Matias Ruzzi Bags Huge Lead on Day 1a

The first of two starting days of the World Poker Tour Vienna Main Event drew a total of 64 entries, and Matias Ruzzi (pictured) came out on top with a staggering 176,900 chips.

In total 32 players made it through the day, including Thomas Butzhammer (82,500), WPT LAPC Champion Dietrich (78,300), EPT London champion Sebastian Pauli (61,700), WSOP Main Event finalist Pierre Neuville (55,000) and partypoker ambassador and WPT champion Tony Dunst (46,500).

During the day we spoke to Fast – winner of the most recent WPT LAPC for $1,000,800 – about the biggest victory in his poker career, and his road to success. This highly interesting article can be found right here.

As the day went on more and more player registered for both the tournament and the partypoker last longer. Every player that signs up at the partypoker booth with their online poker account will be eligible for the last longer, which awards €3,300 to the last player standing wearing a partypoker patch. Here are some more details on the last longer.

On a more serious note, we also spoke to WPT Champions Club member John Gale. Gale recently made a comeback on the poker scene with a WSOP bracelet win, but his story stretches far beyond that. After undergoing open-heart surgery and brain surgery Gale was still not cured, and he decided to forgo further treatment to enjoy the game he loves so dearly. Here’s the full story on Gale’s life and love for poker.

Play will resume tomorrow on Day 1b at 2:00 p.m. local time, and WorldPokerTour.com will be back with more from the MonteSino in Vienna, as plenty of top pros are expected to show up including Fedor Holz and Mustapha Kanit.