Girish Reknar leads the pack to start Day 2 at WPT Gardens Poker Championship

Mo Afdhal
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Posted on: May 23, 2023 3:45 pm EDT

Day 2 of the World Poker Tour Gardens Poker Championship started today at 12:00pm local time. All remaining players return to The Gardens Casino in pursuit of the $357,380 first prize. The top prize includes a $10,400 seat for the WPT World Championship this December at the Wynn Las Vegas.

Of the 346 entrants across the two Day 1 starting flights, only 126 survived to enter Day 2 action. The entries, including the 70 satellite entries, generated a total prize-pool of $1.67 million.

The final 44 players will make the money later today, earning a min cash of $10,160 for their efforts, but with lots more to play for up top. The path to the money won’t be quick or easy, however, as today’s schedule calls for 10 sixty-minute levels.

Girish Reknar, WPT

Day 1A chip leader Girish Reknar takes the largest stack into play with 459,500, good for 183 big blinds to start the day. Reknar built his stack early on and continued amassing chips throughout the starting flight. With about thirty minutes left in the Day 1A starting flight, Reknar found himself on the right side of a pre-flop cooler to win a pot of over 100,000 chips.

Maintaining that chip lead throughout the day’s play will be no easy task, though. Hot on Reknar’s heels are several WPT Champions Club members, each of them gunning for the top spot to end the day.

Start of Day 2 chip leaders

  1. Girish Reknar – 459,500 (183 bbs)
  2. Lam Nguyen – 405,000 (162 bbs)
  3. Jason Dewitt – 401,000 (160 bbs)
  4. Omar Bravo – 399,500 (159 bbs)
  5. Joshua Lachman – 348,000 (139 bbs)
  6. Paul Hizer – 326,500 (130 bbs)
  7. Adam Weinraub – 319,000 (127 bbs)
  8. Alex Foxen – 308,000 (123 bbs)
  9. Frank Stepuchin 304,000 (121 bbs)
  10. Brad Owen – 290,500 (116 bbs)

Top ten payouts

  1. $357,380
  2. $230,000
  3. $169,000
  4. $125,000
  5. $94,000
  6. $71,200
  7. $54,500
  8. $42,200
  9. $32,900
  10. $32,900

Images Courtesy of World Poker Tour