A total of 1,330 players took to the felt in Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em, but just 236 players bagged chips at the conclusion of Day 1 play. The bubble is approaching as 200 players will leave this tournament with a cash prize. A min-cash is worth $2,249, but all eyes are on the top prize of $319,580 and coveted WSOP gold bracelet that await the winner on Wednesday, June 20.
Leading the way is Kirk Banks with 179,100, and just behind him are Michael Rocco (160,000), Duy Ho (158,500), Joe Couden (155,900), Anatoly Filatov (129,000), and Stephen Song (124,600).
Numerous notable names advanced alongside the chip leaders, including Barry Greenstein, who won a massive pot after dinner with pocket queens, which at the time put him amongst the top stacks but finished the day rather short with 11,500. Aaron Massey (97,000), previous November Niner Eoghan O'Dea (91,200), bestselling writer Maria Konnikova (88,200), and two-time bracelet winner Andy Frankenberger (80,300) will also return for Day 2 action at noon local time on Tuesday.
Not all of the fan favorites who tried their luck in this event survived to the day's end. Greg Merson, Michael Gathy, Chris Moorman, Jessica Dawley, Ankush Mandavia, and Dutch Boyd were some of those that were among the fallen.
Cards will be back in the air at noon on Tuesday, June 19. The plan for Day 2 is to play 10 levels on Day 2, then play down to a winner on Day 3. Keep it here for continuing coverage of Event #37: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em and throughout the 2018 World Series of Poker from the PokerNews Live Reporting Team.