WSOP Paradise: Super Main Event Guarantee Surpassed on Day 1D, Negreanu Advances on Tenth Try!

$60,000,000 Guarantee Surpassed
 

One of the most watched events of the day was without a doubt the tracking of the overlay counter, which dropped to zero on Sunday, confirming the surpassing of the $60 million guarantee. The prizepool that Daniel Negreanu previously called "crazy" was exceeded around the halfway mark of Day 1D.

The number of entries in the $25,000 Super Main Event reached 2,534, pushing the total prizepool to an astounding $63,350,000. Although Day 1D was the last starting day, registration remains open through the first three levels of Day 2B, so the field and overall prizepool are expected to grow further. Day 1D concluded with 508 entries, with 178 players advancing.

Daniel Negreanu Master of Re-entry

The focus of the day was heavily on Canadian superstar Daniel Negreanu, who managed to advance on his tenth attempt in the tournament. After entering eight times during the initial flights, Negreanu returned and successfully made his way to Day 2B.

His ninth attempt fell short, but on his tenth entry, Daniel demonstrated his resilience. In a crucial hand where he was all-in with A h K h against David Gonzalez with T s T c, the river K c saved him and doubled his stack. He continued to build and eventually bagged 1,870,000. Other big names advancing included Robert Mizrachi, Scott Seiver, Shaun Deeb, Viktor Blom, and former Main Event champions Espen Jorstad and Martin Jacobson.

Among those who didn’t make it to the next day were last WSOP Main Event winner Michael Mizrachi and 2005 champion Joe Hachem.

Representing Czech colors were Roman Hrabec (stack 820,000) and Zdeněk Žiška (755,000), who made up for their Day 1C exits by bagging nearly identical stacks for Day 2B. Roman Hrabec was doubly pleased as his wife Monika Hrabec (1,960,000) outperformed him, leaving with more than twice his chips.

Frederic Normand Leads Day 1D
 

Canada’s Frederic Normand ended Day 1D with the highest stack of 5,795,000, significantly outpacing many noted names. Normand secured this leading position in the final minutes, overpowering competitors holding K h K c (Sergei Gurin), Q s Q c (Drew Gonzalez), and 8 s 7 c (Giovanni Paticchio) in a 4-way all-in. Normand, holding A d K d, nailed a flush on the T d 9 d 7 d flop and soared to the top.

Following Normand were Italy’s Alberto Speranzoni and Aaron Mermelstein, both crossing the 5,000,000 chip mark. No one performed better in prior days, securing the top three spots heading into Day 2B.

The Super Main Event action resumes today at 12:00 local time as Day 2B merges finishers from flights 1C and 1D. The plan is to play into the money and reduce the field to 7%. Open registration promises an even more intense battle for the bracelet and massive top prize.

Top 10 chip counts in 1D:

Charles Hook Triumphs in $50K PLO
 

Charles Hook secured his first WSOP bracelet by dominating Event #13: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller. The tournament attracted 115 entries, creating a prizepool of $5,537,000. Hook took home a massive victory of $1,456,000, marking a new personal record.

In the final heads-up, Hook defeated fellow American Michael Moncek, denying him the chance to secure his third WSOP bracelet.

The final table was star-studded, featuring Hungarian duo Andras Nemeth and Laszlo Bujtas, seven-time WSOP bracelet holder Josh Arieh, and regular high roller participants Stephen Chidwick and Jason Koon.

The final day was dramatic, starting with 25 players aiming for just 17 paid spots. Bad luck struck Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu, who finished just shy of ITM positions.

On the flip side, Martin Kabrhel earned $105,000 for 16th place, getting a nice boost before continuing in the Super Main Event, where he leads as chipleader after Day 2A.

Sources: WSOP, PokerNews, The Hendon Mob