Valentin Vornicu finishes WSOP Day 2A/B on top

LAS VEGAS -- A total of 1,847 players survived Day 1A and Day 1B and returned today to battle it out for five and a half more two-hour levels. Valentin Vornicu ends the day as the chip leader of the Day 2A/B field after chipping up steadily most of the day. He started Day 2 with 100,800 chips, had 375,000 at the dinner break, and now sits at 838,600. The California pro has an impressive eight WSOP Circuit rings under his belt, but is looking for his first bracelet to add to the jewelry collection. Vornicu has had four cashes in this year's WSOP thus far, but would undoubtedly like to trump those scores with a deep run in the Main Event.

Alvaro Lopez held the chip lead for most of the day through the dinner break, but was overtaken by Chad Power and Vornicu shortly after the dinner break. He got down to around 360,000 when he went runner-runner to counterfeit Eric Bunch's flopped two pair for a 350,000-chip pot. That hand eliminated Bunch and put Lopez back among the chip leaders. Lopez finished the day in second place with 573,200.

Chad Power started the day with under 100,000 chips and powered his way into second place before the dinner break. He slipped from his second-place post briefly, but in the last full level of the day, Power picked up pocket aces in middle position and had his opponent five-bet shove for 150,000 on the button. Power happily called and his aces held up, bringing him to 600,000, back into second place. He ended the day fourth in chips with 546,800.

Ramin Hajiyev, Azerbaijan's winningest tournament poker player, surged to 500,000 with only a couple hours left of play, and finished Day 2 third in chips with 558,000. Peter Bartagov is not far behind with 546,000.

French pro Gaelle Baumann has had six WSOP cashes, including a 10th-place finish in the 2012 Main Event, which earned her $590,442. Baumann started the day with 126,000 and got the ball rolling early with a big hand in which she went runner-runner flush to crack Alan Schein's pocket queens. She continued to chip up throughout the day and ended among the top chip stacks with 504,600.

Vanessa Selbst lost over half of her stack in the very last hand of the day when she ran into Jonas Lauch's pocket kings. Selbst ended the day with 55,600, while Jonas Lauch sits with 540,000.

Others still in contention include Antonio Esfandiari (327,400), Jon Turner (318,500), Antoine Saout (291,100), Melanie Weisner (280,000), Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier (278,200), Anthony Zinno (209,300), Greg Raymer (179,800), Matt Glantz (169,000) and Benny Glaser (167,800).

The surviving players from Day 2A/B will combine with those who make it through Wednesday's Day 2C. The combined field will restart for Day 3 on July 14 at 11 a.m. when they will play five levels with 20-minute breaks every level and a 90-minute dinner break after the third level of the day.

Follow the WSOP website for updates as the Main Event field continues to narrow.

(Article courtesy of World Series of Poker)