The 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event has been nothing short of spectacular. This year's event, held in Las Vegas, has drawn a record-breaking number of participants, with 10,112 players vying for the prestigious title.
The tournament, known for its high stakes and intense competition, has seen numerous memorable moments and dramatic hands. As the event progresses, let's dive into some of the most significant highlights and news from the 2024 WSOP Main Event.
The 2024 WSOP Main Event set a new record with 10,112 players, surpassing the previous record of 10,043 players set in 2023. This remarkable turnout underscores the growing popularity of poker and the allure of the WSOP.
Each player paid a $10,000 buy-in, contributing to a massive prize pool. The winner of this year's event will take home a staggering $10 million, with the top nine players guaranteed at least $1 million each.
One of the most talked-about moments of the tournament was the elimination of Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu, a well-known poker pro, moved all-in for his final 34,000 chips and was called by Mauro Ferreira. Negreanu held K♠10♦, while Ferreira had Q♥Q♦.
The board ran out 2♥A♠3♥3♠J♠, resulting in Negreanu's elimination in 1,468th place. Despite the early exit, Negreanu walked away with a $15,000 cash prize.
The defending champion, Daniel Weinman, also faced an early exit. In a hand against Ruben Hovsepian, Weinman jammed about 100,000 chips from the button with A♦9♦, only to be called by Hovsepian's A♥Q♠.
The board came down 10♥3♠4♦A♠5♠, ending Weinman's run in 1,357th place. Like Negreanu, Weinman earned $15,000 for his efforts.
Another notable elimination was that of John Duthie, the creator of the European Poker Tour (EPT). In Level 17, Duthie found himself in a hand with Ben Collins.
With roughly 100,000 in the pot on an 8♦6♥4♣ flop, Collins check-called Duthie's bet of 85,000. On the turn (7♣), Duthie moved all-in, and Collins quickly called. Duthie had 9♠7♠, while Collins held pocket fives (5♣5♥). The river brought an A♥, giving Collins a straight and eliminating Duthie in 1,060th place for $17,500.
The tournament has seen several other high-profile eliminations. Colby Covington, a UFC fighter, was knocked out by high roller Aleksejs Ponakovs. Covington faced Ponakovs with a pot of around 100,000 chips on a turn of [2 ♠ Q ♦8 ♦9 ♠].
After some action from Ponakovs, Covington put out a bet of 125,000 chips. Ponakovs then raised all-in, covering Covington’s stack of roughly 320,000 chips. Covington eventually called for his tournament life, holding A ♦ Q ♥ against Ponakovs' [9 ♣2 ♣]. The river was [3 ♥], not counterfeiting Ponakov's two pair and sending Covington to the rail in 1,077th place for $17,500.
In another dramatic hand, Aaron Werner was eliminated by Ren Lin. In Level 18, Werner moved all-in for 510,000 out of the small blind and was called by Lin on the button.
Werner held Q ♥ Q ♦, while Lin had J ♥9 ♣. Werner was initially favored to double up, but the board ran out [7 ♣9 ♥A ♠3 ♣9 ♦], improving Lin to trips and knocking Werner out.
Adrian Mateos, a four-time WSOP bracelet winner, had a rollercoaster of a tournament. On Day 5, Mateos made a remarkable fold with K♠K♥ on a Q♦4♦2♣ board against Will Berry‘s A♠A♣.
The fold was praised by commentators and received positive reactions on social media. However, Mateos' luck took a turn when he picked up A♥A♣ against Adrian Garcia‘s A♠K♠. Despite being a favorite, Mateos was eliminated when Garcia made a flush on the turn and river.
As the tournament progresses, several players have emerged as top performers. Jonathan Newman from Canada led the chip counts with 573,500 chips on Day 1a. Herve Gouzil from France and Mantas Ungulaitis from Lithuania also finished Day 1a with impressive chip stacks.
Michael Moncek, a two-time WSOP champion, finished ninth with 357,000 chips and is on track for his eleventh in-the-money finish of the series.
Other notable players advancing to Day 2 include Adam Hendrix, Taylor Paur, Samuel Laskowitz, Jake Schwartz, Qiang Xu, Dong Chen, and Chad Eveslage. Hall of Famer Billy Baxter and Main Event winner Scott Blumstein also progressed with shorter stacks.
Day 1b of the 2024 WSOP Main Event is set to start on July 12 at 10:00 a.m. local time, with ten scheduled levels. Players can use the MyStack feature to keep their followers updated on their progress during Day 1b.
This feature allows players to share their chip counts and significant hands with their fans in real-time.
The 2024 WSOP Main Event has not been without its share of controversies. Just before the Day 3 dinner break, a possible angle shoot occurred at a table inside the Horseshoe Event Center.
Rayane Bouieb raised from the button, and the small blind folded. The big blind flashed his hand (Jx2x) but hadn't technically folded. After the cards were exposed, Bouieb tossed his cards into the muck. The big blind argued he hadn't folded his hand, leading to a ruling that the pot should be given to the big blind.
Thomas Zanot, another player not involved in the hand, criticized this ruling and was escorted out by security. Zanot received a one-round penalty to be served after a 75-minute dinner break. During his penalty, Zanot explained that he was trying to help Bouieb, who didn't speak English, and saw it as an angle shoot by the big blind.
The 2024 WSOP Main Event has been a thrilling and eventful tournament, with record-breaking participation, dramatic hands, and notable eliminations.
As the event continues, poker enthusiasts around the world eagerly await to see who will emerge as the champion and take home the $10 million prize. Stay tuned for more updates and highlights from the 2024 WSOP Main Event.
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