Kakon leads after Day 1A of WSOP Main Event

William Kakon of Miami has the chip lead after Day 1A of the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship.

Kakon won a big pot during the final level and bagged up 152,325 chips when play ended early Monday at the Rio Convention Center. Gjergj Sinishtaj of Sterling Heights, Mich., was in second place with 149,100, followed by Alex Tran of Anaheim, Calif., with 142,700.

The Main Event continues at noon Monday at the Rio with Day 1B and runs through July 14.

Day 1A drew 741 entrants, and 480 players survived to play Day 2A on Wednesday.

Several notable players got off to strong starts, including last year’s third-place finisher Jorryt van Hoof of Eindhoven, Netherlands (90,650 chips), four-time bracelet winner and Las Vegas resident Mike Matusow (88,225) and 2010 Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel of Canada (82,700).

Kakon won the $1,500 buy-in Limit Hold’em event on June 2 for his first career WSOP bracelet and has cashed in four events at this summer’s World Series of Poker. Kakon eliminated Erik Lemarquand early Monday in a pot worth well over 100,000 tournament chips to vault into the lead.

CHIP COUNTS

1, William Kakon (Miami) 152,325

2, Gjergj Sinishtaj (Sterling Heights, Mich.) 149,100

3, Alex Tran (Anaheim, Calif.) 142,700

4, Tomas Altamirano (Philadelphia) 141,700

5, Patrick Madden (Lexington, Ky.) 140,500

6, Gabriel Monthan (Albuquerque, N.M.) 137,175

7, Tom Bedell (Benidorm, Spain) 134,900

8, Charles Sylvestre (Saint-Bruno, Quebec) 133,025

9, Dario Sammartino (Nova Gorica, Slovenia) 129,850

10, Stephen Costello (East Longmeadow, Mass.) 125,825