Compared to the excitement that took place on the opening day of the World Series of Poker Main Event, Day 1B on Friday was a low-key affair at the tables.
Other than defending champion Michael Mizrachi making his own grandiose entrance, most of the noise coming from the Paris Las Vegas Ballroom was for the thrilling World Cup match between Argentina and Cape Verde.
The $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship continues Saturday with Day 1C when a larger field is expected on the Fourth of July holiday for the third of four starting flights.
Attendance for the tournament remains slightly behind last year’s pace but could pick up over the weekend as more players arrive for the holiday. Registration remains open until Day 2D on Tuesday.
Mizrachi rivaled Phil Hellmuth’s superhero arrival Thursday, as he entered the playing area accompanied by several women carrying cards that spelled out his nickname “Grinder.”
The Champ is back. Michael @TheGrinder44 Mizrachi makes his entrance for Day 1B of Event #82: the $10,000 @WSOP Main Event.#GGPoker #WSOP pic.twitter.com/twvAJP6tQZ
— GGPoker (@GGPoker) July 3, 2026
He was presented his ninth WSOP bracelet, which are awarded for tournament victories, during the first break. Mizrachi won the $10,000 buy-in Pot-limit Omaha Championship on Monday.
Mizrachi had more than double his 60,000-chip starting stack after the dinner break, and the Poker Hall of Fame member was well on his way to another deep run as he looks to become the first back-to-back winner of the Main Event since Johnny Chan in 1987 and 1988.
A number of other top players were in the field including 2004 Main Event champion Greg Raymer, who was well above his starting stack at the dinner break with one level of play remaining.
Mike “The Mouth” Matusow, a four-time bracelet winner, took an early hit to his chip stack when his pocket kings ran into the pocket aces of Damien Gayer of France.
Antonio Esfandiari was another notable name from the poker boom era in the field, and he entertained players and the ESPN audience at one of the feature tables. Esfandiari is seeking his first cash at the WSOP since an 82nd-place finish in the 2019 Main Event.
Former soccer star Gerard Pique also was in the field but managed to stay away from any big pots. The longtime Barcelona and Spain national team defender has more than $700,000 in career live tournament earnings, according to the Hendon Mob Poker Database, but is yet to cash in a WSOP event.
The first day of the Main Event was overshadowed by superstar Daniel Negreanu winning his eighth career bracelet in a separate event and also featured an elimination not long after the cards were in the air. Day 1B was no different as Israel’s Shraga Vrubel scored an early knockout.
Day 1 Level 1 of The Main Event
One player’s heartbreak is another player’s glory!
That was the case for Stephen Lee who was the first player eliminated on Day 1B of the $10,000 MAIN EVENT at the hands of Shraga Vrubel. pic.twitter.com/SmhtF3xTOl
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 3, 2026
Stephen Lee flopped a set of sevens and called for his tournament life when Vrubel raised all-in with pocket aces. The turn and river cards were both diamonds, however, as Vrubel came from behind to make the winning flush.
Vrubel used those chips to build one of the biggest stacks in the room at the dinner break.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.
