Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship
Day 2abc Completed
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship
Day: 2abc
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2abc
2024 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$94,041,600
Entries
10,112
Level
44
Blinds
2,500,000 / 5,000,000
Ante
5,000,000
Entries
3,349
Players Left
1,549
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Day 2abc of Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event saw 3,143 hopefuls reconvene in the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas to continue their shot at becoming poker's next world champion. They were joined by 206 late-registrants, bringing the total entrants for this year's Main Event up to 9,493 — just 550 shy of the record-breaking 10,043 entrants from last year.
By the time play ended for the day, fewer than half of those who sat down secured a spot on Day 3. Anthony Marsico claimed the top spot after running his modest 76,900 into a massive stack of 797,000 by the time the last hand was dealt. Marsico, who recently placed fourth in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship, explained he won an enormous pot wherein a player four-bet shoved for over 200,000 after Marsico three-bet with kings. His opponent held ace-king, and Marsico held up.
The final number of entrants, along with prize pool and payout information, will be determined at some point after late registration ends on Day 2d. Late registration will officially close at the end of Level 7 on Day 2d, so a record-setting Main Event is still within reach. The remaining players from Day 2abc and Day 2d will reconvene for Day 3 on Tuesday, July 9, at noon.
End of Day 2abc Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Day 3 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Marsico | United States | 797,000 | 319 |
| 2 | Christopher Vincent | United States | 772,000 | 309 |
| 3 | Manuel Machado | United States | 680,500 | 272 |
| 4 | Jangkyu Lee | South Korea | 665,500 | 266 |
| 5 | Karo Nuri | Switzerland | 646,500 | 259 |
| 6 | Diogo Veiga | Portugal | 615,500 | 246 |
| 7 | Damarjai Davenport | United States | 615,000 | 246 |
| 8 | Valentin Oberhauser | France | 613,500 | 245 |
| 9 | Assaf Zeharia | Israel | 601,000 | 240 |
| 10 | Mehrdad Vahabi | United States | 595,000 | 238 |
Several Main Event champions took their seats at the start of the day in hopes of becoming the first person to win the Main Event more than once since Stu Ungar, who accomplished the feat for a third time in 1997. While many were unable to bag, including Joe Hachem, Jamie Gold, Phil Hellmuth, Qui Nguyen, and Chris Moneymaker, a few kept their repeat dreams alive.
Faring best of the bunch was Hossein Ensan, who ended the day with 353,000. Scott Blumstein and Koray Aldemir also bagged up a respectable 236,000 and 242,000, respectively.
"I always enjoy playing the Main Event a lot. It's a great structure, of course. I've got off to a good start. Nothing crazy so far," Aldemir explained.
Aldemir, who is no stranger to deep Main Event runs (having cashed it four separate times, including his win), had this to say for anyone running deep in the event:
"It's still a normal poker tournament...same rules as any other tournament. I think some people overestimate the fact that it is the Main Event. Maybe they're too scared to put the money on the line and things like that. Just stick to your game."
Other notables who earned a Day 3 berth include Diogo Veiga (540,000), John Hennigan (470,000), Bin Weng (350,500), Arden Cho (328,000), Daniel Negreanu (95,000), and John Duthie — who benefitted from a late-night surge after eliminating James Dempsey late in the evening en route to bagging 419,500.
However, as is always the case in poker, one person's success means another's misfortune. Among those who will have to wait until next year for Main Event glory are Dominik Nitsche, Julien Martini, Noah Schwartz, Patrick Leonard, and three-time bracelet winner Vanessa Selbst, who made a rare appearance at the WSOP after giving up playing poker full time back in 2018. Selbst wasted little time getting involved in pots and experienced a rollercoaster of ups and downs early on. As the day progressed, Selbst found herself largely card dead and ultimately ended up busting in the evening hours.
Kevin Martin of Big Brother and Twitch fame was also eliminated after getting his pocket kings cracked by queens and took to Twitter to vent his frustrations.
Action resumes on Monday, July 8 at noon for Day 2d. Play will begin on Level 6, which features 400/800 blinds with an 800 big blind ante. Day 3 kicks off on July 9, also at noon, with Level 11, where blinds are 1,000/2,500 and a 2,500 big blind ante.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action in the coming days leading to the next Main Event champion!
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
797,000
627,000
|
627,000 |
|
||
|
772,000
227,000
|
227,000 |
|
680,500
558,500
|
558,500 |
|
665,500
449,000
|
449,000 |
|
646,500
136,500
|
136,500 |
|
615,500
75,500
|
75,500 |
|
||
|
615,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
613,500
23,500
|
23,500 |
|
601,000
251,000
|
251,000 |
|
595,000
417,300
|
417,300 |
|
567,000
-23,000
|
-23,000 |
|
557,000 | |
|
552,000
552,000
|
552,000 |
|
547,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
543,500
128,500
|
128,500 |
|
540,500
60,500
|
60,500 |
|
540,500
368,800
|
368,800 |
|
527,000
347,000
|
347,000 |
|
513,500
23,500
|
23,500 |
|
503,000
243,000
|
243,000 |
|
503,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
|
|
501,000
370,000
|
370,000 |
|
500,000 | |
|
|
500,000
370,100
|
370,100 |
|
499,000
365,500
|
365,500 |
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Players are now bagging and tagging for the evening.
Stay tuned for a recap of Day 2abc.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
With the turn reading K♥9♣5♠3♥, Michel Leibgorin checked and Joe Tehan bet 14,000. Leibgorin check-raised to 44,000 and Tehan folded.
Soon after, the duo was involved again and headed to the J♦4♠3♦7♥Q♠ river. Leibgorin now check-raised from 15,500 to 55,000 and Tehan folded once more.
"Twice you make me fold top pair," he said and flashed the Q♦.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
480,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
210,000
-2,500
|
-2,500 |
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Enrique Leigue moved all in for 44,500 in the hijack and the small blind called. Jon Pardy leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh before he reshoved for 218,000.
"Oh man," the small blind said as he tanked for around a minute before folding A♣J♣, leaving Leigue and Pardy heads-up.
Enrique Leigue: K♥J♥ 
Jon Pardy: 10♦10♠
The flop came 9♥6♥3♠ to give Leiger a flush draw to go with his two over cards. "It's sweaty," Pardy said as he and a few other players around the table began filming the action.
The 5♣ turn was safe for Pardy, but Leigue hit the 4♥ on the river to make his flush and earn a triple up right at the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
170,000 | |
|
||
|
|
135,000
11,200
|
11,200 |
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Paulina Loeliger raised preflop from middle position, Ramiro Petrone three-bet from the cutoff and Loeliger called.
The flop came all spades 9♠6♠5♠. Petrone bet 11,000, Loeliger check-raised to 25,000 which Petrone called.
The turn was the 6♣. Loeliger led out for 25,000 and Petrone called.
The 8♣ filled out the river. Loeliger took about 30 seconds before she announced all in. Petrone snap-called and Loeliger's eyes widened as she snap-turned over the A♠J♠ for the nut flush which crushed the K♠4♠ second nut flush that Petrone showed.
Loeliger smiled as she stacked the large pot as she gathered a big boon to her stack towards the end of the night
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
325,000
177,000
|
177,000 |
|
72,000
-38,000
|
-38,000 |
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The action was caught on a turn of A♥10♥3♠J♦. Evan Benton checked to his opponent, who made a pot-sized bet of 23,000 chips. Benton then jammed all in for 100,000 chips and was snap called.
Evan Benton: Q♥9♥
Opponent: K♦Q♠
Benton needed a king or heart to stay alive in the Main Event, and the river brought him the 7♥ to double up just before then end of Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
223,000 | |
|
|
||
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Nicholas Peterson opened 4,000 in middle position and Dylan Lemery three-bet 12,000 in the hijack. Peterson called.
The dealer spread a flop of A♣9♣5♦ and Peterson check-called a bet of 6,000 from Lemery.
The 2♦ turn and 9♦ river were checked through and Peterson rolled 6♠5♠ before seeing the Q♥Q♦ of Lemery.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
532,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
131,000
-14,000
|
-14,000 |
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
With roughly 35,000 in the pot, on a board of 8♥A♦5♠K♣, Aleksejs Ponakovs bet 52,000 out of the small blind. The under the gun play went deep into the tank, thinking for close to two minutes. Eventually, he folded his hand and Ponakovs dragged in the pot
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
130,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
||
|
70,000
-80,000
|
-80,000 |
|
Busted | |