Wednesday, July 20, 2022 3:51 PM Local Time
Garza Recovers Previous Losses
Raul Garza opened the action with a raise to 100,000 from under the gun. Ali Eslami called on the button and Benjamin Kaupp then three-bet to 325,000 in the big blind. Garza opted to call and Eslami stuck around as well as the shortest stack of the trio.
All three players checked the flop and the followed on the turn. Kaupp checked once more and Garza now bet 350,000, which claimed the pot without resistance.
| Raul Garza | 4,750,000 | 650,000  |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 1,650,000 | -410,000  |
| Ali Eslami | 875,000 | -300,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 3:45 PM Local Time
Kolev Doubles Through Garza
In the very first hand on the Mothership, Yuliyan Kolev raised to 400,000 from under the gun. Raul Garza then reraised to 1,00,000 on the button and Kolev called all-in for 660,000.
Yuliyan Kolev:
Raul Garza:
"Let's go, we need to hold," Kolev chanted and walked over to his rail before sitting back down. The flop kept him in the lead and he locked it up with the turn, making the river a formality.
Kolev then also won the next pot with a king when he made trips kings out of the big blind.
| Raul Garza | 4,100,000 | -660,000 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 1,675,000 | 1,015,000 |
| Gregory Wish | 635,000 | 100,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 3:33 PM Local Time
Updated Counts After Level 24
It appears that the final seven players will recommence on the Mothership and the action will then be paused at 4 p.m. local time, at which point the live streaming is then getting underway on a delay to air as of 5 p.m. local time.
Below are the updated counts and big blinds for the next level.
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Yuliyan Kolev | Bulgaria | 660,000 | 13 |
| 2 | Ali Eslami | United States | 1,175,000 | 24 |
| 3 | Ryan Messick | United States | 1,505,000 | 30 |
| 4 | Benjamin Kaupp | United States | 2,060,000 | 41 |
| 5 | Raul Garza | United States | 4,760,000 | 95 |
| 6 | Gregory Wish | United States | 535,000 | 11 |
| 7 | Robert Cowen | United Kingdom | 3,700,000 | 74 |
| Raul Garza | 4,760,000 | 10,000 |
| Robert Cowen | 3,700,000 | 400,000 |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 2,060,000 | -240,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 1,505,000 | -170,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 1,175,000 | -125,000 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 660,000 | 40,000 |
| Gregory Wish | 535,000 | -170,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 3:22 PM Local Time
Break for the Final Seven Players
Upon completion of Level 24, the last seven players have been sent on a scheduled break and their stacks will now be moved to the Mothership where the main feature table is waiting.
Updated counts are to follow, the plans for the live streaming will be determined shortly as well.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 3:14 PM Local Time
Cowen Forces Fold From Eslami
Robert Cowen made it 80,000 to go and Ali Eslami in the hijack then three-bet to 320,000. It folded all the way back to Cowen and he pondered about his next move for around 45 seconds. The Brit then pulled the trigger with a four-bet to 960,000 and Eslami folded within ten seconds.
"You had it?" Yuliyan Kolev in the one seat inquired and a somewhat befuddled Cowen asked back from the other side of the table. "What is ... it?"
| Robert Cowen | 3,300,000 | 500,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 1,300,000 | -300,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 3:04 PM Local Time
More Small Pots to Follow
Raul Garza raised to 80,000 on the button and Robert Cowen defended the big blind. On a flop, Cowen checked and then let go when Garza bet 75,000.
Ali Eslami limped from under the gun and it folded to Yuliyan Kolev in the big blind, who checked his option. The flop and turn were checked before Kolev bet the river for 75,000 and won the pot right there.
Ryan Messick then raised from under the gun and Ali Eslami defended the big blind to see a flop of go check, check. On the turn, Eslami bet 75,000 and Messick folded.
Messick, however, recovered the chips soon after when he flat-called a raise by Raul Garza in the next hand. The flop was checked by Messick, who then called a bet worth 60,000 by Garza. Both checked the turn and Messick bet the river for 275,000 to win the pot uncontested.
| Raul Garza | 4,750,000 | -250,000 |
| Robert Cowen | 2,800,000 | 475,000 |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 2,300,000 | 200,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 1,675,000 | -100,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 1,600,000 | 0 |
| Gregory Wish | 705,000 | -45,000 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 620,000 | -170,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:56 PM Local Time
Eric Bensimhon Eliminated in 8th Place ($20,000)
Eric Bensimhon open-shoved a stack of 400,000 from the hijack and Raul Garza reshoved from the small blind to get the hand heads-up.
Eric Bensimhon:
Raul Garza:
Bensimhon had run into aces and was eliminated in eighth place after the board ran out . Garza is running pure as of late and has over a third of the chips in play.
| Raul Garza | 5,000,000 | 600,000 |
| Eric Bensimhon | 0 | -660,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:44 PM Local Time
Garza Pulls Even Further Ahead
Ryan Messick opened to 80,000 on the button and was called by Raul Garza in the big blind. The duo checked the flop and the turn. Garza then bet the river for 150,000 and Messick reluctantly called to muck upon being shown the .
One hand later, Garza glanced at the stack of Gregory Wish in the big blind before raising to 125,000. Wish three-bet to 375,000 and Messick pondered about it for a few seconds to then call. On a flop of , Garza jammed and Wish sigh-folded the while Garza exposed the .
| Raul Garza | 4,400,000 | 600,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 1,775,000 | 175,000 |
| Gregory Wish | 750,000 | -450,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:37 PM Local Time
Garza Grows Lead
Raul Garza opened to 80,000 from early position and Ryan Messick defended from the big blind.
Messick checked on the flop of and Garza bet 60,000. Messick check-raised to 200,000 and Garza quickly called.
Messick checked on the turn and Garza checked back, and the same action took place on the river.
"You're good," Messick said before showing for a missed gutshot and Garza showed to win the pot and increase his chip lead.
| Raul Garza | 3,800,000 | 425,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 1,600,000 | -650,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:28 PM Local Time
Garza Retains the Lead for Now
Just before the blinds went up, Eric Bensimhon raised to 60,000 from an early position and was called by Raul Garza in the cutoff. Robert Cowen raised to 240,000 in the small blind and won the pot.
Once the blinds moved up, Cowen raised into the big blind of Garza and earned a call. They checked the flop and Garza checked the turn as well. Cowen bet 75,000 to earn a call and the river went check, check.
Garza revealed the and that won the pot.
| Raul Garza | 3,375,000 | 325,000 |
| Robert Cowen | 2,325,000 | 125,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 2,250,000 | -110,000 |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 2,100,000 | -150,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 1,600,000 | -100,000 |
| Gregory Wish | 1,200,000 | 100,000 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 790,000 | 60,000 |
| Eric Bensimhon | 660,000 | -240,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:19 PM Local Time
Eslami Raises Cowen
Robert Cowen was in the big blind against early position opponent Ali Eslami on a board of .
Cowen led out with a bet of 120,000 and Eslami put in a raise to 300,000. Cowen laid it down.
| Robert Cowen | 2,200,000 | 75,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 1,700,000 | 100,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 2:08 PM Local Time
Messick Jams Into Cowen
Ryan Messick made it 60,000 to go and Robert Cowen three-bet to 185,000 on the button. What followed was a four-bet to 450,000 by Mezzick and Cowen called. On the flop, Messick continued for 225,000 to earn a call and then jammed the turn for around one million in chips.
Cowen didn't bother asking for a count but quickly folded.
"Nice hand," another player remarked and asked if Messick was going to show his cards. "No, you can see it later on the stream ... oh wait," Messick joked as the action was still in the Horseshoe feature table and not the Mothership yet.
The journey of Messick continues as he won the last WSOP Online Bracelet in Pennsylvania at around 2.35am local time on July 20 and then immediately headed to the airport before playing Day 1 of this very event on no sleep.
| Ryan Messick | 2,360,000 | 1,160,000 |
| Robert Cowen | 2,125,000 | -825,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:58 PM Local Time
Small Pots; Kolev On the Rise While Garza Loses Minimum
Yuliyan Kolev won the blinds with a raise once and Benjamin Kaupp then limped the small blind for Raul Garza to check the option. On the flop, both players checked and Kaupp bet the turn for 35,000. Garza raised to 100,000 and won the pot.
Kolev then raised and bet a flop to win the next hand, as Gregory Wish gave up the pot.
Kaupp opened to 65,000 soon after and was called by Garza on the button and Robert Cowen in the big blind. The trio checked the flop and turn. Cowen check-folded the river to Kaupp's bet worth 125,000 as Garza called.
Kaupp tabled the for kings full and Garza mucked a king with a smile on the face and said "It feels like I won the hand".
Kolev then lost a portion of his stack after defending the big blind and folding to Wish's flop bet.
| Raul Garza | 3,050,000 | 0 |
| Robert Cowen | 2,950,000 | 0 |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 2,250,000 | 0 |
| Ali Eslami | 1,600,000 | 0 |
| Gregory Wish | 1,100,000 | 0 |
| Eric Bensimhon | 900,000 | 0 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 730,000 | 0 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:50 PM Local Time
Kaupp Wins Pot Without Showdown
Benjamin Kaupp opened to 65,000 from under the gun and Ali Eslami flat-called on the button, while Ryan Messick also called from the big blind.
The flop of checked through and the same action took place on the turn. Kaupp and Kaupp both checked on the river and Eslami bet 140,000. Kaupp took about a minute to think before folding and Kaupp quickly put in a chip for a call.
Eslami slid his cards to the dealer to surrender the pot to Garza without any showdown.
| Benjamin Kaupp | 2,400,000 | 570,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 2,100,000 | -150,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 1,200,000 | 80,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:41 PM Local Time
Cowen Chips Up With Aggression
Ali Eslami limped in from under the gun and Robert Cowen then made it 120,000 from the small blind. Yuliyan Kolev gave up the big blind and Eslami quickly called. On a flop of , Cowen checked and then called a bet worth 120,000 by Eslami, which led them to the on the turn.
Cowen now took the betting lead and made it 285,000 to go. That was enough to win the pot as Eslami sent his cards into the muck.
| Robert Cowen | 3,000,000 | 395,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 2,250,000 | -150,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:34 PM Local Time
Three-Bet Wins It for Wish
Yuliyan Kolev opened to 60,000 from under the gun and the action folded to Gregory Wish in the small blind, who three-bet to 250,000. Kolev folded and then let out this quietest "Woo" of the day.
| Gregory Wish | 1,000,000 | -190,000 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 700,000 | -85,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:26 PM Local Time
Gianluca Speranza Eliminated in 9th Place ($15,000)
In the first hand back from the break, Gianluca Speranza moved all-in from under the gun for the last seven and a half blinds. Gregory Wish then got it in from the button to isolate and the blinds got out of the way.
Gianluca Speranza:
Gregory Wish:
The dominated ace found no help yet on the flop while picking up some equity on the turn. However, the on the river paired the board and the kicker of Wish played to eliminate Speranza in 9th place for $15,000.
| Gregory Wish | 1,190,000 | 310,000 |
| Gianluca Speranza | 0 | -235,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:15 PM Local Time
Updated Counts on the Break
| Raul Garza | 3,375,000 | -25,000 |
| Robert Cowen | 2,605,000 | 5,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 2,400,000 | 0 |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 1,830,000 | 30,000 |
| Ryan Messick | 1,120,000 | -30,000 |
| Eric Bensimhon | 985,000 | 135,000 |
| Gregory Wish | 880,000 | -345,000 |
| Yuliyan Kolev | 785,000 | -15,000 |
| Gianluca Speranza | 235,000 | 10,000 |
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:07 PM Local Time
First Break With Nine Remaining
The last nine players are now on a scheduled 15-minute break.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 1:06 PM Local Time
Garza Chips Up Further
Benjamin Kaupp raised to 55,000 on the button and then called a three-bet to 180,000 by Raul Garza in the small blind. Both invested 100,000 on the flop and Garza then also bet the turn for 250,000. This time, Kaupp folded.
One hand later, Ali Eslami raised to 75,000 and Garza called on the button, as did Robert Cowen in the big blind. The flop was checked to Eslami, who bet 125,000. Garza raised to 280,000 and won another pot uncontested.
| Raul Garza | 3,400,000 | 300,000 |
| Robert Cowen | 2,600,000 | 500,000 |
| Ali Eslami | 2,400,000 | -300,000 |
| Benjamin Kaupp | 1,800,000 | -350,000 |