Duhamel builds big stack on Main Event Day 1A

6 July 2015

By Dan Podheiser

LAS VEGAS – The 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event kicked off Sunday at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, as 480 of the 741 players who entered on Day 1A survived to move on to Day 2.

Fresh off his $3.9 million win in the High Roller for ONE DROP event, 2010 Main Event champion Jonathan Duhamel stormed the field on Sunday and bagged 82,700 chips.

Dutch pro Jorryt Van Hoof, who finished third in the 2014 Main Event for $3.8 million after taking the chip lead into the final table, got off to a great start again in 2015 and finished the day with 90,650.

Taking the chip lead out of Day 1A is William Kakon, who ended the day with 152,325. Kakon, a Miami native, won the $1,500 Limit Hold'Em bracelet and $196,055 earlier this summer.

Fedor Holz, who won the 2014 PokerStars World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) for $1.3 million, bagged an impressive 117,800 chips at the end of play.

Four-time bracelet winner Mike Matusow chipped up nicely throughout the day and finished with 88,225 chips.

Other notable players to survive Day 1A include bracelet winner Kyle Cartwright (77,350), high-stakes pros David “Doc” Sands (60,200) and Fabian Quoss (80,100), and bracelet winner and 2012 November Niner Jeremy Ausmus (20,725).

Day 1A was not kind to eight-time bracelet winner Erik Seidel, who busted after the dinner break Sunday night. Other notable players to hit the rails on Day 1A include Barny Boatman, Andy Bloch, Andrew “Lucky Chewy” Lichtenberger and John “Johnny World” Hennigan.

The field of 741 players was down slightly from Day 1A in 2014, which saw 771 players enter. The first day of the Main Event traditionally has the smallest field, with Day 1B a bit larger and Day 1C being in the range of 4,000 players. Last year’s Main Event had 6,683 total entrants, thanks to 2,144 entries on Day 1B and a record 3,768 players on Day 1C.

The Main Event began play with all tables playing in the Brasilia Room, as the Amazon Room was used to complete three other bracelet events and Main Event satellites. Irish pro Donnacha O’Dea, who has played every Main Event since 1982, delivered the famous “Shuffle up and deal!” message to the field to start the day.

Day 1B is set to begin Monday at noon, while Day 1C will be played Tuesday. Surviving players from Days 1A and 1B will convene to play Day 2A on Wednesday, while those who make it through Day 1C will play Day 2B on Thursday. The total remaining field will then merge on Day 3 on Friday.