wertz Tops Day 1a of European Open Special Edition as 44 Players Remain
Day 1a of the European Open Special Edition has come to a conclusion with just 44 players remaining as Joseph Wertz tops the leaderboard after nearly 16 complete levels of poker action.
The day began with 259 players taking to the felt to see a slightly larger-then-expected turnout for the opening flight of the European Open Special Edition. Players ranging from the local recreational player, to the tournament veteran, to multiple WSOP bracelet winners made their way to the Wynn Las Vegas, along with a bevy of Unibet Poker online qualifiers from all across Europe.
With players allowed one re-entry per flight, the action was fast and furious as players jostled for position on the leaderboard that would ensure players a near in-the-money finish once play wrapped up for the night. As chips flew early, it would be an early day for the likes of Unibet Ambassadors David Lappin, Ian Simpson, Rauno Tahvonen, Dehlia De Jong, Espen Jorstad, Mateusz Moolhuizen, Dara O'Kearney, and Daiva Byrne. However, some Americans wouldn't fare much better as Matt Affleck, Allen Cunningham, Scott Clements, Barry Shulman, Eric Baldwin, Phil Laak, Jon Turner, Ryan Riess, Ankush Mandavia, Jeff Madsen, and Jordan Cristos were just a handful of the players unable to survive into Day 2.
Once the dust settled and players chips were bagged and being carted away by the tournament staff, it would be Joseph Wertz topping the leaderboard with 305,500 in chips. Wertz ascended to the top late in the day with some aggressive play, however, he wouldn't be the only player blessed with an abundance in betting discs come Sunday. Matthew Levine held the chip lead for the majority of play after dinner when he turned a straight in a massive pot and eventually finished with 246,000. Rex Clinkscales had a few hiccups here and there before eventually ending with 249,500 in chips. Casey Stewart (280,000), Karel were the only other players in the 200,000-chip mark while Joe Serock (162,000), Darren Rabinowitz (124,500), Ting Ho (64,000), and Kirk Morrison (58,500) were some of the other notables surviving into Day 2 on Sunday.
Saturday will see the final day 1 flight, and the tournament staff are expecting an even bigger turnout of somewhere in the 300 to 400 player range. The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be back on the floor of the Wynn Las Vegas once Day 1b play starts at 12:00 p.m. (PST), so make sure to stay tuned to PokerNews.com for all the action from the European Open Special Edition.