LIVE EVENTS

Day 1A of the WPT500 brought out a huge field of players that made a total of 183 entries this afternoon. As the first of eight starting flights for the WPT500, Day 1A provided a great start to the live action, which bodes well for the remaining starting flights.

The large turnout made for a lengthy flight, one that surprised most players in the field. The pace of play kept things moving along at a brisk pace until the end of the flight came into sight. Hand-for-hand play lasted for over an hour and led to significant changes in the balance of power. The players who led this flight at various stages – Ami Alibay, Robert Gariepy and Ara Asatoorian – each stumbled in the late stages and ended up bagging far fewer chips than they each had at their respective high points.

In the end, it was Mathyeu Provost who emerged with the chip lead, thanks to solid play and fortuitous timing. Provost managed to steadily accumulate chips throughout hand-for-hand play and ultimately put the remaining field into Day 2 when his pocket tens survived a pre-flop all in against Steve Fournier’s ace-king. Provost seized the overall chip lead with his performance on Day 1A, sending 715,000 in chips on to Day 2. Other prominent stacks include Ami Alibay with 570,000, Laurence Louie with 441,500 and Marc-Andre Yelle with 369,500.

There are three WPT500 starting flights scheduled for tomorrow. Day 1C runs at noon, followed by Day 1D at 5:00pm and Day 1E Turbo at 10:00pm. Day 2 will be held on Monday, October 28 at 1:00pm.

The field on Day 1A now fits on only four tables. From the 183 entries in this flight, only 30 players are left, each with their sights set on Day 2.

Ami Alibay remains the overwhelming chip leader, with a stack in the vicinity of the 700K-mark. Former chip leaders Ara Asatoorian and Robert Gariepy are still in the field, but neither player is within striking distance of the chip lead at this stage.

Play will conclude once the field is down to 26 players, which is only four eliminations away, so the anticipation is building with each passing hand.

Here is a look at the action from level 17:

Play is set has just resumed in level 16 with only 43 players left in contention.

The player-friendly structure of this event has seen to it that the field is still enjoying significant depth of play. The current chip average provides roughly 31 big blinds, but the player at the top of the leaderboard has nearly triple that amount.

Ami Alibay seized the chip lead by playing a strong hand to perfection and getting maximum value after flopping the nuts. He was already above the average stack at that point, and he now stands head and shoulders above the field with over 90 big blinds at his disposal. Former chip leader Robert Gariepy has been holding steady and was surpassed by a handful of players shortly before the last break.

Play will continue until only 26 players remain, at which point the remaining players will advance to Day 2 and be in the money.

Play has just resumed in level 13, and Day 1A has a new chip leader. Robert Gariepy jumped to the top of the leaderboard, thanks to a dramatic three-way all in shortly before the break.

Gariepy was up against Tam Ho and Ernest Kelly, when each of the three played all their chips on a flop. Gariepy was fortunate enough to improve his thanks to running fours, which gave him three of a kind, and sent both Ho and Kelly to the rail. Gariepy is now sitting comfortably with roughly 120 big blinds in his possession, more than double the current chip average.

Play continues on Day 1A, with 87 players left in contention.

The excited energy of the early levels has given way to a more serious vibe around the tables, however, the tension in the room is being sporadically broken by eruptions of laughter; despite their focus, the players are clearly still having fun.

The current chip average provides players slightly more than 63 big blinds. The chip leaders have hundreds of blinds at their disposal, and most players left in the field are still enjoying deep-stacked play.

Here is an updated look at the action from level 9:

Play has just resumed in level 9, meaning that the late registration and re-entry period is now closed on Day 1A. But there was time for this flight to collect 183 entries, which was helped along by 33 re-entries. The top 26 finishers from this flight will advance to Day 2 and reach the money.

The current chip leader, Trevor Strutt, caught fire between the first and second breaks, running up the only stack in the field above the 200,000-chip mark, good for slightly more than 250 big blinds at this stage. Former chip leader Ara Asatoorian still has a healthy stack but has fallen down the leaderboard.

With the help of 27 re-entries, Day 1A has taken in 177 total entries, and 126 players remain in contention. The early levels were relatively calm, but once the players returned from their first break of the afternoon, the action shifted into another gear. Three-bets are becoming more and more standard, as the gap between the big and small stacks in the field begins to widen. Ara Asatoorian, the chip leader following the first break, still controls one of the largest stacks in play, but a number of players are closing in on him quickly.

As play enters the late stages of level 7, there is less than one hour of late registration and re-entries for this flight. For anyone who misses out or would prefer to start with a clean slate, the next flight, Day 1B, gets underway at 5:00pm.

Here is a look at the action from level 6:

The players have just returned from their first break of the afternoon, with 132 players remaining out of 155 total entries. Although many players took a cautious line out of the gate, others in the field brought a more aggressive approach, resulting in 16 re-entries through the first four levels of play.

Late registration and unlimited re-entries will be available for two more hours, leaving plenty of time for more re-entries and new players to join Day 1A. The current chip leader of this flight, Ara Asatoorian, has a stack of roughly triple the current chip average, good for just over 300 big blinds.

As expected, Day 1A has brought out a robust field to start the day.

There are still over 110 players in their seats out of 118 total entries, which includes four early re-entries. The late registration and re-entry period will be open until 4:30pm, so expect many re-entries and new players to join the field before then. For now, the action is heating up, as the cautious approach of the early levels gives way to more aggression and bigger pots.

Here is a look at the some of the action from the first two levels:

The WPT500 is an epic, multi-day event that boasts a prize pool guarantee of $1,066,000. There will be at least $1,000,000 in cash awarded, to go along with 20 $3,000 + $300 Main Event seats for the top 20 finishers. Online flights have been running throughout the week, and it’s time for the live action to begin! Today at noon, the first of eight live flights for the WPT500, Day 1A, gets underway. The second starting flight, Day 1B, runs later today at 5:00pm. 

Players will start with stacks of 30,000 in chips to play through as many 30-minute levels as needed to reduce the field to one in seven entries, at which point the players will bag their chips for Day 2. Each Day 1 will play 10-handed and move to 9-handed play as soon as possible.  

The WPT500 is an unlimited re-entry event, with unlimited re-entries permitted until the beginning of the ninth level of play on each Day 1. Players can enter multiple starting flights but only their largest stack can be used on Day 2; all other qualifying stacks will be forfeited, but players will receive the associated cash prize for any forfeited stacks. 

The stage is set. The tournament staff is ready and waiting, as the players are now making their way in to the tournament hall. After much anticipation, the live action of the WPT Montreal is about to begin! Good luck to all!