Yesterday, the PokerNews Cup returned with an $1,100 buy-in, $1,000,000 GTD Main Event at Golden Nugget Las Vegas. There are still two starting flights left on Saturday and Sunday to take a shot at the guaranteed seven-figure prize pool.
The PokerNews Cup is part of the Golden Nugget 14th Annual Grand Poker Series, which features 81 events and offers over $3 million in guaranteed prize money from May 31-July 3. The tournament, which runs June 24-28, will be live reported here on PokerNews, and there will also be a live-streamed feature table on Day 2 as well as final table action on Tuesday’s Day 3 finale.
The man responsible for making it happen, as well as giving away 100 seats to the tournament, was Director of Poker Operations Andy Rich, a longtime poker industry veteran. As part of PokerNews’ continuing Industry Insiders series, we caught up with Rich to learn more about the man making things happen in downtown Vegas’ last remaining poker room.
Maurice Hawkins was spotted in the field to start the day.
He holds 14 WSOP circuit rings and has a little more than $2,700,000 in recorded earnings.
Hawkins already has a 12th-place finish at this series about a week ago in Event #30: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha ($24,683) and two other smaller cashes in no-limit hold'em events.
The button opened to 600, the small blind called and so did Barry Greenstein from the big.
The flop came and the action checked to the button, who continued for 500. Greenstein woke up with a raise to 1,300, but the button came back over the top for 3,300 and Greenstein let it go.
The three-time bracelet winner has more than $3,000,000 in recorded earnings and 124 cashes at the WSOP.
While the Colossus gets underway, read up on everything that transpired on Friday at the World Series of Poker. Two players won a bracelet, a massive field already showed up for Day 1a of the Colossus, and Phil Ivey made yet another WSOP Final Table.
Welcome to Day 1b of Event #51: $400 The Colossus. Play begins at 10 a.m. although yesterday saw a slight delay as thousands of people needed to be seated. Day 1a saw 5,869 entries to generate a prize pool of $1,936,770 and 689 players advanced to Day 2. Those who survive will return on Sunday, June 26 at 10 a.m. when survivors from both flights will combine.
Claiming the Day 1a chip lead was Kao "Flexx" Caechao with 1,514,000 in chips with familiar players like Martin Pineiro, Sparrow Cheung, Tony Sinishtaj, Gabe Ramos, recent bracelet winner Justin Pechie, and Mike Takayama also making it through to Day 2.
Players will start with 40,000 in chips and play 40-minute levels. There will be a 20-minute break after every three levels and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 12. The end of the dinner break is also when late registration will end. Play will end for the day after 17 levels.
Players have one reentry available and blinds begin at 100/200/200.
Some of the biggest names in poker are expected to play, as well as a plethora of hometown heroes looking to turn the World Series Of Poker’s smallest buy-in into a massive payday.
This event offers bubble protection powered by ClubGG! Simply have a Platinum subscription at ClubGG and you’ll get your money back if you bubble this event. To learn more about this special promotion, click here.
Follow all the updates right here on PokerNews through the conclusion of this event, as well as our continuing coverage of the WSOP from the Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.