Both starting flights of the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe are in the books. While the later starting flights generally dwarf the earlier ones, the two flights of this tourney were fairly even; Day 1B was still larger, but it was not an overwhelming difference. A total of 490 players have signed up for the event, but the official prize pool will not be determined until Monday, as registration remains open until the start of Day 2. Unlike the traditional WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, this event is also a re-entry tournament, so players who busted on Day 1A or Day 1B can register again before Day 2 begins.
Austria’s Markus Dürnegger emerged as the overall chip leader, amassing 246,200 chips during Day 1A. According to TheHendonMob.com, he has about $1.2 million in live tournament earnings. The vast majority of that figure came this summer, when he finished second in the €10,300 No Limit Hold’em PokerStars Championship High Roller event, good for $860,570.
Also of note near the top of the leader board is Henry Tran, who was the chip leader of Day 1B with 224,700 chips, 2015 WSOP Main Event seventh place finisher Pierre Neuville (239,000 chips), Mustapha Kanit (177,100), 2009 WSOP Main Event third place finisher AND 2017 fifth place finisher Antoine Saout (144,400), and 2013 WSOP Main Event champ Ryan Riess (150,400).
This is the tenth WSOP Europe Main Event. Annette Obrestad famously won the first WSOP Europe Main Event back in 2007, becoming the youngest player in history to win a WSOP bracelet, just a day shy of her 19th birthday. She would not even be able to play the traditional World Series of Poker for another few years, as the legal gambling age in Nevada is 21.
There was no WSOP Europe last year and there will not be one next year, as in November 2013, it was decided that the WSOP Europe and WSOP Asia Pacific (APAC) would be held in alternating years, likely because having major World Series of Poker festivals in Las Vegas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region (read: Australia) risked spreading players and their bankrolls too thin.
This year’s WSOP Europe is being held for the first time at King’s Casino in Rozvadov, Czech Republic. Somehow, this village of fewer than 1,000 people in the extreme western part of the country on the German border has the casino with the largest poker room in Europe, with 160 tables.
2017 World Series of Poker Europe – Day 1A Chip Leaders
1. Markus Dürnegger – 246,200
2. Pierre Neuville – 239,000
3. Laszlo Bujtas – 216,500
4. Asi Moshe – 203,600
5. Gilbert Diaz – 188,900
6. Razvan-Andrei Dumea – 170,700
7. Piotr Franczak – 169,800
8. Dejan Pustoslemšek – 162,100
9. Markus Ross – 157,400
10. Jan-Peter Jachtmann – 154,100
2017 World Series of Poker Europe – Day 1B Chip Leaders
1. Henry Tran – 224,700
2. Josip Simunic – 189,100
3. Marc MacDonnell – 182,500
4. Parker Talbot – 179,500
5. Mustapha Kanit – 177,100
6. Norbert Madaras – 155,800
7. Hans Thumann – 150,500
8. Dominik Panka – 149,600
9. Farid Yachou – 146,700
10. Diego Ventura – 145,200
2017 World Series of Poker Europe – Combined Day 1 Chip Leaders
1. Markus Dürnegger – 246,200
2. Pierre Neuville – 239,000
3. Henry Tran – 224,700
4. Laszlo Bujtas – 216,500
5. Asi Moshe – 203,600
6. Josip Simunic – 189,100
7. Gilbert Diaz – 188,900
8. Marc MacDonnell – 182,500
9. Parker Talbot – 179,500
10. Mustapha Kanit – 177,100