Josh Arieh Bags the Lead in Event #80: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller
Day 1 of Event #80: $25,000 H.O.R.S.E. High Roller at the 2023 World Series of Poker, held at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, has come to an end with Josh Arieh (621,500) bagging up the chip lead as he hunts for a sixth career bracelet.
Motoyoshi Okamura finished among the chip leaders after bagging 565,000. Also bagging big were Yehuda Buchalter (511,000) and Nacho Barbero (504,000), who were able to clear the half-million chip mark.
End of Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Arieh | United States | 621,500 |
| 2 | Motoyoshi Okamura | Japan | 565,000 |
| 3 | Yehuda Buchalter | United States | 511,000 |
| 4 | Nacho Barbero | Argentina | 504,000 |
| 5 | Hal Rotholz | United States | 478,000 |
| 6 | Matt Glantz | United States | 463,000 |
| 7 | Andres Korn | United States | 461,000 |
| 8 | Max Hoffman | United States | 451,000 |
| 9 | Michael Noori | United States | 445,000 |
| 10 | Michael Moncek | United States | 415,000 |
Arieh is one of the best all-around poker players of all time and a future Hall of Famer. The popular pro captured his fifth bracelet earlier this series when he came out on top in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship. Should Arieh at least make the money in this event, which looks likely, it will be his 15th cash of the 2023 WSOP, which will help close the gap on Ian Matakis in the Player of the Year race.
Okamura has over $1.2 million in live-tournament earnings and won his first bracelet in a No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha event back in 2021. The Japanese poker pro already has several cashes from this year's World Series of Poker and is in pole position to make a serious run at his second gold bracelet.
So far, there have been 98 entrants in the tournament, which has already surpassed the 78 runners from the last time this event was held back in 2021. Of those players, 56 managed to bag and more are expected to register tomorrow as late registration remains open until the start of Day 2. One reentry is allowed, so there could be some return appearances.
There was no shortage of notables who managed to earn a Day-2 berth, including but not limited to Hal Rotholz (478,000), Matt Glantz (463,000), Ralph Perry (404,500), Paul Volpe (326,000), Viktor Blom (319,500), Mike Matusow (309,000), Brian Hastings, (254,000), and three-time Poker Player's Championship winner Brian Rast (183,000).
Defending champion Jesse Klein didn’t have the best day but managed to bag 63,500 in his quest for a second bracelet.
Some less fortunate players who busted before the day’s end included Mori Eskandani, Wil Wilkinson, Wooram Cho, Max Pescatori, Patrick Leonard, and Jen Harman, who fired two bullets but was unable to gain any momentum throughout the day.
Day 2 is set to begin on July 11 at 1:00 p.m. local time. Play will begin on Level 11, which features 3,000/6,000 blinds for limit flop games and a 1,500 ante with a 2,000 bring-in and 6,000/12,000 limits for stud games. Play will continue for an additional ten 60-minute levels, and players will get a 15-minute break after every two levels. A 60-minute dinner break will be held after Level 16 (~7:30 p.m.)
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action leading to the next H.O.R.S.E. champion here at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas!