After roughly eight hours of play, Day 2 of the £500 Main Event has come to an end. It was yet another busy yet entertaining day of unparalleled live poker action at the Alea Casino, with the mighty Clyde River meandering alongside the building.
All combined, the four starting-day flights had attracted 256 entries to the Main Event. 66 players managed to survive their respective flights, and in doing so, secured a Day 2 bag. When the clock struck 15:00, these players took their seats, and the dealers started washing the cards.
A Blockbuster Session
The 256 entries created a £111,821 total prize pool for the Main Event. The first goal for the Day 2 players was to make it to the top 39 and secure a £1,000 minimum cash, but of course, they all had their eyes on the big £22,500 first-place payout.
The bubble burst after roughly three hours, when William Henderson’s ace-nine sucked out on Michelle Baldie’s ace-queen. At that point, players like Alan Chrzaszcz (chip leader going into Day 2), Christian Watt (winner of the £150 Mini Main Event), Jaime Staples (PartyPoker Team Pro), and David Lappin (poker legend) were all still in the mix. That was also the case for PartyPoker Tour Ambassadors Sam Acheampong and Asif Warris, while Alexander Georgiev and Natalie Bromley both busted before reaching the money.
Staples had been pretty idle before the bubble burst. Then, he picked up aces and doubled against ace-king. From that point, he was the star of the show, and soon enough, he was the tournament chip leader by some margin. He proved why he’s so respected in the poker community, and with controlled aggression, he managed to grow his bag bigger and bigger every orbit.
Play went on, and it took quite some time before the three final tables became two. When only 16 players remained, however, surprisingly many players went out during a relatively short period of time. Eventually, Henderson went out in tenth place in absolutely brutal fashion against Lappin. With that, play was over for the day, and the nine remaining players bagged their chips for tomorrow’s final table.
£500 Main Event – Final Table Seat Draw and Chip Counts
| Table-Seat | Player | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | Zhen Zhen | 990,000 | 33 |
| 1-2 | Jaime Staples | 1,835,000 | 61 |
| 1-3 | Dean Lyall | 615,000 | 21 |
| 1-4 | Alan Chrzaszcz | 880,000 | 29 |
| 1-5 | David Lappin | 4,100,000 | 137 |
| 1-6 | Kyle Scott | 1,600,000 | 53 |
| 1-7 | Kevin Frame | 700,000 | 23 |
| 1-8 | John Woods | 1,030,000 | 34 |
| 1-9 | Killie Rab | 1,050,000 | 35 |
After winning the ridicously large pot against Henderson, Lappin will enter tomorrow’s final table as the chip leader. Considering he”s also one of the most experienced players left in the field, it’s an educated guess many hold Lappin as the favorite to take home the tournament. When it comes to tournament winnings according to The Hendon Mob, Dean Lyall is the only one out of the bunch who surpasses Lappin. Lyall will enter the final table as the shortstack, but if anyone can convert it into something bigger, it’s him.
Without a doubt, tomorrow’s finale will be an absolute joy to follow, and when all is said and done, a new chapter in Scottish poker history will be written.
