DAY: 7 (Officially known as Day 3)
BIG NEWS: Kenny Tran of Arcadia, Calif. was the chip leader with 1.05 million after the first three hours. He had a sizable lead over Hevad Khan of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., with 805,000, Gus Hansen of Monaco with 760,000 and Huck Seed of Las Vegas with 720,000. There were 639 players remaining at 71 tables after three hours of play, down from the 808 players who started play at noon.
STUD OF THE DAY: Kenneth Smith of Levittown, N.Y., passed up one of the top-10 chip leaders during the first hour of play when he forced Jeff Banghart of Bennington, Neb., to fold. With the board showing two kings, an eight and a five, Banghart got no apparent help from a six on the river. Smith then made a bet of 50,000 chips and Banghart folded. After winning this hand, Smith had 480,000 chips while Banghart was reduced to 470,000.
BUSTED OUT: 2000 main event champ Chris Ferguson and poker pro Tony Dunst.
POKER TALK: Bubble: The point in the tournament at which the next player out will not win any money. At this year's main event, places one through 621 earn money, so the 622nd player is the one who is said to be "knocked out on the bubble."
UP NEXT: Friday, officially Day 4 of play, will consist of surviving players from Thursday and is scheduled to last 10 hours after the dealing begins at noon.
HE SAID WHAT?: "I try to play the game the way it is supposed to be played. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't." - Chris Ferguson, when asked why he went all-in after William Childs had bet 7,200 chips. Childs' pocket queens prevailed and Ferguson was eliminated.
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