John Phan Leads Mirage Poker Showdown Main Event After Day 1

John Phan started the day with a bang and ended it as the chip leader of the $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em event at the Mirage Poker Showdown in Las Vegas. With 153,000 chips, Phan is looking back at a log jam, with Asher Derei, Barry Shulman, Mel Wiener, and Jeff Shulman rounding out the top five, with chip stacks ranging from 144,725 to 137,175. The eventual winner of the first main event of the World Poker Tour’s fourth season will take home $1,128,278 plus a free $25,000 entry to the 2006 WPT World Championship.

For Phan, success began on the very first hand, as he cracked an opponent’s pocket Aces with a measly 9-7 off-suit. Phan doubled up and didn’t look back. But not all those who started well ended well. Scotty Nguyen was able to double his stack early, as well, as he took advantage of a King kicker with quad Tens on the board. Unfortunately for Nguyen, however, he was not able to keep his chips and bowed out of the tournament a few hours later.

Other prominent players that will be watching the rest of the tournament from behind the ropes of the Mirage sportsbook: Daniel Negreanu, WPT World Champion Tuan Le, Chip Reese, David Oppenheim, Freddy Deeb, Michael Mizrachi, Dan Harrington, Johnny Chan, and Phil Ivey.

On an interesting note, colorful pro, Phil “The Unibomber” Laak ended Day 1 with 46,500 chips while his girlfriend, actress Jennifer Tilly, finished the day with 48,225 chips.

Day 2 will begin with 152 entrants, less than half of the 317 player starting field.

Related stories: Robert Mizrachi Takes Over Lead at Mirage

Originally published May 24, 2005