Poker Central and The Aria held a live lottery draw to determine the first 35 entrants for the Super High Roller Bowl after 54 players registered to compete in the $300,000 buy-in event.

Poker Central and representatives of the Aria Las Vegas had to pay an impromptu visit to the ping pong ball shop after 54 players paid the $30,000 registration fee for the 50-player cap, $300,000 buy-in Super High Roller Bowl.

Matt Berkey, who finished fifth last year for $1.1m, was the first to deposit money at the Aria cage followed by Daniel Negreanu and Scott Seiver, but there were no rewards for punctuality after the organisers held a lottery to choose the first 35 participants after the event sold out.

Daniel Negreanu played the part of lottery host, but the Hendon Mob All Time Live Tournament Money Earner was too busy fiddling with everybody else’s balls to find his own. Negreanu missed the cut. It turned out he would have been Player #36.