2017 World Series of Poker

Event #73: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
Day: 1a
Event Info

2017 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a2
Prize
$8,150,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$67,877,400
Entries
7,221
Level Info
Level
43
Blinds
1,500,000 / 3,000,000
Ante
500,000

Greenberg Builds Stack

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante

Joining the action on the three-way turn of {A-Spades}{J-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}{2-Spades} board, David Greenberg in the big blind bet 1,150 and Andy Park called from early position, while Alan Smurfit folded on the button. The {3-Hearts} appeared on the river and Greenberg checked, Park bet 2,500, and Greenberg quickly called.

Park showed {A-Clubs}{9-Spades} and Greenberg had the better kicker in {A-Hearts}{K-Clubs} to scoop the pot. Smurfit, who won a WSOP bracelet in a $ 1,500 pot-limit Omaha event in 2007, is joined by Patrick Leonard in the one seat.

Player Chips Progress
David Greenberg us
David Greenberg
58,000
-500
-500
Patrick Leonard gb
Patrick Leonard
50,000
50,000
50,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Alan Smurfit ie
Alan Smurfit
47,100
47,100
47,100

Tags: Alan SmurfitAndy ParkDavid GreenbergPatrick Leonard

Matusow Folds to Aggression on the Turn

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante

Mike Matusow was in the big blind and heads-up against the player who was under the gun on a flop of {Q-Spades}{10-Spades}{8-Spades}. Matusow checked, his opponent bet 400, and Matusow called.

The turn brought the {A-Diamonds} and Matusow checked again. His opponent bet 1,100, and Matusow showed the {Q-Diamonds} as he folded, saying "There's just no way this is good."

Player Chips Progress
Mike Matusow us
Mike Matusow
43,500
-6,500
-6,500
WSOP 4X Winner

Matt Savage Enters the Field

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante
Matt Savage
Matt Savage

Matt Savage has entered the field in Day 1a of the WSOP Main Event. Savage is a world-renowned tournament director having officiated the World Series of Poker from 2002-2004. Savage has also worked at stops throughout the WPT and founded the Tournament Directors Association.

Savage has five WSOP cashes in his career and is looking for another here in the 2017 Main Event. He got off to a strong start when he raised to 350 from the cutoff. The small blind reraised to 1,275 and Savage made the call. The flop was {k-Clubs}{j-Hearts}{10-Spades} and the small blind checked to Savage who bet 1,500. His opponent folded and Savage raked in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Matt Savage us
Matt Savage
54,000
54,000
54,000

Tags: Matt Savage

A Round of Quotes from Mike Matusow

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante
Mike Matusow
Mike Matusow

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow has long been known for his loquacious ways at the table. He has a seat at the edge of Amazon Purple, and with the lull in early-level action, we thought we'd hang around his table for an orbit and see if he would drop any choice quotes. He didn't disappoint, as he had plenty to say.

In the first hand we saw, Matusow was in the big blind and someone opened early. While waiting his turn, Matusow reflected on the modern chip structure of the WSOP Main Event, which sees 50,000 starting stacks, up from 30,000 recently and 10,000 before that.

"That was the best part of the old days," Matusow said. "People lost a few chips and thought they were short. They'd have 10,000 and lose 700 and start panicking."

Matusow added that he didn't think there was any need for the 50K stacks.

The Mouth continued to fold the next few hands, engaging in conversation with Pratyush Buddiga.

"You've had a pretty good summer, right?"

Buddiga said he has, and they discussed Buddiga's sixth-place finish in the $300K Super High Roller Bowl for $1 million and then his fourth-place finish in a $1,500 event here at the WSOP for $124,615.

"I knew I had a good table when I saw you were here," Matusow mused. "Old school wizard, Donkey Kong bomber, and new school wizard."

Matusow was referencing Tom "DonkeyBomber" Schneider, who is in Seat 1 at their table.

Shortly after that, Matusow played the only hand he voluntarily entered while we were at his table. He opened for 400 in middle position and got callers on his immediate left and in the big blind. Everyone checked the {j-Spades}{4-Hearts}{4-Clubs} flop, and Matusow bet 1,000 on the {9-Diamonds} turn. That won him the pot.

With his big blind coming up, Matusow discussed his thoughts on the Main Event at large.

"It's the only tournament in the history of poker you never have to bluff," he said, folding his under-the-gun hand. "You just have to stay alive and wait for the idiots to give you their chips."

Player Chips Progress
Mike Matusow us
Mike Matusow
44,400
900
900
WSOP 4X Winner

Tags: Mike MatusowPratyush BuddigaTom Schneider

Spinella Slips

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante
Anthony Spinella
Anthony Spinella

Three players saw a flop of {Q-Clubs}{7-Clubs}{2-Diamonds} and Marquez Nazarro checked from the big blind to the under-the-gun player who bet 650. Anthony Spinella called from the button and Nazarro called as well.

The turn brought the {J-Diamonds} and Nazarro checked. The under-the-gun player bet again, 1,400 this time. Spinella called and Nazarro called.

The river was the {6-Clubs} and Nazarro checked. The under-the-gun player bet 3,900, sending Spinella into the tank briefly. He ultimately folded, and after a few moments of consideration, Nazarro called. The under-the-gun player showed {A-Diamonds}{K-Clubs} for ace-king high, Nazarro flipped over {9-Hearts}{7-Diamonds} for a pair of sevens, which was good enough to win the pot. Spinella mumbled a few words of disbelief as Nazarro collected his newly-acquired chips.

Player Chips Progress
Maquez Nazarro
Maquez Nazarro
68,000
68,000
68,000
Anthony Spinella us
Anthony Spinella
32,050
-17,950
-17,950
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Anthony SpinellaMarquez Nazarro

Boatman Runs Over the Table

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante
Barny Boatman Early Chip Leader of Day 1a
Barny Boatman Early Chip Leader of Day 1a

Iraj Parvizi managed to spin up his stack to 40,000 again, but that has since vanished to zero while Barny Boatman was stacking a ton of chips. According to Boatman, he took the entire stack of Parvizi and the Brit was kind enough to share the details.

Parvizi raised to 450 from middle position and Brooks Floyd called on the button, Boatman raised to 1,800 in the big blind and both opponents called. On the {6-}{4-}{2-} flop, all three players checked and an {8-} appeared on the turn. Boatman bet 1,800 and Parvizi raised to 7,000, Floyd folded and Boatman called.

After the {Q-} river, Boatman checked and Parvizi bet 15,000 before Boatman moved all in and was called. Boatman showed {7-}{5-} for a straight and Parvizi had pocket eights for a set to hit the rail.

Xiangdong Jiang had busted earlier on the table and Boatman also dominated the last few hands of the first level. Boatman defended his big blind to a raise by Floyd on the button and bet the {7-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{4-Clubs} flop for 600, Floyd called and Sergon Toma in the small blind folded. On the {9-Hearts} turn, Boatman bet 1,100 and was called before betting the {4-Diamonds} river for 3,000. Floyd called and was shown {8-Hearts}{4-Spades} for trips fours by Boatman.

Last but not least, Boatman bet the {J-Diamonds}{10-Spades}{2-Spades}{10-Hearts} turn for 1,300 and Toma called before Toma bet the {7-Diamonds} on the river for 1,000. Boatman raised to 3,000 and Toma called, showed a jack. Boatman had that beat with {10-Clubs}{9-Clubs} for trips tens and raked in another pot.

Player Chips Progress
Barny Boatman gb
Barny Boatman
139,500
69,500
69,500
WSOP 2X Winner
Iraj Parvizi gb
Iraj Parvizi
Busted
Xiangdong Jiang cn
Xiangdong Jiang
Busted

Tags: Barny BoatmanBrooks FloydIraj ParviziSergon TomaXiangdong Jiang

One For Grafton

Level 1 : 75/150, 0 ante

Sam Grafton bet 4,300 on a {Q-Spades}{J-Hearts}{3-Diamonds}{4-Spades} board and his opponent called. On the {2-Hearts} river, Grafton instantly checked. His opponent bet 7,200, which Grafton called immediately.

Grafton's opponent showed {A-Clubs}{10-Diamonds} for ace-high and Grafton took it down with {A-Diamonds}{Q-Diamonds}.

One table over, Jameson Painter is already up to 90,000 in the early stages.

Player Chips Progress
Jameson Painter us
Jameson Painter
90,000
Sam Grafton gb
Sam Grafton
70,000
PokerStars

Tags: Sam Grafton

Level: 2

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 0