Good morning to you all from a blisteringly hot Las Vegas, 0930 here & it is already 35c.
Today sees Day 1c, the third & final flight of the WSOP Main Event, & around 4,000 players are expected to stump up $10,000 each, so that's $40 million today alone.
A busy day for the Sky Poker Team, too. Most of the qualifiers for the Little One Drop - The Droplet - arrive today, so Sam, Mark & Liz will have their hands full.
TV Dan, thanks to a lot of help from Mr Ambo, will be filming interviews with Daniel Negreanu & Miss Boeree, & Dan is trying to get Shane Warne and one or two others. These interviews all require research, & a lot of fiffing & faffing to find the best places to record them. The WSOP, & The Rio, are VERY strict as to where & what we can film.
We also have to record the Daily Update from the WSOP, & with Mr Ambo playing the Main event today, time is tight, as he's a busy man, & we don't want to be doing anything which will lessen his chances in the world's biggest poker event.
At 8pm this evening, it is the Players Welcome Party, too, over at Palazzo. That's 15 minutes away by cab or car, so Dan & I need to dash across there later for an hour or so before returning to The Rio & continuing the Live Update. We'd like to spend the whole evening at the Welcome Party, but we just can't be in 2 places at once, but we'll see plenty of them when they are playing, & Sam, Mark & Liz will look after them splendidly this evening.
Anyone who is not envious of those playing the Main Event today is not a real poker player. I know I'm seriously envious, & I bet most of you are. The WSOP Main is just the nuts.
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Most of today's Live Update will focus on Sky Poker's Ambassador, aka Mr Ambo, aka Neil Channing.
Neil has 33 "in the money" (ITM) finishes in the WSOP already, & we are rooting for ITM # 34.
We'll try & get plenty of photos of him in action, & try to let you know about any big pots he plays, & the other players on his table.
We also have the 5th of the Sky Poker qualifiers playing the Main Event today. However, he has requested anonymity, & to be left alone to concentrate on his play today, & Sky Poker have agreed to respect that wish for today.
Play starts at 11am Vegas (7pm UK), which is just over an hour from now. The buzz is building already, so we'll try & bring you some of the atmo.
If you have a friend playing the Main Event, or a particular "big name" you'd like us to follow, let us know & we'll see what we can do.
I'm not even playing & I'm so excited I need to go & have a wee.
Main Event entries on Days 1A & 1B are slightly up on last year. The number of survivors from each flight is considerably higher, due to the amended structure & starting stack.
Day 1A - 764 entries, 546 survived. (71.5%)
Day 1B - 1,733 entries, 1,302 survived. (75.1%)
The queue to buy in, just a minute ago......
We will be posting photos on my Twitter feed, too, @Tony_Kendall, & maybe on the @SkyPoker twitter feed too.
The opening speech by last year's winner has started, then they do the National Anthem thing, & then it'll be SHUFFLE UP & DEAL
The queues to buy in (40 minutes after it started) get ever longer. The Registration room is full, & the queue now spills outside.
...and, eventually, Mr Phil Ivey makes an appearance, looking rather monk-like without his hat.
Behind him, on the rail, are Mr & Mrs Humphreys, who rail him all day every day whenever & wherever he plays.
Today's Daily Video Update from the WSOP.
https://youtu.be/iEUA5pRv7tA
This gentleman just introduced himself to me during the 1st break of the WSOP Main Event - Sky Poker player "lovejunky".
Smashing bloke, shocking patch on his short....