The WPT World Championship has passed the money bubble at the end of Day 2, leaving 299 players still in contention for the $3,138,900 first-place prize.
This prestigious event is the flagship festival for the World Poker Tour. We’ve already seen the WPT Prime Championship and the ClubWPT Gold $5M Invitational Freeroll; now it’s time for the big one and what a start we’ve witnessed.
Three Day 1 starting flights attracted 751, 681, and 960 entries for a total attendance of 2,392, down on last year’s attendance of 3,835 and the 2,960 we saw in 2022.
With each player receiving 100,000 chips — 200 big blinds — this was expected to give us slower play during the Day 1 flights but there was still tons of fiery action throughout the three days.
Day 1A Recap
751 players took seats for the Day 1A flight and 252 were still standing at the end of play.
Last year’s champion Dan Sepiol was present, no doubt able to afford the $10,000 buy-in from his $5,282,954 prize money from the 2023 edition.
The American has been on the heater to end all heaters during the last year. A WSOP bracelet and coming close to a second in an online event was just the start.
He moved onto the Wynn Las Vegas and took down the $25,000 WPT Alpha8 Trifecta for $672,200.
Things didn’t happen as he’d have wished while at the WPT Seminole Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open Championship, but the nice $1 million he won from a daily fantasy sports event while playing there surely dampened any hurt.
In short, Dan Sepiol is now proving how good he really is and he moved onto Day 2 comfortably.
Germany’s Fabian Gumz is fresh from winning the 2024 WPT Prime Slovakia and maneuvered himself into second place by the end of the day with 169 big blinds to start Day 2 with. Phillip Lee led the way with 184 big blinds.
Dan Smith, Calvin Anderson, and David “OTB” Baker were other notable names to move onto Day 2.
Day 1B Recap
Similar to Day 1A, we had 224 players bagging up chips at the end of play.
Igor Kurganov, a long-time high-stakes live tournament reg, doesn’t play as much these days but he still had it in him to end the day in fifth place with 144 big blinds.
The Russian cashed in both of the previous year’s editions and is always a threat in any live event.
Tony Dunst , Chino Rheem, Robert Mizrachi, Chris Moorman, and Niall Farrell are just some of the more well-known names to make it onto Day 2.
Day 1C Recap
The final Day 1 starting flight was the biggest of the three. 980 entries and 351 of them surviving.
Nick Palmaand and Jonathan Tamayo were two notable names busting out just shy of Day 2.
Ryan Leng last until right at the end of the day before being knocked out by veteran legend Erick Lindgren.
Leng jammed over Lindgren’s open with pocket twos and was duly called off by pocket eights which held.
David Benyamine was just hanging in there with 57 big blinds towards the end.
Day 2 Recap
After all the hustle and bustle of Day 1, the end of Day 2 saw only 299 players remaining, each guaranteed prize money.
There were 821 starters when the bell went, including many big names. John Hennigen and Tony Dunst were two of them who were sent to the rail early doors.
With a min-cash worth almost $20,000, it was no surprise to see cagey play as the day wore on.
Malcolm Trayner leads the field with 218 big blinds. The Australian only appeared on the live scene six years ago and is already approaching $2 million career earnings.
Veteran David “ODB” Baker ended the day in second place with a monster stack. Many expect him still to be in with a shout come the sharp end of the event.
Other names which will return for Day 3 include Mikita Badziakouski, Jon “apestyles” Van Fleet, Maria Konnikova, Chino Rheen, and Igor Kurganov.
WPT World Championship Day 2 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Malcolm Trayner | 3,275,000 | 218 |
| 2 | David “ODB” Baker | 2,830,000 | 189 |
| 3 | Scott Stewart | 2,790,000 | 186 |
| 4 | Elvyn Bello | 2,695,000 | 180 |
| 5 | Christian Roberts | 2,615,000 | 174 |
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