2020 WSOP Main Event - GGPoker
Day 1a Completed
2020 World Series of Poker Main Event
2020 WSOP Main Event - GGPoker
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2020 World Series of Poker Main Event
Buy-in
$10,000
Prize Pool
$6,470,400
Entries
674
Level
41
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Entries
246
Players Left
62
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
The first starting day of the 2020 World Series of Poker $10,000 Freezeout Main Event on GGPoker has wrapped up and 62 players out of a field of 246 unique entries booked their seats for Day 2. With another two international starting days to follow on Saturday, December 5th, and Sunday, December 6th, 2020, the current prize pool of $2.4 million is certain to increase significantly.
Leading the Day 1a survivors after a close race in the final level is Julian "VWgunther" Menhardt, who ended up as the only player above half a million in chips after knocking out Ami Barer and virtually bagged up 534,490. His nearest followers are Paul "AsiaStylez" Esau (475,075) and Dirk Gerritse (457,197) with Preben Stokkan right behind on 446,677.
The overnight top ten also include notables such as Ilya Anatsky (407,356), Michal "ml22322" Lubas (397,579), Sosia "Aunty_Ninja" Jiang (390,312), and Lauryinas Levinskas (389,628), Norway's Espen "COVFEFE-19" Jorstad also secured a big stack for Day 2 and advanced with 361,792.
The Top 10 After Day 1a at a Glance
| Position | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Julian "VWgunther" Menhardt | Austria | 534,490 | 107 |
| 2 | Paul "AsiaStylez" Esau | Germany | 472,075 | 94 |
| 3 | Dirk Gerritse | Netherlands | 457,197 | 91 |
| 4 | Preben Stokkan | Norway | 446,677 | 89 |
| 5 | sunnyzyang1982 | China | 441,981 | 88 |
| 6 | Ilya Anatsky | Belarus | 407,356 | 81 |
| 7 | Michal "ml22322" Lubas | Poland | 397,579 | 80 |
| 8 | Sosia "Aunty_Ninja" Jiang | New Zealand | 390,312 | 78 |
| 9 | Laurynas Levinskas | Lithuania | 389,628 | 78 |
| 10 | WhatIfPIOswrong | United Kingdom | 386,050 | 77 |
Some familiar faces of the international poker circuit that advanced to Day 2 in the first of three flights are Alexandros Theologis (252,653), Brunno Botteon (247,359), Anatoly Filatov (232,102), online casino games streamer Jari "Jarttu84" Lahtinen (224,730), 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events MILLIONAIRE MAKER champion Daniel Dvoress (200,905), Aliaksei Boika (197,556 and Yuri Dzivielevski (184,326) to name all but a few in a star-studded field.
Throughout the 16 levels of 30 minutes each, big names such as Ognyan "fizoka" Dimov, Ole Schemion, Fabrizio "UknowWhoIam" Gonzalez, Fedor Holz, Wiktor Malinowski, Patrik "Magicpsilo" Antonius, Steven van Zadelhoff, Rui Ferreira, Kristen Bicknell, Christian Rudolph, Julien Martini, and Fabian Quoss all ran out of chips and won't have another chance to re-enter as the event is held in a Freezeout format.
The Action of the Day
There was a steady stream of new entries in the first hours and the field quickly grew to more than 150 players. While no elimination took place in the first level of the day, that all changed in the second level when Austria's "juco" won a three-way all-in with aces versus two kings. It was a sign of things to come, as the pots kept growing and the casualties emerged more frequently from thereon.
Two-time WSOP bracelet winner Timor "Avocado Love" Margolin lost a flip and was soon joined on the rail by Boris Kolev, who flopped a set of fours only for Jari "Jarttu84" Lahtinen to table a turned set of aces when the chips went in. Daniyar Aubakirov ran an ill-timed bluff with flopped top pair and was unable to get Endrit Geci off a straight to become the next high-profile elimination.
GGPoker ambassador Fedor Holz was aiming to add a third WSOP bracelet to his collection but the retired prodigy and businessman came up second-best with a rivered full house. "RandyLew!" - not to be confused with poker pro and $10,300 Super MILLION$ final table commentator Randy Lew - had the best of it but also fell in the late stages of the day.
Japanese TV star Gakuto Oshiro, known under his alias "GACKT", was also among the participants for Day 1a and remained above the average throughout the first half. However, Oshiro eventually lost a flip and bowed out in level 10. By then, Russian poker pro Anatoly Filatov went on a hot streak and knocked out several opponents. Filatov peaked at far more than half a million in chips but a late slide brought his stack down to 232,102 after the final hand was dealt.
New faces emerged near the top of the leaderboard including Sosia "Aunty_Ninja" Jiang, who knocked out Dinesh "NastyMinder" Alt, "davidrao" and Rodrigo "PAPAI_PIG" Caprioli to end Day 1a with a top 10 stack. In the final level of the night, Rainer Kempe then succumbed to a short stack grind and 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events BIG50 winner Huahuan "F7588" Feng also hit the rail.
Once the dust for Day 1a had settled, just over one-quarter of the field was left and all survivors are now on an extended break until Monday, December 7th, 2020 when Day 2 recommences at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Until then, another two starting days will take place with plenty of satellites available on GGPoker and the PokerNews live reporting team will continue to provide all the action from start to finish.
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
534,490
239,938
|
239,938 |
|
||
|
472,075
-18,800
|
-18,800 |
|
457,197
58,099
|
58,099 |
|
446,677
108,560
|
108,560 |
|
441,981
3,450
|
3,450 |
|
407,356
76,161
|
76,161 |
|
397,579 | |
|
390,312
-69,899
|
-69,899 |
|
389,628
-21,600
|
-21,600 |
|
386,050
11,673
|
11,673 |
|
|
380,632
-800
|
-800 |
|
376,461
1,571
|
1,571 |
|
|
361,792
27,428
|
27,428 |
|
|
339,805
196,770
|
196,770 |
|
|
335,664
20,075
|
20,075 |
|
321,304
-41,400
|
-41,400 |
|
320,895
90,138
|
90,138 |
|
303,374
-60,748
|
-60,748 |
|
||
|
294,501
27,334
|
27,334 |
|
|
289,262
18,400
|
18,400 |
|
285,483
33,200
|
33,200 |
|
|
284,765
-145,379
|
-145,379 |
|
271,850
40,662
|
40,662 |
|
252,653
2,876
|
2,876 |
|
247,359
-46,000
|
-46,000 |
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
Ami Barer busted in the final hand of the night but as the table and replayer closed immediately, the details of the hand are unfortunately unknown.
The full chip counts and a recap are to follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
In a battle of the blinds, Andrii "Brahman33" Novak got the remainder of his short stack in aganst Michal "ml22322" Lubas.
Novak found a flush draw and gutshot on the 
flop to gain equity with his 
, while Lubas was ahead with the 
for the top pair. Nothing changed on the 
turn and the 
river was another blank to eliminate Novak just shy of reaching Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
397,579
103,179
|
103,179 |
|
Busted |
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
Play has resumed with just over four minutes left on Day 1A.
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
The 64 remaining players have been sent for a 5-minute break before finishing the last 4 minutes of Level 16 and making it through to Day 2.
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
Samuel "vivaegipto" Bernabeu limped in from the small blind and faced a raise to 12,000 by Arthur "meiiYunqi" Conan in the big blind. The Spaniard opted for a shove worth 63,314 and Conan made the call.
Samuel "vivaegipto" Bernabeu: 
Arthur "meiiYunqi" Conan: 
Bernabeu's recent short stack grind was done and dusted on the 
turn which made the river a formality.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
250,865
87,734
|
87,734 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
Yukun "Alita666" Yang raised to 10,000 from the middle position and was called by Julien "GiuseppeL" Perouse on the button. "jackpot737" three-bet to 40,000 from the small blind fir "RandyLew!" to call in the big blind for the 14,986 they had left. Yang opted to four-bet shove for 88,985 for Perouse to five-bet shove for more to get "jackpot737" out of the way.
"RandyLew!": 
Yukun "Alita666" Yang: 
Julien "GiuseppeL" Perouse: 
The board ran out 
for Perouse to knock both opponents out with the aces.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
374,890
-13,236
|
-13,236 |
|
|
364,122
200,379
|
200,379 |
|
|
||
|
|
230,757
132,364
|
132,364 |
|
124,512
21,346
|
21,346 |
|
|
||
|
111,061
21,041
|
21,041 |
|
100,258
-33,320
|
-33,320 |
|
|
45,851
-61,226
|
-61,226 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 400 ante
Brunno Botteon boosted his stack without showdown and then four-bet jammed over a raise by Ioannis Angelou-Konstas and a cold-call followed by a three-bet jam of Kai "3bngws" Gao. Angelou-Konstas and "lyn22336688" sent their cards into the muck and the following showdown occurred.
Kai "3bngws" Gao:
Brunno Botteon:
Botteon flopped superior two pair on 
, then remained in the lead on the turn and 
river.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
293,359
179,839
|
179,839 |
|
|
Busted |