Backdoor flush eliminated a player early in Group B on Day 1 of the WSOP Main Event.

Stephen Lee went all-in with three 7s in Group B on Day 1 of the WSOP Main Event, but was defeated by Shraga Vrubel's backdoor flush, becoming the first player eliminated that day.

On the first day of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, it never takes long before at least one player is eliminated.

Yesterday, a player bet all his chips with AK, only to run into Pocket Aces and be eliminated shortly after the start of the $10,000 buy-in World Championship. Today, Pocket Aces once again quickly eliminated its first player.

Cruel Bad Beat

According to PokerNews reporter Erick Torres, Shraga Vrubel called the hijack with A♦A♣ about 30 minutes into Day 1, Group B, with approximately 60,000 starting chips. American player Stephen Lee raised to 800 from the button with 7♣7♥.

Lee then called Vrubel's flat raise to 3,800, Vrubel setting a trap with pocket aces. The flop came 10♣6♦7♦. Vrubel didn't know this at the time, but he was already in big trouble. He put in 10,000 chips, and then Lee, who hit trips of 7s on the flop, raised to 25,000. Vrubel then re-raised all-in, and Lee called instantly.

With 132,000 chips in the pot, Vrubel faced elimination early in the Main Event with pocket aces. But the turn, an 8♦, gave him a flush draw and three split potential opportunities. The river, a Q♦, completed the flush without pairing the cards, and Lee left the tournament disappointed, knowing he was the first elimination of Day 1, Group B, all thanks to a backdoor flush.

Vrubel, an Israeli player with over $200,000 in live tournament winnings, made a strong start in Group 2 of the four Day 1 starter groups. As of press time, over 725 players have registered, including three eliminated. Michael Mizrachi is not among these early exits – last year's Main Event champion is already there to defend his title. Antonio Esfandiari, Kenny Hallaert, and Kevin Martin are some familiar faces among the early entrants.

ESPN will broadcast the first day of Group B matches live tonight on the sports network's paid subscription app. PokerNews will provide live updates of the tournament from start to finish until the champion is crowned on August 5.

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