Defending WSOP Main Event champion Scott Blumstein has entered the fray on Day 1a and, despite not being involved in any of the action yet, has already made an impact on his table. All smiles, very chatty and interacting with the other players at the table, the atmosphere is very relaxed.
The table also features three-time WSOP bracelet winner Brian Yoon, Jean Montury and Lacey Jones.
Yoon just raised to 800 first to act and was called by Joseph Ingalls in the big blind. After a flop both players checked. Ingalls checked the turn, Yoon bet 1,000 and folded to Ingall's check-raise of 4,500.
A tweet of Daniel Strelitz about a double up with a one-outer alerted us to have a look at his table that also features Nick Jivkov and Strelitz was involved right away in another big pot. Prior to his double up he had lost some chips and, according to Strelitz, doubled with a one-outer thanks to a five on the river:
Just hit a one outter to double. 55>99 on 98545. Almost folded turn, good thing I’m not good enough to fold turn yet
— Daniel Strelitz (@dDeoxyribo)
Just now, Alexander Krisak raised to 500 and Strelitz from one seat over in the cutoff three-bet to 1,500, Krisak called. The flop came and Krisak check-called a bet of 1,000 before check-calling another 3,000 on the turn. The fell on the river and Krisak checked once more. Strelitz bet 11,500 and received a call to roll over the for a flopped full house.
In the very first hand off the deck for Victor Ramdin, a player raised to 400 from early position. Ramdin re-raised to 1,500 from the button and the original raiser called. They went heads-up to the flop and the player continued with a bet of 4,000.
Ramdin called and the dealer burned and turned the and the player led out with a bet of 13,000. Ramdin raised to 26,000 and with the action back on his opponent, she moved all in for 44,500.
Ramdin snap called turning over for top set and his opponent showed for an open-ended straight draw. The river card sealed the deal for Ramdin who earned the double up and the knockout.
Play is just underway here in the WSOP $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT. We are already seeing plenty of familiar faces in their seats in the Gold section of the Amazon room.
Below is a look at some of the early arrivals who are already putting their starting stacks to work.
The first Monday in July brings about the biggest tournament in poker: the World Series of Poker $10,000 Main Event. The first starting flight gets underway today at 11 a.m. with players from around the world converging on the Rio for a shot at the most coveted title in poker.
Over the next days, names like Hellmuth, Moneymaker, Chan, Raymer, Negreanu, and Ivey will be heard in the hallways as every serious (tournament) poker player gathers in the Amazon, Brasilia, Miranda, and Pavilion tournament rooms for their shot at eternal glory.
Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest-running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970.
In 2017, the WSOP drew 120,995 total entrants in 74 total events — the most in its history. The 2017 series awarded more than $231 million in prize money, and the events brought in players from 111 countries.
The venue has changed and numerous games and tournaments added, but the history remains. In recent years, some of those original games played in 1970 have even been worked back into the WSOP festivities in games like dealer’s choice and some of the mixed-games (Championship) events. And the foundation of that remains the Main Event.
When players take their seats beginning today in those first starting flight, they are not just attempting to win a poker tournament; they are attempting to become part of the game’s history — a history that traces its roots from the Revolutionary War to Civil War battlefields to 19th Century steamboats floating on the Mississippi River to scorching Las Vegas summers. Win that bracelet and your name becomes synonymous with some of the best in the game. Thousands will try, but only one will raise that shiny gold bracelet in victory.
Once again, PokerGO and ESPN have teamed up to bring you a live stream of all the action. Here's the schedule for the Main Event with times in Pacific Time (local Vegas time). This schedule is subject to change.
The Main Event began as an idea hatched in Texas gambler Benny Binion’s mind to promote his casino.
In 1970, a small group of Texas rounders gathered at Binion’s for 10 days playing for high stakes in games like five-card draw, 2-7 lowball, seven-card stud, razz, and no-limit hold’em. Players voted on the winner at the end — Texan and future Poker Hall of Fame member Johnny Moss.
By 1972, no-limit hold’em became the premier game and the $10,000 buy-in tournament that players now know as the Main Event was introduced.
In the intervening 48 years, the event has grown to mammoth proportions with numerous preliminary events. The championship bracelet was introduced by Binion in 1976 and has become the ultimate trophy in poker. Owning one has become the litmus test for poker greatness. The series has even expanded beyond Las Vegas with numerous circuit and bracelet events around the country and the world.
Binion surely couldn’t have imagined the scope that the game would become since his showcase began in 1970. The World Series of Poker is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world, having awarded more than $2.6 billion in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize.
Here's a look at all the winners since the tournament's inception: