$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
Level 16: 1,500/3,000/500 ante

The bubble is quickly approaching as the number dropped to 303 shortly after they returned from break. There are still a large number of poker pros, local grinders, and a few WSOP bracelet winners spread around the room.

They will go hand-for-hand soon and we will soon know who is getting a piece of the $10 million prize pool.

$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
End of Level 15: 1,200/2,400/400 ante

Players are off on their first break of the day and they will be in the money before the next one. Less than 340 players remain from the 478 who began the day.

Defending SHRPO Champion Blair Hinkle started the day near the bottom of the chips counts but has nicely moved his stack over 225,000 as tournament staff race off the black chips.

When they return, it will be time to play down to the money.

$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 1,200/2,400/400 ante

Two of the tougher tables in the room are right next to each other and stacked with first-rate players. Some of the amateurs must be wondering what they did wrong.

The first table features a little lineup of Matt Glantz, Doug Polk, Huck Seed, and Kevin Schaffle while the only has Greg Merson, Chino Rheem, and Simon Deadman.

$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
Level 15: 1,200/2,400/400 ante

The exodus continues as the first 60-minute level of the day comes to an end with less than 400 remaining. We lost another WSOP Main Event winner when reigning champion Ryan Riess ran into a cooler.

KK to AA #sigh

— Ryan Riess (@RyanRiess1) August 31, 2014

$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
Level 14: 1,000/2,000/300 ante

Six WSOP Main Event Champions made in through to Day 2 but that number has dropped by one. Joe Cada had less than an average stack to start the day and his Table 6 seat is now open.

Huck Seed (1996), Scotty Nguyen (1998), Carlos Mortensen (2001), Greg Merson (2012), and Ryan Riess (2013) are the Main Event winners still in contention today.

$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
Level 14: 1,000/2,000/300 ante

Chino Rheem began the day with 158,000 and was soon moved to a new table to balance the field. He was at his new table for only a few hands before adding to his stack.

Rheem bet out with the flop reading and Scott Efron moved all-in over the top for 75,000. Rheem took a few moments to run through his decision before calling the bet. Efron confidently slapped towards the dealer then utter a few top shelf expletives when Rheem rolled over .

The dealer kept it clean and Efron was an early Day 2 elimination.

“I had to give it a shot,” Efron said on his way to the rail.

$5,300 Championship NLH $10 Million Guaranteed (Re-Entry)
Level 14: 1,000/2,000/300 ante

All starting flights are in the books and players are returning to the ballroom at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to continue the battle. The tournament drew 1,499 players and just 478 of them survived to bag chips at the end of their day. Only 300 of them will make the money to earn part of the $10 Million prize pool.

Poker pro Jared Jaffee begins the day holding the chip lead with several big names not far behind. David Williams, Marvin Rettenmaier, and Joe Kuether are just a few of the top players in contention at the start of the day.

Five WSOP November Niners are also among the leaders. Ben Lamb, John Racener, Kevin Schaffel, Chino Rheem, and John Dolan each made it through their starting day with a chance to win the Championship. Two former WPT Player of the Year winners will also return today. Both Matt Salsberg and Faraz Jaka bagged up chips on Day 1 and they are looking to add to their already impressive résumés.

It wasn’t a good Day 1 for another WPT Player of the Year when Andy Frankenberger was eliminated late last night. Other top players falling short on Day 1 were WSOP bracelet winners Chance Kornuth and Marsha Wolak along with former WSOP Main Event Champion Jamie Gold.

The returning players have taken their seats as they try to make it into the money and advance to Day 3. They will battle each other over ten levels of play before the survivors bag up their chips and come back tomorrow for more action.

Top Ten Stacks:

Jared Jaffee – 462,800
David Farber – 364,100
Oleg Titov – 343,500
Sujay Dalal – 302,200
Robert Park – 292,900
David Williams – 276,600
Ben Lamb – 275,700
John Dolan – 272,900
Shawn Cunix – 270,100
Roderic Boling – 263,100

Notables:

Joe Kuether – 262,200
Marvin Rettenmaier – 256,600
Eric Panayitou – 254,000
Mike Leah – 213,600
Kevin Schaffel – 208,700
Bob “Uncle Krunk” Panitch – 198,300
Dan Fuhs – 194,800
Joe Serock – 187,500
John Racener – 187,000
Brian Hastings – 184,000