WSOP Circuit Atlantic City, Day 2: Brent Roberts Heads Final Nine

December 16 2008, John "Falstaff" Hartness

It didn't take long for the 35 remaining players in the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at Harrah's Atlantic City to winnow down to the final table. In just over six hours, the final table was set, with Brent "Astrolux85" Roberts finishing Day 2 with the chip lead.

Dan Shak was one of the early casualties on Day 2, busting in the first level of the day when he moved all in on a board of with . Allen Bari had enough chips to call with , and the landed on the turn to give Bari the lead. The on the river was no help to Shak, and he was done early.

Not long after busting Shak, Allen Bari dragged a huge pot against Bill Gazes that put the Day 1 chip leader on the ropes. Gazes checked the flop to Bari, who led out. Gazes called to see the come on the turn. Gazes checked again, and Bari fired another bet. Gazes thought briefly before calling to see the on the river. Bari led out with a big bet, and Gazes thought for a long moment before again making the call. Bari tabled for the set, and Gazes mucked. The last of Gazes' chips went in the middle two hands later, and his needed held against Bruce Yamron's . No help showed for Gazes on the board, and he was done in 24th place.

With only 35 players to start the day, it didn't take long for the money bubble to be reached. Chan Nguyen moved all his chips into the middle on a jack-high flop with A-10, and Kyle "kwob20" Bowker quickly called with K-J. No ace showed for Nguyen on the turn or river, and the bubble was burst, leaving the final two tables all with guaranteed profit.

Several notable players busted on the way to the final table, including Mike "GoLeafsGoEh" Leah. Leah got all his money in good when he called Brent Roberts' preflop re-raise with . Roberts showed , but the board was unkind to Leah when it came down to send him packing in 16th place with $10,405.

Chris Reslock headed to the rail in 15th place ($12,139) when he lost a coin flip to Kyle Bowker. Reslock moved all in over the top of Bowker's preflop raise, and Bowker thought for a long moment before making the call. Bowker's pocket nines held up against Reslock's on a board of , and Reslock was finished.

Matt Matros made it all the way to 12th place ($13,874) before running afoul of Brent Roberts for the final time. Roberts raised preflop with , and Matros moved all in over the top with . Roberts made the call and hit the flop almost absolutely perfect as it came down for Broadway. Matros needed to catch perfect to stay alive, but the turn and river came down and he was done just shy of a final-table spot.

Joanne Monteavaro came into Day 2 as the lone woman in the field, and went very deep, cashing in 11th place for $13,874. On the short stack, Monteavaro moved all in over the top of Brent Roberts' preflop raise with pocket fives. Roberts quickly called with , and when the board ran out , the fives were no good for Monteavaro.

With Monteavaro's elimination, the final-table bubble began, and the pace of play slowed to a crawl. After a long period of raise-fold poker, Michael Walls and Phillip Reed tangled in the last hand of the night. Walls raised preflop with , and Reed moved all in. Walls made the call, having Reed covered, only to see Reed table . The board ran out , and Reed made the bigger full house to double up and leave Walls crippled.

A few hands later, Walls got the last of his chips in preflop in a three-way hand with Brent Roberts and Reed. Reed and Roberts checked the flop, and Roberts led out with a small bet on the turn. Reed got out of the way as Roberts showed for the flopped nut flush. Walls was drawing dead with , and the final table was set. Walls picked up $13,874 for his 10th-place finish.

Brent Roberts finished the day with a sizeable chip lead, as the final-table seating assignments and chip stacks looked like this:

Seat 1 - Allen Bari - 816,000
Seat 2 - Rafael Camejo - 227,000
Seat 3 - Tim "ttwist" Kelly - 379,000
Seat 4 - Phillip Reed - 340,000
Seat 5 - Robert McLaughlin - 123,000
Seat 6 - Kyle "kwob20" Bowker - 375,000
Seat 7 - Dwyte Pilgrim - 265,000
Seat 8 - Brent "Astrolux85" Roberts - 1,011,000
Seat 9 - Scott Zakheim - 85,000

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