Day 1a and 1b of the World Series of Poker Circuit at Harrah’s in Rincon, California, is officially complete. Luke Nettles leads the way with 197,500, but Raymond Dandrea isn’t far behind with 169,500 chips.
Day 1a attracted 216 runners, and Day 1b began with 105, bringing the total field size to 321. That is very impressive considering there were 188 entrants in this same event last year. It is also important to note that if any player has used only one bullet so far, whether it was on Day 1a or Day 1b, he/she will be allowed to re-enter on Day 2 before the cards are back in the air.
Brandon Cantu got off to a fast start during his Day 1 flight, and kept the momentum for all nine levels. At his first table, he tangled repeatedly with Eddy Sabat, winning a large pot against him just before their table broke. Cantu held 
on a 
board and was able to get his straight paid off. Sabat was eliminated a short time later on his new table, and Cantu bagged up 156,300 by the end of the night — good enough to start third in chips on Day 2.
Seneca Easley, the defending champion, was not in either of the fields on Day 1 but there was no shortage of players who have an excellent shot to take his crown. Among the competitors left are Joe Kuether (107,000), Joe Tehan (92,400), Eric Baldwin (64,300), Bryan Devonshire (46,900), Gavin Griffin (37,900), Scott Clements (33,900), Gavin Smith (32,800), Freddy Deeb (30,200), Allen Carter (26,900), David “ODB” Baker (25,700), Dennis Phillips (21,200) and Sam Barnhart (20,000), and they all have the track records to prove they will be forces to be reckoned with on Sunday.
Although almost all of the notables advanced, the day was not without some casualties. In addition to the aforementioned Sabat, Lars Bonding, La Sengphet, Bryce Yockey and Robert Suer were all eliminated. Additionally, each of those players have already used two bullets, so they will not be able to re-enter on Day 2.
End of Day 1 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Player | Chip Count |
|---|---|
| Luke Nettles | 197,000 |
| Raymond Dandrea | 169,500 |
| Brandon Cantu | 156,300 |
| Tu Huynh | 126,300 |
| Stan Solis | 109,200 |
| Joe Kuether | 107,000 |
| Joe Tehan | 92,400 |
| Matthew Chang | 90,400 |
| Matt Salsberg | 84,200 |
| Chris Summers | 65,600 |
The 104 remaining players from Day 1a, and the 54 survivors from Day 1b will combine on Sunday and play 14 levels. Action resumes at 1200 PDT (2000 BST) and, as usual, PokerNews will have all of the action. Make sure you tune in on Sunday because the pace will be fast and furious as players fight for that coveted WSOPC ring!
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