2023 World Series of Poker

Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship
Day: 2abc
Event Info

2023 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
kj
Prize
$12,100,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$93,399,900
Entries
10,043
Level Info
Level
41
Blinds
1,250,000 / 2,500,000
Ante
2,500,000
Players Info - Day 2abc
Entries
4,062
Players Left
1,877

Hendrix and Spragg Double Up in Back to Back Hands

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Adam Hendrix
Adam Hendrix

Adam Hendrix opened to 2,000 from middle position and the big blind defended.

The flop came 6?9?8?. The big blind checked, Hendrix fired a continuation bet of 2,000 and the big blind moved all in, covering Hendrix's remaining stack of approximately 7,500. Hendrix quickly made the call to put himself at risk.

Big Blind: K?J?
Adam Hendrix: A?A?

Hendrix was ahead with his pocket aces but the big blind was very live with a king-high flush draw. The board ran out 8?6? and Hendrix secured a much-needed double up.

Ben Spragg 'Spraggy'
Ben Spragg 'Spraggy'

The very next hand at the same table, Benjamin Spragg, best known as "Spraggy" online, moved all in from the hijack for his last 7,500 and received a call from the small blind, putting Spragg at risk.

Benjamin Spragg: A?K?
Small Blind: A?8?

Spragg was ahead with a bigger ace but the J?9?10? flop gave his opponent several more outs. The 10? turn and K? river were clean for Spragg and he secured the second double up at his table over two consecutive hands.

Player Chips Progress
Adam Hendrix us
Adam Hendrix
24,600
9,500
9,500
Benjamin Spragg gb
Benjamin Spragg
17,500
3,500
3,500

Tags: Adam HendrixBen Spragg

First Break of the Day

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Josh Arieh
Josh Arieh

Players are now on their first 20-minute break of the day in Day 2abc of the Main Event. Play will resume with blinds at 500/1,000 with 1,000 big blind ante. The action was fast and furious in the first level of the day and some highlights are down below.

The Smoking Petition: How Tom McEvoy Helped the WSOP Become Smoke Free

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Tom McEvoy
Tom McEvoy

One of the players in the field today is poker legend Tom McEvoy, who won the WSOP Main Event all the way back in 1983, conquering a final table that included the late Doyle Brunson who finished third. McEvoy was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2013.

At the time of writing, he's sitting with 88,000 in chips in his quest to win the Main Event a second time — which would be an incredible forty years after the first one. But did you know that McEvoy did something else? He was instrumental in turning the World Series of Poker into a smoke-free environment.

The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) has been a record affair drawing tens of thousands of players. Now, imagine those players were allowed to smoke at the table? That used to be the case at the WSOP, but thanks to the efforts of McEvoy and associates Casey Kastle and Paul Ladanyi, that all changed.

Not only did the WSOP at Binion’s Horseshoe become smoke-free – the second-hand smoke there was often called the “Horseshoe Crud” – but for the most part, the entire poker tournament industry did.

That was thanks to the “Non-Smoking Tournament Petition,” which McEvoy and company circulated in 2001 and ultimately collected 522 signatures, including from some of the biggest names of the game.

Read the full story on PokerNews

Player Chips Progress
Tom McEvoy us
Tom McEvoy
88,000
-2,400
-2,400
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 4X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer

Tags: Tom McEvoy

Disastrous Start for Day 1b Chip Leader Van der Spuy

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy
Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy

Jean-Pierre van der Spuy grabbed the chip lead on Day 1b, but his chip stack had already been mostly demolished, with just 35,000 chips remaining, when the action was caught.

Thomas Galusha then went all-in for around 15,000 from the cutoff and Van der Spuy called from the small blind.

Thomas Galusha: KxQx
Jean-Pierre van der Spuy: 10?10?

Galusha flopped a pair on 8?Q?A? and that would remain the best hand when the turn fell the 8? and the 6? river completed the board.

Another hit for Van der Spuy's stack as he now only plays roughly 25 big blinds. Meanwhile, Lawrence Chang has also lost some chips, while Jules Dickerson seems to be the biggest beneficiary of the chip trading, and is nearing the 400,000 mark.

Player Chips Progress
Jules Dickerson gb
Jules Dickerson
391,500
221,300
221,300
Lawrence Chang us
Lawrence Chang
203,000
-77,900
-77,900
Thomas Galusha us
Thomas Galusha
34,000
14,200
14,200
Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy za
Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy
21,000
-266,000
-266,000
Day 1B Chip Leader

Tags: Jean-Pierre Van Der SpuyJules DickersonLawrence ChangThomas Galusha

Arieh Deemed "The Luckiest Player in the Game"

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Josh Arieh
Josh Arieh

Josh Arieh raised to 2,100 in early position and was called by Daniel Ott in the hijack and Aaron Frei in the small blind. The flop came 10?9?8? and Arieh continued with a bet of 3,500. Ott quickly folded but Frei check-raised to 11,000 which Arieh called.

The turn brought the 4? and Frei checked again. Arieh counted out a bet of 13,000 and Frei stuck around for the K? on the river. Frei checked once more and Arieh reluctantly checked it back. "I can't believe I'm checking this," Arieh said.

"You're the luckiest player in the game," Frei said as he revealed Q?J? for a straight. "You probably have a flush."

"I'm the luckiest player in the game?" Arieh questioned as he sheepishly mucked his cards.

Frei continued to ramble about how many more chips he should have won and how the hand played out while he collected the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Josh Arieh us
Josh Arieh
173,100
-8,100
-8,100
Team Lucky
WSOP 6X Winner
Aaron Frei us
Aaron Frei
122,000
61,900
61,900

Tags: Aaron FreiDaniel OttJosh Arieh

Mateos Eliminated by Luo

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Adrian Mateos
Adrian Mateos

Adrian Mateos was down to his last 1,200 and shoved all in from early position. The player to his direct left called, as did Elaine Luo in the small blind and the player in the big blind.

With a potential quadruple-up pending for Mateos, the hand checked down to the river as the full board read A?2?9?6?9?.

Elaine Luo in the small blind led out for 3,000 and all remaining players folded.

Adrian Mateos: J?8?
Elaine Luo: A?8?

Mateos was sent to the rail but still found time to take a selfie with Luo before he left.

Player Chips Progress
Elaine Luo us
Elaine Luo
23,000
-8,000
-8,000
Adrian Mateos es
Adrian Mateos
Busted
WSOP 4X Winner
Winamax

Tags: Adrian MateosElaine Luo

Jorstad Escapes, Gregg Scoops with a River Raise

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Espen Jorstad
Espen Jorstad

Jose Montes opened to 1,800 in middle position and was called by James Gregg on his left. Espen Jorstad three-bet to 7,400 on the button and both Montes and Gregg called.

The flop fell 10?8?3? and the action checked around to the 6? on the turn. Montes led out with a bet of 11,000 which Gregg called and Jorstad stepped aside.

The river was the 2? and Montes fired out another bet of 12,000. Gregg raised to 41,000 which sent Montes into the tank for nearly three minutes before he finally dumped his cards in the muck.

The reigning 2022 Main Event champion is still off to a strong start on Day 2abc after scoring an early knockout with pocket kings.

Player Chips Progress
James Gregg us
James Gregg
126,500
20,300
20,300
Espen Jorstad no
Espen Jorstad
125,300
63,300
63,300
Defending Champion
WSOP Main Event Champion
GTO Wizard
WSOP 2X Winner
Jose Montes us
Jose Montes
54,800
-34,400
-34,400

Tags: Espen JorstadJose MontesJames Gregg

Endara Flops the World to Double

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Dalton Hobold in the cutoff, button Juan Endara, and two opponents in early position put in 2,700 before Victoria Livschitz three-bet to 15,500 out of the big blind.

Only Hobold and Endara called to the 8?10?9? flop, where Livschitz now checked. Hobold fired out 19,000 and Endara tossed in two green 25,000 chips, raising to 50,000.

Livschitz quickly folded, while Hobold tanked for a few minutes before shoving all in. Endara practically beat him in the pot for his last 87,000.

Juan Endara: Q?J?
Dalton Hobold: 8?8?

Hobold had flopped a set, but Endara had the nut straight as he stood up from his seat and began filming the action. Hobold needed the board to pair to send out his opponent, but he missed the A? turn and J? river as Endara earned a massive double up.

Player Chips Progress
Juan Endara us
Juan Endara
250,000
163,600
163,600
Dalton Hobold br
Dalton Hobold
80,000
-96,900
-96,900
Victoria Livschitz us
Victoria Livschitz
70,000
-29,900
-29,900

Tags: Dalton HoboldJuan EndaraVictoria Livschitz

Laak Off to a Hot Start

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Phil Laak
Phil Laak

A player in middle position opened to 1,800 and Phil Laak called from the hijack. A player on the button three-bet to 6,600. The middle position player got out of the way and Laak moved all in, covering his opponent who had approximately 40,000 behind. The button thought about his decision for about a minute before making the call to put himself at risk.

Button: A?K?
Phil Laak: A?A?

Laak was in very good shape to secure the knockout on the Q?5?2? flop. The 3? turn gave his opponent some outs to chop but the 3? river was clean, allowing Laak to take down a sizable early pot while sending his opponent to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Phil Laak us
Phil Laak
202,500
56,400
56,400
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Phil Laak

Lijo Busts Two in First Level of Day 2abc

Level 6 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Lander Lijo
Lander Lijo

Pengfei Wang, Lander Lijo, and a late registrant in the big blind were three-way to the turn on a board of 4?10?7?2?. The big blind checked before Lijo bet 19,000 into the pot of around 20,500. Wang then called all-in for the same amount and the big blind also came along.

The river fell the 9? and the big blind led out for 25,000, leaving himself roughly the same amount behind. Lijo thought for a minute before putting the big blind all-in, and the big blind eventually made the call.

Lijo showed K?Q? for a king-high flush, while the big blind played 8?6? for a lower one. Wang, meanwhile, had the best hand up until the river, but his A?10? for top pair was outdrawn.

Lijo raked in a big pot while the two other players' Main Event dreams were crushed and they left the tournament area.

Player Chips Progress
Lander Lijo es
Lander Lijo
218,500
111,900
111,900
Pengfei Wang us
Pengfei Wang
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Lander LijoPengfei Wei