With the blinds now at 3K/6K and the average stack above 300,000, the end of the day feels a little closer. However, based on the other Day 1s it is likely that players will need at least 800,000 in front of them to comfortably finish the day.
Doing well takes a mix of concentration, skill and luck, and to make it through all 18 levels successfully is the result of dozens (if not hundreds) of small decisions. The players must weigh the risk of rising on the leaderboard with the risk of losing a chunk of their stack. Sometimes caution pays off, and sometimes it is aggression that takes the front seat.
On table 20 just now we witnessed some of just that sort of calculation, as Hugh Baird pushed his weight around – seen below channeling the dark side of the force with his hoodie – eventually collecting the pot without having to show his cards.
The hand began with Hugh’s late-position raise preflop to 17,000. He was called by the buttonand the big blind, but after a 
flop, his next 20,000 bet pushed the big blind out of the hand, leaving only Alexanddre Thibouthot on the button for some heads up play.
When a 
came down on the turn, both players checked to see a 
on the river. Hugh continued on as he had been doing and opened with another bet, this time for 60,000. After a short pause to think about it, Alexandre decided upon the cautious approach, and Hugh added about 50,000 new chips to his stack.
Play continues!
