WPT -- Day 1 of the Five Diamond World Poker Classic

Day 1 of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic is in the books. By all accounts, it seems that lowering the buy-in from $15,000 to $10,000 has resulted in a substantial increase in field size. The 2009 tournament drew a total of 329 players, but even though registration is still open, the Bellagio has already attracted 391 players for this year’s championship event.

That number has special significance thanks to the Bellagio’s unique payout structure. A field size of 400 or more would mean that 100 players will make the money. Anything less and only 50 will get paid. While each player has their own preference, there will definitely be many eyes on the tournament clock as registration draws to a close sometime Saturday afternoon.

After busting Joseph Cheong in a monster pot to close the day, the chip leader entering day 2 is Ryan D’Angelo with 192,500. Other notables near the top of the leaderboard include Antonio Esfandiari (149,500), Phil Ivey (143,225), Michael Gracz (138,850), Matt Keikoan (133,775), Kirk Morrison (130,075) and Justin Young (131,200).

Young has been playing particularly well this series after taking down the $5,000 preliminary event just days ago. He also finished second in the main event in 2008 for $936,760. Card Player’s own Jeff Shulman is still alive, moving onto day 2 with just under his starting stack.

The action will resume at noon on Saturday and the field will play another five levels. Be sure to check back to Card Player for live updates, chip counts, photos and video interviews with your favorite players.

Here’s a look at the top 10. Click here for a full list of chip counts.

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