All three starting flights are in the books at the 2015 World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker Main Event and now it is on to Tuesday’s Day 2. David McCaw dominated Day 1C on Monday, opening up a nearly 100,000 chip lead on his nearest competitor. He is also the overall Day 1 chip leader with 272,100 chips, easily outpacing Day 1B leader Leonid Markin (203,000) and Day 1A top man JC Tran (201,700).
Day 1C saw 336 players pay the $3,700 to participate, bringing the three-day total to 721 entrants Registration is still open until the start of Day 2, upon which the prize pool and payout schedule will be finalized. 284 players made it through the three starting flights, so with late entrants, we’re probably looking at 290-300 people sitting down on Tuesday.
Should the field stay exactly the same, the prize pool will be $2,412,826.50 (721 entrants x $3,450 buy-in less 3 percent for an administration fee).
The chip leader, David McCaw, is a Brooklynite with a modest live tournament resume. He has just $29,021 in earnings (though I would gladly take that), with his largest cash coming from a 21st place finish in this year’s California State Poker Championship, a run which earned him $6,240. He does have one World Series of Poker cash, as he eeked into the money in the Millionaire Maker event this summer.
Some notable names who survived Day 1C (credit to WPT.com for the updates) include WPT commentator, Poker Hall of Famer, and “Ambassador of Poker,” Mike Sexton, last season’s WPT Player of the Year Anthony Zinno, Scotty Nguyen, Dan Shak, Tom Marchese, and Joseph Cheong.
Mike Sexton’s broadcast partner, Vince Van Patten, was eliminated on Day 1C, so we are fairly confident that there was no collusion (BUT WHAT ABOUT CHIP DUMPING). Others who will need to pony up before Day 2 starts if they want to continue are Faraz Jaka, David Benyamine, and Aaron Massey.
2015 World Poker Tour Legends of Poker – Day 1C Chip Leaders
1. David McCaw – 272,100
2. Justin Schwartz – 184,000
3. Anthony Pitesa – 171,100
4. Greg Pohler – 169,200
5. Steve Vargas – 155,600
6. Brett Murray – 140,200
7. Nicholas Pupillo – 133,300
8. Tom Marchese – 129,000
9. Danny Fuhs – 126,400
10. Jason Les – 111,900
2015 World Poker Tour Legends of Poker – Combined Day 1 Chip Leaders
1. David McCaw – 272,100
2. Leonid Markin – 203,000
3. JC Tran – 201,700
4. Daniel Wagner – 199,900
5. Justin Schwartz – 184,000
6. Paul Lindsay – 189,300
7. Mark Scacewater – 179,100
8. Aditya Prasetyo – 179,100
9. Anthony Pitesa – 171,100
10. Greg Pohler – 169,200