LIVE EVENTS

Day 1B of the WPT Montreal Main Event had a robust turnout of 238 entries, including 35 players who opted to use their single re-entry option. The large field put just over 9.5 million in chips in play, leaving the Day 2 qualifiers from this flight with an average stack of 75,500.

In an unusual turn of events, Day 1B was led by the same player for the majority of the flight. Camille Mikhael had the largest stack in the lead up to the second break of the day during level 3 and did not look back. With each passing level, Mikhael found ways to add to his stack, opening up an even larger lead over his nearest rival by the start of level 7. By the time the chips went in the bag at the end of level 8, Mikhael was head and shoulders above the field, with more than 100,000 in chips separating him from the next closest stack. The second largest stack of the flight belongs to Mike Leah, a Playground event veteran with many notable results on his poker resume. Leah had a rough start to the day and fell far below the chip average, but he stuck to his game and the cards turned in his favour later in the flight, allowing him to run up a stack of 180,500. To see the combined Day 1 results, click here.

There remains one more starting flight for the Main Event. Day 1C runs tomorrow at 12:00pm and promises to be the most action-packed flight yet. For anyone who misses out on the Day 1s, late registration and re-entries will be available on Day 2 until the beginning of level 13.

Day 1B is now on to its last level of play, and there are still 137 players involved. The stacks seem to have leveled out a bit since the last break, as some players who were riding high are now back around the average, and some players who were on life support now have plenty of chips to play with.

Everyone is well aware that the tournament cannot be won tonight, so most in the field are set to cruise to the end of this flight and return with renewed focus on Day 2.

Here is a look at the action from the late stages of this flight:

Play has resumed in level 7, taking Day 1B down the home stretch.

The chip average still provides 100 big blinds, so nearly everyone in the field is enjoying very deep-stacked play. But the current chip leaders are swimming in even deeper waters. At the last break there were 7 players in the six-figure club. Foremost among them is Camille Mikhael. Mikhael led the field at the last break and managed to chip up since, taking control of slightly more than 350 big blinds.

The players in Day 1B have put on a show of skill and determination this afternoon. Every pot has been hard fought and each decision carefully deliberated, as 161 players are still in contention out of 228 entries. Thanks to the deep stacks and slow structure, the players have the liberty of choosing their spots selectively. The result has been no shortage of monster hands seen at showdown, and many more hands decided with cards yet to come.

Here is an updated look at the field from level 6:

Play has just resumed in level 5, with 176 players still in contention.

This flight has gathered 218 entries so far, putting nearly 9 million in chips in play. Several players have managed to bring their stacks into six-figure territory, but they all trail Camille Mikhael, who has slightly more than 330 big blinds in his possession.

The action is heating up, as Day 1B enters its fourth level of play.

New players and re-entries are rolling in slowly but surely, bringing this flight beyond the number of entries collected on Day 1A with more than five hours to go in the late registration and re-entry period. Now that the players have had some time to familiarize themselves with their opponents, the meta game is coming into play, as players take more creative lines to exploit perceived weaknesses.

Here is a look at the action from level 3:

Play has just resumed in level 3, following the first break of the flight. New players and a handful of re-entries has helped boost the total number of entries on Day 1B to 174, putting nearly as many chips in play as was seen on Day 1A.

The current chip leader is Lonnie Hallett, the only player with a six-figure stack at this stage. Thanks to the slow structure of the Main Event, Hallett’s holdings give him over 500 big blinds; a deep stack, to say the least!