Wednesday, June 10, 2015 3:16 AM Local Time
The 23rd event of the 2015 World Series of Poker kicked off on Tuesday afternoon in the form of a $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Single Draw. 219 players put up the cash to enter the event and they played 10, one-hour levels before bagging up for the day.
The field was littered some of the game's best players, but it was Christian Pham who emerged as the day's chip leader. The Minnesota native finished the day with 145,175 in chips, more than 55,000 chips than his closest competitor. Joining Pham at the top of the chip counts are Nicholas Verkaik, Daniel Ospina, and Andrey Zhigalov. They finished the day with 90,000, 71,550, and 70,975 in chips, respecitvely.
Other notables who bagged up chips and heading to Day 2 include Huck Seed, Robert Mizrachi, Jon Turner, Tom Schneider, Ray Henson, Mohsin Charania, Frank Kassela, Dan Smith, Mike Leah, and Mike Goroinsky.
Not everybody was lucky enough to survive the day and plenty of top pros hit the rail before the day's end. Phil Hellmuth, Jen Harman, Barry Greenstein, Jesse Martin, Michael Mizrachi, Allen Cunningham, Greg Raymer, Justin Bonomo, and defending champion Steven Wolansky were just a few of the many familiar faces to hit the rail earlier than they would have liked.
The 219 players generated a prizepool of $295,650, with the top 28 players earning at least a min-cash of $2,578 and a first place prize of $81,314. While 219 players started the day, when the final hand was dealt, there were only 40 players remaining.
Those 40 players will return to the Rio to get cards in the air for Day 2 on Wednesday afternoon at 2 pm to play another 10 levels and move closer to the final table. Check back with WSOP.com for continued coverage of the Day 2 action.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:50 AM Local Time
Daniel Negreanu peeks at his cards in the hijack and announces an all-in raise to 8,800. Action folds around to current chip leader Christian Pham in the small blind and he moves out a call. The big blind folds and the two are drawing for KidPoker's tournament life.
Pham pulls one new card at the draw. Negreanu flashes to the table, announcing that he is taking two.
Pham:
Negreanu:
Pham squeezes out the , making a jack-nine low. Negreanu tables , making a jack-ten and the second best hand. He hits the rail while Pham extends his sizable chip lead.
Christian Pham - 150,000
Daniel Negreanu - Eliminated
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:40 AM Local Time
Shaun Deeb raises to 2,000 under-the-gun and Matthew "Hanks" Honig three-bets to 6,000 from middle position. Ray Henson cold-calls on the button and Deeb calls the extra 2,000 as well. Deeb and Honig each draw one card. Henson stands pat on the button.
After the draw, all three players check. Honig announces a jack, Deeb mucks his hand, but Henson tables to win the pot.
Ray Henson - 46,500
Matthew Honig - 52,300
Shaun Deeb - 22,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:37 AM Local Time
Picking up with the action following the draw, Jorryt van Hoof and Brandon Delnano are engaged in the action. With about 5,000 already in the middle, van Hoof fires out a bet of 2,700. Delnano thinks for a moment before flinging out a call.
Van Hoof shows for number 12. Delnano mucks his cards and van Hoof takes down the pot.
Jorryt van Hoof - 48,000
Brandon Delnano - 33,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:20 AM Local Time
Christian Pham opens the hijack for 2,000 and finds calls from Mike Leah in the cutoff and Daniel Negreanu in the big blind. At the draw, Negreanu takes one, Pham stands pat, and Leah takes one.
Negreanu checks and Pham quickly follows suit. Leah reaches for chips and moves 4,500 into the middle. Negreanu folds and Pham opts to kick his cards into the muck as well.
"That was a good one," says Leah as he flashes the .
Mike Leah - 39,000
Christian Pham - 140,000
Daniel Negreanu - 8,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:16 AM Local Time
After a raise under-the-gun, Alex Bilokur shoves all-in for 3,950. The player on the button four-bets to 6,000 and the initial raiser calls.
The initial raiser draws one card, Bilokur does the same and the player on the button pats. The two opponents for Bilokur check after the draw.
The under-the-gun player shows his , the button shows . Bilokur is sweating with but gets a and is eliminated.
Alex Bilokur - Eliminated
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:10 AM Local Time
The under-the-gun player opens to 2,000 and Matt Waxman moves all in for 4,025 from two seats over. Action folds around to Jon Turner in the small blind and he moves out a four-bet to 8,100. The original raiser folds and the two remaining players take to the draw.
"Let's gamble!" says Waxman as he throws the into the muck.
Turner stands pat and Waxman receives his down card. The hands are tabled to show Waxman what he needs to beat.
Turner:
Waxman:
Waxman squeezes his card but ends up pulling the . He takes to the rail while Turner scoops up the pot.
Jon Turner - 44,000
Matt Waxman - Eliminated
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:07 AM Local Time
Level: 10
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 200
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 2:06 AM Local Time
After the draw, there is about 17,000 in the middle and Mike Leah checks. Andrey Zhigalov bets 9,900 and Leah goes into the tank. After just under a minute in the tank, Leah slings in a call.
"Nine-eight," said Zhigalov.
"You proably have me pipped," said Leah.
Zhigalov shows and Leah flashes before he tosses his hand into the muck.
Andrey Zhigalov - 51,000
Mike Leah - 27,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:53 AM Local Time
Picking up with the action following the draw, Adam Owen and Robert Mizrachi are engaged in heads up action. Owen has first action and he leads out with a bet of 2,500. Mizrachi comes over the top for 6,000 total only to have Owen three-bet to 14,800. Mizrachi thinks for a moment before tossing his cards at the muck.
Owen rolls over for a pair as the pot is pushed his way.
Adam Owen - 50,000
Robert Mizrachi - 58,500
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:44 AM Local Time
Matthew Honig, known to most on the East Coast as "Hanks", raises to 1,500 from the cutoff. Brian Brubaker calls on the button before Orjan Skommo moves all in from the big blind. Honig gets a count and the dealer verifies that the that Skommo is all in for 13,825.
Honig takes a second before moving all in for more. Brubaker folds and Skommo stands pat. Honig draws one and the cards are tabled.
Skommo shows and Honig shows . Honig gets his last card and begins to squeeze it.
"Three across," said Honig.
Honig flips up to give him a wheel and send Skommo home.
"I had a feeling he had a bad hand," said Honig. "I liked my hand, but I didn't want to put too many chips in with it [before the draw]."
Matthew Honig - 39,800
Orjan Skommo - Eliminated
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:41 AM Local Time
A player in middle position shoves all-in for 6,475, Mike Leah calls this all-in from the hijack. The player on the button shoves also all-in for approximately 22,000, Leah calls quickly. The shortstack draws one card, Leah draws one and the button stands pat.
Button:
Shortstack:
Mike Leah:
The shortstack gets another for a pair. Leah gets an for a nine-seven low and that's the best hand.
Mike Leah - 58,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:27 AM Local Time
Jorryt van Hoof opens the action with an early position raise to 1,600. The player in the next seat over three-bets to 4,200 and it folds around to Brandon Delnano on the button. He moves all in for 13,875 total and the blinds fold. Van Hoof lets his hand go and the middle position player calls the ship.
Delnano's opponent takes one card, flashing the as he throws it away. Delnano stands pat and the hands are revealed.
Delnano:
Opponent:
Delnano's opponent squeezes out an , failing to beat Delnano's ten low.
Brandon Delnano - 32,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:21 AM Local Time
Orjan Skommo comes in with a raise to 1,300 from middle position. Brian Brubaker, in the big blind, calls. Both players draw one card. Brubaker checks to Skommo, he bets 2,200 and Brubaker calls. Skommo shows a for a nine-eight perfect and that's enough to win the hand.
Orjan Skommo - 15,000
Brian Brubaker - 39,700
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:12 AM Local Time
Just before the break, PokerNews Editor-in-Chief Donnie Peters was eliminated from play at the hands of Frank Kassela. In his final hand, the action began with Matthew Smith opening to 1,500 from under the gun. A middle position player called and Kassela did the same from the cutoff. Peters shipped all in for his last 7,050 from the button and action folded back to Kassela. Kassela called and drew one new card. Peters stood pat.
Peters:
Kassela:
Peters patted a jack-seven low and Kassela was drawing live to score the elimination. Kassela pulled an , completing his eighty-seven and sending Peters to the rail.
Frank Kassela - 44,000
Donnie Peters - Eliminated
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:12 AM Local Time
Dan Smith opens the action with a raise to 1,500 from under the gun, the player on the button calls. The small blinds goes all-in for 2,100 and both players call.
The small blind draws one card, Smith pats and the button draws one card. Smith bets 1,200, the player on the button goes all-in for 6,425. Smith takes his time before he calls.
Button:
Small blind:
Dan Smith:
Smith has the best hand, and eliminates two players. It seems that he is currently the chip leader.
Dan Smith - 52,000
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 1:00 AM Local Time
Level: 9
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 150
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 12:45 AM Local Time
Players are now on their final 15-minute break of the evening.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 12:44 AM Local Time
The player sitting in the small blind bets 2,500 after the draw. Daniel Negreanu, in the big blind, decides to raise to 7,500. The player on the direct left of Negreanu, thinks for a minute and shoves then all-in. The small blind folds after a few seconds. Negreanu needs more time but also folds leaving himself with 20,700.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015 12:43 AM Local Time
After the draw, Mike Gorodinsky checks and Jorryt van Hoof bets 1,700. Gorodinsky goes into the tank for a few moments before calling. Van Hoof tables and Gorodinsky mucks his hand.
Jorryt van Hoof - 29,800
Mike Gorodinsky - 30,500