The $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Series of Poker Main Event opened in Las Vegas on 5 July, launching the first Day 1 flights at the Horseshoe and Paris casinos. Tournament officials expect the flagship championship to threaten or surpass last year’s record 10,131-entry field, which created a prize pool of more than $94 million. Early play delivered several headline hands. Poker content creator Brad Owen doubled his 60,000-chip starting stack on the very first deal when his pocket aces held against an opponent’s pocket kings in a five-bet pot. Later on Day 1d, amateur Jesse Tinsley made a rare lay-down of pocket kings after facing a five-bet shove; both rivals revealed pocket aces, a fold he described as easier than it looked given the tournament’s deep stacks, PokerNews reported. The defending champion, who is seeking to become the first back-to-back winner in two decades, was spotted relaxing during the dinner break, while several players, including Dan Harrington, ended the session with stacks exceeding 100,000 chips. Registration for the Main Event remains open through the conclusion of Day 2, with final-table action scheduled for 15 July.