More and more players a filling the seats, with more than 230 entries so far. It promises to be a huge day at the tables, although we remain in the early goings. That said, every great journey starts with a single step, and so must poker players build their winning stacks slowly over time.

On table 27 we witnessed just that sort of play, with Nikola Isaev and Benjamin Diebold tangling over a tiny pot. Oddly enough, when the cards were eventually flipped at the end of the hand, it looked like both players were slow-playing each other, trying to trap with relatively big hands.

Nikola opened with a small raise of 400 preflop, chasing everyone from the table except the big blind. Benjamin (in the bb) made the call.

Flop:

It was checked to the turn, which was dealt a . Both players checked again, seeing the river, a . Both players checked again, and showed their cards.

Nikola flipped over a pair of jacks (he had made a set on the flop), and Benjamin flipped over a Q010, having made a straight on the turn. Why did no one bet? It shall remain a mystery!

There was a lot of small talk going on at table 60 where Victor Bohm won his second hand in a row. Amid joking and laughter Maria Konnikova, Victor, Steven Firestone, and Karim Abdelhami all limped into the hand. The dealer then revealed the flop . Everyone at the table checked.

The turn was a . Victor bet 600, Steven called and both Karim, and Maria folded. The dealer then dealt the river . Both players checked and Victor won the hand with .

We have just passed the 200 entry threshold, with plenty more players likely to arrive throughout the early afternoon. Today’s Main Event Day 1C has all-day registration, and one of the best things about this format is the flexibility it affords to players. Pick your spot and come down to Playground at any time you like!

Early action at the WPT Main Event Day 1C is underway. There is less than half an hour left in level 1, and there are already 171 entries. The average stack is just above 40,000.

With just 5 players seated at table 21, Marcello Rosa limped in with a bet of 200.  Serge Gurin and Ian Modder both called.

The dealer, decked out as Smurf for Halloween, revealed the flop .  Everyone checked. The turn was a . Serge bet 1,000, and after Ian folded, Marcello called. When the river was dealt Marcello wagered 3,000. Immediately, Serge raised to 7,500. Marcello took a peek at his hand, shook his head, and tossed in his cards.

To get to the final table and claim part of the $5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool you must get through the field of fierce competitors. Here are some shots of the players just prior to them getting started today.

We are now just a little past the halfway point of level 1, with almost 200 players at their seats already. Good luck!

Halloween has become as big for adults as it is for kids in the past few years – but in the Montreal area, that has been the case for decades – and people take it pretty seriously! At Playground, staff are encouraged to get into the spirit of Halloween by coming in to work dressed in costume, and this year they went all out. From dealers to chip runners, cashiers to waitresses, managers to busboys, there was definitely no lack of creativity in the variety of disguises!