2024 WSOP Day 44: Song And Mateos Thrive in the Main Event as Past Champions Bow Out
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Another exciting and action-packed day is over, with Day 44 of the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas concluding in the early hours of July 11. Since it shuffled up and dealt, the Main Event has been the primary focus of the community, and that continued on Day 44 with the bursting of the money bubble.
There will be no two-time WSOP Main Event champion this year because the six former champs who returned for Day 4 all fell by the wayside before the day concluded.
Aside from the Main Event, two players became WSOP champions on July 10.
The first bracelet of the day went to Carsten Heidemann, the champion of Event #84: $600 Ultra Stack No-Limit Hold'em. Day 3 started with only 19 players from the 6,628 starters, and Heidemann defeated Ramana Epparla heads-up, capturing a $343,010 top prize and their first WSOP bracelet.
Event #8: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em also crowned its champion, and Matthew Alsante is that man. The 1,042-strong crowd was reduced to only 88 runners on Day 1. After just over eight hours of action on Day 2, Alsante had all 52,100,000 chips in play in their stack, which they exchanged for a cool $785,486 and their first bracelet.
Song is Singing in Going Into Day 5 of the Main Event
Only 464 players remain in contention for the $10 million top prize in Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship, and none of them have more chips than Stephen Song (4,745,000). Soong won a bracelet in 2019 when he took down a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for $341,854 and looks set for another deep run having crammed 190 big blinds into his overnight chip bag.
Spanish superstar Adrian Mateos (4,500,000) is Song's nearest opponent as he hunts a fifth WSOP bracelet. Everything went right for the Spaniard on Day 4, with Mateos telling PokerNews, "I won many pots. All my value-bets got paid, all my bluffs were folded to." Mateos is a formidable opponent at the best of times, but especially so when he's wielding a big stack.
Judging by the overnight chip counts, the 2024 WSOP Main Event could be the Year of the Pro because dozens of elite-level grinders are through to Day 5.
Ryan Hoenig (3,665,000) returns in the top ten, while Boris Kolev (3,045,000), Aleksejs Ponakovs (2,935,000), Matt Stout (2,910,000), David Prociak (2,880,000), and Alex Keating (2,875,000) are all in the upper echelons of the counts.
If you're following the $25K Fantasy Draft, there are 18 picks still in the mix, including the aforementioned Song, Mateos, and Hoenig. Among the others are Josh Reichard (2,540,000), Main Event specialist Alex Livingston (1,995,000), Nacho Barbero (1,620,000), Brian Rast (1,605,000), Kristen Foxen (1,320,000), Phil Ivey (650,000), and Maria Ho (340,000).
Sadly, all six returning past Main Event champions bowed out on Day 4. Espen Jorstad and reigning champion Daniel Weinman crashed out along with Scott Blumstein, Robert Varkonyi, Koray Aldemir, and Joe McKeehen.
Day 5 starts at 12:00 p.m. local time on July 11, with another five two-hour levels scheduled. That should be enough time to whittle the field down to around 200 players. Matters have become serious in the record-breaking Main Event.
Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Stephen Song | United States | 4,745,000 | 190 |
2 | Adrian Mateos | Spain | 4,500,000 | 180 |
3 | Will Berry | United States | 4,465,000 | 179 |
4 | Aloisio Dourado | Brazil | 4,335,000 | 173 |
5 | Biao Ding | United States | 4,265,000 | 171 |
6 | Malo Latinois | United States | 4,130,000 | 165 |
7 | Luis Vazquez | United States | 4,055,000 | 162 |
8 | Nazar Buhaiov | United Kingdom | 3,875,000 | 155 |
9 | Kevin Theodore | United States | 3,760,000 | 150 |
10 | Ryan Hoenig | United States | 3,665,000 | 147 |
Ajez Comes Out On Top in the $1,000 PLO Mystery Bounty
Day 1b of Event #86: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha drew in 2,582 entrants, with 270 progressing to Day 2. Australia's Najeem Ajez (1,454,000) claimed the Day 1b chip lead, and is the man to catch overall when Day 2 begins.
Ajez has over $1.5 million in live poker tournament cashes, an impressive sum helped by his six cashes during the 2024 WSOP. He may currently hold the title of chip leader, but some seriously talented individuals progressed with him from Day 1b.
Tyler Brown (1,239,000), James Carroll (1,230,000), Chance Kornuth (1,230,000), and Giuseppe Pantaleo (1,187,000) each finished in the top ten of the overnight counts.
Such luminaries as Ryan Leng (780,000), Jake Schwartz (697,000), Leo Margets (508,000), Ryan Riess (445,000), John Riordan (274,000), and JC Tran (153,000) also find themselves in contention for this event's bracelet.
Day 2, which plays down to a winner, starts at 11:00 a.m. local time on July 11.
Event #86: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank | Player | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Najeem Ajez | Australia | 1,454,000 | 145 |
2 | Kao Saechao | United States | 1,364,000 | 136 |
3 | Welker Mendes Demedeiros | Brazil | 1,357,000 | 136 |
4 | Tyler Brown | United States | 1,239,000 | 124 |
5 | James Carroll | United States | 1,230,000 | 123 |
6 | Chance Kornuth | United States | 1,188,000 | 119 |
7 | Giuseppe Pantaleo | Germany | 1,187,000 | 119 |
8 | Jason Stockfish | United States | 1,090,000 | 109 |
9 | James Cavanaugh | United States | 1,054,000 | 105 |
10 | Melissa Riahei | United States | 1,034,000 | 103 |
Inaugural Eight Game Championship Attracts 158 Entrants
Event #88: $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship saw 158 players enter on Day 1, a number that could rise with late registration remaining open until the end of Day 2's first level.
Bagging up the chip lead on Day 1 was Jordan Siegel (336,500). The New Yorker has eight cashes at this series, and a long history of going deep in non-Hold'em events. Sigel looks on course for a ninth cash of the summer and, perhaps, his first gold bracelet.
Mike Watson (332,500) finished a handful of chip behind the leader as he searches for a long overdue bracelet, while Ali Eslami (282,500), Calvin Anderson (280,500), Marco Johnson (274,500), and Ian Johns (251,000) are hopeful of adding to their jewelry collection.
Several other bracelet winners and $25K Fantasy Draft players also navigated their way to Day 2. They include Yuri Dzivielevski (218,000), Maxx Coleman (209,500), Rob Hollink (200,000), Robert Mizrachi (16,000), Scott Seiver (103,500), and Daniel Weinman (103,000), the latter entering immediately after busting from the Main Event.
Day 2 starts at 1:00 p.m. local time on July 11, with eight levels planned. The first four levels last 60 minutes before extending to 90 minutes until a champion is crowned on Day 3.
Event #88: $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank | Player | Country | Chips |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Jordan Siegel | United States | 336,500 |
2 | Mike Watson | Canada | 332,500 |
3 | Daniel Tafur | Spain | 320,000 |
4 | Ali Eslami | United States | 282,500 |
5 | Calvin Anderson | United States | 280,500 |
6 | Marco Johnson | United States | 274,500 |
7 | Dai Ishibashi | Japan | 271,000 |
8 | Ian Johns | United States | 251,000 |
9 | Tomasz Gluszko | Poland | 224,000 |
10 | Danny Noam | United States | 222,500 |
What to Expect on Day 45 of the 2024 WSOP
Event #81: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship completed its fourth day, and only 464 of the 10,112 starters remain in the hunt for the $10 million top prize. Day 5 starts at 12:00 p.m. local time on July 10, and the plan is the same as it has been on previous days: another five two-hour levels.
Event #86: $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha is scheduled to play down to a winner despite 463 players returning for Day 2. There is a chance this will require an unscheduled Day 3, although the 11:00 a.m. local time start should help.
We also have Day 2 of Event #88: $10,000 Eight Game Mixed Championship, so you now where to head if mixed games are your thing.
Three new events have Day 1s on July 11 if you didn't think the Horseshoe and Paris was busy enough. Event #89: $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship, a new event for 2024, starts at 10:00 a.m. local time and should see a huge crowd on both flights. PokerNews' traditional coverage starts on Day 2 (July 14 at 1:00 p.m. local time).
Love short-handed Pot-Limit Omaha? You'll adore Event #90: $1,500 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaha, which begins at 12:00 p.m. local time. Like the $3,000 Mid-Stakes Championship, this is a brand-new event for 2024.
Last but not least is Event #91: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E., an event that drew in 331 entrants in 2023. Ryan Miller is the reigning champion; his victory came with his second bracelet and $208,460 in prize money.
In this Series
- 1 2024 WSOP Day 1: Qui Nguyen Starts the Series With an Early Chip Lead
- 2 2024 WSOP Day 2: Sammy Farha Among Big Names in $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo
- 3 2024 WSOP Day 3: First Two Bracelets of the Series Awarded
- 4 2024 WSOP Day 4: Two More Bracelets And A Lot More Big Names
- 5 2024 WSOP Day 5: Massive Field in Mystery Millions; Yockey Eyes Second Title
- 6 2024 WSOP Day 6: Seiver Puts Himself in Contention for a Fifth Bracelet
- 7 2024 WSOP Day 7: Ivey and Negreanu Among $10K Dealer's Choice Survivors
- 8 2024 WSOP Day 8: Negreanu and Ivey Reach Final 11 in the $10K Dealer's Choice
- 9 2024 WSOP Day 9: $10K Dealer's Choice Requires an Unscheduled Fourth Day
- 10 2024 WSOP Day 10: Three Bracelets Awarded; Superstars Out in Force
- 11 2024 WSOP Day 11: Two Bracelets Won, Winter Leads $10k PLO H/L Event
- 12 2024 WSOP Day 12: Greenstein Bags In Gladiator, Hellmuth In $3k LHE
- 13 2024 WSOP Day 13: An Epic Comeback and a Legend Goes Deep
- 14 2024 WSOP Day 14: Six $25K Fantasy Draft Picks Progress to the NLHE High Roller Final Day
- 15 2024 WSOP Day 15: Ivey is in the Mix For His 11th Bracelet
- 16 2024 WSOP Day 16: Ivey Misses Flight Because $10K 2-7 Requires an Extra Day
- 17 2024 WSOP Day 17: Ivey's 11th Bracelet Win Dominates the Headlines on an Action-Packed Day
- 18 2024 WSOP Day 18: Ivey and Negreanu Make Day 2 Of $50k High Roller
- 19 2024 WSOP Day 19: UFC Announcer Bruce Buffer in Final 13 of $50k HR
- 20 2024 WSOP Day 20: Lang Leads All-Star Cast to Final Day of the $10K Stud
- 21 2024 WSOP Day 22: $100K High Rollers Beats Last Year's Numbers; Late Reg Still Open
- 22 2024 WSOP Day 23: Viktor "Isildur1" Blom Leads $100K High Roller Final Six
- 23 2024 WSOP Day 24: Four Champions Crowned on a Ridiculously Busy Day
- 24 2024 WSOP Day 25: Adam Friedman Close To Fourth Mixed Game Bracelet
- 25 2024 WSOP Day 26: Phil Ivey Makes The Final Day of Super High Roller
- 26 2024 WSOP Day 27: Obst Claims Early $50K PPC Lead
- 27 2024 WSOP Day 28: Negreanu Reaches Day 3 of the $50K PPC
- 28 2024 WSOP Day 29: PokerNews Deepstack Championship Smashes 2023's Attendance!
- 29 2024 WSOP Day 30: Brewer Leads the Final Five in the $50K PPC
- 30 2024 WSOP Day 31: Branden Shimamoto Leads the Final 5 in the PokerNews Deepstack Championship
- 31 2024 WSOP Day 32: Elezra Chases 6th Bracelet, Benyamine Final Tables
- 32 2024 WSOP Day 33: Gus Hansen Enters and Bags in the PLO High Roller
- 33 2024 WSOP Day 34: Jamie Kerstetter On Course for Her First Bracelet
- 34 2024 WSOP Day 35: Rast Positions Himself For Bracelet No. 7
- 35 2024 WSOP Day 36: Two More Bracelets Won as Foxen Eliminates and Tilts Hellmuth
- 36 2024 WSOP Day 37: $10,000 Main Event Explodes Into Action
- 37 2024 WSOP Day 38: Erik Seidel Soars on Day 1b of the Main Event
- 38 2024 WSOP Day 39: Negreanu and Hellmuth Make Day 2 of Main Event
- 39 2024 WSOP Day 40: Ivey Joins the Field of 2nd Biggest Main Event Ever
- 40 2024 WSOP Day 41: Five Main Event Champions Fall on Day 2abc
- 41 2024 WSOP Day 42: Reigning Champion Weinman Sails Through Record-Breaking Day 2d
- 42 2024 WSOP Day 43: Aldemir Reaches Day 4 of the Main Event as Six Champs Progress
- 43 2024 WSOP Day 44: Song And Mateos Thrive in the Main Event as Past Champions Bow Out
- 44 Poker Gods Punish Mateos on Day 5 of WSOP Main Event as Song Maintains Chip Lead
- 45 2024 WSOP Day 45: Gus Hansen is Deep in the $10K 8-Game
- 46 2024 WSOP Day 46: Joseph Cheong Slow Rolls the High Rollers
- 47 2024 WSOP Day 47: Christoph Vogelsang Leads High Roller Final Table
- 48 2024 WSOP Day 48: Adrian Mateos Could Capture His Fifth WSOP Bracelet
- 49 2024 WSOP Day 49: Scott Ball Bags Up 254 Big Blinds in the $3K PLO
- 50 2024 WSOP Day 50: Stars Turn Out for Day 1b of The Closer