155 in total turned up to play the latest WPT main event at the Casino di Venezia Ca Vendramin Calergi in Venice and after eight levels of play just 88 were left.
Candio leads with 227,900, well ahead of his nearest competition Andrea Dato who bagged 121,700.
Those two are joined at the top of the leaderboard by fellow Italian, and WSOP bracelet winner, Dario Alioto who finished with 84,000, and fellow former November Niner James Akenhead who finished with 78,000.
Also in the top ten is accomplished French pro Nicolas Levi who is sitting in fifth with 96,300, and Team PartyPoker pro Tony G with 78,800.
Here are the top ten counts heading into Day 2, courtesy of WPT.com:
1. Filippo Candio – 227,900 2. Andrea Dato – 121,700 3. Andrey Gulyy – 107,600 4. Mustapah Kanit – 99,600 5. Nicolas Levi – 96,300 6. Matteo Amore – 89,900 7. Dario Alioto – 84,000 8. Simon Ravnsbaek – 82,400 9. Tony G – 78,800 10. James Akenhead – 78,000
Rettenmaier’s Quads Win Massive 3-Way All-In
German pro Marvin Rettenmaier made it through to Day 2, thanks in part to winning a big three-way all-in that involved WPT commentator Mike Sexton.
From what we know the money went in preflop with Rettenmaier holding pocket eights, Sexton with Kings, and a third player with A-Q.
By the time the river was out Sexton’s kings were unimproved, the A-Q had turned into a nut flush and Rettenmaier’s eights had flopped then rivered quads.
Sexton managed to rally back, however, and finished one spot above Rettenmaier on the chip counts with 24,200.
Down But Not Out
Plenty of big names are advancing to Day 2, albeit with fewer chips than they would have liked.
Recent Team LockPRO ELITE addition Melanie Weisner is near the bottom of the list with 31,300, one spot ahead of 2010 WPT Bratislava champion Roberto Romanello.
WSOP bracelet runner-up finisher Jason Wheeler was able to finish with just over the average with 62,000 and Party Poker’s Kara Scott is also through, finishing with 35,700.
Former WPT Champ Among Busted
WPT winner James Dempsey was among the 67 players sent to the exit today in Venice.
Dempsey won the WPT Five Diamond in 2011 but was sent to the rail today when he lost an all-in race with pocket eights against Benjamin Pollack’s A-K. Dempsey is one of a growing number of players with a shot at poker’s Triple Crown, since he’s also won a WSOP bracelet.
Also eliminated was EPT Prague winner Arnaud Mattern, who was on fumes when he got it in with 5♥ 6♥ against James Akenhead’s pocket sixes.
And speaking of the World Poker Tour, we just published a brand-spanking new Infographic putting the WPT side by side with it's biggest rival, the EPT to see once and for all which is the best.
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