Although Phil Laak spent most of the World Series of Poker playing the high stakes side games at the Bellagio, he has promised not to miss the most prized tournament in poker – the WSOP Main Event.

Second Biggest Main Event Ever!

This year’s Main Event has seen a huge increase over last year’s event and will be second largest live poker tournament in history with 7,319 players taking part. The total prize pool is worth almost $69,000,000 and the 1st place payout is worth just short of $9,000,000!

This year’s Championship Event is surpassed only by the world record setting 2006 WSOP event.

Phil Laak Starts Strong in World Series of Poker Main Event 2010

He started the Main Event on day 1B and got going with a bang! He would get a huge chip boost when his flush cracked another player’s Aces. He would then run his KK against the same player’s AK all in pre-flop to get his chips all the way up to $78,000!

The Unabomber would then go on to increase his chip count even more as well as his standing in the Championship Event. He would get his chips all the way up to $110,000 and put himself in 8th place at his peak. The chip leader at this time is Robert Miller who has $149,000 in chips.

Phil would run into a tough spot and end up losing more than half his stack in a big hand. The Unabomber would end day 1b with just over $40,000 in chips and in 470th place for the day.

This finish was disappointing considering his brilliant start, but that’s how poker goes and it can be brutal at times.

He still has enough chips to go deep in the Main Event once the poker gods look favorably on him and the cards fall his way.