Main Event: 44 Returning from the Dinner Break

It is the Day 6 of the Main Event, and after playing for couple hours, players are away for their well deserved dinner break. When cards got in the air earlier today, there were 79 of them still standing, but multiple all-ins later, that number has dwindled down to just 44, and we have officially reached <1% of the field.

Day started with Mark Newhouse, last year’s November Niner leading the way. Although he has lost some of the momentum since the play started, Newhouse is still in a good shape with around seven million. That is, however, slightly less than what he had to begin with.

His place at the top of the chip counts is currently being occupied by none other than Martin Jacobson. Swede has actually bagged the chip lead after the very first flight of the Day 1 was finished and, with some ups and downs along the way, finds himself in the lead once again, only this time there aren’t multiple thousand between him and the coveted bracelet. Number of players to beat right now is short and easy to remember: forty three! Jacobson is clearly doing something right in this Main Event and he needs to keep it up for just a little while longer.

While Kyle Keranen and Dan Sindelar are Jacobson’s most imminent threats in terms of betting disks, there are quite a few who are always dangerous (not Matt Salsberg though, he’s long gone) even when their stacks do not look as threatening. Amongst them, the big holla goes to Dan Smith, who is sitting around the middle of the pack and is one double up away from becoming a big threat even for the current leader Jacobsen. Then there is Sean Dempsey as well as David Tuthill who had clearly demonstrated his desire to stay here after mounting his way back from just two big blinds.

35 players were sent to the rail, and for them, the dream was broken just as it was turning into reality. One of the early casualties of the day was Maria Ho and with her departure there were no more ladies standing in the Main Event. Vitaly Lunkin had a great run, but this summer full of fun is over for him as well. Brian Hastings, Isaac Baron and Matt Waxman have all headed for the rail as well.

Players will either play for five and a half levels today or until there are between 24 – 27 players remaining. There will be a few players in that ten big blinds territory when the play resumes, so there could be couple quick exits but there could also be a couple double ups so, basically, it could go either way. One thing is for sure though. Nobody is looking to go home after they’ve made it this far!