After seventeen 40-minute levels of play, the first day of Event #34: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em at the 2022 World Series of Poker at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas is officially complete. Only 158 players from the original 1,772 runners advanced to Day 2, where they will begin to compete for the lion's share of the $2,365,620 prize pool and hope to advance to Day 3.
The champion will take home the beautiful, iconic World Series of Poker gold bracelet along with an impressive $364,899 top prize.
Event #34: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregor Sverko | Croatia | 1,046,000 | 104 |
| 2 | Keith Kordowski | United States | 812,000 | 81 |
| 3 | Raffaele Sorrentino | Italy | 788,000 | 79 |
| 4 | Jason Hickey | United States | 752,000 | 75 |
| 5 | Michel Leibgorin | France | 679,000 | 68 |
| 6 | Kevin Schulz | United States | 666,000 | 66 |
| 7 | Euan McNicholas | United Kingdom | 626,000 | 62 |
| 8 | Jonas Wexler | United States | 621,000 | 62 |
| 9 | Christopher Maguire | United Kingdom | 607,000 | 60 |
| 10 | Athanasios Polychronopoulos | United States | 588,000 | 58 |
At the end of 11 hours and 20 minutes of play, it was Gregor Šverko that bagged the chip lead with a comfortable stack of 1,046,000.
Keith Kordowski (812,000), WSOP Main Event Champion Martin Jacobson (488,000), Kevin Schulz (666,000), and Raffaele Sorrentino (788,000) bagged up healthy stacks.
Notables bagging for Day 2 include Athanasios Polychronopoulos (588,000), who $1,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold'em events in both in 2011 and 2013. The 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir entered late and bagged 200,000 while Jeff Sluzinski (Boski) bagged 447,000 in his first event of the series.
Adrian Mateos got off to a fantastic start and has 281,000 heading into Day 2, while 14-time WSOP Circuit winner Maurice Hawkins will take 536,000 into the tournament's second day.
Some big names that failed to make it to the next level included Brad Owen, Vanessa Kade, Matt Berkey, Jeff Platt, Maria Ho, and Ryan Depaulo.
The players will return at noon local time and play 10 one-hour levels, taking 15-minute breaks every two levels, with the dinner break taking place at the end of Level 23.
Follow all the updates here on PokerNews through to the conclusion of this event, as well as the rest of the events from the WSOP's new home at the Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas.
and Wade bet 15,000 after being checked to. The big blind check-raised to 45,000 and Wade made the call. 
turn, both players checked and on the 
completed the board on the river. The big blind bet out 100,000 with only 60,000 behind. 
for a missed straight draw and Wade slammed down 
for queen-high and just enough to win the pot.
flop. The turn came the 
completed the board.
and Jacobson scored the massive double-up.
and both players checked. The turn was the 
and again both checked.
river when Katz bet out 8,000. 
for a rivered pair of fours. His opponent laughed and said, "I called you with king-high, I had to see it."
and Mateos grew his very healthy stack to over 150,000.
and the cutoff checked. Hawkins bet 11,500 and his opponent moved all in for 66,000. Hawkins made the call for his remaining 37,000 and the cards were on their backs. 
turn was checked by both players. 
river Foxen now lead out for 2,100 and his opponent reluctantly made the call. Foxen turned over 
