Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 1a | 2023 World Series of Poker

07-03-2023 14:40 UTC-8

Eolis Wins Without a Showdown

Dan O'Hair

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

A player in middle positon limped and Wendeen Eolis raised to 1,200 from the hijack. The player in the cutoff three-bet to 3,000 and the player in the small blind called cold. The initial limper folded and Eolis called for a three-way pot.

Everyone checked on the 4♣3♥5♥ flop, but Eolis fired 10,000 into the middle after being checked to on the 6♥ turn. Both of her opponents folded and Eolis added to her stack.

Eolis, who was the first woman to cash the Main Event, is below a starting stack, but still has plenty of chips with 45,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wendeen Eolis	45,000 -17,600	-17,600

Tags: Wendeen Eolis

07-03-2023 14:16 UTC-8

Wild Action Leads to Maran with an Early Lead

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Adam Lamers

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

The action got started with a raise to 1,100 from Toni Bisconti and she was called by the player on her left. Gary Knechtel made it 6,000 to go on the button and Dae-Hyung Lee ripped all in from the small blind as the big stack at the table. Nawaung Maran woke up with a monster in the big blind and stuck in the last of his 80,000 chips as well. The action folded back to Knechtel on the button who was unable to lay his hand down as he called off his last 64,000 chips.

Gary Knechtel: KxKx
Nawaung Maran: AxAx
Dae-Hyung Lee: JxJx

The flop came 10x9x8x which made things sweaty for Maran who was holding the pocket aces. Lee was looking to score an early double knockout with an open-ended straight draw. However, the 2x and 4x runout bricked out and Maran held on to score a huge pot in just the second level of Day 1a.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nawaung Maran	233,000 233,000	233,000
Dae-Hyung Lee	22,000 22,000	22,000
Gary Knechtel	Busted

Tags: Gary Knechtel Nawaung Maran Toni Bisconti

07-03-2023 14:14 UTC-8

The One Is Out After Running Kings Into Aces Twice Against the Same Opponent

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Connor Richards

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

After two heartbreaking coolers during Level 2, Israel's Idan The One has been eliminated from his first WSOP Main Event.

As recounted to PokerNews, there were two limps before Ruben Correia raised to 1,500 from the cutoff. The button called before The One, who earlier in the level lost a heap of chips in a kings versus aces confrontation with Correia, three-bet to bring folds from the limpers.

Correia four-bet to 16,000 and the button folded before The One five-bet all in for his tournament life. Correia called with a bigger stack.

The One had KxKx only to once again be against the AxAx of his opponent and couldn't improve to go out in devastating fashion in just the second level of play.

The One appears to still be processing his defeat as he sits in the back of the tournament area with his face buried in his hands.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ruben Correia	110,000 35,000	35,000
Idan The One	Busted

Tags: Idan The One Ruben Correia

07-03-2023 14:13 UTC-8

Baxter Can't Beat Kings

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Frank Visser

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Knowlton Atterbeary bet out 3,000 from under the gun on a flop of 6♥2♠Q♥. Adam Ross was in middle position and folded before Billy Baxter made the call from the hijack.

On the J♠ turn, Atterbeary slowed down with a check and Baxter took the opportunity to bet 5,000 chips. Atterbeary made the call and then led out for a small 3,000 when the 9♦ river hit.

This bet puzzled Baxter, who eventually put in the calling chips. Atterbeary showed down K♥K♦ and the overpair was good enough to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Billy Baxter	94,000 15,000	15,000

Adam Ross	74,000 74,000	74,000
Knowlton Atterbeary	57,500 57,500	57,500

Tags: Adam Ross Billy Baxter Knowlton Atterbeary

07-03-2023 13:05 UTC-8

Helppi Accidentally Slow Rolls the Slow Roll King

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Connor Richards

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Shaun Deeb and Juha Helppi were in a heads-up pot on a board of 8♥10♠J♥4♣3♠.

Deeb bet 2,000 on the river and Helppi called. "I think you have me out-kicked," Deeb said before tabling Q♦10♣.

Helppi looked at his cards with disappointment as Deeb told him "you can't win every pot" and he tossed over A♦J♣ without realizing it was the winning hand.

"You win," Deeb said as laughter broke out at the table.

"I thought you had a straight," said Helppi. "I promise it wasn't a slow roll, Shaun."

"I know, you aren't that creative," an annoyed Deeb replied. "Usually when I say 'you have me out-kicked' I don't have a straight."

"This maybe explains why I'm losing this series," laughed Helppi.

Player	Chips	Progress
Juha Helppi	65,000 5,000	5,000

Shaun Deeb	45,000 -2,500	-2,500

Tags: Juha Helppi Shaun Deeb

07-03-2023 12:51 UTC-8

A New Era for Polk

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Adam Lamers

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

There was a limp from under the gun and a raise to 1,000 in middle position. Doug Polk three-bet to 4,200 out of the big blind and only the raiser called. They went heads-up to a flop of Q♦5♥2♥ where Polk led out with a bet of 3,000 and his opponent called.

The 4♦ peeled off on the turn and Polk splashed in another bet of 10,500. His opponent still called and the A♣ hit the river. Polk checked this time and his opponent checked it back. Polk flipped over A♠Q♠ for two pair and was awarded the pot.

"Here we are, Level 1 of the Main Event," Polk said as he continued to get an early massage. "It's a new era."

Player	Chips	Progress
Doug Polk	104,500 51,500	51,500

Tags: Doug Polk

07-03-2023 12:13 UTC-8

Eolis Gets a Big Fold

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Frank Visser

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Wendeen Eolis was sitting in under the gun position and was involved in a pot against Felipe Ketzer in the big blind. On a flop of 5♥2♥J♥ with 2,300 chips in the middle, Ketzer out 400. Eolis made the call and the 8♣ turn fell.

Ketzer upped the bet to 1,000, but Eolis responded by putting in four T-1,000 chips in the middle for a raise to 4,000.

"Do you show?" Ketzer asked. When he received no response, he stated "I will make a big fold" and opted to fold his Q♦Q♣ face up.

"Oh wow, that is a big fold," Eolis stated.

"No show?" Ketzer pleaded once more.

"Not today," Eolis concluded while raking in the chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wendeen Eolis	62,000 2,000	2,000
Felipe Ketzer	56,000 -3,500	-3,500

Tags: Wendeen Eolis Felipe Ketzer

07-03-2023 12:03 UTC-8

2014 Main Event Champion Jacobson Loses Sizable Pot Early

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Tyler Foran

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

A player in early position opened to 600, and Martin Jacobson three-bet to 2,200 before Anthony Fox put in a four-bet 7,000 in the big blind. The original raiser got out of the way and Jacobson made the call.

The dealer fanned a flop of J♥9♥9♠, and Jacobson called a bet of 5,000 from Fox.

The 10♥ fell on the turn and Fox continued with aggression, putting 9,000 in the middle and Jacobson matched the bet.

When the 3♥ completed the board both players tapped the table and Fox showed K♣K♥ for a flush on the river before Jacobson mucked his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anthony Fox	76,300
Martin Jacobson	38,000

Tags: Anthony Fox Martin Jacobson

07-03-2023 11:38 UTC-8

Smith Doubles Through Polk

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Dan O'Hair

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

Action folded around to the blinds, where Doug Polk raised to 600 from the small blind. Mike Smith quickly went all in for his last 6,200 from the big blind and Polk called to put Smith at risk.

Mike Smith: J♠J♦
Doug Polk: Q♠Q♦

Polk was in great shape to end Smith's Main Event early, but the 6♦6♥7♥A♣J♥ runout drilled Smith's two-outer on the river — awarding him the double up.

"This is how it begins," Polk said with a wry smile.

Player	Chips	Progress
Doug Polk	53,000 -7,000	-7,000

Mike Smith (US)	12,400 12,400	12,400

Tags: Doug Polk Mike Smith

07-03-2023 11:10 UTC-8

Gold Wishes Players Good Fortune in Nostalgic Shuffle up And Deal

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Dan O'Hair

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

2006 Main Event winner Jamie Gold has just shared a few words before announcing the iconic, "Shuffle up and deal!"

Gold, who WSOP Vice President Jack Effel joked was the only person who doesn't want the Main Event attendance record broken, called the World Series a "Herculean feat" that gets pulled off each year and said he hoped to see the 2006 attendance record surpassed, "which I was so lucky and fortunate to win."

"I'm just so happy to be here, I'm so proud to be here, and I really do feel lucky and fortunate, and I'm so excited to get into this event in a few minutes," he told a crowd of players and poker media in the Horseshoe event center. "Everyone, I wish you all the good fortune that I have had, all the run-good that I have had, all the luck that I have had — except when you're the last person at the final table against me, then I do not wish you so well."

With 785 players to start things off, Day 1a of the 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event is officially underway!