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Notes from the Floor: Day 2
That big step forward was evident as the first $1,500 No Limit Hold’em got underway. With a field of 2,046 on the first of two Day 1’s the total will easily surpass the record for a non-main event field. As of midnight only 250 seats were left for Day 1b, meaning a 4,000-player field (nearly 900 more than the record) would be entirely possible.
Rather than opening the doors to the Amazon Room and let a normally nervous group of players step into the room in search of their seats the loudspeakers were blaring the Black Eyed Peas’ hit song Let’s Get It Started. Instead of 2,000 nervous poker players sitting in their seats quietly waiting, the move seemed to get everybody, players, dealers and staff in a good spirits.
With so many amateurs filling up the seats in Event #2 it was difficult to find and overly strong table. That is until just before the dinner break when Gavin Griffin, Bill Gazes, Todd Witteles and Shane Schleger all found themselves seated together.
Saturday also saw the remaining 70 players from the $10,000 Pot Limit Hold’em World Championship play down to a final table of nine players. With ESPN set to tape the final table Sunday show producers couldn’t be happier with the star-studded final table. Andy Bloch, Patrik Antonius, Phil Laak, Mike Sexton and Nenad Medic are the big names left. But the real story might be the relatively unknown Mike Sowers. Named as one of five WSOP rookies to watch, Sowers held the chip lead late in Day 2.
