Eight players remain in Tunica finale, Day 3 resumes at noon CT with a $147K first prize on the line.
Chip leaders Johnny Landreth and Tom Thomas hold a combined 70 percent of the chips in play.
Tunica, Miss. (February 2, 2015) — Day 2 of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica, Miss. began Sunday at noon CT. The 457-player starting field was down to 93 remaining with the likes of bracelet winners Kyle Cartwright, Jordan Smith and Kory Kilpatrick, seven-time ring winner Ari Engel and Casino Championship points leader Scott Stewart headlining the action. Following 10, 60-minute levels, just eight are left vying for the tournament’s $147,388 first prize and Johnny Landreth leads the way with 3,155,000 chips.Landreth began Day 2 just outside the top 10 and caught a hot streak of cards to contend for the chip lead during many of the late stages of play. By the time action reached the final table, Landreth faced off against the tournament’s other big stack, Tom Thomas, who claims 3,000,000 chips heading to Day 3. Remarkably, the pair at the top accounts for nearly 70 percent of the total chips in play as the event moves ahead to its decisive day. For Landreth, a win would mark his second major title, his first coming in a 2005 WPO event. Thomas, meanwhile, hopes to claim his first major victory.Nipping at the heel of the two-headed monster that tops the counts is Norman McKeldin who finished second in the 2013 Tunica Main Event. He hopes to turn his 790,000-chip stack into the gold-ring victory that escaped him two years ago. Others trailing the duo include Happy Nakhoneinh and Jamie Strickland.Full Day 3 chip counts:1. Johnny Landreth - 3,155,000 (105 BBs)2. Tom Thomas - 3,000,000 (100 BBs)3. Norman McKeldin - 790,000 (26 BBs)4. Happy Nakhoneinh - 740,000 (24 BBs)5. Jay Bishop - 580,000 (19 BBs)6. Jeremy Drewery - 370,000 (12 BBs)7. Jamie Strickland - 235,000 (7 BBs)8. Keith Murrell - 230,000 (7 BBs)It took just over 10 hours for Day 2 play to narrow from the 93-player starting field to the final nine. Russ Head made a brief appearance at the finale before he finished ninth earning $13,676. The finish marked his second Circuit Main Event final table appearance of the season. Those who finished in the money but shy of Day 3 include Brandon Newsome (43rd, $2,872), Paul Sokoloff (42nd, 42,872), Cartwright (36th, $3,174), Smith (35th, $3,174), Kilpatrick (34th, $3,174), Engel (19th, $6,272) and Stewart (18th, $7,472).Up-to-date results from the event are available on WSOP.com.Cards go in the air for Day 3 Monday at noon CT with blinds of 15,000/30,000 and a 5,000 ante. Each remaining player has locked up eighth-place money of $17,185 but all are just a few eliminations away from the $147,388 first prize, a Circuit gold ring and a berth in the National Championship.Updates throughout the tournament’s completion will be available right here on WSOP.com.