Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's New Orleans
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's New Orleans
Buy-in
$1,675
Prize Pool
$1,143,000
Entries
762
Level
36
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000
Mintz Leads After Day 1a, Lowery and Green in Contention
![[user101598]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Day 1a of the 2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Main Event has come and gone, and leading the remaining 51 players is Ben Mintz. Representing NOLA, the always-energetic Mintz admitted to running really hot throughout the day. He eliminated 2012 WSOP bracelet winner and “The Original” David Baker en route to bagging an astounding 313,000 chips. Right behind him was Daniel Lowery, who won his first ring earlier this week. Thanks to some big hands at a very tough table, the three-time WSOP-C runner-up was able to bag 308,500 chips.
The day started off well for Ray Henson, who has won three rings during this season of the WSOP-C, including one in New Orleans. Henson flopped trips against 2012 WSOP bracelet winner Larry Wright, then rivered a full house after Wright turned a flush. Henson continued chipping up throughout the day, until he played a massive pot with Lowery.
In the hand, Lowery five-bet jammed for roughly 110,000 or so, and Henson snapped it off with ace-king of spades. Lowery was dominated with ace-ten of hearts, but the all-heart flop gave him the nuts and eliminated Henson.
Maurice Hawkins also got off to a fast start only to be eliminated before play concluded for the evening. Hawkins made two pair during Level 5, and crossed the 50,000-chip threshold, but busted the very next level to a tilted Jake Schwartz. The two raced for nearly 40,000 chips, Hawkins with ace-king and Schwartz with pocket jacks, and Schwartz flopped a set. The set held when the turn and river both bricked, and Hawkins hit the rail.
Joe Tehan was flirting with six figures during Level 11, but busted in a very large pot against two-time WSOP-C ring winner Tripp Kirk. After a series of preflop raises, Tehan was all in and at risk for 68,400 holding two queens, which were dominated by Kirk’s pocket aces. The aces held up, and Tehan hit the rail. After battling it out all day at the toughest table in the room, Kirk was able to bag 245,500 chips.
Also joining Tehan, Hawkins and Henson on the rail today were Cord Garcia, Allen Kessler, Cliff Fisher, Josh Arieh, Kevin Saul, Ralph Massey, Doug “Rico” Carli, Kurt Jewell, Joe Kuether, David Nicholson, AJ Jejelowo, John Orr and Bryan Campanello.
There was a non-poker celebrity in the field today, Survivor legend “Boston” Rob Mariano. The 37-year old Beantown native, who won Redemption Island, was very lucky to survive an all-in at the end of Level 6. Mariano was all in and at risk with two queens against an opponent’s pocket aces, but was fortunate enough to run out a straight. Upon returning from break, Mariano was eliminated holding two kings against another opponent’s kings and a third opponent’s tens. The player with tens flopped a full house, and that was all she wrote for Boston Rob.
The 51 who survived on Day 1a will join the Day 1b survivors on Sunday for Day 2 of the Main Event. Day 1b action will begin on Saturday at noon local time, so be sure to return for all of your up-to-the-minute updates straight from the tournament floor.
Notable End of Day 1a Counts
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
313,000 | 138,000 |
|
308,500 | 38,500 |
|
279,500 | -10,500 |
|
249,500 | 24,500 |
|
245,500 | 55,500 |
|
204,500 | 119,500 |
|
|
202,000 | 202,000 |
|
|
189,500 | 189,500 |
|
|
167,500 | 42,500 |
|
|
158,000 | 3,000 |
|
147,500 | 147,500 |
|
138,500 | 38,500 |
|
120,000 | 5,000 |
|
117,000 | 2,000 |
|
114,000 | 24,000 |
|
97,500 | -12,500 |
|
|
46,500 | -10,500 |
Five More Hands
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The tournament staff has just announced that the remaining players will play five more hands before bagging and tagging. During this time the black T100 chip will be raced off.
We're off to grab chip counts and any late developments, so stay tuned for those as well as a recap of all the Day 1a action from here at Harrah's New Orleans!
Green Scores Double Elimination With Ten Minutes Remaining
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
We didn't catch all the action, but we do know that Brian Green just won a massive pot here late in the night.
It happened on a 
flop when a raising way broke out between three players. It appeared there was about 200,000 in the pot with Green having his opponents covered.
Green: 
Early Position Player: 
Big Blind: 
Green was ahead with a flopped two pair but there were a lot of cards that could hurt him with two to come. Fortunately for him, the 
turned to give him a full house and leave both of his opponent's drawing dead. Green clapped his hands together in celebration as the other two players gathered their things and slunk out of the tournament area.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
290,000 | 160,000 |
Derden Done and Dusted
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Preston Derden secretly told us that he was anxious to either run up his short stack or bust before the end of the night. He was willing to reenter on Day 1b, so it seemed as though he had nothing to lose.
Derden loosened up his game a bit and managed to run 15,000 up to 45,000 by swiping blinds, but then his plan came to a sudden halt when he hit the brick wall that is pocket rockets.
It happened when action folded to Derden on the button and he moved all in with the 
. AJ Kelsall, who appears to be a diehard Philadelphia Eagles far, then snap-called off his stack of 40,000 with the 
. The board ran out 
and Derden was left with just 5,000. Not long after he got it in with 
, but it failed to hold against two opponents who both held 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Rios Nit Rolled
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Action folded around to Pedro "Pete" Rios in the small blind and he shipped his last 35,000 or so holding the 
. The big blind tanked for a solid 90 seconds before making the call and tabling 
. Rios was clearly upset that his opponent took so long to call, and even more so when the board failed to help him.
Rios made a hasty exit from the tournament area while someone else at the table quipped, "That was a nasty nit roll."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
A Couple Eliminations
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Both Loni Harwood and Michael "Carwash" Schneider have failed to work their short stacks into contention and have been eliminated here in the last level of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
A Few Counts
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
155,000 | |
|
65,000 | -8,000 |
|
|
57,000 | -8,000 |
Fisher Finished
Level 16
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Just before the break, David Weinstein opened to 4,100 from late position, a player in the small blind called, and Cliff Fisher squeezed in the big blind, moving all in for 20,500. Weinstein called, and the player in the small blind folded.
Weinstein:
Fisher: 
Weinstein's tens held as the board ran out 
, and Fisher was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |