Tsang Leads; Ivey Close Behind After Day 1 of Event #1: $50,000 NLH at Triton Poker Cyprus
The opening day of Event #1: $50,000 6-Handed NLH is complete and Elton Tsang is the chip leader after 10 levels of play. The first event in the return of the Triton Poker Series drew 74 runners to Merit Crystal Hotel Resort and Casino, and 33 players bagged for the Day 2 finale at 1 p.m. local time tomorrow.
Sunday's play will once again be livestreamed by Triton Poker on YouTube and Twitch.
Following close behind Tsang is Phil Ivey, who built his stack early and kept pace with the top of the leaderboard throughout the day. Rounding out the top five are Artur Martirosian, Rob Yong, and Mikita Badziakouski.
Event #1: $50,000 6-Handed NLH Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Elton Tsang | Hong Kong | 1,030,000 | 103 |
| 2 | Phil Ivey | United States | 1,018,000 | 102 |
| 3 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | 946,000 | 95 |
| 4 | Rob Yong | United Kingdom | 825,000 | 83 |
| 5 | Mikita Badziakouski | Belarus | 711,000 | 71 |
| 6 | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | 706,000 | 71 |
| 7 | Daniel Dvoress | Canada | 614,000 | 61 |
| 8 | Laszlo Bujtas | Hungary | 602,000 | 60 |
| 9 | Andras Nemeth | Hungary | 554,000 | 55 |
| 10 | Mike Watson | Canada | 519,000 | 52 |
Tsang is the chip leader thanks to a late run that saw him bust Danny Tang, Mike Watson, Barak Wisbrod, and Ali Imsirovic in the final levels of the evening on the featured table. Watson was among those to reenter and he quickly worked his way back into the top ten on the leaderboard.
Play will continue tomorrow at 1 p.m. Cyprus time in Level 11 with blinds at 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante. Returning players will receive an additional five time extensions, with five more given when players reach the final table.
The tournament will play down to a winner on Day 2. The Day 2 seat draw and the final prize pool will be posted at the start of play tomorrow when late registration closes.
Be sure to join the PokerNews team once again on Sunday for live action from the Triton Poker Special Edition at Merit Crystal Cove Resort and Casino.