Day 1 of the 2018 WSOP $2,500 Mixed Big Bet event came to an end, with only 51 players remaining from the initial player field of 205 competitors who had their eyes on the first position of the ranking.
This year, the event managed to gather more players, in comparison to the 197 player field who participated in 2017, with former WSOP gold bracelet winner Naoya Kihara now leading the chip lead to Day 2, with 119,700 in chips. Day 1 of the $2,500 buy-in Mixed Big Bet event also saw the payouts confirmed today, with the winner set to receive a total of $122,138.
Kihara, who already is a proud owner of one WSOP bracelet, said that he is having his eyes on the prize. He won his bracelet back in 2012 by taking down a $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed event.
The Mixed Big Bet event, which comes under number 40 in the 2018 World Series of Poker schedule, has seen a whole plethora of notable players, including Dario Sammartino who is considered one of the main favorites to win the event’s title. The Italian managed to get to the third position in Event #23, the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship, which has brought him his only WSOP cash so far, but seems to be chasing another WSOP cash.
Other notable poker players who are still in the competition for the Mixed Big Bet event’s title are Brian Rast, Eli Elezra, Andrew Kelsall, Barr Greenstein, Mike Matusow. Other multiple WSOP bracelet winners who participated in the early levels were Brian Hastings, David Bach, and Chris Vitch.
Kristen Bicknell Gets Eliminated by Steven Tabb
Canadian poker player Kristen Bicknell, who got the 2017 Female Player of the Year award, also took part in the competition for the first place of the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet event of the 2018 World Series of Poker.
The player who already has two WSOP gold bracelets, both of which are in No-Limit Hold’em events, has obviously decided to go for a change in style. Her first hand came in Pot-Limit Omaha 8 or Better, she folded to a flop continuation bet from Italian poker player Dario Sammartino, and the game changed to 5 Card Draw.
At the time, the Canadian poker pro asked for an explanation of the game, with Calvin Anderson helping her out with one. Unfortunately for her, she got eliminated by Steven Tabb.
Just a couple of days ago, Bicknell ranked second in the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) $5,000 Venetian Main Event, after she was denied the title in a heads-up clash with her boyfriend, Alex Foxen. The couple outlasted a total player field of 178 entrants, with Foxen emerging as the winner, taking home a prize of $239,000. Kristen Bicknell remained second, scooping a $200,000 portion.
