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.