Posted by Andrew Feldman
3:36 p.m. ET: Well, things have changed here in the Amazon Room … somewhat. Starting today, with every elimination we're going to hear an announcement telling us who has been eliminated and where they finished. How do I know that so soon? We've already lost four players.
The Poker Edge
The field is down to 185 players after Day 5 of the WSOP main event. Andrew Feldman and Bluff's Lance Bradley are joined by Tom Schneider, Blair Rodman, Matt Affleck, Gavin Smith and Joe Sebok.
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One hundred eighty-one players remain (as I start to type this blog, I'm sure that will change; honestly, I've changed that first line three times already). "We'll play five levels today and play down to 27 tomorrow or longer depending on if we're at where we need to be," tournament director Jack Effel said.
It's time for the blinds to catch up to the stacks, and I think five levels today is a start.
Down to 180.
Down to 179.
Down to 178. Not kidding.
With all the tables in the blue and green section today, I'm going to be spending a good amount of time on the floor and on Twitter (@ESPN_Poker).
Down to 177.
It will slow down. In my recap column last night, I neglected to mention another big name that remains: Kenny Tran. Down to 176. Tran made it through the day yesterday with $752,000, but while he increased his stack, he didn't get involved much. As you'll see on our ESPN broadcasts, his table wasn't as busy as the rest. Tran played a little bit cautious, which isn't usually his style, but I think he adjusted about as well as anyone else to the fast play that we've seen.
The rail is completely filled up today and just like yesterday, as tables are being broken, they are being removed by the staff here at Harrah's. By doing so they're giving spectators a better view of the action, which is great to see. If poker ever wants to become even more mainstream, it'll have to encourage people to come out to Vegas to watch the action, and trust me, watching live poker can be brutal sometimes.
At the top, my eye will be on Kasper Cordes and Tom Schneider. Cordes has a couple of solid players at his table and after speaking to a few of them, they're looking to get involved, but only at the right moments. As for Schneider, this is his day. Down to 175. He has the chance to finally cement his name with a deep run and I can't imagine he's going to blow up with such a big stack.
At the middle of the chip counts, I'm looking at Phil Ivey, Bertrand Grospellier and Nichoel Peppe. The three are explosive and can accumulate a massive amount of chips, or lose them, in a short amount of time. Peppe is a professional cash game player and after speaking to her, it's clear she's here to win. She's not afraid to take risks and her optimistic spirit is usually something people like to see at the table.
On the verge between the middle and bottom stacks, I'm watching both Trans (J.C. and Kenny), Joe Hachem and Owen Crowe. Needless to say, all four of them have the experience to come through. Crowe, perhaps the least known of the bunch, finished in 15th last year. Even though they are shorter on chips, they each still have at least 30 times the big blind and can wait patiently for hours.
Down to 174.
Small blinds: Vote below on some questions you'd like me to ask people here at the Rio. I'll bring around my video camera and post the responses later. … I ran into Scott Bohlman at Starbucks this morning who is ready to still play big pots. … In 173rd, Jordan Morgan. … I'm chatting at 4 p.m. ET at SportsNation. … Down to 171. … Down to 170. … The rail now completely surrounds the tables. Quite cool.
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