WSOP 2021 Day 1

It felt like it would never come but on Thursday, the poker world saw the start of the 2021 World Series of Poker at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

2021 WSOP Day 1 events

Let’s take a look at what happened on the first day of the return of a live WSOP with three events beginning on Thursday and two more on Friday.

Event #1 – The $500 Casino Employees Event – As is tradition, the 2021 WSOP kicked off with the start of the $500 Casino Employees Event. This event had gathered a bit more attention than normal due to the well-publicized dealer shortage and controversy over vaccinations.

As for the event itself, it kicked off with 419 entries buying in to generate a prize pool of $175,980. When Day 1 was complete, it was Leo Abbe holding a chip lead among the 50 players that remained as they vie for prizes of at least $886 and $39,013 for first place, along with the coveted WSOP bracelet.

Event #2 – $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. – The first open event was a big one, the $25k HORSE, which attracted 73 entries. By the end of the action on Thursday, 47 players had survived with John Monnette holding the chip lead and Mike Matusow among the top chip stacks. Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth and Shaun Deeb were among those who weren’t as lucky, busting during Day 1.

Event #3 – COVID Relief No Limit Hold’em Charify Event A third event kicked off on Thursday, the $1,000 buy-in COVID-19 relief No Limit Hold’em, which is donating $100 from every buy-in to benefit frontline health care workers. A total of 266 players entered the event with 5 players remaining by the end of the day. Jesse Lonis holds a comfortable chip lead over Jeremy Ausmus to start Day 2 on Friday.

What’s on tap for Friday?

There are two events on the 2021 WSOP schedule on Friday, the $500 Reunion No Limit Hold’em and the $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better. The $500 Reunion, which got underway at 10 AM, will have three starting flights and run for a total of 5 days.

The $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or Better is the second tournament of the day, beginning at 3 PM PT.

A look at the sights and sounds from Day 1

Daniel Negreanu released his vlog of the 2021 WSOP, where he will be providing daily updates of the happenings at the World Series of Poker along with status updates on his play for fans and backers.

Of course, the World Series of Poker helps generate action across Las Vegas:

A daily WSOP podcast from the PokerGo team is available in addition to its streaming schedule.