Saturday saw another day of 2022 World Series of Poker history made with three players being awarded gold bracelets and all-time record WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth being denied a 17th victory.
The now two-time WSOP bracelet winner beat Hellmuth in heads-up play to secure the $598,173 first-place prize. With Hellmuth walking away with a $369,698 payday.
Elsewhere, Austria's Jessica Teusl locked up her first bracelet in Event #61: Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship for her biggest career cash worth $166,975. Teusl defeated a worthy competitor in Julie Le heads up.
Romanian player Cosmin Joldis is commanding the final table in Event #66: $1,000 Mini Main Event No-Limit Hold'em with only five returning to battle on Day 3. Each player has already guaranteed themselves a payout of at least $158,488, with the first-place prize of $593,985 paired with the coveted WSOP gold bracelet awaiting the eventual winner.
Event #66: $1,000 Mini Main Event Final Table Seat Draw
Day 1a of Event #68: $1,000 Million Dollar Bounty No-Limit Hold'em wrapped up after 22 levels of play with 182 players remaining. Sitting among the big stacks is Spain's Leo Margets, who bagged a stack of 1,275,000 as she looks to earn her second bracelet and potentially become an overnight millionaire.
The first of four starting flights attracted a massive 3,598 runners with only 536 spots getting paid. Some of the players who didn't survive the day include Tony Sinishtaj, Pete Chen, Perry Friedman, Kathy Liebert, Poker Hall of Famer Barry Greenstein and Main Event champions Ryan Riess and Greg Merson.
With registration open until the start of Day 2 on Sunday, the field will continue to grow to smash the former record of 518 entries from 2019, with Scott Seiver (452,000) and defending champion Tommy Le (400,000) among the biggest stacks to advance.
Patrick Leonard (342,000), Allan Le (330,000), and Ken Aldridge (312,000) are among others to bag big, while 2019 champion Dash Dudley (65,000), Bruno Fitoussi (60,000), Matt Glantz, (39,000), and three-time bracelet winner Phillip Hui (26,500) are among those with some work ahead of them on Day 2.
Of the original 641 players, 264 will return to the Paris Ballroom Sunday at 2 p.m. Any last-minute registrants will start with 24 big blinds.
