Wilson and Jozoff Lead; Saliba Bags Big in Day 1 of the $25k NLH 6-Max
The players of the 2024 WSOP have reached what is the biggest buy-in of the series so far. Event #21: $25,000 NLH 6-Max saw a total of 216 entrants throwing their hat into the ring. This puts the prize pool at $5,076,000, and with registration open until the end of the first level of Day 2, it looks to grow in size. Just 76 of those initial 216 have survived to the end of the day.
Leading the way is Chicago’s own Brandon Wilson, who bagged 1,388,000. Wilson burst onto the poker scene within the past couple of years and has been steadily amassing wins and cashes in lots of high rollers around the country. Already having established himself as one of the best young crushers in the game, Wilson’s massive stack today seems to be a good start to what is likely to be a busy summer for this young man.
Another young man making a name for himself in the poker scene is Michael Jozoff, who ended his day with 1,127,000. One of the youngest players in the field, Jozoff’s tournament results have been building over the past couple of years. With a ninth-place finish in last year’s $25k 8-max, Jozoff will be hunting for his first WSOP bracelet to add to his burgeoning resume.
Justin Saliba found himself the recipient of a late-night double-up when his kings held against Chris Hunichen’s tens. He bagged up a sizable 767,000, good for just under one hundred big blinds. The two-time WSOP bracelet winner looks to add a first live WSOP bracelet to his already quite decorated resume. With several deep runs in the previous years in the WSOP, Saliba looks to start the summer off right with a good run in this tournament.
Day 1 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brandon Wilson | United States | 1,388,000 | 174 |
| 2 | Michael Jozoff | United States | 1,127,000 | 141 |
| 3 | Artur Martirosian | Russia | 988,000 | 124 |
| 4 | Paul Jager | United States | 934,000 | 117 |
| 5 | Rainer Kempe | Germany | 858,000 | 107 |
| 6 | Brek Schutten | United States | 813,000 | 102 |
| 7 | Michael Rocco | United States | 790,000 | 99 |
| 8 | Chongxian Yang | United States | 769,000 | 96 |
| 9 | Justin Saliba | United States | 767,000 | 96 |
| 10 | Kevin Rabichow | United States | 724,000 | 91 |
Many other notables found themselves making runs in the tournament, including Rainer Kempe (858,000), Michael Rocco (790,000), Justin Bonomo (715,000), Aliaksandr Shylko (485,000), and Chance Kornuth (412,000). Phil Ivey (411,000) and Daniel Negreanu (126,000) both hopped in late in the day and survived onto the following day. Many more line the list of accomplished players looking to carve their names a little deeper into WSOP legacy.
Not all were able to survive throughout the day. Adrian Mateos burned through two bullets, joining the rail along with Alex Kulev, Stephen Chidwick, Seth Davies, Jonathan Jaffe, Espen Jorstad, Koray Aldemir and Jesse Lonis along with others. Those who did not fire a second bullet will have the right to re-enter the following day until the end of level 9.
Players will return tomorrow (June 7) at 12:00 p.m. local time for the second day of the tournament. Players will start at Level 9 with blinds at 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 big blind ante. Play will resume in the Horseshoe Silver section.
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