Ron Ware Leads WSOP 2011 $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship

California’s Ron ‘Grumpy’ Ware won’t be too unhappy after the first day of the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas.

Ware should, in fact, be delighted as he heads into day two of the event at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino as chip leader on 122,300. Just two other players from the original starting field of 240 ended the day in six figures – and both were sat at Ware’s table.

Seattle’s Dusty Leary will start this evening’s play on 114,000, while Ukrainian-born American Eugene Katchalov holds 101,600 in chips as 174 survivors strive to lift the title, a gold bracelet and the $609,130 winner’s cheque from a $2,256,000 prize pool.

Many commentators were worried that, with so many big numbers being registered for earlier mixed game tournaments, event No.37 – which is made up of limit hold’em, Omaha hi-low split-8 or better, seven-card razz, seven-card stud, and seven-card stud hi-low split-8 or better – would struggle to match last year’s entry.

However, they need not have worried as one of the WSOP’s last big buy-ins attracted just one fewer competitor than last year – and in the process again exceeded all expectations following the hammering of online poker in the USA during the events of ‘Black Friday’ back in April.

Just 66 players were sent to the rail yesterday, but Canadian superstar Daniel Negreanu – who has not had the best WSOP so far – is still in on 99,900 for fourth place, while Illinois’ Tom Koral (98,400) is fifth, New York State’s Brett Richey (88,000) sits in sixth spot, Barry Greenstein (86,900), of California, is seventh, Nevada’s Chau Giang (85,000) holds eighth, Las Vegas-based pro Chris Tryba (84,400) is ninth and Russian Sergey Rybachenko (77,000) is still in contention in 10th.

Miami’s Robert Mizrachi isn’t too far back with 75,400 and could well produce a stellar second-day performance to put pressure on the top 10, while short-stacked stars David Baker, Frank Kassela, Mickey Appleman and Mike Matusow should also not be ignored as almost anything can occur over the next two days of the event.

Top 10 chip leaders after day one of the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship:

1. Ron Ware (USA) – 122,300

2. Dusty Leary (USA) – 114,000

3. Eugene Katchalov (USA) – 101,600

4. Daniel Negreanu (Canada) – 99,900

5. Tom Koral (USA) – 98,400

6. Brett Richey (USA) – 88,000

7. Barry Greenstein (USA) – 86,900

8. Chau Giang (USA) – 85,000

9. Chris Tryba (USA) – 84,400

10. Sergey Rybachenko (Russia) – 77,000