We are midway through level 5 here in Day 1B of the Main Event.  No less than 266 entries have been registered, including 20 re-entries.  The number of chips in play just hit the 13,000,000 threshold and the players seem to be ready for the long haul.

The Main Event allows for a single re-entry per flight, as well as direct buy-ins during the first two levels of Day 2, providing everyone plenty of opportunities to get their share of the $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Here are a few photos of the players taken in level 4.

Players are returning from the break between levels 4 and 5.  There are 198 players remaining of the 256 entries, including 24 re-entries.

We spotted only one stack above 200,000 chips and it belongs to Steven Martin.  Steven was chip leader early in the tournament and he’s still going strong.  We spotted quite a few stacks hovering around the 150,000 mark but Martin’s 275,000 tower is quite impressive.

It’s still very early in the tournament, and the players still have over 7 hours to register or re-enter.

As the players return from their first break, the number of entries has just eclipsed the 200 mark, and Steven Martin has jumped out to the early chip lead.

Martin leads the way, and six other players have managed to run up stacks of more than double the 53K chip average. But there is still a lot of poker left to play, including a full day of late registration and re-entries, so the eventual chip leader at the end of the day might not even be in the field at this point.

The action continues as we approach the end of level 2, with more than 180 entries so far on Day 1B. We have only seen six re-entries up to this point, showing that the players are exercising a bit more restraint than anyone expected. But that doesn’t mean that the players are sitting on their chips; we have seen lots of big pots, however, given the depth of the starting stack-50,000 in chips-the players are having are managing them carefully.

In other news, the start of the Mega Satellite, previously scheduled for 2pm, has been delayed until 2:45pm, giving anyone who was thinking about playing plenty of time to make their way down to Playground to get in on the action.

As we approach the end of the first level of play, 160 players have thrown their hats in the running on Day 1B. We have only seen three re-entries so far, but given that this event permits a single re-entry on each Day 1 that number will multiply before the day’s end.

Here’s a look at some of the players in the field:

We are gearing up for another busy day here at Playground as the second live starting of the Main Event is set to get underway.

Players will start Day 1B of the $1,000 + $100 Main Event with 50,000 in chips and play ten 60-minute levels on their journey through this 4-day event. The Main Event allows for a single re-entry per flight, as well as direct buy-ins during the first two levels of Day 2, providing everyone plenty of opportunities to get their share of the $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Day 1A brought out 260 players, but thanks to the two well-attended mega satellites that ran yesterday, expect to see a larger field in this afternoon. A total of 776 players took a shot at yesterday’s satellites, providing 70 among them tickets for the Main Event.

There will be another Main Event Mega Satellite running today at 2pm. For the modest price of $110, this Mega Satellite guarantees at least 30 more seats, giving players of all levels a great opportunity to play their way in to the Main Event. There is some great value to be had here, so expect to see many players who already have Main Event tickets take a shot to get a discounted second (or third or fourth) bullet.

The players are beginning to make their way in to the tournament hall, and the cards will be in the air soon. Good luck to all!