The Super Main Event's Guarantee on the Verge of Breaking
The third starting flight added 476 entries, bringing the total registration count to 2,026, surpassing last year's total of 1,978 entries when Yinan Zhou claimed victory with a $6,000,000 win.
Thanks to the unlimited re-entry format and the ambition to reach the guaranteed $60,000,000 prize pool, professionals are burning through buy-ins at an astonishing rate. Daniel Negreanu has notably used eight buy-ins, but the record for most entries is held by Stephen Chidwick, who has fired 10 times ($250,000), with seven attempts coming on Day 2A. He is closely trailed by Affif Prado and the aforementioned Negreanu, each with eight entries ($200,000), while James Hopkins has had seven unsuccessful attempts.
On the flip side, Martin Kabrhel stands as the current chipleader from the first half of the tournament (after Day 2A), securing a significant stack with only two entries.
Day 1C Dominated by Arends
Day 1C saw 138 players advance. Leading the pack was two-time WSOP bracelet winner Jans Arends from the Netherlands, who was the only player to surpass the 5,000,000 chip mark. His fellow countryman Raoul Kanme followed closely, taking the second spot.
Among those who successfully bagged chips were several stars, including Kayhan Mokri (2,915,000), Kristen Foxen (2,680,000), Isaac Haxton (2,030,000), and Nick Shulman (1,320,000).
The tournament saw the end of several former WSOP Main Event champions: Greg Raymer (2004 winner), Espen Jorstad (2022), Scott Blumstein (2017), and Scotty Nguyen (1998).
Czech players also faced difficulties. Roman Hrabec and Zdeněk Žížka exited early, unable to replicate the performance of their compatriot Kabrhel, who leads after Day 2A.
Day 1C survivors will join those progressing from the final Day 1D flight, scheduled for today, as they battle for cash on Monday, December 15, during Day 2B. The remaining field will merge for the first time on Day 3.
Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 1C
|
Rank |
Player |
Country |
Stack |
|
1. |
Jans Arends |
Netherlands |
5,400,000 |
|
2. |
Raoul Kanme |
Netherlands |
4,930,000 |
|
3. |
Tobias Garp |
Sweden |
4,020,000 |
|
4. |
Ramiro Petrone |
Argentina |
3,970,000 |
|
5. |
Andre Moreira |
Portugal |
3,890,000 |
|
6. |
Martin Zamani |
USA |
3,840,000 |
|
7. |
Florian Lohnert |
Germany |
3,800,000 |
|
8. |
Chanracy Khun |
Canada |
3,800,000 |
|
9. |
Hui Chen |
China |
3,765,000 |
|
10. |
Sergio Da Silva Veloso |
Portugal |
3,700,000 |
Koray Aldemir Wins His Second Bracelet
Alongside the Super Main Event, Event #12: $10,000 8-Game Mix 6-Handed took place, with 2021 WSOP Main Event champion Koray Aldemir emerging victorious. The tournament attracted 115 entries, creating a $1,115,500 prize pool.
Originally a two-day event, it surprisingly concluded in an extra day. Aldemir claimed his second gold WSOP bracelet after defeating Felipe Ramos heads-up, earning $287,800.
Other well-known players participated, including Josh Arieh, who, with seven WSOP bracelets, aimed for his eighth but ultimately finished seventh.
|
Position |
Player |
Country |
Prize |
|
1. |
Koray Aldemir |
Germany |
$287,800 |
|
2. |
Felipe Ramos |
Brazil |
$188,900 |
|
3. |
Philip Sternheimer |
United Kingdom |
$128,400 |
|
4. |
Christopher Klodnicki |
USA |
$90,100 |
|
5. |
Mike Watson |
Canada |
$65,400 |
|
6. |
Dan Shak |
USA |
$49,200 |
|
7. |
Josh Arieh |
United States |
$38,400 |
Sources: WSOP, PokerNews, The Hendon Mob
