Action folded to Dwight Johnson who made up from the small blind only for David Shepherd in the big blind to raise enough to put him all in. Johnson snap-called.

Dwight Johnson:
David Shepherd:

No miracles for Shepherd on the run out and Johnson's bullets held strong for a double up.

David Shepherd	290,000	0
Dwight Johnson	132,000

Action folded to Chris Davis in the hijack who made it 16,000 to play and was looked up by Ray Powell in the small blind.

The action went check check on the flop for the players to see the peel off on the turn.

Davis fired out for 20,000 and Powell made the call.

Both players checked on the river with Davis tabling but crushed by Powell and his and Powell was sent the pot.

Chris Davis	205,000	40,000
Ray Powell	165,000	109,000

Action folded to Betty Haarberg on the button, who moved all in for her last 18,000. Action came to Ray Powell in the big blind who made the call to put Haarberg at risk.

Betty Haarberg:
Ray Powell:

No deuce for Powell on the run out and Haarberg was shipped the pot for a much needed double up.

Betty Haarberg	56,000	56,000
Ray Powell	56,000	-119,000

The players are now on a 15-minute break.

Chris Davis made it 12,000 to play from early position only for Ray Powell to three-bet all in for 135,000. Clarissa Napolitano after building her stack back up also moved all in for about 45,000. Action was back on Davis who exited stage left quickly.

Clarissa Napolitano:
Ray Powell:

No help for Napolitano on the tun out and she was sent to the rail.

Ray Powell	175,000	123,000
Chris Davis	165,000
Clarissa Napolitano	0	-2,000

Clarissa Napolitano raised to 22,000 from early position and action folded around to Lafayette Scott in the big blind who three-bet all in for 105,000. Action came back to Napolitano who made the call to put Scott at risk.

Lafayette Scott:
Clarissa Napolitano:

No dramas for Scott on the tun out and he was sent the pot for a double up whilst Napolitano's sauce jar was left nearly empty.

The tournament director has announced the final numbers for Day 1a2, which saw a total of 126 entries.

The top 13 players will earn at least $600, while the last 7 players remaining will earn a spot in Day 2.

The Golden Nugget Las Vegas ballroom was filled with Bar Poker Open players from around the world, as the opening flight of the 2026 BPO Vegas World Championship kicked off with 532 entries.

After 17 levels of action, Ian Auvil was standing above the rest as he bagged up 1,355,000 to pace the field of 27 remaining players.

The No-Limit Pub Poker Tour veteran is no stranger to the top of the BPO leaderboard, as he claimed victory at the 2023 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship $365 Main Event for $50,000. Auvil won his seat for this event in a $100 Vegas Satellite at this year's Florida series, and took full advantage of that opportunity on the opening day.

Sitting in a close second is Frank Johnson, who will return with 1,350,000 when play resumes in the money on Wednesday, June 10. Germain Mingo was the only other player to crack the million-chip mark, getting there on the final hand of the night to finish in third position.

Day 1a1 Top Ten Chip Counts

Opening Day Action

Almost 450 players had taken their seats when action began, and tables were breaking fast right from the opening level of the day. Among the early highlights of the day was Philip Ketterle hitting quads twice in an hour, first to beat a full house and second to take down top pair. Ketterle was unable to parlay that early fortune into a deep run, as he bowed out before the end of play.

As play got closer to the money bubble of 53, Kevin Dunning found himself short-stacked and facing a raise in the big blind. Dunning opted to lay down aces face up, stunning his table as hand-for-hand play continued. Shortly after, Dunning was faced with another decision for his last two chips and told the table he folded pocket kings.

From there, three short stack double-ups led to Dunning being forced all in, running into pocket jacks and hitting the rail on the direct bubble.

The night came to an end whenJames Speicher lost the last of his stack to Mingo's pocket queens, leaving the final 27 players to bag up their chips for Day 2.

Among the notables remaining is Elizabeth Rice, one of the few players who qualified and made the trip from Australia. Rice bagged 580,000, good enough to find the top ten from the opening flight.

Another notable is Diana Goodes, one of the hottest players in the Sunshine Poker League heading into this week in Las Vegas. Goodes will have some work to do when she returns to the table, sitting among the short stacks after Day 1a1.

Remaining Schedule

All players that participated in the first two flights are eligible to play the second chance Day 1b on Tuesday, June 9, when action gets underway at 11:00 a.m. local time. The event will award a $1,500 bonus for players that advance to Day 2 more than once, so even those who bagged could return to improve their Day 2 position. Only the largest stack carries forward into the money, and players can reenter one time on Day 1b.

Starting stacks will remain 25,000 chips, and the last opening flight will continue with 30-minute levels. The money will be reached when only the top 10% of the field remains, while the top 5% will join today's survivors on Wednesday, June 10. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 10.

Full coverage of the Bar Poker Open Vegas World Championship continues, so be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as we move into the money and get closer to crowning a new champions here at Golden Nugget Las Vegas.

David Shepherd made it 16,500 to play from middle position and action folded around to Jim Pfeiler on the button who moved all in for 19,500. Action came back to Shepherd who tossed in the call for 3,500 more.

Jim Pfeiler:
David Shepherd:

No danger for Pfeiler on the nor the turn but when the peeled off on the river to make Shepherd a pair Pfeiler was sent to the rail in a brutal fashion.

David Shepherd	290,000	278,000
Jim Pfeiler	0