Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 2abc | 2023 World Series of Poker

07-07-2023 14:08 UTC-8

Hendrix and Spragg Double Up in Back to Back Hands

Ryan Lashmar

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Adam Hendrix opened to 2,000 from middle position and the big blind defended.

The flop came 6♠9♥8♠. The big blind checked, Hendrix fired a continuation bet of 2,000 and the big blind moved all in, covering Hendrix's remaining stack of approximately 7,500. Hendrix quickly made the call to put himself at risk.

Big Blind: K♠J♠
Adam Hendrix: A♥A♣

Hendrix was ahead with his pocket aces but the big blind was very live with a king-high flush draw. The board ran out 8♣6♦ and Hendrix secured a much-needed double up.

The very next hand at the same table, Benjamin Spragg, best known as "Spraggy" online, moved all in from the hijack for his last 7,500 and received a call from the small blind, putting Spragg at risk.

Benjamin Spragg: A♥K♠
Small Blind: A♦8♥

Spragg was ahead with a bigger ace but the J♦9♦10♣ flop gave his opponent several more outs. The 10♠ turn and K♥ river were clean for Spragg and he secured the second double up at his table over two consecutive hands.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adam Hendrix	24,600 9,500	9,500
Benjamin Spragg	17,500 3,500	3,500

Tags: Adam Hendrix Ben Spragg

07-07-2023 13:20 UTC-8

First Break of the Day

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Andrew Knowles

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Players are now on their first 20-minute break of the day in Day 2abc of the Main Event. Play will resume with blinds at 500/1,000 with 1,000 big blind ante. The action was fast and furious in the first level of the day and some highlights are down below.

07-07-2023 13:17 UTC-8

The Smoking Petition: How Tom McEvoy Helped the WSOP Become Smoke Free

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Yori Epskamp

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

One of the players in the field today is poker legend Tom McEvoy, who won the WSOP Main Event all the way back in 1983, conquering a final table that included the late Doyle Brunson who finished third. McEvoy was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2013.

At the time of writing, he's sitting with 88,000 in chips in his quest to win the Main Event a second time — which would be an incredible forty years after the first one. But did you know that McEvoy did something else? He was instrumental in turning the World Series of Poker into a smoke-free environment.

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been a record affair drawing tens of thousands of players. Now, imagine those players were allowed to smoke at the table? That used to be the case at the WSOP, but thanks to the efforts of McEvoy and associates Casey Kastle and Paul Ladanyi, that all changed.

Not only did the WSOP at Binion’s Horseshoe become smoke-free – the second-hand smoke there was often called the “Horseshoe Crud” – but for the most part, the entire poker tournament industry did.

That was thanks to the “Non-Smoking Tournament Petition,” which McEvoy and company circulated in 2001 and ultimately collected 522 signatures, including from some of the biggest names of the game.

Read the full story on PokerNews

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom McEvoy	88,000 -2,400	-2,400

Tags: Tom McEvoy

07-07-2023 13:11 UTC-8

Disastrous Start for Day 1b Chip Leader Van der Spuy

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Frank Visser

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Jean-Pierre van der Spuy grabbed the chip lead on Day 1b, but his chip stack had already been mostly demolished, with just 35,000 chips remaining, when the action was caught.

Thomas Galusha then went all-in for around 15,000 from the cutoff and Van der Spuy called from the small blind.

Thomas Galusha: KxQx
Jean-Pierre van der Spuy: 10♠10♣

Galusha flopped a pair on 8♦Q♣A♠ and that would remain the best hand when the turn fell the 8♣ and the 6♦ river completed the board.

Another hit for Van der Spuy's stack as he now only plays roughly 25 big blinds. Meanwhile, Lawrence Chang has also lost some chips, while Jules Dickerson seems to be the biggest beneficiary of the chip trading, and is nearing the 400,000 mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jules Dickerson	391,500 221,300	221,300
Lawrence Chang	203,000 -77,900	-77,900
Thomas Galusha	34,000 14,200	14,200
Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy	21,000 -266,000	-266,000

Tags: Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy Jules Dickerson Lawrence Chang Thomas Galusha

07-07-2023 13:02 UTC-8

Arieh Deemed "The Luckiest Player in the Game"

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Adam Lamers

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Josh Arieh raised to 2,100 in early position and was called by Daniel Ott in the hijack and Aaron Frei in the small blind. The flop came 10♦9♦8♠ and Arieh continued with a bet of 3,500. Ott quickly folded but Frei check-raised to 11,000 which Arieh called.

The turn brought the 4♦ and Frei checked again. Arieh counted out a bet of 13,000 and Frei stuck around for the K♣ on the river. Frei checked once more and Arieh reluctantly checked it back. "I can't believe I'm checking this," Arieh said.

"You're the luckiest player in the game," Frei said as he revealed Q♠J♠ for a straight. "You probably have a flush."

"I'm the luckiest player in the game?" Arieh questioned as he sheepishly mucked his cards.

Frei continued to ramble about how many more chips he should have won and how the hand played out while he collected the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Josh Arieh	173,100 -8,100	-8,100

Aaron Frei	122,000 61,900	61,900

Tags: Aaron Frei Daniel Ott Josh Arieh

07-07-2023 12:51 UTC-8

Mateos Eliminated by Luo

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ollie Garland

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Adrian Mateos was down to his last 1,200 and shoved all in from early position. The player to his direct left called, as did Elaine Luo in the small blind and the player in the big blind.

With a potential quadruple-up pending for Mateos, the hand checked down to the river as the full board read A♣2♥9♠6♠9♣.

Elaine Luo in the small blind led out for 3,000 and all remaining players folded.

Adrian Mateos: J♥8♦
Elaine Luo: A♥8♥

Mateos was sent to the rail but still found time to take a selfie with Luo before he left.

Player	Chips	Progress
Elaine Luo	23,000 -8,000	-8,000
Adrian Mateos	Busted

Tags: Adrian Mateos Elaine Luo

07-07-2023 12:35 UTC-8

Jorstad Escapes, Gregg Scoops with a River Raise

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Adam Lamers

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Jose Montes opened to 1,800 in middle position and was called by James Gregg on his left. Espen Jorstad three-bet to 7,400 on the button and both Montes and Gregg called.

The flop fell 10♥8♠3♥ and the action checked around to the 6♠ on the turn. Montes led out with a bet of 11,000 which Gregg called and Jorstad stepped aside.

The river was the 2♠ and Montes fired out another bet of 12,000. Gregg raised to 41,000 which sent Montes into the tank for nearly three minutes before he finally dumped his cards in the muck.

The reigning 2022 Main Event champion is still off to a strong start on Day 2abc after scoring an early knockout with pocket kings.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Gregg	126,500 20,300	20,300
Espen Jorstad	125,300 63,300	63,300

Jose Montes	54,800 -34,400	-34,400

Tags: Espen Jorstad Jose Montes James Gregg

07-07-2023 12:23 UTC-8

Endara Flops the World to Double

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Dalton Hobold in the cutoff, button Juan Endara, and two opponents in early position put in 2,700 before Victoria Livschitz three-bet to 15,500 out of the big blind.

Only Hobold and Endara called to the 8♣10♥9♥ flop, where Livschitz now checked. Hobold fired out 19,000 and Endara tossed in two green 25,000 chips, raising to 50,000.

Livschitz quickly folded, while Hobold tanked for a few minutes before shoving all in. Endara practically beat him in the pot for his last 87,000.

Juan Endara: Q♥J♥
Dalton Hobold: 8♦8♠

Hobold had flopped a set, but Endara had the nut straight as he stood up from his seat and began filming the action. Hobold needed the board to pair to send out his opponent, but he missed the A♣ turn and J♦ river as Endara earned a massive double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Juan Endara	250,000 163,600	163,600
Dalton Hobold	80,000 -96,900	-96,900
Victoria Livschitz	70,000 -29,900	-29,900

Tags: Dalton Hobold Juan Endara Victoria Livschitz

07-07-2023 12:11 UTC-8

Laak Off to a Hot Start

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

A player in middle position opened to 1,800 and Phil Laak called from the hijack. A player on the button three-bet to 6,600. The middle position player got out of the way and Laak moved all in, covering his opponent who had approximately 40,000 behind. The button thought about his decision for about a minute before making the call to put himself at risk.

Button: A♥K♣
Phil Laak: A♠A♣

Laak was in very good shape to secure the knockout on the Q♥5♣2♣ flop. The 3♠ turn gave his opponent some outs to chop but the 3♦ river was clean, allowing Laak to take down a sizable early pot while sending his opponent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Phil Laak	202,500 56,400	56,400

Tags: Phil Laak

07-07-2023 12:02 UTC-8

Lijo Busts Two in First Level of Day 2abc

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Frank Visser

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Pengfei Wang, Lander Lijo, and a late registrant in the big blind were three-way to the turn on a board of 4♣10♦7♥2♥. The big blind checked before Lijo bet 19,000 into the pot of around 20,500. Wang then called all-in for the same amount and the big blind also came along.

The river fell the 9♥ and the big blind led out for 25,000, leaving himself roughly the same amount behind. Lijo thought for a minute before putting the big blind all-in, and the big blind eventually made the call.

Lijo showed K♥Q♥ for a king-high flush, while the big blind played 8♥6♥ for a lower one. Wang, meanwhile, had the best hand up until the river, but his A♣10♥ for top pair was outdrawn.

Lijo raked in a big pot while the two other players' Main Event dreams were crushed and they left the tournament area.