With players already gathering for Day 2 at the Coventry Building Society Arena, the 888poker LIVE Coventry £888 Main Event has reached an interesting stage. Following six exciting beginning flights over the course of the week, the field has now merged and the competition is likely to intensify as players want a sizable share of the prize fund, shattering the guaranteed £500,000 mark.
The last turbo flight ended today, having pushed the overall entry count much above 700. With this outstanding turnout, the prize fund has exceeded expectations and players now have their sights set on a portion of this rich pot.
£888 Main Event: Day 2 Kicks Off under Brandon Harris’s charge
Leading the field coming into Day 2, Brandon Harris carries an impressive 599,000 chip stack. Harris has 100 large blinds, which will help him to go far in the event and maybe guarantee a large payoff. Harris’s performance on Day 1 let him develop a sizable lead, therefore providing him with a major edge as the event unfolds.
Still, there is intense rivalry. Ricardo Mateus, an 888poker Stream Team member who concluded Day 1 with a strong stack of 395,000 chips, is among the best prospects. Mateus hopes to leave his imprint in the Main Event, hence his performance puts him in a decent position with 66 large blinds.
£888 Main Event First Day Top Performers: Examining More Closely
Let’s take a look at the top 10 chip counts from Day 1a to 1d:
- Brandon Harris (United Kingdom) – 599,000 chips (100 big blinds)
- Oliver Braddock (United Kingdom) – 497,000 chips (83 big blinds)
- Longmao Fan (China) – 488,000 chips (81 big blinds)
- Mo Romanowicz (United Kingdom) – 432,000 chips (72 big blinds)
- Christopher Johnson (United Kingdom) – 420,000 chips (70 big blinds)
- Jiang Pu (United Kingdom) – 413,000 chips (69 big blinds)
- Ricardo Mateus (Portugal) – 395,000 chips (66 big blinds)
- Yucel Eminoglu (Turkey) – 379,000 chips (63 big blinds)
- Philip Broughton (United Kingdom) – 356,000 chips (59 big blinds)
- Mindaugas Kurlenskas (United Kingdom) – 351,000 chips (59 big blinds)
Another player to keep an eye on is Oliver Braddock, who headed the Day 1 flight carrying 497,000 chips. His outstanding performance has him seated with 83 large blinds, positioned to fight for the top place. With 449,000 and 432,000 chips respectively, Longmao Fan and Mo Romanowicz also have noteworthy stacks.
£888 Main Event Ambassadors mixed in the mix
The Main Event also features several £888 Main Event Ambassadors who are clearly felt. Having battled through a long flight last night, Lucia Navarro bagged 253,000 chips, earning 42 large blinds into Day 2. Navarro will want to keep on her excellent performance as the tournament advances.
Additionally returning for Day 2 is Ian Simpson, another well-known member of the 888poker staff. Simpson completed the Day 1c turbo flight with a meagre 69,000 chips, hence he has a little more work ahead of him. Simpson’s expertise and ability would see him negotiate the forthcoming tiers and return, even if his stack is less.
As the Prize Pool is finalised, Action Resumes takes the stage
Day 2 activities are scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m. local time and excitement is mounting. Officially closing once play starts, late registration locks in the overall prize pool. Those late registering players start with a 30,000 chip stack and enter the action with blinds set at 3,000/6,000 and a large blind ante of 6,000.
Players will fight through 12 more levels, each lasting forty minutes, over the day. After every three levels, breaks will be planned to allow players an opportunity to reorganise and revitalise. Starting at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, the survivors of Day 2 will be back for the last day of the Main Event.
The Path to the Final Table Starts Here
The rivalry will just get more fierce as the pitch closes. Along with the £500,000+ prize fund, players are also chasing the reputation that comes with a strong run in such a highly watched event. As the surviving players gaze at the sought-after payments, the bubble is growing and the pressure is rising.
Brandon Harris leads the chip right now, but poker’s volatility guarantees anything might happen. There is no scarcity of ability in this profession; the top candidates will have to stay sharp to keep their places or challenge the leaders.
£888 Main Event: Watch for Live Updates
As usual, PokerBol will cover the Main Event in whole including live updates, chip counts, and video highlights. Following all the action on the PokerBol website and social media channels helps fans make sure they never miss a single second of this exciting tournament.
Day 2 looks to be exciting, dramatic, and full of lots of big hands given so much is at stake. Will Brandon Harris hang to his lead, or will a fresh challenger take first place? One thing is for sure: anyone’s game; the race for the £500,000 prize pool is formally on.
Watch this space for further updates as the action takes shape!
