WSOP 2021 Day 1: And So the World Series Began

It’s a go!

The 2021 World Series of Poker kicked off in Las Vegas yesterday. It spread its wings throughout the Rio Convention Center, and vaccinated people came from around the world to play poker.

Of course, there were fewer players than some anticipated, though most people had no idea what to expect. Covid-19 is still a danger with its new variants. And though the WSOP has done everything possible to protect players in its sphere, Caesars could not mandate that all of its dealers be vaccinated. Those with children under 12 or close to people exceptionally vulnerable to the virus may not play.

And some people did not play because they refuse to get vaccinated or comply with the mandate.

The WSOP knew that the numbers could be down this year. However, executives had a no-win situation on their hands. Had they decided to not mandate vaccines or masks, perhaps a larger contingent of people would have stayed away. There is no way to know for certain.

Nevertheless, the WSOP is making the best of it. Many players were at the Rio on Thursday, September 30, and they were excited to be there. And after the absence of it all last year during the height of the pandemic, many people around the world were excited that the WSOP season had begun.

Players, we will see you soon 😉 👏https://t.co/7swRAi2j9x pic.twitter.com/UEN3ybXW5j

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) September 30, 2021

With that, let’s get to the first events of the 2021 WSOP, the ones that kicked off on Day 1.

Event 1: $500 Casino Employees

The very first tournament showed that the numbers this year don’t – and possibly won’t – match up to those from the last live Vegas WSOP in 2019. The Casino Employees tournament that year garnered 685 entries. This year, there were 419 entries. That’s a 39% decrease.

Keep in mind, though, that many casino employees lost their jobs in 2020 due to the pandemic. And casinos have had a tough time recruiting people to return since the reopenings. That is evident in the fact that Caesars Entertainment closed the Flamingo and Bally’s poker rooms in Las Vegas during this WSOP to ensure that the Rio would have enough dealers.

With that said, let’s get to the numbers of this kickoff event.

Event 2: $25K HORSE

Those with the biggest bankrolls had the opportunity to jump right in to the action on Day 1. Dozens of them did, but more may join…or reenter. Registration did not close yesterday, so the final numbers and corresponding prize pool have yet to be tallied. We’ll find that out today.

For the record, there was no such buy-in at the beginning of the 2019 WSOP, so it’s not possible to compare attendance for this one.

One player who remains in contention is Norman Chad. He doesn’t normally play $25K buy-in tournaments, but he arranged a staking deal with markup going to the Hope for Depression Research Foundation.

WSOP $25k HORSE update:

I made it to Day 2, 34th of 47 survivors.

We started with 150,000 chips, I finished with 150,500.

This is hard to do. How did I do it?

I did not play a single hand all day, plus I found a 500 chip on the floor in the women's bathroom. #DonkeyCaravan

— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) October 1, 2021

Event 3: $1K Covid-19 Relief Charity

Obviously a new event in the WSOP lineup, it gives a nod to the pandemic, and proceeds benefit frontline healthcare workers. According to PokerNews, the tournament raised $25K for charity.

The numbers for the tournament were a bit disputed, as PokerNews – the official WSOP live reporting team – showed 266 entries, reflecting what the tournament board showed at the Rio. The WSOP website showed 260 entries. Both reports reflected a $231,400 prize pool, but the payouts differed.

As play moved into the evening, Jesse Lonis scored a double knockout to take the lead into the final table. Eugene Tourevski was the first to exit that final table, courtesy of Liran Betito. Jeremy Ausmus then sent Craig Mason out in seventh place and did the same to Betito in sixth place. Play then stopped for the evening.

We’ll be back with the brief briefing tomorrow. For now, enjoy the soothing voice of Norman Chad in his Night Before WSOP video.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. #WSOP

Feat: @NormanChad @WSOP pic.twitter.com/LUmepzLMlE

— PokerNews (@PokerNews) September 29, 2021