Day 1b is underway at Parkwest Bicycle Casino for the 2022 World Poker Tour (WPT) Legends of Poker Main Event and the field has grown with more familiar faces from around poker.
The field reached 165 players at the midway point of the fourth level, which already eclipses the total field of 137 from Day 1a. The grand total sits at just over 300 with more late entries available tonight before Monday’s final flight. The tournament will close in on the $2.5 million guarantee throughout Monday before registration closes for good at the beginning of Level 9.
The Field Grows
Among today’s early runners were Michael Wang, Landon Tice, Kitty Kuo, and Kyna England. Kuo and England are two of the three parts that made up a final table at the 2021 WPT Venetian that featured a record-setting three women. The third was Daniela Rodriguez, who ended up taking fifth. Kuo finished in sixth, while England made a run to third place for $448,755.
Also taking his seat was Jared Griener, who went into the 2019 final table in this event as the chip leader before he ultimately finished in third place. Maria Ho also jumped in to take another shot after bowing out yesterday, and she’s joined by fellow WPT Deepstacks champion James Gorham in a quest for a spot on the Mike Sexton Cup.
2019 Legends of Poker Final Table Results
| Rank | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aaron Van Blarcum | United States | $474,390 |
| 2 | Gueorgui Gantchev | United States | $306,265 |
| 3 | Jared Griener | United States | $226,040 |
| 4 | Vahan Sudzhyan | Armenia | $168,630 |
| 5 | Jisup Hwang | United States | $127,165 |
| 6 | Antonios Roungeris | Greece | $96,955 |
Members of the WPT Champions Club have also turned out for Sunday’s flight to take a shot at more glory. The returning champs include Jared Jaffee, David “ODB” Baker, Frank Stepuchin, Anthony Zinno, and Robert Mizrachi. Zinno and Mizrachi are back for more after they failed to bag on Day 1a.
Fagerbakke Jumps In
Bill Fagerbakke is known to most as Michael “Dauber” Dybinski from the sitcom Coach, or the voice of Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants, but he’s also a regular on the LA card scene and has $173,445 in lifetime earnings. Fagerbakke took his seat for Day 1b, and he’s no stranger to success at WPT Legends of Poker. In 2015, Fagerbakke ran to 10th in the Main Event for $26,149, his biggest score to date.
Mega-Satellite Added
Tournament directors have added another mega satellite to the schedule after demand remained strong throughout the weekend. Players have the opportunity to win their $5,250 seat for just $600 at 7 p.m. local time in the Event Center. Entrants will receive 15,000 chips and play 30-minute levels, with registration open until the beginning of Level 5.
More to Come on Monday
Monday’s final flight will kick off at 12 p.m. local time, and players will once again play ten 60-minute levels before they bag for Day 2. Day 2 kicks off at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, with Day 3 following at the same time on Wednesday before Thursday’s final table kicks off at 1 p.m.
2022 WPT Legends of Poker Schedule
| Date | Time (PT) | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, August 28 | 12 p.m. | Day 1b |
| Monday, August 29 | 12 p.m. | Day 1c |
| Tuesday, August 30 | 12 p.m. | Day 2 |
| Wednesday, August 31 | 12 p.m. | Day 3 |
| Thursday, September 1 | 1 p.m. | Day 4 (Final Table) |
Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team for more from WPT Legends of Poker at Parkwest Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California.
Feature photo courtesy of Joe Giron/WPT
Live Reporting Executive
Las Vegas-based PokerNews Live Reporting Executive, originally from Chicago, IL