Event #54: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em Day 1b | 2024 World Series of Poker

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In the eighth episode, Connor speaks with legendary UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer in an exclusive in-depth interview after Buffer's deep run in the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) $50,000 High Roller. Buffer, a longtime poker player, finished in eighth place for a career-best $212,423 after kicking off Day 3 with his trademark "it's time" introduction.

Buffer talked about finding his long-lost half-brother, Michael Buffer, and becoming his manager, the early days of the UFC, the similarities between poker and martial arts, his relationships with Joe Rogan and Dana White, playing poker with Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio and the time he injured himself in a poker tournament before announcing the biggest UFC fight in history.

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Player	Chips	Progress
Ye Yuan	875,000 875,000	875,000

Xiaoyun Li	660,000 660,000	660,000
Kyle Ho	465,000 465,000	465,000
Timur Margolin	398,000 398,000	398,000

Jeremy Surinach	385,000 385,000	385,000
Brett Apter	373,500 373,500	373,500

David Mcmillan	370,000 370,000	370,000
Steiphane Cloutier	367,500 367,500	367,500
Ryan Hopp	360,000 360,000	360,000
Paawan Bansal	345,500 81,500	81,500
Kaoru Okazoe	333,500 333,500	333,500
Jerry Payne	310,000 310,000	310,000
Matthew Lambrecht	310,000 310,000	310,000

Karen Vermilya	309,500 309,500	309,500
Mario Sophodis	309,500
Ignacio Perez	302,000 302,000	302,000
Nicolas Betbese	301,000 301,000	301,000
David Stamm	300,000 300,000	300,000
Rytis Strigunas	295,000 295,000	295,000
Carlos Chadha-Villamarin	293,500 293,500	293,500
Jose Latorre	293,000 293,000	293,000
Chak Tsang	289,500 289,500	289,500
Russell Osaki	285,500 285,500	285,500
Tyler Cormney	281,000 281,000	281,000
Jerry Li	280,000 280,000	280,000

Player

Chips

Progress

Ye Yuan

875,000

Xiaoyun Li

660,000

Kyle Ho

465,000

Timur Margolin

398,000

Jeremy Surinach

385,000

Brett Apter

373,500

David Mcmillan

370,000

Steiphane Cloutier

367,500

Ryan Hopp

360,000

Paawan Bansal

345,500

81,500

333,500

310,000

310,000

309,500

Mario Sophodis

309,500

302,000

301,000

300,000

295,000

Carlos Chadha-Villamarin

293,500

Jose Latorre

293,000

Chak Tsang

289,500

Russell Osaki

285,500

Tyler Cormney

281,000

Jerry Li

280,000

Day 1b of Event #54: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em garnered 3,721 entries bringing the total for the event up to 6,523.

This puts the current prize pool at $8,708,205. There is only more Day 1 flight left to play out in this five-day event, so Day 1c will have to be even bigger than today, if it is to beat last year's record-setting turnout of 10,430 entries. Expectations are high!

Ye Yuan (875,000) is the new chip leader, replacing Day 1a chip leader Ori Elul (673,500) at the top of the leaderboard. Elul was only bumped one spot to second place.

The pair head up a running total of 1,429 survivors who have a bag for Day 2.

Some more notables joined that roster for Day 2 today, among them were Brian Yoon (231,500 ), Max Neugebauer (227,500), Natural8 ambassador Kannapong Thanarattrakul (207,500), Chris Moorman (189,000), 2015 Main Event champion Joe McKeehen (163,000), Maria Ho (140,500), Kenny Hallaert (114,000), Kathy Liebert (85,000), Mike Matusow (41,500), Ryan Riess (30,000).

Millionaire Maker Top Ten Chip Counts

Position	Player	Country	Chipstack	Big Blinds
1	Ye Yuan	China	875,000	350
2	Ori Elul	Austria	673,500	269
3	Xiaoyun Li	China	660,000	264
4	Muaaz Gani	United States	615,000	246
5	Philip Verel	United States	573,000	229
6	Kyle Ho	Canada	465,000	186
7	Justin Belforti	United States	453,500	181
8	Timur Margolin	Israel	398,000	159
9	Jeremy Surinach	France	385,000	154
10	Brett Apter	United States	373,500	149

Day 1c will kick off at 10 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 23. Play will continue for 11 levels of 60 minutes each. There will be a 20-minute break after every two levels and 75-minute dinner break after Level 8 (around 7 p.m.).

The survivors of all three Day 1 flights will return for Day 2 at 11 a.m. local time on Monday, June 24, when PokerNews will pick up its traditional live coverage. Blinds will be 1,000/2,500 with a 2,500 big blind ante.

2024 World Series of Poker

2024 World Series of Poker

End of Day 1b Chip Counts (full)

Matusow, McKeehen, and Moorman Bag on Day 1b of Millionaire Maker

Millionaire Maker Top Ten Chip Counts