Jonathan Skovsen Takes Early WPTWOC Opener Lead

The 2021 WPT World Online Championships kicked off in style on August 12 with the first flights of the $1 million guaranteed Opener and the $200,000 guaranteed Mini Opener. Both attracted scores of players, who shared the common goal of progressing to the final day at the furst attempt.

Skovsen Claims Opener Lead

A total of 356 players bought into the first handful of Opener flights but only 52 of those starters made it through to the final day. Those who fell by the wayside have plenty of chances to punch their final day tickets because Day 1s run right up to August 23.

Denmark’s Jonathan Skovsen does not need to fire another bullet because he made it through to the final day in style. Skovsen claimed an early chip lead after accumulating 2,099,931 chips and an impressive haul of $750 worth of bounty payments.

Only Roman Matveichuk of Russia managed to bag up more than two million chips. The Russian returns to action on August 23 with 2,094,297 chips and $400 worth of bounty payments.

Plenty of other instantly recognisable names finished their respective flights with enough chips for a top ten spot, Shawn Buchanan (1,571,767), and Robin Ylitalo (1,178,101) among them.

Others who progressed on August 12 include Tomi Brouk (618,488), Peter Chien (290,680), Epsen Jorstad (257,891), Kenny Hallaert (246,561), and former WPT500 champion Fabio Sperling (255,346).

Check out the partypoker tournament lobby for all the remaining Opener flights.

WPT #01 Opener Top 10 Chip Counts

Place | Player | Country | Bounties | Chips
1 | Jonathan Skovsen | Denmark | $750 | 2,099,931
2 | Roman Matveichuk | Russia | $400 | 2,094,297
3 | Gabriel Cunha De Medeiros | Brazil | $387.50 | 1,585,914
4 | Shawn Buchanen | Canada | $250 | 1,571,767
5 | Luis Faria | Netherlands | $425 | 1,491,472
6 | Carlos Henrique Ferreira Da Silva | Brazil | $150 | 1,316,474
7 | Dmitriy Danilov | Russia | $137.50 | 1,181,762
8 | Robin Ylitalo | Sweden | $293.75 | 1,178,101
9 | Jonas Gjelstad | United Kingdom | $550 | 1,062,853
10 | Luc Bindel | Malta | $250 | 1,051,063

Vieira Leads Mini Opener Event

Almost 1,000 players bought into the first few flights of the $22 buy-in $200,000 guaranteed Mini Opener; 992 partypoker players to be exact. Some 147 of those navigated their way through to the final day, but nobody bagged up more chips than Ohana Alves Garcia Vieira.

Vieira, who hails from Brazil, finished his flight armed with a stack of 2,577,068 chips, plus $75 worth of bounties already in his partypoker account. Only two other players managed to get anywhere near Vieira, in terms of chips. Maksim Aboimov was the closest courtesy of his 2,543,521 stack, while Evngenii Bebnev finds himself armed with 2,494,156 when the final day commences on August 23.

WPT #01 Mini Opener Top 10 Chip Counts

Place | Player | Country | Bounties | Chips
1 | Ohana Alves Garcia Vieira | Brazil | $75 | 2,577,068
2 | Maksim Aboimov | Russia | $63.75 | 2,543,521
3 | Evgenii Bebnev | Russia | $59.99 | 2,492,156
4 | Hannes Van Wauwe | Austria | $20 | 1,600,956
5 | Jonathan Skovsen | Bulgaria | $21.87 | 1,584,530
6 | Oleksii Bednarchuk | Ukraine | $40 | 1,500,455
7 | Nilton Vargas | Peru | $50 | 1,481,208
8 | Caio Mayrinck | Brazil | $61.25 | 1,420,536
9 | Engbert Jacob Van Esch | Netherlands | $28.44 | 1,406,475
10 | Gabriel Madrane | Belgium | $40 | 1,399,914

Do Not Miss The WPT Pro Hunt Event

August 13 sees both the Opener and Mini Opener continue, and the WPT Pro Hunt take place. The WPT Pro Hunt is a $33 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em PKO event played on eight-handed tables. There is a $30,000 guaranteed prize pool, but also a ton of added prizes.

More than a dozen entrants go into battle with a special bounty on their heads. Eliminate them to win their cash bounty plus a $109 WPTWOC Main Event Day 1A satellite ticket. Furthermore, be the last player standing and become the tournament’s champion to receive a special commemorative trophy and a $5,300 ticket to the $5 million guaranteed WPTWOC Main Event!

Cards are in the air in the WPT Pro Hunt from 19:05 BST. Be there or be square!