$2,500 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
PPC Aruba World Championship
$2,500 Main Event
Day: 1a
Sindler Finishes Day 1a On Top
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
Day 1a of the 2013 PPC Aruba World Championship $2,500 Main Event concluded on Saturday following the completion of the first 12 levels of play. A total of 43 entries were tallied on the first starting day, meaning the event has already surpassed the field size that it attracted last year (31 entries). The field was whittled down to 13 players with Stephen Sindler emerging as the chip leader. He bagged up 211,600 in chips.
From the start of the day, it was all Sindler. He grabbed the chip lead very, very early on went he knocked out the first player of the day. Then it was big pot after big pot pushed his way while everyone else seemed to be playing catch up.
Sindler busted the defending champion of this event, Joe Serock, when his 
cracked Serock's pocket queens. All is not lost for Serock's title defense, though, as reentry is allowed until the start of Day 2, so he'll have all of Day 1b to fire away and try and build a stack.
Speaking of reentry, Ryan Franklin was the only player to bust on Day 1a and reenter, but the choice looked like it was a good one. After busting relatively early in the day, Franklin took another shot, and ran his second attempt up to 102,200 in chips.
In the latter half of the night, Sterling Savill really started making moves, but as soon as he took the chip lead, it was Sindler who earned it right back. In two big pots in the last couple levels of the night, Sindler busted Edie Norman first and then shortly thereafter sent Catherine Dee to the rail.
Plenty of notables came and went as well, including David Tuthill, Chris Bolek, Hayden Fortini, Joe Ebanks, and Andy Seth. Bolek and Fortini were casualties on the same hand, and it was a large one indeed. Bolek, Fortini, and Jimmy Peters found themselves all in on the 
flop. Bolek had the 
, Fortini had the 
, and Peters had the 
. Following the 
on the turn and the 
on the river, Peters' hand held up to send Bolek and Fortini out the door.
While 12 players remained at the end of the night, another starting flight — the second and final starting flight — will take place on Sunday beginning at 3 p.m. local time. PokerNews and the PPC will see you back here then for more action from the felt.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
211,600 | -18,400 |
|
178,600 | 45,600 |
|
123,700 | 59,700 |
|
107,500 | 15,500 |
|
102,200 | 9,200 |
|
|
83,500 | 13,500 |
|
|
61,600 | 61,600 |
|
53,500 | -1,500 |
|
|
48,200 | -800 |
|
47,000 | 47,000 |
|
|
41,100 | 41,100 |
|
34,300 | 6,300 |
Shortell Gone
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
Tim Shortell was down to his last few thousand chips and all in with the 
against the 
for Jimmy Peters. The board ran out 
and Shortell was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted |
Bardah Doubles
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
Ronnie Bardah reraised all but about 1,000 of his chips on the button after an opponent opened from the cutoff seat. Action folded back to the cutoff seat, and he announced a call, then tabled the . Bardah still had chips left and didn't show. The cutoff then declared he was all in dark.
The flop came down 
and Bardah slammed his last chips into the middle, triumphantly turning over the 
for a flopped set. The turn was the 
and the river was the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
28,000 | -4,500 |
Emmert Doubles Through Franklin
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
Ryan Franklin checked the 
flop over to his opponent, Robert Emmert. Emmert bet 9,000 with 14,500 behind, and Franklin check-raised all in. Emmert quickly called with the for top pair and a flush draw.
"Oh, you did have a draw," said Franklin as he showed the 
.
The turn was the , and the river was the . Emmert's hand held up, and he doubled back to nearly 50,000 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
93,000 | -19,000 |
|
|
49,000 | 15,000 |
Oh Look, More for Sindler
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
Jimmy Peters opened the action with a raise from the hijack seat to 2,900. His only customer was chip leader Stephen Sindler from the big blind. The flop came down 
, and Sindler checked. Peters fired 3,400, and Sindler called.
The turn was the , and Sindler checked again. Peters bet 7,000, and Sindler called. The river was the 
, and Sindler checked. Peters checked behind.
"Flush," said Sindler before turning up the 
for a jack-high diamond flush. Peters mucked his hand, and Sindler won the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
230,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
70,000 | 4,000 |
Final Level of the Night
Level 12
: 700/1,400, 200 ante
The players are now in the final level of the night. Another 45 minutes before those remaining bag and tag their chips.
Level: 12
Blinds: 700/1,400
Ante: 200
Weighted Tables
Level 11
: 600/1,200, 200 ante
With 1.075 million chips in play here on Day 1a, and even distribution amongst the last two tables about 580,000 for the table with seven players to about 495,000 in chips for the table with six players. But, that's not how it's weighted here.
On the table with seven players, there are approximately 750,000 of the 1.075 million chips. That means the table with six payers only has about 325,000 divided up between them and no one is above the average of just over 82,000.