Bodog Beat

Online poker pro Eric "Rizen" Lynch leads the EPT Caribbean Adventure heading into Day 3 of the competition. (Bodog Beat Image)

Of the 478 that started on Day 2 yesterday at the European Poker Tour's atlas-redefining Caribbean Adventure, there are now only 153 remaining. However, quite a few of the seasoned online and brick and mortar vets managed to survive the attrition and get through to Day 3.

Finishing up the day in the top spot was online poker pro Eric "Rizen" Lynch (not to be confused with the gospel music act Rizen from Detroit) sitting on a stack of roughly $526,000. Lurking threateningly right behind him is EPT leaderboard fixture Bertrand "elKy" Grospellier with $435,000.

Also in the top 20 and within striking distance are EPT Baden champ Julian Thew, William Thorson and David "The Dragon" Pham, who is obviously not content with having just won CardPlayer's 2007 Player of the Year and is getting an early start on the 2008 race.

Other notables still in the field include excitable online poker pro and unapologetic basketball fan Hevad "RainKhan" Khan, Victor Ramdin and the myth, the man, the legend: Barry Greenstein. Just missing the end of the day horn (well, its not really a horn) were Bodog poker pro Josh Arieh and Daniel Negreanu, both of whom busted out within the last level of play.

Play resumes at noon today when the remaining field will convene and get one step closer to the $2 million first-place prize.