Action began on the river of a heads-up pot. Ryan Riess looked at a board of . He led out for 5,000 from under the gun.
Robert Downs sat in the cutoff and raised it up to 13,000.
Riess went into the tank for about two minutes, eventually deciding on a call. Downs revealed for turned trips, good enough to take the pot and cut Riess' chip stack down.
Nearby, Freddy Deeb has taken his seat and is ready to get into the action.
Ryan Depaulo raised to 800 from middle position before David Rees three-bet to 3,500 in the cutoff. Depaulo called and they saw a flop of .
Depaulo checked over to Rees who put out another bet before Depaulo immediately announced he was all in. Rees, with around 17,000 behind, snap-called with .
Depaulo, though, had out-flopped him with for a set. The on the turn improved Depaulo to a full house, and by the time the fell on the river Rees had packed up his things and made a quick exit from the tournament area.
Justin Bonomo opened to 600 before the player on his left three-bet to 3,000. Next to act was Robert Downs, who four-bet to 7,000. Bonomo folded, and the player in between made the call.
The flop came . The first player checked, Downs continued for 8,000. His opponent check-raised to 20,000. Downs made the call.
The turn fell the , both players checked the street.
The river was the . Downs again saw his opponent check. He decided to bet 12,000 on the river, and his opponent folded.
There was an early position raise to 500 with calls from Harry Kazazian in the cutoff and Josh Arieh on the button. Jimmy D'Ambrosio in the small blind then popped it up to 2,500.
"I think you guys are full of s***," he said.
Only Kazazian called to see the flop.
"One non-believer huh?" said D'Ambrosio.
D'Ambrosio checked and Kazazian bet 2,000. D'Ambrosio called.
"Be careful Harry," said D'Ambrosio. "You're behind."
The turn brought the and D'Ambrosio led out for 200, which Kazazian answered with a raise to 3,000.
D'Ambrosio called and the river brought the . The action went check-check and Karazain showed for a set of treys and D'Ambrosio mucked.
"I was right," he said. "You were full of s*** with your threes preflop."
Kelly Minkin was down to under half of the starting stack before this hand occurred. A player opened to 700 on the button, Minkin three-bet to 2,800 in the small blind, and the button called.
The dealer spread the flop, Minkin bet 2,500, and the button called.
The landed on the turn and Minkin bet 6,500. Her opponent called.
The completed the board and Minkin moved all in for 13,600. Her opponent called fairly quickly.
Minkin revealed for flopped two pair and secured the pot as her opponent's went into the muck.
The reigning No-Limit Hold'em Player of the Year Scott Ball is here for Day 1a.
Ball took home two gold bracelets last year and also finished fifth in the $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha this year for $342,590.
There was a raise from under the gun to 500 and a call from the hijack when Ball three-bet to 2,000 from the big blind.
Only the original raiser called to see the flop and both players checked to the turn. Ball fired out 1,200 and was called. The river brought the and Ball won it with another bet.
Players at a Bally's red table might have pulled one of the most difficult Day 1 table draws in Main Event history.
Sitting right next to each other are 2016 Main Event Champion Qui Nguyen and 2013 Main Event Champion Ryan Riess. A few seats down is three-time bracelet winner Justin Bonomo.
One table over sits Martin Jacobson, the 2014 Main Event Champion.
Three former champions sit within 15 feet of each other. Players around them may not have known what they were signing up for today.