The first day of the WSOP Main Event is beyond special. The opening day of action in the Main is like Christmas Day to poker players and while none of the players who put up $10,000 to enter this year’s World Championship will be able to win it on the opening day, but players can bust out and lose it. There was pain and gain on Day 1a as the action in four other events thrilled poker fans at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos.

Polk Pushes Close to Lead on Day 1a, Tice Taken Out

The action was red-hot from the first card on Day 1a of the $10,000-entry WSOP Main Event, also known as the World Championship. The biggest tournament in the world was opened by Jamie Gold, who won the biggest-ever Main Event back in 2006 for $12 million. Gold ended the day on 163,500 chips, good enough for 58^th place of the 721 survivors and well above the average stack of just under 90,000.

Players began with 60,000 chips, and many thrived, with the 1,080 entries across the day led by Israeli player Yehuda Dayan (389,900), with Shota Nakanishi (360,100) and Doug Polk (281,900) in the top five. All-in-all, four former world champions played on Day 1a and all four survived, with Gold followed into the Day 2 seat draw by Joe Cada (115,100), Martin Jacobson (154,600), and ‘hybrid’ winner Damian Salas (56,200). Other big names such as John Hennigan (171,000), Dominik Nitsche (149,600), Shaun Deeb (97,300), poker coach Faraz Jaka (213,100) and David Peters (43,100) all made it.

Others weren’t so fortunate, with another Israeli suffering the most painful of exits, running kings into aces not once but twice. Idan ‘The One’ as he is nicknamed, was pictured disconsolate on the rail, proving the old adage right that no elimination hurts like that of each year’s Main Event.

That was especially true for Landon Tice, who busted despite saving his tournament life in an earlier, thrilling hand he later described.

Landon Tice (@LandonTice) had a very interesting predicament in a hand on Day 1A of the @WSOP Main Event.

He survived, but at what cost?

📺 – Watch Day 1A live here: https://t.co/dJcGPUEDvN pic.twitter.com/Gz37GJpwMC

— PokerGO (@PokerGO) July 4, 2023

Here are the top 10 stacks after a pulsating Day 1a of the 2023 WSOP Main Event.

Colossus Won by Family Man Refealowitz

The $400-entry Colossus was conquered by Israel’s Moshe Refaelowitz as he got the better of Dae Woong Song heads-up. The event winner’s golden run to the title started with six players left when he won with against the of the committed and at-risk Jose Orozcogomez. A six on the flop saw Refaelowitz win and with it, he only strengthened his chip lead.

Pete Chen was a player on the move and his won against the of David Danlag to boost himself up the ladder and take out the American. Chen even grabbed the chip lead, but Refaelowitz leapt into the lead again when his held against the at-risk player Darrick Areola’s .

Chen lost with a short stack shove against Refaelowitz in third place when his couldn’t overtake and that gave the Israeli a heads-up lead of 3:1 in chips. Song took the lead heads-up, but Refaelowitz battled back into an advantageous position and closed it out when Song’s couldn’t hit against the champion’s , which even turned a flush to send the bracelet to Israel instead of South Korea.

Julio Belluscio Wins Mixed Big Bet Event for $190k

Argentina’s Julio Belluscio won an entertaining Mixed Big Bet Event #73 for $190,240. At a final table that included mixed game WSOP legend Benny Glaser, who finished third, Belluscio got the better of Federico Quevedo heads-up as a South-North American crunch match ended in the Argentine’s favor. Erick Lindgren started the day fifth in chips, but couldn’t advance on that earlier top-half stack, to eventually bust in fifth for $37,901.

Anthony Zinno, who is a multiple WSOP and multiple WPT winner, made it to the final table but busted in seventh place, cashing for just $19,857.

Oleon Winning with Five Left in Mini Main Event

French player Jérémy Oleon (98.1 million) leads the final five in the $1,000-entry Mini Main Event, with Jennifer Abad close to the leader on 80 million. With three more American players still in with a shot of victory, Oliver Berens (63.3 million), Joshua Reichard (55.9 million) and Bradley Gafford (18.4 million) will still believe that tomorrow can be their day as all five players battle to win their first-ever WSOP bracelets.

Deutsch Delivering in PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship

The $10,000-entry PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship features just 19 players as it heads to the final day of action. Stephen Deutsch (2,110,000) ended the penultimate day of top as 149 players battled down to just three tables. The top prize of $598,613 and the bracelet will be on the line and John Holley (2,040,000), Hassan Kamel (1,745,000), Ryan Hoenig (1,550,000) and Maxx Coleman (1,090,000) all ended play with top five stacks.

Two massive names Joao Simao (585,000) and Dylan Weisman (545,000) will hope that their experience counts for just as much as their chips tomorrow as they battle to add another WSOP bracelet to their collection.

On a bumper day of action, the WSOP Main Event was the biggest draw. Xuan Liu may have played a part in players at her table changing their drinks order from honey and lemon to beer in the final level.

Both my adjacent neighbours just ordered hot water with honey for the last level of the night and neither is an Asian girl

Reminds me of the photo of the Brazilian players doing a group meditation in the Rio hallway on break

— Xuan Liu (@xxl23) July 4, 2023

‘Papa Rob’ Johnson was put into this year’s WSOP Main Event by his children and is already having a blast. They told Tiffany Michelle the full story.

“Papa Rob” Johnson’s five children have been saving for 5yrs to send their dad to #Vegas to realize his #BucketList item of playing in the $10,000 World Series of #Poker Main Event 🥹

Sounds like some good kids… and a special “Papa Rob” 🤩

More #WSOP on https://t.co/eD3emYuD7i… pic.twitter.com/8DoBZaC6pc

— Poker Org (@pokerorg) July 3, 2023

Rob Johnson himself took time out from the action to speak with PokerGO’s Jeff Platt.

Rob Johnson living the dream playing the @WSOP MAIN, a bday gift from his fam!! pic.twitter.com/CSK0OTIaJ2

— Jeff Platt (@jeffplatt) July 4, 2023

The best action, it has to be said, came involving Doug Polk. He was only too happy to explain his extremely eventful day on and off the felt.

Out in the field at THE MAIN, checking in with @DougPolkVids, who has had quite the day: pic.twitter.com/9ck2tMiKY2

— Jeff Platt (@jeffplatt) July 4, 2023

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