Russian Andrey Zaichenko tops field on Day 1B of WSOP Main Event
Russian Andrey Zaichenko owned the chip lead at the end of Day 1B of the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship.
Zaichenko, a 38-year-old sales and marketing executive from Moscow, had 292,700 chips when play concluded Sunday night at the Rio Convention Center. Belgian Kenny Hallaert (269,400) was in second place, followed by Kevin Powell of Buckeye, Arizona, with 219,800.
The Main Event continues at 11 a.m. Monday at the Rio with Day 1C, the largest of the three starting flights. The tournament runs through July 18 and resumes Oct. 30 with the final table at the Rio’s Penn & Teller Theater.
Day 1B of the Main Event drew 1,733 entrants, a small increase from last year’s total, and 1,302 players will advance to Day 2A/2B on Tuesday.
Zaichenko won the $1,500 2-7 Limit Triple Draw Lowball event last month and has more than $1.1 million in career WSOP earnings. He will be in third place overall when action resumes on Day 2A/2B.
Several notables and top professionals players were in the field Sunday, including former Main Event champions Tom McEvoy (1983), Johnny Chan (1987 and 1988), Chris “Jesus” Ferguson (2000), Greg Raymer (2004) and Martin Jacobson (2014).
Chan overcame an early hit and bagged up 160,800 chips, more than three times the 50,000-chip starting stack. Raymer scored an early knockout and finished with 116,700 chips.
Also getting off to strong starts were Poker Players Championship runner-up Justin Bonomo (145,300), Melanie Weisner (177,000), three-time bracelet winner Vanessa Selbst (133,900) and bracelet winner Anthony Zinno (131,000).
Popular Twitch poker streamers Jason Somerville and Parker “Tonkaaaa” Talbot ended the day below their starting stacks.
The unofficial top 10 chip counts (combined 1A and 1B):
1, Gary Sewell (Duarte, California) 312,500
2, Alvaro Lopez (Tucson, Arizona) 306,200
3, Andrey Zaichenko (Moscow) 292,700
4, Kenny Hallaert (Hansbeke, Belgium) 269,400
5, Scott Neuman (Rawlins, Wyoming) 226,000
6, Sean Case (Weatherford, Oklahoma) 222,500
7, Kevin Powell (Buckeye, Arizona) 219,800
8, Matthew Ashton (Liverpool, England) 212,600
9, Alexander Barlow (Pembroke Pines, Florida) 212,100
10, Joep Raemaekers (Swieqi, Malta) 211,1709
