There were 6,420 players lucky enough to get to play, down from 6,683 from last year.
First prize is down from $10 million to $7.68 million but the payout is up from 693 players to 1,000 players.
More places paid is a worldwide trend and it's probably good for poker in the long term, but I don't like it.
What happens to the skill factor when everybody only tries to survive into the money and then hopes for the best in a crapshoot with 30 bb average?
Real Tournament Begins Friday
The blinds are 250/500 with a 50 ante when play resumes today so even if you just have the starting stack of 30,000 you're in good shape.
Especially if you want to focus on getting into the money, as many players qualified for a lot less than the buy in of $10,000.
A total of 4,389 players made it to Day 2. The bulk of them come from Day 1C, which saw a new record for a single flight.
On Monday it rained so much in Vegas that the roof in the Brasilia Room leaked water.
They had to relocate 23 tables to the Amazon Room. I wonder what they would have done if the rain had come on Tuesday instead during Day 1C and its 3,963 players.
The survivors of Day 1A and 1B play today. Tomorrow it's time for the bunch from Day 1C.
On Friday the real tournament begins. When everybody plays at the same time, makes it into the final room, and perhaps even gets into the money with so many places paid.
Sweden Just Not Sexy Anymore
The tournament is already over for Swedish champ Martin Jacobson.
Not surprisingly since he was sick the day before his last chance of Day 1C. He wanted to be an ambassador for the game, so you can't blame him for a smaller field this year.
Sweden is just not sexy anymore when it comes to poker.
Poker is not sexy in Sweden either. Mainstream media didn't show much interest in our own superhero.
He will of course always be Champ - once a champ, always a champ. The big question is if we should still consider him the reigning champ.
We won't have a new champ until November, but on the other hand he has been knocked out of the World Championship.
I'm leaning to saying he's no longer the reigning champ. Hey, don't kill the messenger.
I'm against this November Nine nonsense and always have been.
A Walk in the Big Blind Every Round
Last year the oldest player was 93-year old William Wachter.
This year he beat his own record by pretty much exactly one year. He is yet again the oldest this year but he still has two more years to go to match Jack Ury’s age and his legendary slowroll.
Wachter is going strong. He finished in 39th place on Day 1B with 105,825 in chips.
He's not a favorite to reach the final table, but if he does I'm pretty sure he's the favorite to miss it.
I don't even want to calculate the odds but it could turn into the WSOP's worst nightmare.
I can't imagine it to be a good thing with an urn in Seat 5 folding every hand.
Imagine the rail with children, grand children, great grand children and great great grand children screaming for a walk in the big blind every round.
The Whole Field Would Swap Stacks
Mathematically, John Gorsuch is the favorite to make the final table.
Nobody accumulated over 200,000 in chips but he's the closest, just 1,900 short.
They say the chip leader of the first day never wins - like Martin Jacobson last year, who was only second in chips with 200,100.
But I'm pretty sure the whole field would like to swap stacks if possible.
Actually, I'm probably wrong. And a couple of hundred very superstitious players would have no part of it.
About Ken Lennaárd
Sweden's most controversial poker blogger Ken Lennaárd has been around the professional poker circuit for almost 20 years. Among his numerous accomplishments are Swedish Championships both live and online, three WSOP final tables and over $1.5m in live earnings. He's now bringing his singular poker voice to the English world via PokerListings.com. Look for new posts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Note: Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not represent the views of PokerListings.com.
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