Welcome Back to Day 2 of the PSPC
It was a record-breaking opening day for the $25,000 PokerStars Players Championship that saw the field eclipse the 1,000 entry mark, making it the largest $25,000 buy-in event in the history of poker. While many players may have had different aspirations on Day 1 of this exclusive event, the goal will likely be the same when Day 2 gets underway...make it to Day 3.
With around 750 players bagging chips and late registration remaining open until the start of play today, the money bubble still seems to be far off in the distance. The tournament staff will come up with the official prizepool and payouts shortly after the action gets underway, but there will likely be upwards of $25 million up for grabs, a life-changing number for most players.
The most successful player through the first eight levels of play was Talal Shakerchi, who bagged up a whopping 425,300 chips. Shakerchi is widely regarded as a hedge fund manager but definitely won't shy away from battling with the big guys at the poker felt. He has partaken in many high-roller events in the past and his record shows that he is not to be taken lightly.
Some other notables to keep an eye out with healthy stacks heading into the second day of action include Dan O'Brien (301,200) Scott Margereson (221,600), Steven van Zadelhoff (210,000), and Kristen Bicknell (207,900).
There are still plenty of PokerStars Team Pros in the field looking to claim victory in one of their own tournaments. Jason Somerville and Lex Veldhuis have taken time away from the live game for quite some time but couldn't pass up the opportunity to play in this event. Leo Fernandez, Chris Moneymaker, Kevin Martin, and Jen Shahade will also return for Day 2.
The action is slated to get underway at 12 noon again with another eight levels on tap for today. There will be a 20-minute break after every two levels, with the final break of the day being 30 minutes. The blinds will begin at 600/1,200 and a 1,200 big blind ante, allowing any of those players still waiting to register to begin with 50 big blinds.
There will also be a livestream available on Twitch which can be accessed through the 'Livestream' tab. The hole cards will be on display with a 30-minute delay. And, of course, you can keep up to date with all of the action right here as the PokerNews live reporting team will be on site throughout the entire festival.