WSOP Main Event Day 1A: Leo Margets, Adrian Mateos, Dan Smith, Seth Davies amongst big names eliminated

The WSOP Main Event is officially underway, as Day 1A took place on Thursday, July 2nd. What’s dubbed by most poker players as “The greatest tournament in the world” saw 772 players step up to take their place in the field on the first of four starting flights.

Players receive a 60,000-chip starting stack and enjoy five breathtaking 120-minute levels. Despite players starting with 300 big blinds and an extremely slow structure, 229 players (29.7% of the field) were eliminated.

Big names hit the rail

As pros are generally the most aggressive players in the field, it’s not surprising to see some of the biggest names in poker hit the rail on the first day of play. In fact, one of poker’s top-five players on the all-time money list was eliminated: Adrian Mateos.

Mateos, who is coming off a heroic win in the WSOP $250,000 Super High Roller for $4.3 million and his sixth bracelet, was knocked out in cruel fashion on the new WSOP stream on ESPN.

Mateos, who had already seen his stack dwindle below 40,000, went four-handed to the flop in Level 4 with the blinds at 200/400. Mateos had flatted in the small blind with .

The flop came , and Doug Kellams, who had opened the action in UTG+1, bet 1,800 into the 6,000-chip pot. Matthew Schiavo, who had flatted in the cutoff, raised to 4,800. Mateos called, and Kellams called after the other player got out of the way.

With the pot at 17,400, the turn was the , giving Mateos the nut flush. Mateos led out for 7,000. After Kellams correctly folded pocket jacks, Schiavo called. The river was the , and with 34,400 in the middle and 23,800 behind, Mateos moved all in. Schiavo took a quick glance at his cards and called with pocket eights, giving him a full house, eliminating the Spaniard.

Tyler Phillips, Seth Davies, Dan Smith, Nicholas Seward, Mike Moncek, Julien Sitbon, Chad Eveslage, David Bach, Frank Funaro Jr, Leo Margets, and Jared Bleznick were also eliminated on Day 1A. Margets fell victim to pocket kings against pocket aces midway through the day and couldn’t spin it back up. Bleznick ended up eliminated in Level 2 of the WSOP Main Event, two-outered after getting it in good with pocket queens against pocket tens.

Another classic Phil Hellmuth entrance

The WSOP Main Event wouldn’t be the WSOP Main Event without a classic Phil Hellmuth entrance. The “Poker Brat” came out dressed as a superhero surrounded by Dan “Jungleman” Cates and his two sons – Phil Hellmuth III and Nick Hellmuth. He was also followed by 17 women, each holding up a sign with a picture of each of Hellmuth’s bracelet wins.

The elder Phil, along with Nick, took their seats, each being assigned to a TV feature table after the next break. Phil Hellmuth bagged a respectable 66,700 in chips while Nick Hellmuth fell below starting stack, going into Day 2 with 46,800.

WSOP Main Event Day 1A: Top ten chip counts

Japan’s Ryuta Nakai, selected in this year’s $25K Fantasy Draft, ended up bagging the chip lead with 323,000, good for an incredible 404 big blinds at the start of Day 2ABC.