Phil Ivey Leads To Start Day 3; Multiple Main Event Champions Still Alive
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Welcome back to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino and the 2014 World Series of Poker for Day 3 of the Main Event!
Five days ago the final event of the series kicked off with players partaking in three different Day 1 flights before an additional two Day 2 flights were played. Today, however, the entire field will be combined for the first time. They'll begin spread throughout the Amazon, Brasilia, and Pavilion rooms, but by day's end it is likely that everyone will finally be located in one room as eyes will be locked on reaching the money-paying top 693.
The 6,683-player field has now been trimmed down to just 1,864, and although losing two-thirds of the field may be a tough ask, it will be in the mindsets of many as being able to head home with $18,406 locked up will make tonight's sleep a bit easier.
One of those players with goals much loftier then a min-cash is chip leader and 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Ivey who ended Day 1c second in chips before using that momentum — and a handy double elimination with a full house — to motor up the chip counts to be the overall chip leader with 505,000. Timothy Stansifer (481,500), Paul Mestre (477,900), and Thomas Cannuli (407,800) also return to big stacks while notables Joe Kuether (401,200), Isaac Baron (387,200), Brian Townsend (361,700), John Hennigan (342,700), and Martin Jacobson (342,700) are likewise perched high on the leaderboard.
Previous World Champions such as Phil Hellmuth, Joe Hachem, Joe Cada, Jonathan Duhamel, Jamie Gold and Jerry Yang may have already been eliminated, but reigning champion Ryan Riess (84,900), back-to-back champion Johnny Chan (46,600), Robert Varkonyi (33,8000) and Huck Seed (96,500) all still remain while 2003 Champion Chris Moneymaker leads all the former title-holders with an impressive 222,000 in chips.
Day 3 Seating Draw (via WSOP.com)
Bracelet winners, first time players, and seasoned veterans all still remain in this 1,864-player field, but by the time they are done today dreams will be broken, bad beats will be endured, and players' goals will have shifted. Day 3 is always a big day in the Main Event as the pressure with every decision now gets greater and greater as the tournament progresses.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand once play kicks off at 12:00 p.m. (PDT) to provide extensive live updates from Day 3 of the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event as we continue to write the story of the next World Champion!
While we wait for play to begin, check out what Phil Ivey had to say on a break during his strong Day 2c yesterday:
flop delivered Busquet a pair of aces.
, which gave Brenes a flush draw. It certainly was exciting, but Brenes would find no luck on the river as the useless 
peeled off.
, and the king on the river ended Calderaro's chances of making it deep in this year's Main Event.
, a healthy pot was brewing between Thomas Popov and Taylor von Kriegenbergh.
turn, Lent checked and Pierce immediately slid his whole stack in. The wager was 16,300.
for a pair and a flush draw, but Pierce had his pair dominated with 
. Pierce faded the clubs and tens as a 
arrived on the river, and has earned an early double-up here on Day 3.
and Baron checked to Denicco who bet. The player on the button called before Baron check-raised. Denicco reraised, the player on the button folded, Baron reraised back, and Denicco soon wound up all in for about 235,000 with 
board showing and about 70,000 chips already in the pot. The action was on Munir Shahin who bet 37,000 after Matt Vengrin had checked to him.
on a queen-high board only to run into Jeffrey Chang's 
— and just like that Lichtenberger and the short-stacked player were both eliminated at the hands of the current tournament chip leader. Baron moved up to 875,000, and after the hand all he could say was "absurd."
for a flopped set.
