Action Wraps Up In Day 1B of WPT SHRPS Championship
3 minutes
Last Updated: May 3, 2024
Day 1B of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship is in the books, and while the event did not shatter last year’s attendance record, it easily blew the $3,000,000 guarantee out of the water.
A total of 924 entries were made throughout Day 1B, and along with the 945 made on Day 1A, the event created a player pool of 1,869 and a prize pool of $5,980,800, just about doubling the guarantee.
346 players survived Day 1B action, and they will join the 298 survivors of Day 1A at noon tomorrow as the World Poker Tour SHRPS starts working its way toward the final table.
As things stand, 234 of the 646 remaining players will make the money, with min-cash paying $6,400, and the eight players who make the final table guaranteed a six-figure payout.
Unfortunately, the slightly lower attendance than last year means there won’t be any seven-figure payouts, as the first-place prize stands at a no less impressive $839,300.
WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship continues at noon tomorrow, and some of the biggest names in the world of poker will be there ready to pick up where they left off and work their way towards a historic title.
Star-Studded Field Continues to Day 2
It was an intense day of poker over in Florida, as some of the game’s most prolific players entered the Championship event looking to build up a stack.
Among them, we saw quite a few of the same faces that were there yesterday, as they decided to re-enter after busting out on Day 1A and take another shot at a deep run.
Among these were Josh Arieh, Erik Seidel, Justin Young, and Shaun Deeb, all of whom were not able to find a bag on their first try.
They were joined by quite a few new players as well, as the likes of Jeremy Becker, Justin Saliba, Nicholas Rigby, Kitty Kuo, and Nick Palma all took their swing at WPT glory.
Quite a few of these heavy hitters survived the day as well, with Arieh (330,500), Becker (275,000), and Rigby (265,000) all bagging significant stacks moving into Day 2.
Maxwell Young Bags a Massive Chip Lead
While nearly 300 players found a bag in Day 1B of the WPT SHRPS Championship, one man left them all in the dust, bagging 623,000 in chips to end the night, and his name is Maxwell Young.
Young is a poker veteran with over $2.7 million in tournament winnings, all of which has been accumulated in mid-major events without too many excursions into high stakes tournaments.
As such, Young found himself right at home in this Championship event and was able to navigate his way to a huge chip lead, with some help from Lady Luck.
Following in his footsteps is Valeriy Pak, who bagged a total of 475,000 chips. The Asian poker crusher left a lasting mark on today’s field and made sure he enters Day 2 with a monster stack that should allow him to navigate his way to the money.
They will be joined tomorrow by Day 1A chip leaders Eider Da Cruz (505,500) and John Krpan (504,500), as well as hundreds of other hopefuls who will be looking to build up a stack as blinds escalate and eliminations start to ramp up.
Players’ Party at the L Bar Wraps Up Day 1
Day 1 of the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Championship is now officially in the books, and players were given a chance to celebrate their success or mourn their loss with a fun party at Hard Rock’s L Bar.
For all players who played in the Championship, entry to the party was free, along with some complimentary drinks, as early bustouts made their way to the Bar as early as 10 PM, and those who made Day 2 joined a bit later.
The traditional WPT Players’ Party was a chance for players to talk some bad beats, share their experiences, and perhaps trade some equity with other players who have made it past Day 1.
As the WPT SHRPS enters its final stages, there will be quite a few exciting story to keep track of in the Championship, as well as a number of remaining side events, including the $25k High Roller which kicks off on Monday.
