Main Event Day 1a | 2023 bestbet Winter Open

02-04-2023 01:15 UTC-4

Feder Bags Big Chip Lead in Day 1a of bestbet Winter Open Main Event

Mike Patrick

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

After a fast-paced day of action that actually ended early, it’s Brett Feder of Jacksonville, FL leading the final 17 players from Day 1a of the $2,000 bestbet Winter Open Main Event with 650,000 chips, almost 200,000 more than his closest competition, Rodney Turvin.

Feder had a middling stack for a good portion of the day until a big hand in level 10 where he flopped a set of threes against Steven Ruighaver who held top pair, to double-up to over 200,000 chips.

From there, Feder would ascend to the chip lead, while Ruighaver would end up being the final elimination of the night with 13:12 left in level 14, leaving the final 17 players (12.5%) advancing to Day 2 on Sunday.

Maxwell Young also bagged a big stack of 444,000, thanks in part to a huge hand in level 13 that saw him hit a one-outer on the turn with pocket kings to eliminate a pair of players.

Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts

Place	Name	Hometown	Chip Count
1	Brett Feder	Jacksonville, FL	650,000
2	Rodney Turvin	Cairo, GA	457,000
3	Maxwell Young	Portland, OR	444,000
4	David Tuthill	St. Petersberg FL	324,000
5	Toby Boas	Slyva, NC	316,000
6	Matthew Johnson	Smyrna, TN	285,000
7	Talesh Patel	St. Augustine, FL	213,000
8	Russell Quick	Jacksonville, FL	197,000
9	Dane Cass	Booneville, NC	191,000
10	William Davis	Jacksonville, FL	149,000

In total, 131 entries filled seats in the bestbet Jacksonville poker room throughout the day to start the prize pool with $232,525, with a big Day 1b field expected Saturday to boost that number significantly.

Among those that busted Friday and will have to return Saturday in hopes of finding a bag for Day 2 included two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner David Dibernardi, Michael Jagroo, who won the Lodge Spring Mayhem Main Event for over $250,000 last year, and local husband and wife duo of Kelley Slay and Kelly Slay.

Day 1b will start Saturday at noon local time with players starting with 30,000 chips for another 14 levels of play or again until 12.5% of the field remains.

PokerNews will be on site for that and all the action from the Winter Open Main Event until a champion is crowned Monday on the bestbet Jacksonville live stream.

Tags: Brett Feder Dane Cass David Dibernardi David Tuthill Kelley Slay Kelly Slay Matthew Johnson Maxwell Young Michael Jagroo Rodney Turvin Russell Quick Steven Ruighaver Talesh Patel Toby Boas William Davis

02-03-2023 23:21 UTC-4

Young Drills One-Outer to Bust Two and Approach Chip Lead

Mike Patrick

Level 13 : 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante

A wild hand at table 38 has brought the field two players closer to night's end and send Maxwell Young toward the chip lead.

Young opened to 7,000 in middle position and was met with a jam to 45,000 by a player in the cutoff. Johnny Landreth then four-bet to 100,000 on the button.

Back on Young, he jammed for over 200,000 with Landreth covered and Landreth happily called off his last 70,000, creating a massive three-way pot.

Cutoff player:
Johnny Landreth:
Maxwell Young:

Landreth was in prime position to win a huge pot, but the board still had to be dealt.

The flop came , leaving the cutoff needing running jacks, or for Young, the final king in the deck.

Sure enough, the dealer dropped the on the turn, bringing Young his one-outer for the ultimate suckout.

The on the river didn't bring Landreth one of the two outs he needed for the ultimate re-suckout, and a massive pot was pushed to Young, who now has the second biggest stack in the room with just two more eliminations needed to end play for the night.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxwell Young	485,000 300,000	300,000
Johnny Landreth	Busted

Tags: Johnny Landreth Maxwell Young

02-03-2023 22:33 UTC-4

Boas Busts One to Move over 200,000

Mike Patrick

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

A flurry of preflop action ultimately saw Toby Boas eliminate a player to build his stack into one of the contenders as the night draws closer to its conclusion.

Maxwell Young opened in early position to 6,000 which got calls from three players including Boas. Once action got to Tyler McKinney in the big blind he made it 26,000 to go.

Young folded, but Boas now moved all in. A player in middle position called for his last 75,000, and the rest of the table folded.

Middle position player:
Toby Boas:

After all the preflop action, Boas had somehow managed to get a bunch of chips in in a dominant situation.

The board ran out , and Boas' ace-queen high held up as the winner to win a significant pot before the break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Toby Boas	218,000 130,000	130,000
Maxwell Young	185,000 -30,000	-30,000
Tyler McKinney	95,000 -83,000	-83,000
William Davis	85,000 4,000	4,000

Tags: Maxwell Young Toby Boas Tyler McKinney

02-03-2023 21:13 UTC-4

Feder Gets Big Double Through Ruighaver

Mike Patrick

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

Picking action up on the flop, Brett Feder bet 4,500 from middle position and was called by Steven Ruighaver in the cutoff.

The turn brought the and things got spicy.

Feder led again, this time for 11,000, and got raised to 26,000 by Ruighaver. Feder then moved all in for 97,000 and after a bit of thought, Ruighaver called in rough shape.

Brett Feder:
Steven Ruighaver:

Feder had flopped a set of threes, leaving the river irrelevant as he had Ruighaver drawing dead to earn a healthy double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brett Feder	214,000 100,500	100,500

Steven Ruighaver	130,000 -110,000	-110,000

Tags: Brett Feder Steven Ruighaver

02-03-2023 19:15 UTC-4

Zrihen Picks Off Khomutetsky's Bluff

Mike Patrick

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

With a little under 30,000 in the middle on a completed board of , Hyndi Khomutetsky moved all in from early position for 38,700 against David Zrihen who had her slightly covered.

Zrihen pondered his decision for a couple of minutes before dropping a stack of brown chips forward to make a great call.

Khomutetsky shook her head slightly and showed for a failed bluff with king-high.

Zrihen showed for top pair, top kicker as he absorbed Khomutetsky's chips into his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Zrihen	135,000
Hyndi Khomutetsky	Busted

Tags: David Zrihan Hyndi Khomutetsky

02-03-2023 18:18 UTC-4

Ferro Across 200,000

Mike Patrick

Level 8 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Jacob Ferro was just seen with a huge stack of chips and he relayed the details of the hand to Pokernews.

As told by Ferro, he raised to 1,600 under the gun and was three-bet to 4,000 by the button. The small blind then cold-called, so Ferro came with a four-bet to 15,000. Both opponents called, creating a sizeable pot already.

On the flop, Ferro continued for 11,000 and got called by both opponents.

The turn brought a and now Ferro bet 27,000, leaving himself roughly 35,000 behind. The button folded, but the small blind called.

On the river, the small blind moved all in for Ferro's remaining stack and he called with , winning the pot versus the small blind's .

Player	Chips	Progress
Jacob Ferro	209,000 123,500	123,500

Tags: Jacob Ferro

02-03-2023 17:15 UTC-4

Dibernardi Busts Brown Before Break

Mike Patrick

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A large pot was being pushed to David Dibernardi as most of the players had already gone on break, and he was gracious enough to relay the details of the hand to PokerNews.

After James Brown raised to 1,500 on the button, Dibernardi called in the big blind.

On the flop, Dibernardi checked to Brown who bet 1,500. Dibernardi then check-raised to 5,000 and got a call.

The players checked through the turn, but on the river, Dibernardi led for 13,000. Brown then moved all in for about double that and Dibernardi called.

Dibernardi showed for a rivered full house to snatch the pot from Brown who showed , extending his break indefinitely unless he decides to re-enter the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Dibernardi	68,000 68,000	68,000
James Brown	Busted

Tags: David Dibernardi James Brown

02-03-2023 17:06 UTC-4

Zrihen Doubles Through Boas

Mike Patrick

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

After David Zrihen raised to 1,500 and was called by the button, Toby Boas three-bet to 8,600 from the small blind. Zrihen made the call, but the button folded.

Heads-up to the flop of and Boas continued for 4,000. Zrihen called to see the turn, which came with the .

Boas now bet 8,000 and Zrihen moved all in for 25,300. Boas called but was in deep trouble.

David Zrihen:
Toby Boas:

Zrihen's flop peel was rewarded as his gutshot straight draw made a wheel, leaving Boas drawing dead to a chop before the completed the board.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Zrihen	82,000 82,000	82,000
Toby Boas	31,200 -31,800	-31,800

Tags: David Zrihen Toby Boas

02-03-2023 16:36 UTC-4

Rash Doubles Through Brown

Mike Patrick

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Action was folded around to James Brown in the small blind and he raised to 1,400, which was met with a three-bet to 4,800 from Steven Rash in the big blind.

Brown called and the flop came . Brown checked to Rash, who bet 6,700. Brown then check-raised for a bit under 27,000 effective and Rash called off to put himself at risk.