The $500 Casino Employee’s event is well underway — done with more than half the field — and our guy @johnharristtu is still alive and well:

@ second break, 380 left, my stack is about 6600. Avg is 6800

The event had 866 runners, down slightly from last year’s 930.

Top 81 will get paid this year ($974 minimum), with a guaranteed $7,782 for making the final table, and $83,778 to [John and his backer, woot!] the winner.

The advice I just texted him so I can theoretically stake a claim on any of his prize money to help get him there:

UPDATE from Harris:

Dinner break, @ 15400, Avg is 12990, 200 left

Lookin’ good, playin’ strong … now it’s time to get lucky — and by “lucky” I mean not get unlucky.

Additional WSOP-tagged tweetage here.

UPDATE from Harris:

4th break, 101 left, 25k, avg is 25700, blinds going to 500/1k with 100 ante

Anyone else get the sense that Harris is playing fundamentally sound textbook tournament poker?

Pokerati Preferred Player Cashes!
Friggin’ fantastic! This makes “our guys” 1-for-1 so far. (Maybe Harris’ first good decision was not beer-bowling with us last night.)

In the money! Stopping for the night @ 81 players, I have 54k avg is 35k

Tune in tomorrow to see just how deep dealer John Harris can go. I’m thinking like probably first.