bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open $2,000 Main Event Day 1a | 2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open

01-29-2021 19:28 UTC-4

Chen Pumps Up The Aggression

HillKerby

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Action folded to bestbet Jacksonville 2021 Winter Open Event #1 winner Huilin Chen on the button and he opened to 3,000. The small blind three-bet to 11,500 and Chen called when it became his turn to do so, taking action heads up to a flop of . The small blind continuation-bet 6,500 and Chen called.

The dealer spread the turn and the small blind checked over to Chen, who put all of his 5,000 chips onto the felt with some oomph, totaling 45,000. The amount was more than enough to put his opponent to a test for their remaining 36,000, and the small blind went into the tank for a full minute before deciding to let his hand go.

With the pot, Chen is now the newest player to reach 100,000 in the tournament with less than 15 minutes remaining until the dinner break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Huilin Chen	103,400 103,400	103,400

01-29-2021 19:33 UTC-4

Chip Counts Before Dinner

HillKerby

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Scott Stewart	152,000 116,400	116,400
Ken Stacy	126,000 51,000	51,000
Ricardo Eyzaguirre	120,000 40,000	40,000
Steve Rash	116,000 27,200	27,200
Tommy Tran	94,000 -48,000	-48,000
Dustin Holladay	91,400 -10,100	-10,100
Jermaine Gerlin	90,000 -5,000	-5,000
Dapo Ajayi	84,000 32,000	32,000
Nick Pupillo	81,200 -5,500	-5,500

David Jackson	77,000 40,500	40,500

Taylor Howard	64,300 24,800	24,800
Thad McNulty	62,000 -58,000	-58,000
Howard Hankin	50,000 10,000	10,000
Michael Rosenberg	44,000 -1,000	-1,000
Ryan Snow	35,800
Hamid Izadi	33,000 33,000	33,000
Jack Sumner	26,500 -33,500	-33,500
Gloria Jackson	24,500 24,500	24,500
Gary Herstein	22,000 13,400	13,400
Howard Bolte	Busted

01-29-2021 19:35 UTC-4

Dinner Time

HillKerby

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Players are on a one-hour dinner break. Play will resume at 7:35 p.m. ET, at which point the late registration period will officially close.

If you are looking to enter or re-enter Day 1a of the 2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open $2,000 Main Event, the dinner break is your last chance.

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

01-29-2021 20:41 UTC-4

Level 10 Begins - Registration Is Closed

HillKerby

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

The dinner break has come to an end and an announcement was just made that Main Event registration is officially over for Day 1a. In total, 195 entries were logged for the first of two starting flights.

Five more 40-minute levels remain for those who remain. Play is set to conclude at the end of Level 14 (2,000/4,000/4,000), and all players left in contention at that time will bag and tag their chips and advance to Sunday's Day 2.

01-29-2021 20:50 UTC-4

Khavin Stays Alive

HillKerby

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Filipp Khavin was in middle position and open-jammed for 11,500. He was called by the small blind.

Filipp Khavin:
Small Blind:

Khavin spiked in ace on the flop to pull ahead, and he stayed there as the turn and river completed the runout to score him the dub.

Player	Chips	Progress
Filipp Khavin	26,000 26,000	26,000

Tags: Filipp Khavin

01-29-2021 20:59 UTC-4

Gerlin Chips Up Without Showdown

HillKerby

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Action was heads up between the under-the-gun Christopher Laieta and Jermaine "The Lion" Gerlin, who was in middle position with more than 25,000 already in the middle on a board reading .

Laieta fired out a bet of 14,500 and Gerlin confirmed the amount, making the call shortly thereafter to bring the river . Laieta took a few moments to consider his options and then checked, looking down the table towards his opponent. Once Laieta checked, Gerlin immediately threw out five 5,000 chips for a bet of 25,000, and Laieta let his hand go without much further thought to earn Gerlin the pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christopher Laieta	203,500 -17,500	-17,500
Jermaine Gerlin	113,500 23,500	23,500

Tags: Christopher Laieta Jermaine Gerlin

01-29-2021 21:09 UTC-4

Zaki Doubles Through Stewart

HillKerby

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

There was around 13,000 in the middle from preflop action between Scott Stewart in the big blind, Justin Zaki who was under the gun, and Jack Sumner in the cutoff.

Stewart checked the flop and Zaki bet 6,000. Sumner raised to 16,000 and Stewart check-three-bet jammed over the top, covering both remaining players. Zaki immediately pushed his remaining chips forward to call all in, sending action back to Sumner who thought for close to a minute before folding for his remaining chips.

Justin Zaki:
Scott Stewart:

Zaki had flopped top set but had plenty of outs to fade against Stewart's gutshot straight flush draw. The turn opened both ends of Stewart's straight draw, giving him three more outs, but the river was clean to give Zaki a full house and score him the double and then some.

Zaki's stack was totaled to be 67,500 and Stewart counted it out for Zaki. Sitting next to each other, the two fist-bumped one another when all was said and done. Their table broke immediately thereafter and all players moved to new seats as eight tables now remain in play.

Player	Chips	Progress
Justin Zaki	155,000 155,000	155,000
Scott Stewart	95,500 -56,500	-56,500
Jack Sumner	26,000 -500	-500

Tags: Jack Sumner Justin Zaki Scott Stewart

01-29-2021 21:14 UTC-4

Hodge Doubles

HillKerby

Level 10 : 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Three limps began the hand before action folded over to Mark Hodge in the small blind, who completed and saw the big blind check his option behind. With five to the flop, Hodge bet 13,000 on , leaving 500 behind. The under-the-gun player asked for confirmation that Hodge had 500 behind and the dealer provided it. He then called, being the only player to do so.

Hodge fired in his last 500 on the turn and his opponent called, with both players simultaneously turning over their hands and Hodge's opponent letting out a groan.

Mark Hodge:
Under the Gun:

The river fell to earn Hodge the double. His opponent's groan turned into some light excitement and laughter among the entire table by the time the runout finished at how the hand had transpired.

"I did that so I could say I got it in good!" joked Hodge.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mark Hodge	36,000 -9,000	-9,000

Tags: Mark Hodge

Level: 11

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000