Event #3: $500 WSOP Kickoff No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout
Event #1: $5,000 Champions ReunionEvent #2: $500 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'emEvent #3: $500 WSOP Kickoff No-Limit Hold'em FreezeoutEvent #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better (8-Handed)Event #5: $1,000 Mystery Millions No-Limit Hold'emEvent #6: $25,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em ChampionshipEvent #7: $1,500 Dealer's Choice (6-Handed)Event #8: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed)Event #9: $1,500 Limit Hold'em (8-Handed)Show All Events
Day: 2
12
Event Info
2024 World Series of Poker
Buy-in
$500
Prize Pool
$1,442,960
Entries
3,485
Players Left
8
Average Chip Stack
10,890,625
Total Chips
87,125,000
Place 8
$22,022
Level
35
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
151
Players Left
8
AllHighlightsSocialBusted$25K Fantasy
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Top
Chip Counts
1
Daniel Willis23,725,000
2
Shawn Smith16,150,000
3
Michael Wang12,625,000
4
Steven Borella10,425,000
5
Yoshinori Funayama7,700,000
6
John Marino7,000,000
7
Daniel Sherer6,275,000
8
David Niedringhaus3,350,000
View all
New Updates
Event #3: $500 WSOP Kickoff No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout
Day 2 Completed
Daniel Willis in Command Heading to the Final Eight
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Day 2 of the much-anticipated Event #3: $500 WSOP Kickoff No-Limit Hold'Em Freezeout of the 2024 World Series of Poker has lived up to the hype at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas.
A total of 3,485 players entered the tournament with 523 entrants making the money. A total of 151 players resumed action at 11:00 am this morning and played down to the final eight before breaking for the day. A chance to turn $500 into $175,578 and a coveted bracelet is becoming more of a reality.
Daniel Willis leads the pack with 23,725,000 followed by Shawn Smith (16,150,000) and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Wang (12,625,000). Wang is in contention to potentially win his third WSOP bracelet.
Willis rode the momentum to become the chip leader. One hand in particular saw Willis win 14,000,000 chips.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shawn Smith | United States | 16,150,000 | 32 |
| 2 | John Marino | United States | 7,000,000 | 14 |
| 3 | David Niedringhaus | United States | 3,350,000 | 7 |
| 4 | Michael Wang | United States | 12,625,000 | 25 |
| 5 | Steven Borella | United States | 10,425,000 | 21 |
| 6 | Yoshinori Funayama | Japan | 7,700,000 | 15 |
| 7 | Daniel Sherer | United States | 6,275,000 | 13 |
| 8 | Daniel Willis | United Kingdom | 23,725,000 | 47 |
Day 1 chip leader Qiang Xu finished in 37th place for $4,596. The tournament field had many notables make a deep run including Ryan Riess (63rd - $2,679), Marco Johnson (47th - $3,805), Daniel Negreanu (16th - $8,541) and Jason Wheeler (14th - $8,541).
Remaining Payouts
| Position | Prize (USD) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $175,578 | ||
| 2 | $117,046 | ||
| 3 | $86,820 | ||
| 4 | $64,920 | ||
| 5 | $48,938 | ||
| 6 | $37,194 | ||
| 7 | $28,501 | ||
| 8 | $22,022 |
Final table play will resume Friday, May 31, at 1:00 p.m. local time. Players will return to blinds of 250,000-500,000 with a 500,000 big blind ante as action will resume with 11:30 remaining in Level 35. PokerGo is scheduled to stream the final table starting at 3:00 p.m.
The PokerNews team will be there providing all the live updates until a champion is crowned.
Tags:Daniel NegreanuDaniel WillisJason WheelerMarco JohnsonMichael WangQiang XuRyan RiessShawn Smith
End of Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Willis | 23,725,000 | |
| ||
| Shawn Smith | 16,150,000 2,150,000 | 2,150,000 |
| Michael Wang | 12,625,000 -1,830,000 | -1,830,000 |
| ||
| Steven Borella | 10,425,000 1,524,470 | 1,524,470 |
| Yoshinori Funayama | 7,700,000 -1,400,000 | -1,400,000 |
| John Marino | 7,000,000 | |
| Daniel Sherer | 6,275,000 | |
| David Niedringhaus | 3,350,000 -650,000 | -650,000 |
End of Day 2
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
With the final elimination of the day, the remaining eight players have bagged for Day 3.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the action.
Aaron Aldy Eliminated in 9th Place ($17,159)
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Daniel Sherer raised from middle position to 1,300,000, Aaron Aldy called the raise putting him all in for approximately 1,100,000.
Aaron Aldy: 6♠6♣ 
Daniel Sherer: 9♦9♥
Aldy did not improve on a runout of 3♣Q♠5♥3♠K♣ and was eliminated in ninth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Sherer | 6,275,000 1,275,000 | 1,275,000 |
| Aaron Aldy | Busted |
Tags:Aaron AldyDaniel Sherer
Marino Doubles Through Willis
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Daniel Willis in the cutoff raised to 1,100,000 and John Marino in the big blind moved all in for 3,250,000.
Willis called but Marino's Queens held on the 7♠J♠8♦4♠8♣ board to keep him alive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Daniel Willis | 23,725,000 -5,275,000 | -5,275,000 |
| ||
| John Marino | 7,000,000 3,000,000 | 3,000,000 |
Tags:Daniel WillisJohn Marino
Borella Strikes First After Dinner Break
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
It didn't take long for action to pick up after the dinner.
Players folded to two-time WSOP bracelet winner Michael Wang, who was at the cutoff position, and Wang raised to 100,000.
Steven Borella took a brief moment before calling, prompting both players in the blinds to fold.
The dealer then fanned 6♥Q♦2♠ on the board, and Wang led out with a 530,000 bet.
Borella took his time, then announced a raise before he moved 2,000,000 into the betting area. Wang quickly folded and the dealer pushed the pot to Borella.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Wang | 14,455,000 -845,000 | -845,000 |
| ||
| Steven Borella | 8,900,530 325,530 | 325,530 |
Tags:Michael WangSteven Borella
Players Are Back From Break
Level 35: Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Cards are back in the air and players are playing down to the final eight.
Level: 35
Blinds: 250,000/500,000
Ante: 500,000
Cheers to Pinkus's Fair Play and Congrats
Level 34: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
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