Day 2abc of the WSOP Main Event saw a packed Bally’s and Paris casinos play down to Day 3 in style as past champions, new hopefuls and… Darth Vader – sort of – participated in this year’s WSOP Main Event Day 2. With players able to enter with a reduced stack, we saw the grand entrance of Phil Hellmuth, a quick bust-out for the PokerBrat and plenty more besides. In two other events, play got underway in a big-value One Drop event and a Mixed Omaha event that saw another big field in this year’s WSOP.
Main Event Drama as Hellmuth Lasts One Hour, Two Former Winners Survive
The first Day 2 flight of this year’s WSOP Main Event took place as Phil Hellmuth made his grand entrance and three Day 1 flights combined into the first of two Day 2s. With registration open until the end of the first two levels, some chose this day to make their entrance, and none did it more dramatically than Phil Hellmuth. Walking into the cardroom with the sound of John Williams’ Imperial March theme from Star Wars ringing in his ears, Hellmuth sat down to a chorus of cheers and boos, playing the pantomime baddie to perfection. Sadly for fans of the Poker Brat, Hellmuth wouldn’t win a single hand and was busto just 60 minutes later.
While Hellmuth struggled to find the force, plenty of others thrived, including two former WSOP Main Event winners in Ryan Riess and Joe McKeehen. Riess, the 2013 champion, won the Main the first time he stepped inside the walls of the Rio, and he will attempt to do the same this year at Bally’s, and in doing so become the first man to win two Main Events in the modern era. Collecting 275,000 chips, he finished with a deal more than the 2015 world champion McKeehen, who piled up 118,000 by the close of play.
Chip leader at the end of Day 2abc was Gavin Munroe, who ended up with 1,067,500 chips after going on a great late run. He was followed in the chipcounts by Karim Rebei who finished with 932,000 chips, with Nick Howard (810,000) a little further behind. With other big names such as Jason DeWitt (529,000), Jeremy Wien (497,500) and Tag Team co-winner Espen Jorstad (463,500) all in the top 40, it promises to be quite a Day 3 on the cards.
Phil Hellmuth may have busted but he was not the only one, with Bertrand Grospellier, Clayton Maguire, Shawn Daniels, Kenny Hsiung, Chris Brammer, James Canderaro and Daniel Alaei all on the rail before the close of play.
WSOP 2022 Event #70 $10,000 Main Event Top 10 Chipcounts:
- Gavin Munroe – 1,061,500
- Karim Rebei – 932,000
- Nick Howard – 810,500
- Ariya Iwato – 755,500
- Steven Stolzenfeld – 708,500
- Ayaz Mahmood – 618,000
- Franco Gasparini – 584,000
- Sergio Castelluccio – 570,500
- Aliaksandr Shylko – 558,500
- Richard Lee – 555,500
Liu Leads One Drop Event After Packed Day 1a
After a long opening day at the felt, Day 1a of the $1,111-entry One More One Drop event saw 841 entries, with 253 survivors making Day 2. Renmei Liu was the chip leader at the close of play with 445,500 chips, but he was closely followed by players such as Justin Lee (357,000), Rommel Berges (350,000), Justin Fawcett (348,500), Niko Koop (329,000) and Mateusz Moolhuizen (257,000).
Other big names to end the day with chips included Brian Green (159,000), Matt Berkey (101,500), Brett Shaffer (90,500) and Cherish Andrews (64,500), with plenty more entries guaranteed over the next few days. Last year’s event saw 3,797 entrants topped by Scott Ball on his way to becoming the NLHE Player of the Year for an extra $25,000.
WSOP 2022 Event #71 $1,111 One More for One Drop Top 10 Chipcounts:
- Renmei Liu – 445,500
- Justin Fawcett – 438,500
- Justin Lee – 357,000
- Rommel Berges – 350,000
- Aaron Earthman – 347,500
- Adam Weinraub – 344,000
- David Childs – 339,000
- Garith Rodgers – 334,000
- Niko Koop – 329,000
- Michael Thach – 328,500
Krickl the Leader in Mixed Omaha Bracelet Event
Kate Krickl (280,500) leads the field in Event #72, the $1,500-entry Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better event, with 771 players taking part in the only Day 1 of this mixed game event. At the close of play, Krickl was followed by Mark Erickson (262,000) and David Prociak (244,000), as 223 players saw their names go into the metaphorical hat for the Day 2 seat draw.
With other big names such as Chance Kornuth (207,500), Dylan Weisman (186,500), Men ‘The Master’ Nguyen (147,500), Scott Clements (142,000) and Barny Boatman (135,500) all progressing, Day 2 should be a doozy as players battle it out to get closer to the $195,565 top prize and that priceless gold WSOP bracelet.
WSOP 2022 Event #72 $1,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo Top 10 Chipcounts:
- Kate Krickl – 280,500
- Mark Erickson – 262,000
- David Prociak – 244,000
- Giuseppe Liantonio – 243,000
- James Chen – 223,500
- Lisa Ahumada – 220,500
- Michael Hernke – 219,500
- Rob Hollink – 219,000
- Andres Korn – 208,000
- Chance Kornuth – 207,500
Jason Mercier may not be playing the WSOP Main Event but his wife Natasha is, and with her husband’s blessing, too. Gotta love the Merciers.
It’s your first main event as a mommy! 5 years of non stop sacrifice for our family… you deserve this! Take it down my love !
Also, you blessed me with 3 amazing boys. I got them, u get the chips ? https://t.co/2zin2nD7Ru
— Jason Mercier (@JasonMercier) July 8, 2022
It would appear Barstool Nate has some plans for next year’s World Series of Poker. Big plans.
Bro we should get a content house next year at WSOP. Cameras n shit (no shower cameras), grind all summer, get rich or die trying. Completely take over WSOP.
— Natey WSOP (@BarstoolNate) July 8, 2022
You’ve heard of the Mystery Bounty at the WSOP. So what about the Misery Bounty? We’re here for it, that’s what.
new format – wsop misery bounty. it's like a mystery bounty but also has negative prizes. minus cashes, minus big blinds, orbit penalties etc.
— chu (@random_chu) July 7, 2022
It was certainly a miserable hour at the felt for Phil Hellmuth as the Poker Brat busted the Main Event inside 60 minutes without winning a hand!
Wow! Out of @WSOP Main Event quickly, sigh. I thought I was lasting 3-11 days. Was prepared: took 3 days off, worked out hard 10 AM, slept well, and came in very fresh. Then folded A-Q pre. Lost w K-K to a goofy AF spot (A-5 called double Q-8-4-2-3). I did not win a single hand!
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) July 7, 2022
Patrick Leonard followed up on his own advice for the WSOP Main Event… by busting with a premium hand.
I 3bet KK, flopped k83r and I’m now out of the main.
pic.twitter.com/MORLFz8Hwz https://t.co/zlQXxHVHpk
— Patrick Leonard (@padspoker) July 7, 2022
Finally, Matt Glantz shared a pretty heartwarming tribute to a famous friend of his in the poker world as he told the world that winning $1 million wasn’t the luckiest day of his life.
1m Bounty was the 2nd luckiest thing that ever happened to me at @WSOP.
Walked past a young kid in Rio hallways 2015. Didn't know his name but remembered him playing so tough in hands @parxpokerroom. Chased him down & handed him $4k for 30% of his main event. Josh finished 2nd.?— Matt Glantz (@MattGlantz) July 7, 2022
Official photographs courtesy of PokerGO, the home of live-streamed action throughout the 2022 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
