Main Event
Day 3 Started
2023 bestbet Winter Open
Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 bestbet Winter Open
Prize Pool
$580,425
Entries
327
Level
25
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
bestbet Winter Open to Crown a Champion Monday
What’s already been a wild and entertaining week of poker in Jacksonville culminates Monday with the final table of the $2,000 bestbet Winter Open Main Event.
The final nine players have all clinched at least $12,201 for their efforts, but they all have their eyes on the $122,017 first prize and the beautiful crystal trophy.
The final table, which begins at 2 p.m. local time and will be streamed on bestbet’s YouTube channel should be an entertaining one. It will feature a great mix of seasoned professionals and amateurs.
bestbet Winter Open Main Event Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Name | Hometown | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Frierson | Jacksonville, FL | 1,425,000 | 71 |
| 2 | Bryce McVay | Tampa, FL | 365,000 | 18 |
| 3 | Russell Quick | Jacksonville, FL | 1,800,000 | 90 |
| 4 | Toby Boas | Sylva, NC | 630,000 | 31 |
| 5 | Thomas Carroll | N. Augusta, SC | 690,000 | 34 |
| 6 | Aftab Patni | Orlando, FL | 700,000 | 35 |
| 7 | Justin Macella | McRae, GA | 2,635,000 | 131 |
| 8 | Maxwell Young | Portland, OR | 920,000 | 46 |
| 9 | David Tuthill | St. Petersburg, FL | 620,000 | 31 |
The Final Nine
The less experienced tournament contingent will be led by the chip leader, Justin Macella, who’s lone recorded tournament result is a second-place finish for $28,532 during the bestbet Spring Series in 2021.
Macella comes into play with 2,635,000 chips, over 800,000 more than Russell Quick in 2nd place (1,800,000), and Michael Frierson in 3rd with 1,425,000. Frierson is another talented local amateur player, who has already passed his largest-ever tournament score this week. Aftab Patni (5th - 700,000) comes in having more than doubled his career tournament earnings with his run so far and will be looking to extend that number significantly.
They’ll have several well-tenured professionals looking to chase them down. Maxwell Young enters in 4th place with 920,000 chips and he brings a winning pedigree with a pair of WSOP Circuit rings along with other major wins and almost $2.4 million in career tournament earnings.
The entertaining Thomas Carroll starts 6th, bringing 690,000 chips to the final table. He has a couple of smaller wins to his name along with an 11th-place finish in the 2022 Lucky Hearts Main Event for his largest score of $77,215.
Toby Boas (7th - 620,000) and David Tuthill (8th - 610,000) are also on the lower half of the leaderboard, but with experienced tournament resumes that total a combined $3.4 million with multiple titles to their names, their 31 big blinds each are more than capable of making a run at the title Monday.
The short stack entering the day is Bryce McVay (365,000) with 18 big blinds. A first or second-place finish for McVay would vault him over the $1 million career tournament earnings mark.
Final Table Payouts
| PLACE | PAYOUT |
|---|---|
| 1 | $122,017 |
| 2 | $81,343 |
| 3 | $59,679 |
| 4 | $44,339 |
| 5 | $33,366 |
| 6 | $25,437 |
| 7 | $19,648 |
| 8 | $15,379 |
| 9 | $12,201 |
Along with the live stream, PokerNews will have reports on the same 30-minute delay so as not to spoil the bestbetLIVE stream. Keep it locked here for all the excitement as a champion is crowned at the bestbet Winter Open Main Event.
Cards are in the Air
Play is underway at the final table of the bestbet Winter Open Main Event.
PokerNews will be providing updates once the live stream begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on the bestbet YouTube channel.
Final Table Starting Chip Counts
Justin Macella leads the final nine players entering play. The bestbetLIVE stream begins with all the action at 2:30 p.m. ET
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,635,000 | |
|
||
|
1,800,000 | |
|
1,425,000 | |
|
920,000 | |
|
700,000 | |
|
690,000 | |
|
630,000 | |
|
620,000 | |
|
365,000 | |
The Final Table
Tune Into bestbetLIVE for Final Table Action
Check out all the action from the bestbet Winter Open final table right now on bestbetLIVE.
Level: 21
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
Bryce McVay Eliminated in 9th Place ($12,201)
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
After Bryce McVay put 200,000 of his final 315,000 chips forward from middle position, Aftab Patni moved all in for 605,000 from the small blind.
Justin Macella folded 
in the big blind and McVay committed the rest of his chips in as bad a shape as he could be in.
Bryce McVay: 
Aftab Patni: 
McVay already had an inferior pair, but his chances of making a set were gone with Macella folding the other two nines.
The board came 
, ending McVay's day in 9th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,785,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
970,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
Boas Takes From Quick
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Toby Boas raised to 40,000 under the gun with 
and was called by Russell Quick in the big blind with 
.
On the 
flop, Quick check-called a bet of 40,000 to see the 
on the turn.
Quick checked again, and this time Boas sized up to 150,000 which got a fold from Quick's second pair.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,625,000
-175,000
|
-175,000 |
|
|
690,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
Macella Builds With a Squeeze
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
After Toby Boas opened to 40,000 in the hijack with and Aftab Patni called on the button with 
, chip leader Justin Macella squeezed to 135,000 in the small blind with 
.
Both Boas and Patni chose to fold and Macella added about 100,000 to his stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,825,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
985,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
|
680,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |