Action picked up on the turn with roughly 7,500 in the pot on a board of J♥2♥J♠6♦.
Dario Sammartino led out with a bet of 6,500 and John Smith, who is no stranger to the event, called in position.
Sammartino checked the 2♠ river, and Smith fired out a bet of 17,000. Sammartino flicked in the call and Smith turned over Q♦Q♠ to take an early lead.
Chris Brewer was in the big blind and check-called a 1,000 bet from Patrick Kennedy on at Q♠J♣Q♦ flop.
Brewer checked to Kennedy once more on the K♣ turn and Kennedy continued for 3,500. Brewer again called.
Both players checked down on the river and Brewer turned over J♥5♣ for queens and jacks.
"A jack is good," Kennedy said as he mucked his hand.
One of the interesting match-ups in the First Round sees Winamax Pro Joao Vieira take on Nik Airball, who lost a $1 million heads-up match to Matt Berkey in May 2023.
On the first hand, Vieira opened to 1,500 from the button, and Airball defended the big blind to the K♦Q♦7♣ flop. Airball check-called for 800, bringing in the 9♥ turn. Airball checked for a second time before Vieira sized up to 3,600.
Airball knocked over Vieira's betting chips to see the amount before making the fold.
Niveau: 1
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 0
Players have taken their seats and action is now underway.
Brackets and a full player listing will be posted shortly.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) has long stood as the premier poker event globally, drawing the most skilled and dedicated players worldwide. Over the next two months, fierce competition will unfold as players vie for one of the most prestigious accolades in the WSOP: the Player of the Year (PoY) title.
Those looking to immortalize their names in poker lore need to be aware of the set of new rule changes that the WSOP has implemented for the PoY race. These modifications are crucial for anyone planning their summer grind and hoping to secure a spot at the top of the leaderboard.
The brackets for the Heads-Up Championship are about to take place, slightly delaying the start time. We'll bring you the match-ups when they have been determined.
In the meantime, here are the chips that will be used in today's action.
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