Wannabe kings and queens of the felt have descended en masse in Las Vegas for the WSOP Main Event and, while numbers are down from previous years, the excitement and good vibes coming from the Rio are reaching people throughout the world through Twitter.
Two more starting days were added to the schedule to give players in Europe and elsewhere a chance to take advantage of relaxed Covid related travel restrictions. Those who hustle to Vegas for Days 1E and 1F of the Main Event could help the numbers swell toward pre-pandemic levels.
Small fields aren’t uncommon in the Main Event’s first days
With 2,550 players playing on Sunday (Day 1D), the Main Event is starting to feel like, well, the Main Event. So far, 4,518 players have entered since Thursday’s Day 1A. Historically, Sunday’s number compares with previous Day 1D’s at the WSOP. Generally speaking, the closer we get to the start of the Day 2 flights, the larger the starting fields.
Days 1A, 1B, and 1C of this year’s Main Event attracted 523, 854, and 600 players, respectively. Those numbers are significantly smaller than we saw in 2019, where that year’s WSOP featured just three Day 1 starting flights. In 2019, Days 1A, 1B, and 1C attracted 1,335, 1,915, and 4,877, respectively for a total field of 8,569 that generated a prize pool of $80.5 million.
2021 WSOP Main Event Day 1 flights by the numbers
With four Day 1 flights of the 2021 Main Event in the books, 4,518 players have anted up so far this year for their shots at poker glory. That’s more than 50% of the total entrants (8,569) in the last live Main Event in 2019, and with two flights left to play before the start of Day 2B, there appears to be a good chance that the WSOP will come close to matching that mark again this year.
| WSOP Main Event Day 1 Flight Registrations – 2021 vs. 2019 | ||
| 2021 | 2019 | |
| Day 1A | 523 | 1.335 |
| Day 1B | 854 | 1,915 |
| Day 1C | 600 | 4,877 |
| Day 1D | 2,550 | X |
| Day 1E | ? | X |
| Day 1F | ? | X |
Day 1E is scheduled for today while Day 1F will take flight on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday is the start of Day 2A, which will see the return of the 2,890 players who bagged chips in the Day 1A, B, and D flights. Most of those players played in Day 1D (1,939). Wednesday is Day 2 for those who made it through Days 1C, E, and F. Thursday will mark the start of Day 3, which will be the first time that all of the remaining players in the Main Event are in the building at the same time.
A glimpse through the player’s eyes
Fortunately for poker fans, many players aren’t shy about sharing their experiences at the WSOP once they’ve settled into the action at the Rio. From players with “real” jobs, like pharmacist Stephanie Rivkin, to poker pros and “celebs” like Melanie Weisner, many love to tell their stories on social media.
Desert queen energy for the #WSOP main event. pic.twitter.com/DBRVqq69uC
— Melanie Weisner (@melanieweisner) November 7, 2021
Jim McManus, author of “Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion’s World Series of Poker,” which is partly about his run to fifth place in the 2000 Main Event, got a poker fantasy camp seat draw on Day 1A.
Playing #WSOP #mainevent with some random 88-years-young Internet player. pic.twitter.com/rRhIfVToXg
— James McManus (@jimbosweetness) November 4, 2021
Yep, that’s Doyle Brunson, who made his WSOP premiere in the Super Seniors event last week. Both gentlemen made it through to Day 2: Brunson bagged 151K and McManus survived his day with 54K chips (the starting stack is 60K). Meanwhile, Amanda Botfeld and her father made it to the final table of the tag-team event. They’re both still smiling as Amanda tries for the Big One.
Still glowing from our father-daughter tag team @WSOP tournament win. 🥉 I'm playing the Main Event Saturday now. 💜 #WSOP Dad is thinking about it… pic.twitter.com/cUqoBmUhiL
— Amanda Botfeld (@amandabotfeld) November 6, 2021
Here’s another father and child dream come true: Lucas “RobinPoker” Robinson is thrilled to be playing in the Main Event with his old man. They both made it to Day 2, with Lucas bagging 141K and his dad, Pete with 101K.
Playing the $10,000 @WSOP Main Event for the 1st ever time with my dad @pete_robo. Thanks so much for this opportunity @GGPoker. Always dreamt of this moment 🙏 pic.twitter.com/YCzHzCwvDQ
— Robin Poker (@RobinPoker_) November 7, 2021
What a day 1 @wsop @PokerNews both me and Robin poker in day 2 #blessed #positivty great table new friends and 109k for day 2 #LFG pic.twitter.com/671XZ78GZm
— Pete Robinson (@pete_robo) November 8, 2021
And look who poker and pool player Dana Dahms found in the Rio’s hallway. Cheers fellas!
Great to see you again @TheScottyNguyen best of luck in the main! #WSOP pic.twitter.com/NOTy6eRLMj
— Dana Dahms (@DanaDahms) November 7, 2021
Poker pro and vlogger didn’t hang out with anyone as famous as Scotty Nguyen while roaming in the Rio, but he did spot this very good boy hanging out and enjoying the action.
😍#WSOP pic.twitter.com/T935mmI47H
— 乃乇ㄒ ㄖ几 ᗪ尺乇山 (@BetOnDrew) November 8, 2021
And, where else but on Twitter can you find poker champions playing for bracelets in their hotel rooms while watching poker on their phones? Indeed, the grind never stops for Josh Arieh, who won his second bracelet of this year’s WSOP last week in the $10K PLO Hi-Lo event.
The grind never stops @golferjosh #wsop pic.twitter.com/0P3azxPFSH
— Rachel Buchanan🍀 (@rachelblucky) November 8, 2021
Tsugunari Toma, a poker pro from Osaka, Japan, who is sponsored by Sponichi, a sports newspaper there, shared a big hand with his followers. No translation needed:
WSOP Main Event $10,000(参加費約120万円) 賞金総額約70億円🏆(予想)の戦いが始まりました💥
初手A4=AK
3bet
フロップA45の2ペアーでビックポット獲得なるかと言うところランナーランナーでチョップなりました…残念！
さぁまだまだここからです!!
じっくり行きます。#WSOP #ポーカー世界大会 pic.twitter.com/8TbHf8V4SD— つぐ兄オフィシャル (@tsuguNiPoker) November 7, 2021
Stephanie Rivkin, who finished eighth in the 2019 Ladies event, wasn’t even planning on playing in the Main Event, but that all changed last week from her living room in New Jersey:
I guess my preggo self is making a trip to Vegas #WSOP 🤷♀️🍼🤷♀️ pic.twitter.com/pm8pIJHJni
— Stephanie Rivkin (Hubbard) (@StephHub31) November 1, 2021
And you can almost feel the excitement and hope pouring out of the many Tweets featuring some of the sexiest WSOP pics online: Chip stacks. From three-time WSOP bracelet holder David “Bakes” Baker:
I’m also playing the #wsop main event. Tens are hot today fyi. Someone just played one bar of break beat on the speaker system and the room is BUZZING pic.twitter.com/ucD878N9mM
— Bakes (@DMBakes) November 7, 2021
Amateur Tom McCabe sharing his nice stack after the end of Day 1:
Bagged $141k on day 1…made it through to day 2 pic.twitter.com/MQJGGR73NX
— Tom McCabe (@tmccabe21) November 8, 2021
And sometimes we even find poetry among the Tweets. Here’s a good one from amateur Ray Chiu.
Like many, I used to think going to Las Vegas for #wsop is a dream. Some time ago I realized it is the exact opposite for me. I go to Las Vegas, to be waken up. pic.twitter.com/4suOvG7UZz
— aptray.eth @Tokyo (@scientificray) November 7, 2021
