2024 Wynn Millions

$3,500 Championship
Day: 1b
Event Info

2024 Wynn Millions

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
73
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,500
Prize Pool
$3,746,500
Entries
1,180
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Players Info - Day 1b
Entries
403
Players Left
116

Mitchell Halverson Bags Chip Lead in Day 1b of Wynn Millions Championship

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Mitch Halverson
Mitch Halverson

Another starting flight of the $3,500 Wynn Millions Championship in Las Vegas wrapped up after ten levels of play with Mitchell Halverson leading the 116 remaining players with a stack of 629,000.

Day 1b of the Wynn Millions Championship drew 403 runners, nearly double the 236 players who bought into the previous starting flight. Players who bagged on Day 1b include Maria Ho, Cherish Andrews, Farah Galfond, Mike Holtz, Blake Bohn, Shannon Shorr, Adam Hendrix, Eric Baldwin, inaugural Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno and last year's runner-up Andrew Esposito.

Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

 RANKNAMECOUNTRYCHIP COUNTBIG BLINDS
 1Mitchell HalversonUnited States629,000252
 2Jared HemingwayUnited States474,500190
 3Spencer ChamplinUnited States414,500166
 4Jake RipnickUnited States373,500149
 5John KhouryUnited States297,000119
 6Yevgeniy MinakrinUnited States288,000115
 7Chris FrankUnited States274,000110
 8Hal RotholzUnited States250,500100
 9Shannon ShorrUnited States243,00097
 10Adam HendrixUnited States242,00097

Day 1b Action

Just like on Day 1a, there were no shortage of notable names as action kicked off at noon inside Wynn Las Vegas. That included 2023 WSOP Main Event final tablist Adam Walton, who had busted in brutal fashion the previous flight but managed to ran up a stack on the second starting flight.

Another player who failed to bag Day 1a but found success on Day 1b was inaugural Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno, who got a boost late in the evening when he doubled through Wynn daily dominator Jeremy Becker.

Jeremy Becker
Jeremy Becker

PokerNews spent an orbit with Becker, and it happened to be an active one filled with flat calls, three-bets, and three-street call downs. Unfortunately, Becker's Day 1b reign reached an end as he unsuccessfully attempted to bluff Julien Martini before hitting the rail shortly after.

Fittingly enough for International Women's Day, there were several notable women in the Day 1b field, including Women in Poker Hall of Famer Maria Ho, soap opera star Farah Galfond, poker coach and author Lexy Gavin-Mather and 2022 GPI Female Player of the Year Cherish Andrews, who less than 24 hours earlier was holding up a trophy she won in the $2,200 NLH 6-Max event.

Cherish Andrews
Cherish Andrews

Those who bagged on Day 1b will join the Day 1a survivors that include Day 1a chip leader Fikret Kovac and the likes of Steven Jones, Landon Tice, Alex Foxen, Kristen Foxen, John Riordan and David "ODB" Baker.

Before that happens, there is still one more starting flight left to play out with Day 1c, which will get underway on Saturday, March 9 at noon local time.

Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on-site at Wynn Las Vegas tomorrow for continued coverage of the Wynn Millions Championship.

Tags: Adam HendrixAdam WaltonAlex FoxenAndrew EspositoAndrew MorenoBlake BohnCherish AndrewsEric BaldwinFarah GalfondFikret KovacJeremy BeckerJohn RiordanJulien MartiniKristen FoxenLandon TiceLexy Gavin-MatherMaria HoMike HoltzMitch HalversonShannon ShorrSteven Jones

2023 Runner-Up Esposito Flops a Set of Jacks

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Andrew Esposito
Andrew Esposito

Maria Ho opened to 4,000 from under the gun and a middle position player three-bet jammed a stack of 48,000. Last's year's runner-up, Andrew Esposito, then four-bet jammed a stack of around 100,000 to bring a fold from Ho.

Middle Position: AK All in
Andrew Esposito: JJ

The flop of KJ8 gave Esposito a set of jacks to have his opponent drawing nearly dead before the runout of 310 confirmed the opponent's elimination with less than 15 minutes left in the evening.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Andrew Esposito us
Andrew Esposito
155,000
80,000
80,000

Tags: Andrew EspositoMaria Ho

Becker Can't Bluff Martini

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Jeremy Becker
Jeremy Becker

PokerNews got to the table as things were heating up in a heads-up pot between Jeremy Becker and four-time bracelet winner Julien Martini.

The board read JA37K and while the full river action wasn't clear, Martini has put out 26,000 before Becker raised to put the Frenchman all in. Martini gave it some thought and called for around 35,000 more.

Becker could only show a bluff as Martini revealed KJ to double up with two pair.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Julien Martini fr
Julien Martini
130,000
130,000
130,000
WSOP 4X Winner
Profile photo of Jeremy Becker us
Jeremy Becker
60,000
-90,000
-90,000

Tags: Jeremy BeckerJulien Martini

An Active Orbit with Jeremy Becker

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Jeremy Becker
Jeremy Becker

Jeremy Becker won more than a dozen Wynn trophies in 2023 alone, and he has already picked up two more in 2024. Now, the daily assassin is taking his shot in the Wynn Millions Championship.

PokerNews spent an orbit with Becker as he grinds up a stack late into the Day 1b flight in preseason warm-up for his summer crossbook with Landon Tice.

Hand #1 (UTG+1): Jeremy Becker opened to 2,500 and got three calls to see a flop of 10A5. The flop checked through, and Becker bet 4,000 on the 8 turn, bringing three folds to win him the pot.

Hand #2 (UTG): Becker folded.

Hand #3: (Big Blind): A player in middle position opened to 2,500 and Becker defended out of the big blind. Beckecer checked on the flop of 963 and his opponent continued for 3,000. Becker called. Becker then check-called again on the K turn when faced with a bet of 8,500.

Becker checked once more on the Q river and his opponent fired a bet of 24,000. Becker took some time before calling, leading his opponent to muck face-down to win Becker the pot without showdown.

Jeremy Becker
Jeremy Becker

Hand #4 (Small Blind): The under the gun player opened to 2,600 and the cutoff called before Becker three-bet to 13,000 in the small blind to bring folds from both his opponents.

Hand #5 (Button): Action folded to Becker on the button and he followed suit.

Hand #6 (Cutoff): As Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno joined the table, an early position player opened to 2,500 and Becker called in the cutoff before the big blind also called. The flop of 57K checked through and the initial raiser bet 4,000 on the 4 turn. Only Becker called. Becker then called a bet of 11,000 on the K river and saw the bad news as his opponent showed a full house with 55.

Hand #7 (Hijack): The under-the-gun player opened to 2,500 and Becker called in the hijack before Chino Rheem three-bet to 13,000 in the big blind. The initial raiser and Becker both folded.

Hand #8 (Lojack): Becker opened to 2,500 in middle position and Rheem called on the button before Moreno moved all in for a starting stack. Becker called and Rheem folded A6 face-up.

Andrew Moreno: AK All in
Jeremy Becker: AQ

Becker was pipped and couldn't improve as the board ran out J2J4J to earn the inaugural Wynn Millions champion a double.

Hand #9 (Middle Position): Becker folded in middle position.

Jeremy Becker
Jeremy Becker
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jeremy Becker us
Jeremy Becker
150,000
95,000
95,000
Profile photo of Chino Rheem us
Chino Rheem
135,000
60,000
60,000
WPT 3X Winner
Profile photo of Andrew Moreno us
Andrew Moreno
85,000
15,000
15,000

Tags: Andrew MorenoChino RheemJeremy Becker

Andrews Goes for Three

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

Ryan Leng opened in early position and recent $2,200 NLH 6-Max champion Cherish Andrews called from the next seat as Samuel Laskowitz came along in the big blind.

Laskowitz and Leng checked on the 8A5 flop and Andrews bet 2,500. Laskowitz called and Leng folded. Laskowitz checked again on the 3 turn and Andrews sized up to 14,000. Laskowitz again called.

Laskowitz checked once more on the 5 river and Andrews put him to the test by betting 36,000 for all of her opponent's stack. Laskowitz went in the tank for over a minute before folding.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Cherish Andrews us
Cherish Andrews
85,000
30,000
30,000
Profile photo of Ryan Leng us
Ryan Leng
70,000
70,000
70,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Run It Once
Profile photo of Samuel Laskowitz us
Samuel Laskowitz
35,000
35,000
35,000

Tags: Cherish AndrewsRyan LengSamuel Laskowitz

Wisdom from the Wynn Millions Field

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Wynn Millions
Wynn Millions

Poker players can often be sources of wisdom and insight, and PokerNews has been fortunate enough to speak with a few players in the Wynn Millions Championship field in the past.

Here are quotes from five players who are currently in the Day 1b field of the Wynn Millions Championship.

Andrew Moreno

Andrew Moreno
Andrew Moreno

Three years after winning the first-ever Wynn Millions for $1.5 million, Andrew Moreno is back at the Wynn and in the Day 1b field with a stack of around 55,000.

When he won the inaugural Wynn Millions event in 2021, he told PokerNews he was “grateful above all else" after accomplishing a goal he set earlier in the year to move over $1 million in career earnings.

“I think just declaring what I wanted to do was really important to me because I believed in myself and I wanted to hold myself accountable … I’m just so shocked it happened so quickly.”

Moreno called the Wynn Millions "probably the best event I’ve ever played as far as the structure and the room."

“The floors listen to the players a lot, and there was always an open-ended conversation. Everything about the tournament was pristine.”

Adam Hendrix

Adam Hendrix
Adam Hendrix

Another player in the Day 1b field is Adam Hendrix, Alaska's all-time money leader with over $6 million in earnings.

When he appeared on the PokerNews Podcast last spring, Hendrix discussed his poker upbringing and his dominant year in 2022, as well as specializing in Pot-Limit Omaha.

"I think the skill gap in PLO is still pretty big. There (are) a lot of people that don't bother studying at all, compared to no-limit, now everybody sort of studies in some way. But PLO is still sort of the Wild West."

Jared Griener

Another state's all-time money leader, Jared Griener, is in the Day 1b field. PokerNews caught up with the Utah all-time money leader last year at the WPT Gardens Poker Championship, where he talked about the poker scene in southern California.

“It has its ups and downs; there’s a lot of people with some attitude, but I kind of enjoy that. And there’s no doubt that I’ve had way more success in LA and it’s just because I play here so much that I know all the players. And once you play someone over and over again, I feel like that’s kind of my strongest (skill) is just adjusting based on who you are and what I know about you.”

Shannon Shorr

Shannon Shorr
Shannon Shorr

Shannon Shorr recently had his name scrubbed from the "Best Without a Bracelet" list, and now the veteran grinder is looking for his first Wynn trophy after a deep run last night in the $2,200 NLH 6-Max event.

PokerNews spoke with Shorr back in 2022 about a PGT US Poker Open victory that brought him $213,900.

"That was super cool. I live in Vegas, so it's nice to just be able to commute and go play poker. Playing against the highest (level) and the toughest competition is super fascinating and a lot of fun. It's like a small player pool, a lot of us guys who have been around 15 years, so there's an innate respect that we all have for each other. So it's a vibe playing, and to get there and win is just a super cool experience."

Ari Engel

Just weeks ago, all-time Circuit ring leader Ari Engel won a record-extending ring. Now, Engel is looking for a Wynn trophy to add to his suitcase.

Engel is also a two-time bracelet winner, and spoke with PokerNews back in October 2021 after winning his second bracelet in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.

“In these kinds of situations, it’s a balance between wanting to put pressure on other players who presumably want to move up, and then at the same time kind of protecting your own chip lead. You’ve got to strike the right balance depending on how the other players are playing and how the stacks work out.”

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Shannon Shorr us
Shannon Shorr
85,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Profile photo of Jared Griener us
Jared Griener
60,000
Profile photo of Andrew Moreno us
Andrew Moreno
55,000
15,000
15,000
Profile photo of Adam Hendrix us
Adam Hendrix
35,000
-5,000
-5,000
Profile photo of Ari Engel ca
Ari Engel
12,000
-38,000
-38,000
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Adam HendrixAndrew MorenoAri EngelJared GrienerShannon Shorr

Women In the Wynn Millions Field on International Women's Day

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Wynn Millions Women
Wynn Millions Women

International Women's Day is the perfect time to honor successful women in any industry, and there are no shortage of successful women in the poker world.

In honor of International Women's Day, here is a look at some of the women competing in the Wynn Millions Championship Day 1b field.

Cherish Andrews may have been up past 2 a.m. taking down the $2,200 NLH 6-Max Event for $182,927 and her third Wynn trophy, but the 2022 GPI Female Player of the Year wasted no time hopping into the championship event with hopes of another deep run.

Andrews is currently seated across from Esther Kim, a Las Vegas-based grinder whose first live tournament cash dates back to 2012.

Esther Kim
Esther Kim

At another table, poker coach and recently published author Lexy Gavin-Mather is seated in the nine-seat just a dealer's chair away from poker socialite Hayley Hanna, the fiance of high-stakes pro David Peters who is currently pregnant with the couple's first child but couldn't resist the Wynn Millions Championship action.

Hayley Hanna
Hayley Hanna

Speaking of poker power couples, Farah Galfond is also in the Day 1b field, while Yi "KitKat" Klassen is chipping up nicely a few tables away from Blake Bohn. Meanwhile, four-time GPI Female POY Kristen Foxen has the day off after bagging the Day 1a flight.

Farah Galfond
Farah Galfond

A few hours into the day, Women in Poker Hall of Famer Maria Ho took her seat in pursuit of another big score after winning Game of Gold Season 1 for $456,000.

Maria Ho
Maria Ho

Other women spotted in the Day 1b field include Gloria Jackson, Cindy Li, and Isabel Kou.

Celebrating International Women's Day: Meet the PokerNews Team

Gloria Jackson
Gloria Jackson
Cherish Andrews
Cherish Andrews
Yi "KitKat" Klassen
Yi \"KitKat\" Klassen
Cindy Li
Cindy Li
Isabel Kou
Isabel Kou
Lexy Gavin-Mather
Lexy Gavin-Mather

Tags: Cherish AndrewsCindy LiEsther KimFarah GalfondGloria JacksonHayley HannaKristen FoxenLexy Gavin-Mather

Moreno Out

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante
Andrew Moreno
Andrew Moreno

Inaugural Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno failed to bag on Day 1a and hasn't had any better luck so far on Day 1b.

In a four-way pot, Moreno moved all in from the big blind on a flop of 3J3 and got two callers, who both checked on the 9 turn. One player then bet 4,000 on the 6 river and turned over 54 for a flush as the other player folded, while Moreno showed a no-good A5.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Andrew Moreno us
Andrew Moreno
Busted

Tags: Andrew Moreno

"You Play Very Good, Blake"

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Blake Bohn
Blake Bohn

In a heads-up pot on a flop of 102A, Blake Bohn checked in middle position and Dan Goepel bet 600 on the button. Bohn called.

Bohn checked again on the 10 turn and Goepel checked back. Bohn checked once more on the J river and Goepel fired a bet of 2,100. Bohn called.

Goepel tabled A10 for tens full of aces as Bohn showed a no good pair of aces with AQ.

"I only lost THAT much? I check-call, check, check-call?" Bohn commented about his cautious play against the fellow midwesterner and MSPT champion.

"You play very good, Blake," said Goepel.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Dan Goepel us
Dan Goepel
43,000
43,000
43,000
Profile photo of Blake Bohn us
Blake Bohn
37,000
37,000
37,000

Tags: Blake BohnDan Goepel