WSOP Main Event opens with fireworks as 2 players bust on 1st hand

There is an old saying at the World Series of Poker that players can’t win the Main Event on the first day, but they can lose it.

Two of this year’s entrants found that out the hard way.

The $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship started with a bang Wednesday at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, as a pair of players were eliminated on the first hand.

The tournament continues Thursday with Day 1B, the second of four starting flights, and registration remains open until 4:40 p.m. Monday. The final table is scheduled to begin July 16.

Last year’s event drew a record 10,043 entrants and saw Atlanta poker pro Daniel Weinman claim the $12.1 million first prize.

Weinman barely finished his “shuffle up and deal” announcement Wednesday to kick off Day 1A when recreational player Harlan Karnofsky of Sacramento, California, tangled with Craig Issod of San Francisco at table 630.

After five players saw a flop of jack-six-10 with two diamonds, Karnofsky bet 1,200 and Issod raised to 7,000, which chased everyone from the hand but Karnofsky. The four of spades on the turn didn’t change anything, and Karnofsky called Issod’s bet of 15,000.

The river was the ace of clubs, giving Karnofsky a straight and the best hand possible with king-queen. Issod, who had a set of sixes, bet nearly half his stack, and Karnofsky said he went all-in and was called.

Just like that, Karnofsky doubled his 60,000-chip starting stack and was the tournament leader.

“I was getting a lot of texts from a lot of friends like, ‘Way to go,’” Karnofsky said with a laugh during the first break. “I haven’t won many hands since, but I’m still fine.”

Karnofsky, a quarterback at Utah in the late 1970s, is playing in his third Main Event. He has four recorded cashes at this year’s WSOP, including a 42nd-place finish in the $5,000 buy-in Seniors High Roller No-limit Hold’em event.

“I feel like I’m playing well and doing well,” he said.

Karnofsky was eliminated later in the day.

Amateur David Williamson also knocked out an opponent on the first hand.

His victim was poker streamer and online pro Travis “DramaticDegen” Darroch, who later wrote on X he was playing the Main Event for the first time.

Darroch raised before the flop with pocket 10s and was called by two opponents. They saw a board of jack-10-eight, and after Williamson opened the action, Darroch raised, and Williamson made the call when the third player folded.

The turn was an eight, giving Darroch a full house. Williamson checked and then quickly called Darroch’s pot-sized bet. When an ace came on the river, Williamson put out a large bet, and Darroch countered by going all-in. Williamson wasted no time calling and tabled pocket eights to show four-of-a-kind and scoop in the chips.

“I just figured I’d go for it. Very, very few combos of hands that beat me,” Darroch told PokerNews. “I put my face in my hands for a few seconds and then walked back to my hotel room.”

Popular pros Kyna England, Abby Merk and Brad Owen also were among the players sent to the rail during the second level of play.

Others managed to hang onto their chips a little longer, including 2012 Main Event champion Greg Merson and 2016 winner Qui Nguyen, who were seated at the same table and attracted plenty of attention from cameras.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.