A staggering 697 entries registered on Day 1 of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic at Bellagio and 417 bagged chips for Day 2. Milos Skrbic is one of the chip leaders from the field with 205,500 and is trailed by some of the game’s best and most accomplished players. The Season XVII total of 812 entries at Five Diamond set a record and with registration open until 5:15 p.m. tomorrow, that number is in serious jeopardy.
The 697 figure marks the most entries ever on Day 1 of Five Diamond. Last season, 605 was the number on Day 1.
Skrbic (pictured) was one of a few players who held the lead at some point on Day 1 and he held on long enough to advance to Day 2 with over 200,000.
Said Skrbic on his day, “It went pretty easy. I started drinking around noon and just continued. I was running pretty hot. I made some hands, a few bluffs, and that’s about it.”
“I play most main events in Europe. I’m mostly a cash game player,” Skrbic added.
Season XV Five Diamond final tablist Igor Yaroshevskyy (186,600) had a brief moment at the top and starts Day 2 in the second position. Others to join him over the 175,000 mark are Martin Jacobson (186,400), Ozgur Arda (185,800), and Season XVI Five Diamond fifth-place finisher, Ajay Chabra (185,600).
All four Satellite Spectacular qualifiers from the Gardens Casino advanced. Mel Gardner, Jimmy Rael, Ngon Tran, and LJ Pai are on to Day 2 from their initial $20 investment.
The Champions Club did well for themselves as Jonathan Jaffe (140,000), Season V Five Diamond winner Joe Hachem (130,000), and JC Tran (111,300) advanced.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. local time for the start of Day 2 with six 90-minute levels on tap for the day. Registration closes at the start of Level 12 (5:15 p.m.) and there should be over 800 entries in the field well before that time.
A full list of Day 2 chip counts and the accompanying seat draw will be posted prior to the start of the day’s play.
As always, stay locked on WPT.com for all coverage of the Season XVII WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
Photography by Jamie Thomson / PokerPhotoArchive.com
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