In the hallowed halls of the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas, the ticking of chips and the soft shuffle of cards heralded the commencement of poker’s zenith event—the 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event. As the clock struck a few minutes past high noon on Wednesday, the air was thick with anticipation and the dreams of legions of poker aficionados. Yet, for two hopeful souls, the dream was to dissolve almost as swiftly as it had appeared.
Harlan Karnofsky, a name that will be etched in the early annals of this year’s tournament, emerged as the proverbial phoenix from the felt-covered tables. By being the protagonist in the unceremonious downfall of not one, but two players, he etched his name in the opening chapter of Day 1A as an early frontrunner. The legend of Karnofsky began with an unassuming 1,200-chip bet into a promising flop of jack-six-10, glistening with the potential of diamonds.
Craig Issod of San Francisco, perhaps sensing a bluff or an opportunity to assert dominance, raised the stakes to 7,000. The gambit dispelled all contenders from the pot save for Karnofsky, the stoic underdog from Sacramento, Calif. Unperturbed, he called Issod’s subsequent 15,000 wager. As fate would have it, the river—an ace of clubs—seemingly benign to the untrained eye, unfurled a straight for Karnofsky against Issod’s set of sixes. An intense exchange ensued, culminating in Issod’s 37,000-chip bet. Karnofsky, in a bold all-in maneuvre, not only claimed the pot but also doubled his starting stack of 60,000 chips, propelling him to the early summit of the leaderboard.
Simultaneously, another table bore witness to the premature exit of online poker stalwart, Trip Darroch. His opponent, the amateur yet equally shrewd David Williamson, lured him into a devastating trap. Williamson’s quads faced off against Darroch’s formidable full house in a clash of titanic hands that sent Darroch to the proverbial rail, whilst Williamson took his place among the early tournament leaders.
The opening day of the WSOP Main Event typically heralds the departure of at least one dreamer, yet the fall of two within the first day’s play is a narrative less commonly told. Among the 1,300 prowling poker predators were luminaries such as 2012 Main Event champion Greg Merson, 2016 victor Qui Nguyen, the ever-dangerous Michael Mizrachi, and poker veteran Freddy Deeb—all hungry for another taste of glory.
Before the cards flew and chips clashed, Daniel Weinman, the defending champion and claimant of last year’s $12 million prize, addressed the congregation of contenders with passion and reverence for the game. “This is the greatest poker tournament in the world,” he pronounced, stoking the flames of each player’s aspirations. “I see myself playing this tournament for the rest of my life. I’m just excited to see who gets their banner up on the wall next to me, if I don’t do it again.”
As the first day drew to a close, the players knew well that there would be no respite. With no pause for July 4th festivities, Day 1B was poised to commence at the stroke of 12 p.m. PT the following Thursday, welcoming a new wave of hopefuls to the felt battlefield. The quest for poker immortality continued, with each player striving to leave their indelible mark on the fabled tapestry of the WSOP.
