Mike Dentale Leads the Way in Event #18: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha
After 15 levels and ten hours of play, Day 1 of Event #18: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha is in the books. It is Mike Dentale (1,230,000) leading the way in a star-studded field of bracelet winners and Hall of Fame inductees. Rounding out the podium are Daniel Zack (953,000) and Chino Rheem (624,000).
This year’s event brought out 1,469 runners, with 161 surviving the day. Of those entrants, 221 receive prize money, guaranteed a min-cash of $3,004. The players created a prize pool of $1,961,115, with the eventual winner receiving $294,311 and the illustrious gold bracelet.
The field was filled with notable names including Daniel Negreanu, Josh Arieh, and Scott Seiver, who just won his fifth WSOP gold bracelet in Event #10: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. Several notable players found Day 2, including Phil Ivey (278,000), Jared Bleznick (313,000), and Dylan Weisman (482,000).
End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Dentale | United States | 1,230,000 | 205 |
| 2 | Daniel Zack | United States | 953,000 | 159 |
| 3 | Andreas Zampas | United States | 833,000 | 139 |
| 4 | Xiaoxiao Song | United States | 635,000 | 106 |
| 5 | Chino Rheem | United States | 624,000 | 104 |
| 6 | Michael Rodrigues | Portugal | 620,000 | 103 |
| 7 | Daniel Swartz | United States | 620,000 | 103 |
| 8 | Jonathan Bowers | United States | 599,000 | 100 |
| 9 | Greg Himmelbrand | United States | 578,000 | 96 |
| 10 | Vladislav Klepikov | Russia | 561,000 | 94 |
The Day’s Action
As is the case in many PLO tournaments, the action came early and fast with many big pots from the first hand. Dentale started to accumulate chips early in the day and he continued his momentum through to the end.
Popular social media figure Brett “Brettski” Stern joined the event, providing laughter and entertainment throughout the day as he found a bag.
Zack steadily rose up the counts as the day progressed, including a massive double knockout when he flopped a full house against kings and jacks. The three-time bracelet winner is not known for his PLO prowess, but he proved otherwise today.
Day 2 starts at 12 p.m. local time on June 6 in the Bronze section of the Horseshoe Event Center. Play will resume in Level 16 with blinds at 3,000/6,000.
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews as we provide continued coverage of Event #18: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha and all the action at the 2024 World Series of Poker.