Loni Hardwood will lead the final seven players into today's WSOP National Championship final table at Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina. Hardwood, a U.S. pro with close to $1.3 million in live tournament earnings, accumulated 1,340,000 in chips on Day 2.
There will be 3,660,000 chips in play when the final table kicks off, meaning that Hardwood has more than 36 percent of the chips in play and more than double as much as Darryll Fish (648,000) in second place.
Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu will enter the final table third in chips (543,000). Aside from the top prize of $341,599, Negreanu will take home his 7th bracelet if he wins the tournament! Of the remaining players, only Negreanu and Harwood paid the $10,000 buy-in*. WSOP granted free seats to the other finalists, whom were amongst 100 of the World Series of Poker Circuit's top players.
Seat 1: Vincent Moscati - 463,000 (46 bb)
Seat 2: Darryll Fish - 648,000 (64 bb)
Seat 3: Daniel Negreanu - 543,000 (54 bb)
Seat 4: - empty -
Seat 5: Paul Mattioda - 167,000 (16 bb)
Seat 6: Loni Harwood - 1,340,000 (134 bb)
Seat 7: Alex Masek - 100,000 (10 bb)
Seat 8: - empty -
Seat 9: Brad St. Vincent - 410,000 (41 bb)
*The top 100 point earners from the previous year's gold bracelet events were permitted to buy in for $10,000
- though of course he will take all the chance he could get next year's WSOP to win another bracelet.
