NBA players participating in the World Series of Poker has been a tradition for the last half-decade. Two years ago, Jordan Farmar, then of the Los Angeles Lakers, advanced all the way to the third day, accumulating a big chip stack despite barely playing the game before the tournament. This year, it's Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce carrying the NBA torch, and he's done pretty well for himself so far.
Paul Pierce Advances To Day 2 Of 2011 World Series Of Poker Main Event
Pierce advanced to Day 2 of the Main Event, which features 6,865 people vying for an $8 million first-place prize. He accumulated over three times his starting chip stack of 30,000 at one point before closing the day with 63,000 chips. The chip average is about 40,000, so Pierce is in a pretty good spot.
He’s also apparently taking this very seriously. Via ESPN’s Poker blog:
Since the start of the day, Pierce's chip counts have consistently been on the way up. He's been focused on the task at hand, quietly keeping to himself and offering a more-serious demeanor at the table. His tablemates, including WSOP Circuit champion and Oklahoma City Thunder fan Huy Nguyen, are making small talk, but it's really all business.
There’s also this picture, which shows Pierce with his 2008 NBA Championship ring, his good-luck charm for the tournament. Looking at it, Pierce certainly seems to be blending in quite well.
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