Elezra and Cantu among chip-leaders in Event #2 $1,500 NLHE

A total of 2,101 players registered for the first open-bracelet event of the 2012 World Series of Poker,  and after a long day in the Amazon Room only 240 players were left in contention for the over $500k first-place prize and the coveted WSOP bracelet that will be awarded to the winner of Event #2, a $1,500 NLHE event.

Among the players that managed to make it through to the second day of the tournament were Eli Elezra and Brandon Cantu, with both men landing in the Top 5 chip-counts at the end of Day 1. Joining Elezra and Cantu on Day 2 will be a number of other well-known players including Layne Flack, Noah Schwartz, Andrew Badecker, Steve Gross, John Juanda, Dan Smith, Vanessa Selbst, Terrence Chan, Phil Hellmuth, JP Kelly, Jason Mercier, David “Doc” Sands, Andrew Lichtenberger, and Brett Jungblut.

Of the 240 players remaining in the event a few will have to go home empty-handed as only 216 players will make the money in the event. Day 2 should see the tournament play down to the final table, which will then take place on Day 3 of the tournament Wednesday.

Here is a look at the Top 10 chip counts from Day 1 of the event:

1. Sadan Turker — 158,100
2. Eli Elezra — 155,900
3. Ryan Snickles — 142,400
4. Brandon Cantu — 130,100
5. Peter Campo — 125,500
6. Michael Lee — 109,200
7. Nicholas Verkaik — 105,600
8. Thad Mitchell — 99,700
9. William Ryan — 95,300
10. Elliot Shmukler — 95,200

The remaining players will be back at the Rio for Day 2 beginning at 1 PM local time, where the money bubble is expected to be burst very early on in the day.

Just the Facts: News and Notes from the WSOP

Chiab “Chip” Saechao won the first bracelet of the 2012 WSOP and $70,859 in the Casino Employee tournament on Monday.

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Runner-up Patricia Baker would have been the first women to win the Casino Employee event and the first female bracelet winner (outside of the ladies tournament) since 2008.

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Here are the final table payouts from Event #1: $500 Casino Employee Tournament:

1. Chiab Saechao — $70,859
2. Patricia Baker — $43,754
3. James Routos — $28,206
4. Ray Pulford — $20,663
5. Nicolas Vaca-Rondon — $15,359
6. Jay Pinkussohn — $11,571
7. Steven Phan — $8,824
8. Matthew Wilmot — $6,808
9. Georgi Ivanov — $5,309

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Tuesday will see two tournaments get started (along with Day 2 of Event #2 the $1,500 NLHE tourney:

• Event #3: Heads-Up No-Limit Hold ‘Em/Pot-Limit Omaha (Three-Day Event) with a $3,000 buy-in
• Event #4: Seven-Card Stud High-Low Eight-Or-Better (Three-Day Event) with a $1,500 buy-in