Event #6: $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" No-Limit Hold'em
Day 1b Started
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #6: $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" No-Limit Hold'em
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2013 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$1,500
Entries
6,343
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
50,000
Day 1b Buzz is Building in the Pavillion
![[user253052]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Players and spectators continue to stream past the PokerNews Live Reporting station as Day 1b of WSOP Event # 6, the inaugural $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" No-Limit Hold'Em tournament, is set to begin. The line to register for this flight has quickly become infamous throughout the Rio, with players taking to Twitter to express their disbelief in hashtag form, and #worldseriesoflinewaiting is now a popular refrain. Table talk in the room today has also focused on the astounding turnout for this event, as over 3,500 runners have registered thus far, and many believe the first ever "Millionaire Maker" event may attract over 7,000 players in total.
Check back with PokerNews throughout the night as we continue our coverage of the "Millionaire Maker" tournament with a full slate of live reporting from Day 1b. With a full slate of professionals vying against amateurs from around the globe, each competing for a 1st Place payout of a million clams, tonight's flight promises to be action packed.
Level: 1
Blinds: 25/25
Ante:
Andrew Forenski Flops the World
After a four way limped pot brought a flop of 
, the action quickly escalated between Andrew Forenski and an unknown opponent. After getting their stacks into the middle, Forenski flipped over the 
for a flopped nut straight and straight flush redraw.
His shell-shocked opponent revealed the 
for two pair, and after the board ran out 
and 
, Forenski's flush was the winner. He now sits with just over 9,000 chips and is off to a great start on this Day 1b.
A Pair of Main Event Finalists Spotted Among the Masses
While wandering the endless maze of tournament tables during the first level of Day 1b, Steve Dannenmann and Jake Balsiger were seen trying to build their starting stacks.
Longtime WSOP fans will remember Dannenmann as the affable accountant from Maryland who finished as the 2005 Main Event runner up, losing the title and passing the sugar to Joe Hachem.
Meanwhile, Balsiger was the baby-faced Arizona State University student who finished in third place at last year's Main Event, which saw Greg Merson claim poker's most prestigious prize.
Down Goes Dannenmann
And just like that, Steve Dannenmann has been eliminated from the Millionaire Maker tournament. We didn't witness the hand ourselves, but a player at the table relayed the damage.
After calling a raise of 300 with 
, Dannenman and Darren Kennedy in the small blind saw the flop of 
fall. Dannenmann bet 350 after Kennedy checked from the small blind, but was met with a raise to 1,050, and he decided to commit his tournament life with the best starting hand in hold'em.
Unfortunately for him, Dannenman's aces had been cracked by Kennedy's for a flopped set, and the 2005 Main Event runner up was sent to the rail. Kennedy, who made the trip from Redmond, Washington, doubled his stack and added a notch to his belt of notable beats.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
Level: 2
Blinds: 25/50
Ante:
Cloutier Outdrawn
T. J. Cloutier and an opponent ended up in an all-in pref-flop confrontation. Cloutier turned over pocket queens and was a huge favorite over his opponent's pocket nines. Unfortunately for Cloutier, the board rolled out 
, and his opponent took the pot with his turned set. Cloutier had quite a few more chips than his opponent, though, and is still healthy with about 6,000 in front of him.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,000 |
"Cowboy" Kenna James Ditches His Horse for the Wheel
We caught up with action on the turn, as "Cowboy" Kenna James contemplated an all-in move made by an unknown opponent. The board read 
and James brow was furrowed in concentration, but he cracked a smile as he splashed calling chips into the pot.
After his opponent proclaimed "set" and turned over 
, James revealed his 
for bottom pair and an open-ended straight draw. When the 
completed the board on the river, James could only laugh at his good fortune, while his opponent lamented his fate by asking quietly "What can you do?"
James now sits with a healthy stack of over 10,000 chips, and the wheels have been set in motion for run here in Day 1b of the $1,500 "Millionaire Maker" event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
11,000 |
Tournament Field Could Top 7,000 Entrants
Word has spread throughout the Pavilion that today's inaugural "Millionaire Maker" tournament could draw more than 7,000 entrants. The WSOP staff had initially told reporters that they were prepared for a field of 6,000 runners, so today's massive turnout has caused a few logistical headaches, but as is their habit, those running the tournament have handled the situation with ease.
After waiting for hours in one of the WSOP's longer lines in recent memory, however, the players are understandably not surprised by this news.