Event #62: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
Day 1a Started
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #62: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
Day: 1a
Welcome To the 2013 WSOP Main Event!
Welcome to poker's Christmas morning, as today marks the start of the greatest tournament on the face of the planet — the World Series of Poker Main Event!
Every year, thousands of poker players take to the felt inside with dreams of becoming the next great champion of this event, but there can only be one. Along the way, many dreams will be shattered, hopes dashed and bankrolls crushed, but heading into Day 1, every single person entering the field is bursting with excitement while doing best to maintain the butterflies in their stomachs.
Last year, Greg Merson defeated a field of 6,598 players en route to winning the $8,531,853 top prize. He'll be in action on Day 1a and eyeing the immaculate feat of going back to back in such a difficult and grueling event.
Over the course of the next 10 days, all eyes in the poker world will be fixed solely on this one event — the Main Event — and it is PokerNews' pleasure once again to be the ones providing the official live updates. The cards will be in the air shortly, with things kicking off at 12 p.m. See you shortly!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante:
Merson Kicks Things Off!
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
"Good afternoon and welcome to the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event!" announced Jack Effel as he took the stage located in the Amazon Room directly in front of what has become known as the Mother Ship.
Effel began his announcements with firstly asking for a round of applause for everyone that has come to play here at the WSOP before raffling off the rules that everyone is to abide by. Effel then handed the microphone to Ty Stewart.
"Thirty-seven people have won the Main Event before. The names are iconic. Moss. Brunson. Unger. A young man from Maryland emphatically added his name to that list!" announced Stewart before footage began rolling of Greg Merson's final hand against runner-up Jesse Sylvia to see him crowned 2012 WSOP Champion and also Player of the Year.
Merson then took the stage before announcing, "I don't really want to give a long speech because every year I come I hate hearing long speeches. Players good luck, and dealers shuffle up and deal!"
Plan for the Day
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Each player will begin with a 30,000-chip stack and have to endure five 120-minute levels if they are to survive the day.
After each level we will be taking a 20-minute break apart from after level three where play will be halted for a 90-minute dinner break.
With that, good luck to everyone playing in their first, fifth or twentieth WSOP Main Event!
Notables from Amazon Purple
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
There are quite a few empty tables at this stage of play over in Amazon Purple, but here are some of the players we've spotted.
One of the tables we will pay some close attention to is one that features regular tournament veterans Mike McDonald, Scott Fischman and Hans Winzeler.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
Champions Sitting in Amazon Blue
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
There are only three tables located in Amazon Blue currently, but it has the biggest rail of them all.
Reigning Champion fresh off his shuffle up and deal in Greg Merson is seated over there while 2011 WSOP Champion Pius Heinz is on the next table.
Two Champions that know what it takes. It will be a fun day over in blue for players and fans!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Notables From Amazon Orange and Tan
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
With the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event now underway, here are a few of the notable names we've spotted in the Amazon Room's Orange and Tan sections.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 | 30,000 |
|
30,000 |
Another Champ in the House
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
A quick look at the feature table and we find 2009 WSOP Champion Joe Cada seated alongside Tatiana Barausova and fellow WSOP bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Busquet Bets and Wins
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Limp, limp, limp and limp before Oliver Busquet completed from the small blind for an additional 50. The big blind checked his option and the dealer fanned a 
.
Busquet tossed in a purple 500-denomination chip and the five active players quickly kicked their cards to the muck.