Former FiveThirtyEight editor in chief "on fire" at the World Series of Poker

Of the 10,0043 players to register for the tournament, Silver was one of just 149 to reach day six. His table was also the featured table shown on the broadcast.

Heading into Wednesday night, Silver has $2.13 million in chips — putting him in 108th place overall, and still very much a contender for the event’s $12.1 million first prize.

[Well, that would be a fun story if he wins it all. It’s a fun story to see him reach this stage. I’m not much of a gambler, and my idea of a fun night of poker is hanging out with pals and having no more than $20 at stake. It takes nerves of steel to compete at this level, not to mention Nate’s grasp of statistics and probabilities. — Ed]