If for no reason than the $400,000 in added prize money, no rake event, and a TV table available, the numbers should have been higher.
The 97 players made a $2,301,200 prize pool with $762,410 going to the winner to accompany their Champion's ring and seat in the Epic Poker League Championship.
Heading into Day 2 chip leaders:
1. Jaime Kaplan – 324,600
2. Daniel O’Brien – 321,400
3. Alec Torelli – 231,500
4. Mike McDonald – 199,600
5. Nam Thien Le – 176,300
6. David ‘Chino’ Rheem – 173,300
7. Sean Getzwiller – 165,400
8. Andrew Robl – 149,700
9. Adam Levy – 145,400
10. Marco Caldwell Johnson – 145,200
Chino Rheem, who won the first event and $1 million is amongst the chip leaders again. Another big score would help his probation status immensely as he tries to pay back other poker players he owes.
Sitting in second place is Las Vegas pro Dan O'Brien who explained why he played the EPL event.
“I would love to tell you it is because of the prestige, but I live maybe fifteen minutes from here, so that is mostly why,” O’Brien admits. “I refuse to go back to Europe, I just want to stay home and hang out for now. I’m kind of lazy and if there is a $20,000 event in my backyard with a $400,000 overlay, I don’t know why I wouldn’t be here.”
Two of the leaders, Kaplan and Getzwiller, are qualifiers from the $1,500 Pro/Am event. They bust a number of notable players during the day; Brandon Cantu, Brian "tsarrast" Rast, Hasan Habib and Chau Giang.The eight-handed Main Event will start Day 2 at noon Pacific on Wednesday at the Palm's Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
