Ryan Riess takes center stage at the feature table
The first break of Day 1a of the Main Event is upon us with players heading on a 20-minute break.
The first level of the day saw a mix of amateurs, seasoned veterans and tournament grinders take their seat here on Day 1a. Following speeches from Jack Effel and Ty Stewart, Joe Hachem put the cards in the air to honor the years that the WSOP has been at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.
Early on, several tables would be halted as the dealer began action with an insufficient number of players. For Eric Spencer, he would turn a straight against his opponent to chip up early before his table was paused for close to 15 minutes before breaking.
2013 and 2012 Champions Ryan Riess and Greg Merson would be seated on the feature alongside Bill Perkins, while the likes of Annette Obrestad and Antonio Esfandiari would be seated on the secondary feature tables. A plethora of notables would also take their seat in this flight with the likes of Jason Mercier, Nam Le, Phil Laak, Matthew Ashton, Yevgeniy Timoshenko, Tony Dunst, Billy Baxter, Mike Sexton and two-time Champion Johnny Chan just the tip of the iceberg.
Many first-timers would also take a seat in their first Main Event with "All American" Dave Swanson being one of those. Swanson - most noted for his healthy and nutritious meals that are delivered to players - stated he was living his dreams right now, and with an ounce of luck, that may turn into a new title ... 2014 WSOP Champion.
Once play closed for the level however, it would be Kent Wuethrich ending as the level chip leader after being on the positive side of a set-over-set confrontation to take an impressive 55,000 with him on break.
Chris Moneymaker has just sat down here in Brasilia room and was warmly greeted by the players at his table, immediately keen to hear stories of his win in 2003. One player confirmed that if he won the guaranteed $10,000,000 he would definitely quit his job.
Moneymaker played the first hand he was dealt, raising to 225 and getting one caller. The flop was and both players checked, as they would on the turn . The river was the and when Moneymaker checked his opponent bet 800.
“I guess my two pair is no good.” Moneymaker said mucking his cards and telling his opponent he knew by the bet size he had an . He would have paid 700 he told him.
Seeing players all-in at this early stage of the tournament is something of a rarity, but we caught one a few moments ago that has resulted in Kent Wuethrich climb to 55,300 chips.
The board read and Wuethrich was all-in for 27,500 chips, and his opponent covered him by around 9,600. Wuethrich turned over and his opponent . The turn was followed by the river and Wuethrich was catapulted towards the top of the chip counts.
Tom Middleton threw out a bet of 2,000 on the turn of a board reading and got one caller. It was checked to him on the river card and Middleton announced, “Three thousand five hundred.” throwing out a T5000 chip.
His opponent took a moment, looked back at his cards and mucked. Middleton scooped a welcome pot to begin rebuilding his stack.
The runner-up in the 2013 World Series of Poker Main Event, Jay Farber, has just been spotted in the orange section of the Amazon Room. Farber's enjoying a massage, as he more than anyone at his table knows how much of a marathon this tournament is.
Farber took home $5,174,357 after losing heads-up to Ryan Riess last year, and improving on that score will be immensely hard for the extravagant poker player.
Mike Matusow limped from middle position as the small blind completed. With the action on Nick DiVella in the big blind, he raised to 350 and only Matusow called as the flop landed and DiVella checked.
Matusow bet out 550 and DiVella check-called as the landed on the turn and DiVella checked a second time. Matusow instantly tossed in 1,500 and DiVella paused momentarily before splashing out a raise to 5,500.
Taking only a few moments himself, Matusow called as the completed the board and DiVella bet out 12,900.
Matusow then went into the tank for several minutes before stating, "I flopped top two pair on this thing."
Another five minutes went by before Matusow stated, "I don't know what to f***ing do!"
Matusow then lifted his hand up so that people behind him could see if they wanted to peek. Eventually Matusow slammed his hand onto the muck pile and conceded the pot to DiVella as he slipped to 23,050. DiVella on the other hand scooped the pot to move to over 41,000 in chips.
Does Mike Sexton hear his own commentary in his head when he is playing a pot?
The flop was and three players, including Sexton in the small blind, checked it. The turn card was the , the blinds checked it and the remaining player bet 750. Sexton raised it to 2,000 and took down the pot.
We couldn't see Sexton’s lips move but we hope he finished his internal monologue with, “And gets it through. What a play by Sexton there.”
From the hijack seat, Chamath Palihapitiya opened with a raise to 275. Marc-Etienne McLaughlin reraised from the cutoff seat to 900, and then action folded to Bryce Yockey in the big blind. Yockey called, and then Palihapitiya called as well.
With three-way action to the flop, the dealer fanned out the . Yockey and Palihapitiya checked to McLaughlin, and he bet 1,500. Yockey check-raised to 3,500, and Palihapitiya folded. McLaughlin went into the tank for a minute or two, and then called to see the turn.
The turn card was the , and Yockey was first to act. He led with a bet of 6,000, and this sent McLaughlin back into the tank. Eventually, McLaughlin folded, and Yockey won the pot.
![[user80015]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and both players checked, as they would on the turn 
. The river was the 
and when Moneymaker checked his opponent bet 800.
. He would have paid 700 he told him.
and Wuethrich was all-in for 27,500 chips, and his opponent covered him by around 9,600. Wuethrich turned over 
and his opponent 
turn was followed by the 
river and Wuethrich was catapulted towards the top of the chip counts.
and got one caller. It was checked to him on the river card 
and Middleton announced, “Three thousand five hundred.” throwing out a T5000 chip.
landed on the turn and DiVella checked a second time. Matusow instantly tossed in 1,500 and DiVella paused momentarily before splashing out a raise to 5,500.
. Yockey and Palihapitiya checked to McLaughlin, and he bet 1,500. Yockey check-raised to 3,500, and Palihapitiya folded. McLaughlin went into the tank for a minute or two, and then called to see the turn.
, and Yockey was first to act. He led with a bet of 6,000, and this sent McLaughlin back into the tank. Eventually, McLaughlin folded, and Yockey won the pot.
