Photo Recap: Day 1 of WPT World Championship

By BJ Nemeth

The $25,000 WPT World Championship is one of the top-tier events of each year, featuring one of the toughest fields of the year as the best of the best battle for the title of WPT World Champion. Last year’s event attracted 195 players, and Day 1 would finish with a field size of 188. However, with registration open until about 5:00 pm on Day 2, the field is expected to easily cross the 200 mark.

WPT Commentator Mike Sexton gives the traditional "Shuffle up and deal" announcement to begin play, flanked by his co-host Vince Van Patten, WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing, and the Royal Flush Girls.

Curt Kohlberg, fresh off a runner-up finish at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown, was the early chipleader after doubling up to more than 200,000 in chips. Kohlberg gave some of those chips back before bouncing back to finish the day 10th in chips with 216,925.

The WPT World Championship has one of the toughest fields of the year, with top players in just about every seat. In this photo, two-time WPT winner Daniel Negreanu (center) watches as three-time WPT winner Carlos Mortensen (right) and Jason Somerville (left) play a hand during the first level. Mortensen would be eliminated a few hours later at the hands of Somerville, who himself busted out in one of the last hands of the day to Shannon Shorr. Negreanu would survive to Day 2 with a slightly-above-average stack.

ClubWPT.com qualifier David Brownworth could be one of the most accomplished players in ClubWPT history. In addition to winning his seat into this $25,000 buy-in event, Brownworth also won a televised ClubWPT event a few years ago. Brownworth survived the day with a roughly average stack.

Andy Frankenberger (right) is in the driver’s seat when it comes to the WPT Player of the Year race, currently leading the points race — as long as he is still in the tournament, he controls his own destiny. But right on his heels is Vivek Rajkumar (foreground, left), who is only 100 points behind — which he could potentially earn with only a min-cash. Frankenberger will also have to fend off other contenders, as ten or so can catch him with a final table appearance, and a lot more could catch up to him with a victory in this season-ending WPT World Championship.

Martin de Knijff won the WPT World Championship at the end of Season II, earning more than $2.7 million in the spring of 2004. At the time, it was the highest prize ever awarded in a poker tournament. (Also pictured, Jimmy Tran.)

After heavy preflop action from four different players, Daniel Alaei (far right) seven-bet all in, and Marco Johnson (far left) tanked for a long time before he forfeited the pot to Alaei. Tom Marchese (center, right) was also involved in the pot, but folded after several reraises. All three players survived to Day 2.

WPT President Adam Pliska is interviewed on the Fontana Lounge stage as the WPT World Championship is in action behind him.

Mike Matusow (standing, left) showed up in Bellagio’s Fontana Lounge to check out the strength of the field, telling people, "I’m trying to talk myself into playing." Matusow said he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to grind out a week-long tournament, but he apparently talked himself into it because he took a seat in the field a little while later. Matusow survived the day with a below-average stack. (Also pictured, Daniel Alaei (seated, left) and John Juanda (seated, right), both of whom reached Day 2.)

WPT Borgata Poker Open winner Dwyte Pilgrim gives an interview to WPT producer Mandy Glogow during one of the breaks. The players who won WPT titles during Season IX had already earned their entry into this season-ending WPT World Championship.

Kevin Saul catapulted to the top of the leaderboard during the last level when he doubled thru Justin Bonomo in an aces-vs.-kings cooler. Saul was all in preflop with the pocket kings, but caught a third king on the river to crack Bonomo’s aces. Saul had 270,000 in chips at that point, and finished the day in 7th place with 229,975. Bonomo bounced back from this painful beat to finish the day with a slightly-below-average stack.

David Chiu (left) played a hand in the shadow of the WPT television cameras in a multi-way pot that included James Carroll (background, center) and Mike Matusow (foreground, right). Chiu won the WPT World Championship at the end of Season VI in dramatic fashion, overcoming Gus Hansen heads-up after being greatly outnumbered in chips.

Reigning WPT World Champion David Williams (standing, right) showed up late in the day to check out the field, but didn’t register — yet. When Williams won this event last year, he started the event on Day 2, and figured he would try the same strategy this year.

Ali Eslami, who final tabled the WPT Hollywood Poker in Indiana last month, finished the day second in chips with 249,475, and was named the RISE Player of the Day — a title he also earned in Indiana.

The Day 1 chipleader is Christian Harder, who finished strong with 249,975. Harder will be the player to catch as the field returns for Day 2.

1. Christian Harder – 249,975
2. Ali Eslami – 240,475
3. Kyle Julius – 237,675
4. Justin Young – 234,575
5. Alan Sternberg – 233,675
6. Doyle Brunson – 230,000
7. Kevin Saul – 229,975
8. Masaaki Kagawa – 229,500
9. Robert Mercer – 222,850
10. Curt Kohlberg – 216,925

Day 2 begins at 12:00 noon PT. Return to WorldPokerTour.com for continuing live coverage, including hand updates, frequent chip counts, video interviews with WPT Anchor Kimberly Lansing, and another episode of the Jess & BJ Show.