Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Day 1a | 2024 World Series of Poker

07-03-2024 16:11 UTC-7

Brutal Cooler Sends Merk to the Rail

Ollie Garland

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Abby Merk raised from the cutoff, receiving calls from David Williamson on the button and Assaf Zeharia, in the big blind.

The 10♣7♥4♦ flop saw the action check to Merk, who continued for 800. Both opponents called.

The 8♦ turn saw Zeharia check. Merk bet again, this time for 2,500. Williamson put in a raise to 6,000 and Zeharia called. The action was back on Merk who bumped it up to 18,000. Williamson stepped aside and Zeharia moved all in.

Merk went deep into the tank, eventually making the call for her tournament life.

Abby Merk: 6♥5♥ All in
Assaf Zeharia: J♣9♣

Both players had turned a straight, but Zeharia had the superior of the two holdings. The K♣ river couldn't save Merk and she was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Assaf Zeharia	154,500 154,500	154,500
David Williamson	81,000 -12,300	-12,300
Abby Merk	Busted

Tags: Abby Merk Assaf Zeharia David Williamson

07-03-2024 16:11 UTC-7

Nessar Goes Runner Runner to Survive

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Jeff McMillan

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

There were some celebrations and shouts from the corner of the room, which is expected with multiple final tables going on inside the horseshoe but upon closer inspection this celebratory cheering outburst was not coming from a final table but from a table in Level 2 of the Main Event.

The board told the story as it showed 6♠10♣8♣2♣2♠. Bradley Nessar's winning hand of 8♦8♠ had made runner-runner boat to upend the 9x7x flopped straight of his opponent to keep Nessar alive as he continued to celebrate with along with a bit of a rail supporting him.

Action was retold that Nessar had bet 6,000 on the flop, his opponent had raised to 15,000 and Nessar moved all in when he was snap-called to make it look like he was going to be eliminated before the savior ducks on the turn and river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bradley Nessar	74,000 14,000	14,000

Tags: Bradley Nessar

07-03-2024 16:20 UTC-7

Holloway Shows Down Aces on a Scary Board

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Chad Holloway three-bet to 1,600 before the flop and David Welch called.

The flop came A♦J♦8♣ and Holloway continued for 1,000. Welch called, then called another bet of 2,000 on the 10♣ turn.

The river was the 9♥ and both players checked. Holloway showed A♠A♣ for top set and Welch mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Welch	80,000 80,000	80,000
Chad Holloway	35,000 4,200	4,200

Tags: Chad Holloway David Welch

07-03-2024 16:22 UTC-7

Joshi Picks Off Shainiuk

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

A player in middle position had three-bet to 2,200 and Roman Shainiuk called in the big blind before Sachin Joshi four-bet to 8,400 in early position.

Only Shainiuk called and they went heads-up to the J♠3♠4♦ flop. Joshi then bet 6,600 and Shainiuk called.

Both players checked the 10♥ turn and the 4♣ fell on the river. Shainiuk then led out for 16,000.

Joshi tanked for a minute but ultimately called with Q♣Q♦. Shainiuk mucked as Joshi, who finished 13th in the Main Event last year, took the big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sachin Joshi	90,000 90,000	90,000
Roman Shainiuk	75,000 75,000	75,000

Tags: Roman Shainiuk Sachin Joshi

07-03-2024 16:51 UTC-7

Nguyen Fires at Four-Way Pot

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

At Qui Nguyen's and Greg Merson's table, four players saw a flop of 5♦K♦J♠ as action checked to Nguyen who bet 700 from early position.

Only Diego Cassano called in the small blind. The turn was the 6♦ and Nguyen bet another 1,500. Cassano again called to see the A♥ river.

Nguyen then bet 3,000 and Cassano folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Qui Nguyen	58,000 10,200	10,200

Greg Merson	45,000 -6,000	-6,000

Diego Cassano	40,000

Tags: Qui Nguyen Diego Cassano

07-03-2024 17:07 UTC-7

Pessoa Snaps Off Nunez

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Heads-up on a flop of 5♦J♣K♦, David Nunez bet 2,200 from under the gun and Guilherme Pessoa called in the small blind.

The turn was the Q♣ and Nunez bet 5,000. Pessoa then raised to 13,500, Nunez moved all in for around 32,000, and Pessoa snap called.

Nunez showed K♣Q♠ for two pair, but Pessoa had A♥10♦ for the nut straight. Nunez needed to fill up on the river to stay alive but missed the J♥ as he headed for the exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guilherme Pessoa	110,000 110,000	110,000
David Nunez	Busted

Tags: David Nunez Guilherme Pessoa

07-03-2024 17:09 UTC-7

Mackelprang Flops a Set

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Nick Becker

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Action picked up on the river in a hand between Dragana Mackelprang in the cutoff and the player in the hijack.

With about 37,000 in the pot and the board reading 6♥7♣Q♦2♦10♠, the hijack checked and Mackelprang fired out a bet of 21,000.

The hijack, who was clearly faced with a tough decision, asked Mackelprang, "You wouldn't bluff me on Day 1, would you?"

Mackelprang smiled and the hijack eventually tossed his cards into the muck. Mackelprang tabled 6♦6♣ for three of a kind, sixes.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dragana Mackelprang	100,000 100,000	100,000

Tags: Dragana Mackelprang

07-03-2024 17:29 UTC-7

Simpson Doubles With Aces

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Dan O'Hair

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

The player in the hijack opened to 1,000 and action folded to Ian Simpson in the big blind, who made it 4,000 to go. The hijack responded by shoving all in, which was enough to put Simpson all in for 37,900 total. Simpson quickly called and a showdown was held.

Ian Simpson: A♠A♦ All in
Hijack: A♥K♠

Simpson was on the right side of the preflop cooler, and the 6♦9♦5♣5♥K♣ kept him ahead with aces for the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ian Simpson	76,500 36,500	36,500

Tags: Ian Simpson

07-03-2024 17:30 UTC-7

Poccia Blasts the River on Stewart

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Marco Poccia raised to 900 in the cutoff, Casey Stewart three-bet to 3,800 in the small blind, and Poccia called.

Both players checked the 4♦7♣Q♦ flop before Stewart bet 5,500 on the 4♠ turn. Poccia called.

While this hand was taking place, the rest of the table was debating about how much Poccia's cap with a golden emblem cost. Mark Zajdner suggested as much as $700.

The river was the 4♣ and Stewart checked. Poccia then bet 13,500 and Stewart snap-folded.

Zajdner then asked Poccia about the cap, and Poccia replied it cost 500 euros. "So about $700 American. You have to be mental to spend $700 American on a baseball cap," Zajdner said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marco Poccia	65,000 65,000	65,000
Casey Stewart	30,000 -15,000	-15,000

Tags: Casey Stewart Marco Poccia

07-03-2024 17:44 UTC-7

Santos Gets a Big Bluff Through

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Heads-up on the turn with around 25,000 in the pot and the board showing K♦10♥2♠7♠, a player in the cutoff bet 10,000 and Eduardo Santos called in the hijack.

The river was the 8♣ and Santos bet 24,000, enough to put his opponent all in. The cutoff tanked for nearly five minutes. "You show, I show?" he eventually asked as he mucked. Santos agreed and the cutoff showed ace-king.

"Ace-queen," a tablemate said, and Santos, sure enough, showed A♥Q♥ for a bluff as he took the pot.

At the same table, Adrian Govea has built up a stack of around 140,000.