There’s never a dull day at the World Series of Poker. Friday may have only had two live events on the schedule, but when one of them is the penultimate starting flight of the Main Event, you know you can expect action.
The final Day 1 - 1d takes place on Saturday - is traditionally the largest field, but 1c was packed to the rafters with star names, big hands and memorable moments. The fourth of July may have been and gone, but the fireworks kept on popping at the Horseshoe and Paris.
Former champion Johnny Chan followed in the footsteps of Daniel Weinman and Greg Raymer in getting the proceeding up and running with a ‘Shuffle up and deal’. As a two-time winner, perhaps he’ll be back to do it again on Day 1d? Or perhaps they could find another former Main Event winner who doesn’t mind a moment or two in the spotlight?
Speaking of which…
The REALLY big news
Phil Hellmuth’s Main Event entrances over the years have seen him arrive in various costumes, often with music playing and an entourage in tow. This year was no different, and saw poker’s 1989 World Champion grab the attention of the room dressed as a… karate-esque… kung-fu-ish… martial arts-y kind of guy.
Flanked by an entourage featuring the likes of Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates, Scotty Nguyen and PokerOrg’s own Sarah Herring, Hellmuth entered the Horseshoe to the strains of ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ by Carl Douglas.
The gang then threw some moves for the crowds and the cameras, drawing the same sort of mixed reactions Hellmuth’s elaborate entrances have tended to elicit in recent years. Some love them, some hate them, some ignore them. For the players awaiting Hellmuth at the feature table there was a general mix of smiles and indifference.
At least he was finally there; Hellmuth likes to late-reg the Main Event, and did so again this year. He may not have been fast as lighting in making his way to his seat, but now he’s there we’re sure he’ll demonstrate expert timing.
Want an exclusive look behind the scenes at Hellmuth’s grand entrance? Check out our video of the day, below.
Numbers continue to build as Main Event field grows
Coming into this year’s WSOP on the back of a record-breaking 2023, the obvious question was: could 2024 be even bigger?
With the fourth and final starting flight always the biggest, it’s impossible to tell right now if the Main Event will set a new record. While numbers have been big so far, they’ve been lagging a little behind last year’s - admittedly unprecedented - figures.
| Starting Flight | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| 1a | 1,039 | 915 |
| 1b | 1,118 | 831 |
| 1c | 3,080 | 2,504 |
| 1d | 4,100 | ??? |
How big will the crowds be on Day 1d? We’ll soon know for sure. Joining the party on 1c, though, were a number of stars, former champions and elite pros.
Alongside Hellmuth, former champs Chris Moneymaker, Jamie Gold and Johnny Chan each took their one and only shot at the 2024 Main Event, as well as notable names such as Justin Bonomo, Isaac Haxton, Nacho Barbero, Jeremy Ausmus, Adrian Mateos and Chris Brewer.
Robert Pardo and Zyad Qasem of the USA together have numerous WSOP cashes, including in the Main Event, and they've grabbed the top two spots in the chip counts at the end of this year’s Day 1c with stacks of 441,000 and 390,300 respectively. Each have so far acquired more chips than the Day 1a leader Joshua Feiger (311,900) and 1b’s biggest stack George Dolofan (314,000). In this marathon of marathons an early lead doesn’t mean a guaranteed deep run, but we can all agree it’s better to have a big stack than a little one.
1,907 players survived Day 1c which, in addition to remaining players from the first two starting flights, means the Day 2 field currently stands at 3,143. With one more - presumably super-sized - Day 1 to go, the question remains: how big can it get?
Oh say, did you see?
It wasn’t ALL Main Event mania on Day 39 at the World Series, there was also a side event that wrapped up and awarded a bracelet.
The $800 Independence Day Celebration had two starting flights, on July 3 and 4, and reconvened on July 5 to play down to a winner. By that point, 4,263 players had been cut down to 356, and it would take 13 hours of play on the final day to crown a champion.
Fittingly, perhaps, the final five players were all home-grown US players, and when the tournament reached its climax - just as Day 1c of the Main Event was emptying out - it would be Las Vegas pro Francis Anderson left clutching the win, the bracelet and $501,040 in prize money.
Anderson had been down 3:1 in chips when heads up against Brent Lee ($323,080) but managed to fight back, winning a key flip with 
vs. 
and then holding kings vs. queens. Finally, Anderson’s pocket fours held up against Lee’s 
for a hard-fought victory.
“It's pretty insane," Anderson told WSOP.com, "I've won a lot of money in poker, but this is by far my biggest outright victory, like, not even close.”
Photo of the day
The Mortal Kombat vs. Sour Patch Kids crossover is here at last.
Tweet of the day
Aarone Barone knows how Elmo feels…
Hand of the day
Texas hold’em can be a rollercoaster, just ask Arden Cho.
Holding 
, Cho had the nuts on the 
flop and bet out from the big blind, getting called by the cutoff. The 
on the turn put a possible straight out there. Cho bet again, was raised, and shoved for the rest of her stack only to see her opponent held the 
for the nut straight.
Cho needed help, and she got it. The 
on the river gave her quad aces for a big pot, a memorable hand and a great platform on which to build in the Main Event.
Video of the day
We were lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes look at Hellmuth’s grand Main Event entrance.
The day in numbers
4,250
Players registered so far across three starting flights of the Main Event.
5,794
Entries needed on Day 1d to break the record of 10,043 set in last year’s Big One.
2
The number of live WSOP events which took place on Day 39, as well as the number of online bracelet events (PLO Mystery Bounty 6-Max and Colossus Day 1a).
Coming up on Day #40
The final starting flight of the Main Event is expected to be huge, and hundreds of tables across the Paris and Horseshoe casinos are ready to seat those taking a shot at the millions of dollars up top in poker’s biggest tournament. As with Days 1a, 1b and 1c, the action on Day 1d will commence at noon and play will run for 5 x 2-hour levels, with a 75-minute dinner break around 6:40pm.
Another event - $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em - begins at the later-than-usual time of 7pm, with 30-minute levels keeping the action moving briskly along. Late registration will be available until around 12:45am, and the tournament will play down to 15% of the field, who will return on Sunday to play to a winner. This is a new event for 2024, and should provide many players a chance to win back at least some of their Main Event entry if they bust early.
An online event - the NL Hold'em Online Deepstack Championship - is also running on Saturday from 3:30pm.
Day #39 gallery
Results
Event #80: $800 Independence Day Celebration - No-Limit Hold'em
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francis Anderson | $501,040 |
| 2 | Brent Lee | $323,080 |
| 3 | Taylor Williams | $241,850 |
| 4 | Donnie Barnard | $182,350 |
| 5 | Bamshad Azizi | $138,490 |
| 6 | Tom Cohen | $105,960 |
| 7 | Martin Zamani | $81,660 |
| 8 | Regina Vega Sevilha | $63,410 |
Full results at WSOP
Ongoing events
Event #81: $10,000 MAIN EVENT No-Limit Hold'em World Championship (Day 1c)
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Pardo | 441,000 |
| 2 | Zyad Qasem | 390,300 |
| 3 | Leonard Herrmann | 306,000 |
| 4 | Ardit Kurshumi | 297,400 |
| 5 | Colin Beveridge | 295,500 |
| 6 | Mo Nuwwarah | 273,300 |
| 7 | David Simon | 269,800 |
| 8 | Manuel Pochat | 255,200 |
| Notables | ||
| 77 | Justin Bonomo | 174,100 |
| 95 | Arden Cho | 168,800 |
| 130 | Chris Brewer | 156,800 |
| 168 | Adrian Mateos | 143,100 |
| 247 | Mike Watson | 129,700 |
| 288 | Isaac Haxton | 124,900 |
| 312 | Mike Matusow | 121,500 |
| 328 | Seth Moeller | 120,200 |
| 407 | Todd Witteles | 111,800 |
| 412 | Jamie Gold | 111,100 |
| 671 | Dominik Nitsche | 89,900 |
| 804 | Maria Ho | 79,600 |
| 1015 | Phil Hellmuth | 66,700 |
| 1050 | Chris Moneymaker | 64,300 |
Full chip counts at WSOP
Bracelet winners
- Event #1: $5,000 Champions Reunion – Asher Conniff (USA)
- Event #2: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em – Jose Garcia (USA)
- Event #3: $500 Kickoff No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout – Daniel Willis (UK)
- Event #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (8-Handed) – James Chen (USA)
- Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions - Malcolm Trayner (Australia)
- Event #6: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship – Darius Samual (UK)
- Event #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice – John Hennigan (USA)
- Event #8: $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha (8-Handed) - Bryce Yockey (USA)
- Event #9: $1,500 Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) - Nick Guagenti (USA)
- Event #10: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship - Scott Seiver (USA)
- Event #11: $1,500 Badugi - David Prociak (USA)
- Event #12: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em - Simeon Spasov (Bulgaria)
- Event #13: $10,000 Dealers Choice Championship - Robert Mizrachi (USA)
- Event #14: $1,000 Super Turbo Bounty No Limit Hold'em - Thibault Perissat (France)
- Event #15: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better - Caleb Furth (USA)
- Event #16: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Brent Hart (USA)
- Event #17: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack - TJ Murphy (USA)
- Event #18: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha - Dylan Weisman (USA)
- Event #19: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship - John Racener (USA)
- Event #20: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold'em - Stephen Winters (USA)
- Event #21: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (6-Handed) - Brek Schutten (USA)
- Event #22: $1,500 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw (6-Handed) - Aaron Cummings (USA)
- Event #23: Event #23: $1,500 SHOOTOUT No-Limit Hold'em - Dan Sepiol (USA)
- Event #24: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship - Sean Troha (USA)
- Event #25: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed - Daniel Vampan (USA)
- Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) - Nick Schulman (USA)
- Event #27: $1,500 Big O - Michael Christ (USA)
- Event #28: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em - Evan Benton (USA)
- Event #29: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship (6-Handed) - Phil Ivey (USA)
- Event #30: $600 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack - Alen Bakovic (Canada)
- Event #31: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed - Nicholas Seward (USA)
- Event #32: $1,500 Seven Card Stud - Richard Ashby (UK)
- Event #33: $600 Pot-Limit Omaha Deepstack (8-Handed) - Alex Manzano (Chile)
- Event #34: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout - Antonio Galiana (Spain)
- Event #35: $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. - Phillip Hui (USA)
- Event #36: $800 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack (8-Handed) – Timur Margolin (Israel)
- Event #37: $10,000 Big O Championship – John Fauver (USA)
- Event #38: $1,500 MONSTER STACK No-Limit Hold'em - Pedro Neves (Portugal)
- Event #39: $50,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) - Sergio Aido (Spain)
- Event #40: $1,500 Razz – Scott Seiver (USA)
- Event #41: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot - Xixiang Luo (China)
- Event #42: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship - James Obst (Australia)
- Event #43: $1,500 Mixed: PLO Hi-Lo 8; Omaha Hi-Lo 8; Big O - Magnus Edengren (Sweden)
- Event #44: $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Jared Kingery (USA)
- Event #45: $10,000 HORSE Championship - Maksim Pisarenko (Russia)
- Event #46: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold'em Championship - Khang Pham (USA)
- Event #47: $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em - Chris Hunichen (USA)
- Event #48: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed) - Chris Vitch (USA)
- Event #49: $3,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em - Erlend Melsom (Norway)
- Event #50: $10,000 Razz Championship - George Alexander (USA)
- Event #51: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout - Peter Park (USA)
- Event #52: $5,000 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em – Mostafa Haidary (Australia)
- Event #53: $3,000 Nine Game Mixed - Yuri Dzivielevski (Brazil)
- Event #54: $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold'em - Franco Spitale (Argentina)
- Event #55: $250,000 Super High Roller – Santhosh Suvarna (India)
- Event #56: $2,500 Mixed Triple Draw Lowball (2-7, A-5, Badugi) – Patrick Moulder (USA)
- Event #57: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em – Frank Funaro (USA)
- Event #58: $50,000 Poker Players Championship - Daniel Negreanu (Canada)
- Event #59: $1,000 Super Seniors No-Limit Hold'em - Sean Jazayeri (USA)
- Event #60: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Paolo Boi (Italy)
- Event #61: $2,500 Mixed: Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better; Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better - Dario Sammartino (Italy)
- Event #62: $600 PokerNews Deepstack Championship - Hector Berry (UK)
- Event #63: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw - David Funkhouser (USA)
- Event #64: $600 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack - Chris Moen (USA)
- Event #65: $5,000 Seniors High Roller No-Limit Hold'em - Mark Checkwicz (USA)
- Event #66: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship - Elie Nakache (France)
- Event #67: $500 Salute to Warriors - No-Limit Hold'em - Ben Collins (UK)
- Event #68: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Colin Robinson (USA)
- Event #69: $1,500 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better - Nikolay Fal (Russia)
- Event #70: $400 Colossus - Martin Alcaide (Bulgaria)
- Event #71: $1,000 Ladies No-Limit Hold'em Championship - Shiina Okamoto (Japan)
- Event #72: $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship - Scott Seiver (USA)
- Event #73: $25,000 Hit Roller Pot-Limit Omaha - David Eldridge (USA)
- Event #74: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship - Arash Ghaneian (USA)
- Event #75: $1,000 TAG TEAM No-Limit Hold'em - Jimmy Setna & Jason James (Canada)
- Event #76: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) - Matthew Lambrecht (USA)
- Event #77: $2,500 Mixed Big Bet (6-Handed) - Wing Liu (Hong Kong/UK)
- Event #78: $1,000 Mini Main Event - Georgios Skarparis (Cyprus)
- Event #79: $50,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha - Daniel Perkusic (Germany)
- Event #80: $800 Independence Day Celebration - No-Limit Hold'em - Francis Anderson (USA)
