Sammy Farha Bags Chip lead in the $1,500 Big O

June 9 was the 13th day of the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP), and although it was a relatively quiet day, there was still plenty to shout about. We saw one of the greatest comebacks in WSOP history in the $1,500 Shootout No-Limit Hold’em event, and the legendary Roland Israelashvili gave himself every chance to capture his first gold bracelet after more than 500 money finishes at the WSOP.

Dan Sepiol wrote a comeback story for the ages on his way to taking down Event #23: $1,500 Shootout No-Limit Hold’em. Sepiol went into the heads-up battle against Robert Natividad trailing 17-to-1, and looked set for a runner-up finish. However, Sepiol defied the odds and emerged victoriously with the $305,849 top prize and his first WSOP bracelet in tow.

Sean Troha won his third WSOP bracelet in as many years, and will forever be known as the champion of Event #24: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship. The Ohio native won this very event in 2022, took down the $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha event in 2023, and captured this title in 2024. We bet Troha cannot wait for the 2025 WSOP!

754 Progress to Day 2 of the $300 Gladiators of Poker

Day 1d, the fourth and final flight, of Event #30: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em is in the bag, with 272 of the 5,388 starters making it through to Day 2. Those players, when added to the other three flights’ survivors, mean 754 players will return for Day 2.

Bracelet winner Rafael Reis bagged up 2,000,000 chips on Day 1d, which stands him in good stead for the rest of the tournament. That stack was the ninth largest on Day 1 and puts Reis in the top 35 when play resumes on Day 2.

Other bracelet winners Rajaee Wazwaz (1,240,000), Quincy Borland (1,040,000), Hassan Kamoei (555,000), and Pei Li (540,000) also made it through Day 1d relatively unscathed and will be gunning to add to their collection of WSOP hardware.

Day 2 kicks off at 11:00 a.m. local time on June 10, with the plan to whittle the field down across 17 levels.

Event #20: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em Day 1s Top 10 Chip Counts

Is This the Event Israelashvili Finally Wins a Bracelet?

Roland Israelashvili has more than 500 in-the-money finishes in WSOP events but none of those cashes have been outright victories. The serial cashes finds himself in the final ten of Event #25: $3,000 6-Handed Limit Hold’em, and with every chance of finally becoming a WSOP champion.

Israealashvili returns on Day 3 armed with 875,000 chips, or 11 big bets, enough for fifth place at the restart. He has some distance to make up because Daniel Vampan (2,470,000) has a substantial lead over the chasing pack, but if Dan Sepiol’s victory earlier in the day taught us anything, it’s that nothing is impossible at the poker tables.

Vampan leads from Frank Yakubson (1,650,000), Daniel Maczuga (1,500,000), and Lucas Wagner (940,000). Three-time bracelet winner Daniel Idema also made it through to the final day, but his 130,000 stack means he only has two big bets remaining.

Play resumes at 1:00 p.m. local time and continues until a champion is crowned. Will Israelashvili be that champion? Tune into PokerNews to find out.

Event #25: $3,000 6-Handed Limit Hold’em Chip Counts

Samuel Laskowitz Leads the $25K High Roller After Day 1

Samuel Laskowitz enjoyed a productive day at the tables in Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em, turning his 150,000 starting stack into a tournament-leading 1,211,000 after eight hour-long levels. The event drew in 274 entrants, with 99 progressing to Day 2, although both numbers will increase as late registration remains open until the end the first level of play on June 10.

Laskowitz finished second in the 2022 edition of the $400 Colossus for $256,170, but mostly played High Roller events. The New Yorker showed he knows his way around the poker table with a solid Day 1 performance and fully deserves his chip leader status.

Chino Rheem (1,101,000) and Noel Rodriguez (1,099,000) round out the podium places, while a host of superstars are in the chasing pack.

Dario Sammartino (1,030,000), Galen Hall (1,026,000), and ten-time bracelet winner Phil Ivey (838,000) return with top ten stacks, while the likes of Dan Smith (719,000), Daniel Negreanu (482,000), Erik Seidel (389,000), Jason Mercier (277,000), and Scott Seiver (148,000) are still in the mix. You can check out the full chip counts here.

Play resumes at 12:00 p.m. local time on June 10 with the plan to play another ten 60-minute levels. Anyone buying in late will enter the fray with just under 20 big blinds.

Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em Top 10 Chip Counts

$1,500 Big O Ends With 234 Players; Sammy Farha Bags Up a Big Stack

Sammy Farha is the man to catch after the 1,555 players who entered Event #27: $1,500 Big O were reduced to a more manageable 232 over the course of 16 levels. Farha, a three-time bracelet winner, topped the chip counts with 590,000 chips, a handful more than Scott Bohlman (579,000) and Mehmet Cetinkaya (574,000).

Farha is a legendary figure in poker. He won the first of his three bracelets in 1996, adding a second in 2006, before reeling in bracelet number three in 2010. It’s been 14 long years since Farha captured some WSOP gold, but he’ll fancy his chances of doing precisely that when Day 2 gets underway. All of Farha’s bracelets have some in PLO or PLO8 events; adding a Big O title to his resume would be the icing on the cake.

Specialist events always bring out the big guns, and this tournament was no different. Fantasy $25K Draft picks Jake Schwartz (449,000) and Yuval Bronshtein (425,000) return to the action with top 20 stacks, while Calvin Anderson (335,000), Michael Mizrachi (301,000), Adam Friedman (215,000, and Brad Ruben (213,000) are still in the mix.

As is reigning champion Scott Abrams (239,000) and a whole host of stellar names and former WSOP champions.

Day 2 shuffles up and deals at 1:00 p.m. local time. Players will complete Level 16 before playing another nine 60-minute levels.

Event #27: $1,500 Big O Top 10 Chip Counts

What to Expect on Day 14 of the 2024 WSOP

After a relatively quiet Day 13 of the 2024 WSOP, Day 14 on June 10 picks up the pace once again.

Event #20: $300 Gladiators of Poker No-Limit Hold’em sees all the surviving players from the four flights combine for the first time. Cards are in the air from 11:00 a.m. local time and the returning players will fight it out across 17 levels, each spanning 40 minutes.

Someone will win the bracelet and $148,635 top prize of Event #25: $3,000 6-Handed Limit Hold’em. Odds are it will be someone called Daniel as four of the remaining players are named that, but the poker community is rooting for Roland Israeashvili, who has over 500 WSOP cashes but, as yet, no bracelet on his wrist.

Day 14 also sees Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (8-Handed) play its Day 2. Late registration is open until the end of the first level of play, with the plan to whittle the field down across ten hour-long levels.

You can also tune into PokerNews‘ industry-leading coverage of Event #27: $1,500 Big O, which is scheduled to play 10 levels. That should be enough to get down to the final table, or at least somewhere near it.

Two new events shuffle up and deal on Day 14, starting with Event #28: $1,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em at 10:00 a.m. local time. Last year, Benjamin Ector outlasted 2,045 opponents on his way to turning $1,500 into $406,403. Seventeen levels, each lasting 40 minutes, are on the cards.

The second fresh event on Day 14 is Event #29: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship, which shuffles up and deals at 2:00 p.m. local time. Benny Glaser is the reigning champion, and he’ll be gunning for back-to-back victories and collecting his sixth WSOP bracelet.