Fernando Hernandez picked up a $409,000 payday on Monday to kick off the inaugural WPT Online Series (photo courtesy PokerStars)

The inaugural World Poker Tour Online series could not have started any better for Leo Fernandez. The Argentinian took down Event #1 (Opener $5,200 NLHE) on Monday for a mid-six-figure score.

Fernandez outlasted 496 other entries in Event #1 to win $409,638.98. Zachary Clark finished as the runner-up for $291,636.73 while Joey Weissman had to settle for a third-place finish and $199,929.80.

Evgeny Galakhov took down the Event #1 (Mini Opener $530 NLHE) for $115,293.30.

The first Progressive Knockout events on the calendar featured a $215 and a $2,100 buy-in event. Paul Höfer beat former #1-ranked Niklas Astedt heads-up to win the $2,100 buy-in event for $74,004.05 and an additional $81,970.71 in bounties. Astedt earned $73,903.80 from the prize pool while picking up another $14,705.08 in bounties. Ilya Anatski came in third place for $50,698.65 and $18,785.16 in bounties.

Brazil’s Vitor Dzivielevski won the $215 buy-in event (Event #2 – $215 Mini Knockout) to earn $32,332.82 and an additional $25,354.11 in bounties.

Day 1A of WPT500 event kicked off on Sunday with 727 entrants playing down to a field of 108. The biggest stacks belonged to Joao Matos (587,716), Anton Wigg (385,258), and Danton Gomes (366,841). Monday saw 439 entrants play down to 55 players with Ferenc Deak (444,257), Artan Dedusha (409,127), and Franco Spitale (372,231) moving onto Day 2 with the biggest stacks. Day 1 flights continue through May 11 when all players will return to play down to a final table.

WPT Online Event #1 – Mini Opener – $530 NLHE
1,362 Entries
$681,000 Prize Pool

  1. Evgeny Galakhov – $115,293.30
  2. Pavel Veksler – $81,992.40
  3. Firoz Mangroe – $53,322.30
  4. Ilya Anatski – $35,616.30
  5. Adam Hari – $25,333.20
  6. Fernando Ferreira – $17,842.30
  7. Gonzalo Palaez – $12,394.20
  8. Simon Ronno Pedersen – $8,240.10

WPT Online Event #1 – Opener – $5,200 NLHE
497 Entries
$2,173,150 Prize Pool

  1. Leonardo Fernandez – $409,638.98
  2. Zachary Clark – $291,636.73
  3. Joey Weissman – $199,929.80
  4. Istvan Birizdo – $139,081.60
  5. Stewart Kirby – $98,661.01
  6. Umut Kara – $71,713.95
  7. Sylvain Loosli – $51,069.02
  8. Michel Dattani – $36,943.44

WPT Online Event #2 – Mini Knockout – $215 NLHE PKO
2,548 Entries
$509,600 Prize Pool

  1. Vitor Dzivielevski – $32,332.82 + $25,354.11 in bounties
  2. Jakub Michalak – $32,280.18 + $5,434.24 in bounties
  3. Jakob Miegel – $20,784.67 + $4,092.59 in bounties
  4. Maksym Klopotok – $13,815.01 + $789.06 in bounties
  5. Christopher Oliver – $9,605.53 + $3,286.32 in bounties
  6. Georgios Kapalas – $6,554.36 + $1,118.75 in bounties
  7. Patrick Lauber – $4,520.24 + $3,330.46 in bounties
  8. Ricard Silva – $2,881.66 + $1,770.31 in bounties

WPT Online Event #2M – Knockout – $215 NLHE PKO
501 Entries
$1,002,000 Prize Pool

  1. Paul Höfer – $74,004.05 + $81,970.71 in bounties
  2. Niklas Astedt – $73,903.80 + $14,705.08 in bounties
  3. Ilya Anatski – $50,698.65 + $18,785.16 in bounties
  4. Andrii Novak – $35,368.63 + $5,187.50 in bounties
  5. Jack Sinclair – $25,018.68 + $18,984.37 in bounties
  6. Niko Koop – $18,18.38 + $14,382.81 in bounties
  7. João Oliveira – $12,950.19 + $17,406.25 in bounties
  8. Parker Talbot – $9,368.22 + $26,406.25 in bounties

WPT Online WPT500 Day 1A
727 Entries
$363,500 Prize Pool

Top 10 Chip Counts

  1. Joao Matos – 587,716
  2. Anton Wigg – 385,258
  3. Danton GOmes – 366,841
  4. Anton Yakuba – 310,488
  5. Jose Luis Davila Perez – 304,008
  6. Andrea Panarese – 297,502
  7. Ily Anataski – 294,071
  8. Seth Maretz – 272,677
  9. Ian Modder – 27,446
  10. Daniel Wilson – 260,536

WPT Online WPT500 Day 1B
439 Entries
$219,500 Prize Pool

Top 10 Chip Counts

  1. Ferenc Deak – 444,257
  2. Artan Dedusha – 409,127
  3. Franco Spitale – 372,231
  4. Aleksejs Ponakovs – 362,777
  5. Breixo González Peña – 330,214
  6. Alexander Staffan Anders Ivarsson – 298,598
  7. Luis Faria – 292,249
  8. Anatoly Filatov – 275,408
  9. Sergei Denisov – 253,528
  10. Jonathan Clark – 248,363