Live tournament poker is about many things. Among the key weapons in any player’s arsenal are intuition, people skills, pattern recognition and critical thinking. And then there are the numbers, of course - lots of numbers.
Pot odds, stack sizes, equity. Stack-to-pot-ratios, pay jumps, ICM. How long left in the level? How many players are left? What’s my M?
We’re into the numbers, too, but we’re zooming out a little for a broader view; from the table, to the tournament, to the series. So, in a week in which we interviewed a player known widely as ‘Cookie Monster’, excuse us while we take a closer look at some of our favorite numbers of the summer; namely, how big can this year’s Main Event get?
Will the Main Event record fall?
Lately, in live poker, things have been getting bigger - and we're not just talking about that hat you can see above (but, wow, just wow). We’ve been wondering for a while if 2024 is going to be another record-breaking year for the WSOP in general, and the Main Event (ME) in particular.
When it comes to the latter, there are two numbers to bear in mind that feel very relevant right now: 10,043 is the number to beat for overall entries, set last year, while 4,879 is the largest ever single Day 1 field, set on Day 1c in 2019.
‘Is the largest’? Make that ‘was the largest’. After 10 hours of action on Saturday we have a brand new record, with at least 4,985 players taking to the tables on Day 1d!
So what does this mean for the overall record? With all the starting flights done and dusted, surely we know by now if this is indeed the biggest ever ME? Well, hold your horses, chief; the famously great structure of this tournament means you can max late reg at the start of Day 2 and still have more than a fighting chance. In fact, some stats from last year are being bandied about that show 700 players doing just that in 2023.
With all the Day 1s in the books, the running totals for players this year stands at 9,259. And bear in mind, that’s a slightly fuzzy figure: crunching all those numbers to 100% accuracy can take a while. But if 785 entrants register on Day 2, we’re likely looking at a new record.
The first Day 2 runs on Sunday, with another on Monday. Will we get there? Stay tuned to find out.
Konnikova kicks things off
We’re waiting to see if any notable names will rock up late to the party on Day 2, because it felt like just about all of them were present at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos yesterday.
Player, author and podcaster Maria Konnikova was on ‘shuffle up and deal’ duties, and was hopeful of the field hitting another record number - that of the most female players to take part in a WSOP ME.
Konnikova didn’t just talk the talk, she walked the walk and joined the field on Day 1d, as did a number of prominent female players including Cherish Andrews, Olga Iermolcheva, Kristen Foxen, Ebony Kenney, Jessica Vierling, Ana Marquez, Nikki Limo, Alexandra Botez, Kathy Liebert, Vanessa Kade and Jamie Kerstetter.
PokerOrg friends, contributors and staff were also in the mix, with our own Terrance Reid and Blaise Bourgeois both sharing hands and views from their privileged positions inside the rail. Check out our Instant Live feed from yesterday - and every day of the series - for more.
Terrance and Blaise both found bags at the end of the day so will be keeping us informed as they head into Day 2 - and hopefully beyond.
A number of former WSOP champions were also present and correct, including Joe McKeehen, Martin Jacobson, Espen Jorstad, Scotty Nguyen and reigning champ Daniel Weinman. Also in attendance at the tables was Isai Scheinberg, PokerStars founder and potential inductee to Poker’s Hall of Fame, as well as Landon Tice and Jeremy Becker who are now deep into their summer crossbook. Both are currently in the red and looking for a deep run for a ‘summer saver’.
Early chip leaders, and early bust-outs
Topping the counts after the fourth starting flight was Scott Stewart of the USA, with 370,200. Along with Jeff Beckley (312,000), Stewart was the only player to end Day 1d with a stack of over 300K. Three players from 1c also broke 300K in chips, along with one from 1a and another from 1b. Robert Pardo is the current chip leader of the Main Event with a stack of 441,000.
Figures show that of the 9,259 players who played a starting flight, 8,128 are still in with a chance of winning. From a starting stack of 60K chips, the average now is just 68K, so those joining the party late won’t be at too much of a disadvantage.
Will the winner come from a late registration, or are they already in the room?
Whoever wins the Big One this year, it won’t be Chance Kornuth, Ludovic Geilich, Sergio Aido, Christina Gollins or Jason Koon. These are just some of the thousand-plus players who have already played their last hand of the ME this year.
Evening $1K NLH gives ME players a second chance
Event #82: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em is a new addition to the schedules for 2024, and its 7pm start time (late reg until 12:45am) was perfectly judged to give any players busting the ME a second chance at glory - not to mention those for whom $10K was a little too high an asking price.
This is a two-day event with 30-minute levels, so while the game may technically be the same as in the ME, the events play out significantly differently. 1,426 entrants have created a prize pool of over $1.2 million, and Day 1 played right down to the bubble with a min-cash in 214th place worth just over $2K.
Chance Kornuth hopped in after busting the ME and immediately imposed himself, generating a chip stack to trouble the top of the counts. Dara O’Kearney, Sammy Farha, Kyna England, David Peters and David ‘ODB’ Baker were also among those looking to play a little more.
When all’s said and done late on Sunday night, there will be $189,661 and another WSOP bracelet awarded.
Photo of the day
Ever heard of PokerStars? That’s down to this guy: Isai Scheinberg is in the house.
Hand of the day
An interesting one played out on one of the feature tables, which saw a flopped boat and a river 4-bet.
Dehaye, a pro from France had flopped a dream hand, his 
combining with the 
flop to make an unbeatable full house. Unbeatable for only so long, however, as every overcard brings with it the possibility of a higher boat.
Sadly for Dehaye, that’s exactly what happened when his opponent Newman, holding 
for flopped trips, hit the 
on the river to pair his kicker for an even better full house.
With all the cards out Dehaye bet 2K, Newman raised to 6K, Dehaye 3-bet to 12K and Newman 4-bet shoved to put Dehaye all-in. Sadly for Dehaye, he couldn’t let it go.
You can see it go down at PokerGO, with the hand appearing around the 8-minute mark.
Tweet of the day
If anyone’s keeping track, you know it’s KevMath.
Video of the day
Maria Konnikova gave the assembled crowds two pieces of advice: 1) Have fun, 2) Don’t punt. Words to live by.
The day in numbers
106
More players in this year’s Day 1d than any starting flight in ME history.
785
Players needed to register on Day 2 to make this the biggest WSOP ME ever.
$71,526,300
The ME prize pool after four starting flights.
Coming up on Day #41
Sunday is a day of rest for many, but not if you played any of the first three starting flights in the Main Event. Survivors from Days 1a, 1b and 1c reconvene at noon for another five two-hour levels. Day 1d players will get their own Day 2 on Monday.
The $1,000 NLH event which started on Saturday will play down to a winner, restarting at 3pm after an evening start and a late night.
Another, cheaper, event is also getting started with the first of two starting flights: the $600 Ultra Stack NLH Day 1a will have cards in the air at 2pm and will be another one to run late, with 20 x 30-minute levels to get done before they’re done for the day. Need some more variety in your poker diet? Check out the $1,500 Eight-game mix from noon.
Meanwhile, online players will be looking at the $1K Mystery Bounty Championship from 4:30pm, which has a healthy $1 million guarantee.
Day #40 gallery
Ongoing events
Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship (Day 1d)
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Stewart | 370,200 |
| 2 | Jeff Beckley | 312,000 |
| 3 | Michael Danley | 285,000 |
| 4 | Jay Nguyen | 280,700 |
| 5 | Dan Tommy Ly | 261,000 |
| 6 | Americ Stiller | 257,000 |
| 7 | Brian Hastings | 252,100 |
| 8 | Albert Luna | 250,700 |
| Notables | ||
| 11 | Aram Zobian | 231,400 |
| 18 | Ari Engel | 209,400 |
| 45 | Alex Livingston | 165,000 |
| 60 | Phil Ivey | 153,500 |
| 71 | Jessica Vierling | 147,000 |
| 96 | Espen Jorstad | 135,000 |
| 111 | Stephen Chidwick | 126,000 |
| 120 | Kristen Foxen | 122,200 |
| 122 | Joe Mckeehen | 121,300 |
| 123 | TJ Reid | 120,000 |
| 129 | Martin Jacobson | 117,800 |
| 259 | Alex Foxen | 83,000 |
| 268 | Chris Hunichen | 81,000 |
| 420 | Blaise Bourgeois | 57,000 |
Full chip counts at WSOP
Event #82: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dan Olsen | 677,000 |
| 2 | Tengqi Zhan | 538,000 |
| 3 | Chance Kornuth | 501,000 |
| 4 | Phong Than Nguyen | 386,000 |
| 5 | Ramon Pessoa | 360,000 |
| 6 | Tamer Kamel | 345,000 |
| 7 | David Hoote | 343,000 |
| 8 | Leiya Shi | 320,000 |
| Notables | ||
| 24 | Sammy Farha | 190,000 |
| 52 | Blaise Bourgeois | 78,600 |
| 60 | Kyna England | 68,000 |
| 69 | David Peters | 62,000 |
| 82 | Dara O'Kearney | 45,000 |
| 122 | David Lappin | 18,500 |
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)
