Hamid Feiz leads after rain-soaked Day 1B of WSOP Main Event

Hamid Feiz of Urbandale, Iowa, had the chip lead at the end of a rain-soaked Day 1B of the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship.

Feiz bagged 182,675 chips when action stopped early Tuesday at the Rio Convention Center and has the combined overall lead. Adil Khan of Coral Springs, Fla. (156,800), Srikanth Koneru of Pasadena, Calif. (154,725), Ed Grau of Middle River, Md. (148,800) and Recklinghausen, Germany’s Marko Neumann (146,675) round out the top five for Day 1B.

The Main Event continues at noon Tuesday at the Rio with Day 1C, the final and largest starting flight, and runs through July 14.

Day 1B drew 1,716 entrants, and unofficially 1,154 players survived to play Day 2B on Wednesday.

Action was halted nine minutes prior to the scheduled 6:45 p.m. dinner break when water from the thunderstorms that swept through the Las Vegas Valley leaked into one section of the Brasilia Room. WSOP officials moved players from 23 tables to the Amazon Room when play resumed at approximately 8:15 p.m. Monday.

There were several top players and celebrities in the field for the second of the three starting flights. Three-time WSOP bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche of Germany unofficially was in the top 10 with 128,725 chips, and countryman George Danzer was near the top of the leaderboard for most of the day before finishing unofficially with 96,300 chips.

Danzer, last year’s WSOP Player of the Year, gave the “Shuffle up and deal” announcement to kick off Day 1B.

Also above the chip average were 2004 Main Event champion Greg Raymer (92,200) and Brian Rast (88,825), who recently collected the $7.5 million first prize from the Super High Roller Bowl event at Aria last week. Brian Hastings, who won two bracelets this summer, finished with 87,500 chips after being down to approximately 7,000 chips early on.

Former Main Event winners Johnny Chan (34,525) and Chris Moneymaker (31,900) also were among the survivors.

Actress Jennifer Tilly reached Day 2 with a healthy stack of 83,475 chips, and actor James Woods, who was seventh in the $3,000 buy-in No-limit Hold ‘em Shootout in May, finished with 24,200 chips.

CHIPS COUNTS

1, Hamid Feiz (Urbandale, Iowa) 182,675

2, Adil Khan (Coral Springs, Fla.) 156,800

3, Srikanth Koneru (Pasadena, Calif.) 154,725

4, Edward Grau (Middle River, Md.) 148,825

5, Marko Neumann (Recklinghausen, Germany) 146,675

6, Yong Lu (Calgary, Alberta) 141,750

7, Alexander Wilkinson (Lafayette, Calif.) 139,025

8, Chad Power (Pittsburgh) 135,575

9, Omri Shaked (Rishon Lezion, Israel) 134,250

10, Jeffrey Tanouye (Pismo Beach, Calif.) 131,075