Seat 1: John McDonald (439,500)
John McDonald is a 38-year-old real estate investor from Marshall, Minnesota. Technically, he'd be an "amateur" player, but McDonald has thus far proven that he deserves to be taken seriously on the felt. Five years into his poker career, this circuit event is his first major tournament, but he has racked up a number of wins in smaller events.
He's the top dog right now; McDonald will start play with 439,500 in chips.