WSOP BREAK: The beauty of peace and quiet

By Simon Young

It was only four days, but it felt like an eternity. The quartet of Day 1 flights is finally over, and the WSOP Main Event today enjoys its one and only day off.

The hallways at the Rio, stuffed with a sweating sea of players and spectators for so long, is quiet today. You can actually walk through to the Amazon Room without coming through the other side covered in bruises.

We’re back tomorrow for Day 2A, then Day 2B on Wednesday. Once we get into Day 3 on Thursday we’ll be cutting into the money-paying places, and the real action for the coveted Championship bracelet and the $9 million prize begins.

Jan Skampa: tops the list of PartyPoker qualifiers

Yesterday’s Day 1D was a good one for several of PartyPoker’s qualifiers. Jan Skampa, an economics student from the Czech Republic finished on 108,450 chips, the highest of all our qualifiers in Vegas. Ireland’s Stephen Kenna, who took up online poker while recovering from a serious back injury, has 72,275 after yesterday’s rumble in the Amazon jungle.

Through as well is PartyPoker’s Andy Hayes, from London, with 36,425 – a fitting reward for his wife, Kate, who watched him the whole day from the rail. Friends of PartyPoker Andreas Jorbeck (PartyPoker Late Night Poker winner and final tablist at the PartyPoker Million VI cruise) got through with 81,600, while top tournament director Matt Savage safely navigated the shark-infested waters with 43,225.

In the meantime, the Rio today has a tournament for the hard-working casino staff – and another for the press corps. I’ll be playing in that – more later.

** Edit ** I busted four tables out :-(