WSOP Day 34: Main Event Kicks Off, Mizrachi Leads PLO Giant
After five weeks of big bets, big calls, bad beats, lucky streaks, and bracelets won, the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT is finally here. Monday brings the first of three starting flights in which the first of thousands of players will start pursuing the dream of taking home the ultimate poker trophy and being recognized for a year as the game's world champion.
"Winning the Main Event has given me opportunities I've never imagined could be possible," 2017 WSOP Main Event champion Scott Blumstein told PokerNews. "That also includes the ability to meet really cool people and be part of the conversation to taking care of myself and my family and being in a position to help other people one day is what this tournament has afforded me."
In other events, Michael Mizrachi leads all those returning in Event #11: PLO GIANT - $365 Pot-Limit Omaha, while Chris Vitch returns for Day 2 as chip leader in the Event #64: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship after winning the event in 2017. Daniel Negreanu and Mike Sexton also advanced to the second day of play in that event.
Event #11: PLO GIANT - $365 Pot-Limit Omaha
After five Day 1 starting flights attracted a total of 3,250 entries, around 185 have made it through to today's Day 2. Yesterday Michael Mizrachi finished at the top of the counts in the fifth and final starting flight, and the four-time bracelet winner also takes the overall chip lead into today.
Here's a look at the five chip leaders from the five starting flights.
- 1a – Dzmitry Urbanovich — 1,246,000
- 1b – Randy Holland — 1,445,000
- 1c – Tim Andrew — 1,375,000
- 1d – Hero Aguiluz — 1,275,000
- 1e – Michael Mizrachi — 1,845,000
The winner will take home the bracelet and a $60,704 first-place prize.
Day 2 finally gets underway today at 2 p.m. with level durations increasing from 20 minutes to 40. PokerNews will have all your live updates right here.
Event #62: $888 Crazy Eights No-Limit Hold'em 8-Handed - $888,888 Guaranteed 1st Place
With four starting flights complete, only about 477 players return for Day 2 on Monday from a total field of 2,495 entries who created a $1,994,004 prize pool. That total number of returners could be adjusted a bit as the list of returners is finalized.
What's clear is that Matthew Schreiber will start Day 2 with the overall chip lead after bagging 662,000 during Flight 1b.
From yesterday's Flight 1c, 888poker ambassador Chris Moorman ended with as the flight's leader with 511,000 chips. He's followed by Franz Ditz (381,000) and Christophe De Meulder (321,000). Others advancing from yesterday's first flight include Eric Baldwin (250,000), Mohsin Charania (307,000), Kevin Eyster (287,000), Yevgeniy Timoshenko (122,000), David Jackson (151,000), Champie Douglas (229,000), and Marvin Rettenmaier (242,000).
From Flight 1d, Matt Salsberg led the way on Sunday after bagging 428,000 chips, followed by Han WoolJang (356,000), Au Ngo (318,000), Ami Barer (254,000), and Dylan Wilkerson (249,000) in the counts. Others still in from the last starting flight include James Alexander (183,000), Ashton Griffin (170,000), Andy Spears (164,000), and Main Event champions Ryan Riess (150,000) and Martin Jacobson (149,000).
The PokerNews team will have you covered for all the live updates. Keep your browser locked in here for all the fun. Also, click here for some of the history of this exciting event.
Event #64: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship
The last preliminary event to get underway before the Main Event starts, the Stud Hi-Lo Championship drew 133 runners from which only 63 players remain heading into Day 2.
Chris Vitch, who won this event last summer, leads a stacked field after bagging 279,500.
Following him are Daham Wang (276,500), Stuart Rutter (236,000), Terrence Hastoo (220,000), and Ryan Miller (207,500).
Other notables making Day 2 include Tom Koral (189,000), David Benyamine (166,500), Jesse Martin (158,500), Scott Bohlman (156,000), Max Pescatori (85,500), Eric Rodawig (79,500), Adam Friedman (79,000), Daniel Negreanu (76,500), Mike Sexton (72,000), James Obst (68,000), and Robert Mizrachi (35,500).
Late registration is allowed through the beginning of Day 2, and the restart begins at 2 p.m. That's when PokerNews will continue its ongoing coverage of this one, so click here to follow.
Event #65: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
The Main Event gets underway with the start of the first flight at 11 a.m. today. Players begin with 50,000 starting chips and today will play five levels each lasting 120 minutes. There are 20-minute breaks after each level, and today's one-hour dinner break comes early after Level 2 (around 3:25 p.m.), with late registration lasting until the start of Level 4 (around 7:10 p.m.).
Last year, the event featured a field of 7,221 players and a prize pool just shy of $68 million. Scott Blumstein of Morristown, New Jersey came away victorious and took home his first bracelet and $8.15 million first prize.
The 2017 Main Event marked the first once without the delayed final table and "November Nine" first introduced in 2008. PokerNews will have all the action throughout the event until a winner is crowned July 14.
Fans can also check out the Main Event live on ESPN and PokerGO. Here's a link to the schedule showing when and where to watch.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas. His work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions. He is also the host of the True Gambling Stories podcast, available on iTunes, Google Play, TuneIn Radio, Spotify, Stitcher, PokerNews.com, HoldemRadio.com, and TrueGamblingStories.com.
In this Series
- 1 WSOP Day 1: It’s Showtime – with Casino Employees Championship and $10K Super Turbo
- 2 WSOP Day 2: Jodie Sanders Leads Casino Employees Event; Shootout & Omaha Hi/Lo on Tap
- 3 WSOP Day 3: Hellmuth, McKeehen, Cada Advance to Final 50 in Shootout
- 4 WSOP Day 4: Joe's Ready for Shootout Final Table, $100K Day 2 Awaits
- 5 WSOP Day 5: Petrangelo & Fox Lead $100K, Martini & Hoang Chasing Gold
- 6 WSOP Day 6: Vitch leads Triple Draw, Hellmuth Makes Day 2 in Omaha-8
- 7 WSOP Day 7: Elezra Leads $10K Omaha Hi-Lo, Hennigan Ahead in Dealer’s Choice
- 8 WSOP Day 8: Eli Elezra Seeks Fourth Bracelet Today in $10K Omaha Hi-Lo
- 9 WSOP Day 9: Racener, Deeb at Final Tables, Hellmuth Advances in H.O.R.S.E.
- 10 WSOP Day 10: Bonomo Looking for $10K Heads-Up Title, Negreanu Advances
- 11 WSOP Day 11: Bonomo Among Leaders in $5K NLHE, Zinno Leads Dealer's Choice
- 12 WSOP Day 12: Duhamel Looks for 4th Bracelet, Negreanu Advances to Day 2
- 13 WSOP Day 13: Negreanu, Matusow, Racener in Final 16 of 8-Game Mix
- 14 WSOP Day 14: Doyle Brunson Returns Looking for Bracelet #11
- 15 WSOP Day 15: Joe McKeehen Runs Deep in MILLIONAIRE MAKER
- 16 WSOP Day 16: Martin Jacobson, Scotty Nguyen Playing Deep in MARATHON
- 17 WSOP Day 17: Jason Mercier, Martin Jacobson Looking to Add Bracelets
- 18 WSOP Day 18: Glaser, Matusow, Negreanu, Bonomo Advance in PPC
- 19 WSOP Day 19: Michael Mizrachi, Phil Ivey Lead Poker Players Championship
- 20 WSOP Day 20: Mizrachi Leads Final 12 in $50K PPC, Ivey Still in Hunt
- 21 WSOP Day 21: Michael Mizrachi Aims for Third $50K PPC Title, 6 Remain
- 22 WSOP Day 22: Phil Hellmuth Advances in $1,500 NLHE Shootout
- 23 WSOP Day 23: Daniel Negreanu Returns Third in Chips in $25K PLO HR
- 24 WSOP Day 24: Yu Leads Biggest Omaha Tournament of Year, Negreanu Falls
- 25 WSOP Day 25: Scotty Nguyen Leads the $25K PLO
- 26 WSOP Day 26: Ferguson Looks for No. 7; Lamb, Mizrachi Advance in $10K PLO
- 27 WSOP Day 27: Hellmuth Advances in Razz, Big Names in Monster Stack
- 28 WSOP Day 28: Brandon Shack-Harris Leads Final 6 in $10K PLO
- 29 WSOP Day 29: Elezra, Hellmuth, Negreanu Return in $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo
- 30 WSOP Day 30: Gamble, Matusow, Negreanu in $1,500 PLO Hi-Lo Final 20
- 31 WSOP Day 31: John Hennigan Among Chip Leaders in $10,000 Razz Championship
- 32 WSOP Day 32: Anderson and Kassela Return to Battle for RAZZ Bracelet
- 33 WSOP Day 33: Jean-Robert Bellande Leads Final 6 in $5K NLHE 6-Handed
- 34 WSOP Day 34: Main Event Kicks Off, Mizrachi Leads PLO Giant
- 35 WSOP Day 35: Scotty Nguyen, Joe Hachem, Ray Romano Advance in Main Event
- 36 WSOP Day 36: Fireworks Expected on Day 1c of the Main Event
- 37 WSOP Day 37: Galen Hall Looks for 888 Title, Big Names Return in Main Event
- 38 WSOP Day 38: Huge Day 2c in the Main, John Pannucci Leads $1,500 NLH
- 39 WSOP Day 39: Tan Leads $1,500 NLHE; Hellmuth, Ivey Back for Main Day 3
- 40 WSOP Day 40: Hallaert Bags Big in Little One, Ivey Makes Day 4 of ME
- 41 WSOP Day 41: Minkin Making Another Main Event Run, Solomon Leads PLO
- 42 WSOP Day 42: Dyer Leads Main With Cada Still In, Bohlman Goes for Double
- 43 WSOP Day 43: Big Names Left in $5K NLHE, Cada Advances in Main Event
- 44 WSOP Day 44: Three More Bracelets Awarded As Main Event Finale Begins
- 45 WSOP Day 45: Volpe Seeks Bracelet, Dyer Leads Final 6 and Cada in Main
- 46 WSOP Day 46: Main Event Reaches Finale, Eibinger Leads $50K High Roller
- 47 WSOP Day 47: Big One for One Drop Begins, Kessler, ElkY Big Stacks in Closer
