Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2023 bestbet Winter Open
Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 bestbet Winter Open
Prize Pool
$580,425
Entries
327
Level
25
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Entries
48
Players Left
9
Macella Takes Big Chip Lead to bestbet Winter Open Main Event Final Table
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
After making the most of a wacky Day 1b flight to take the second-largest stack into Day 2, Justin Macella thrived on Sunday to take a huge chip lead to Monday’s final table of the $2,000 bestbet Winter Open Main Event.
With the help of some big hands and a bit of day 1b-esque fortune, Macella will take 2,635,000 chips onto the bestbetLIVE stage Monday, almost 800,000 more than his next closest competitor, Russell Quick (1,800,000). Michael Frierson is the only other player to take a seven-figure bag to the final table with 1,425,000.
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 Day’s Action
It took just eight hours to thin the 48 remaining players down to the final nine. It was an even quicker sprint into the money, as in less than an hour, seven players were eliminated, with a dramatic double elimination of Hunter Cichy and Dane Cass bursting the bubble with no hand-for-hand play needed.
From there the final 41 players did their best to climb the ladders toward that final table, but only that final nine will return, with the likes of Jacob Ferro (28th - $4,081), the chip leader entering the day, Brett Feder (24th - $4,725), and a pair of 2022 Winter Open final tablists, David Dibernardi (34th - $3,577) and Adam Wells (13th - $8,002) falling by the wayside.
Macella’s Road to the Chip Lead
Macella was in the upper portion of the chip counts most of the day, but it was an “uh oh” moment similar to much of what happened Saturday that vaulted him over a million chips and really got him going.
Macella three-bet all-in for 36 big blinds with a dominated ace, then needed not one, but two of his kicker to hit to avoid elimination and score a massive double-up. From there, he built his stack further by taking chunks from the other big stacks around him to solidify his spot atop the counts by night’s end.
The Final Table Awaits
The final nine players will return to bestbet Jacksonville at 2 p.m. Monday to play under the lights of the bestbetLIVE streaming stage. Play will resume with 30:21 remaining in level 21 with blinds of 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante.
PokerNews will cover the action on the same 30-minute delay as the stream so as to avoid spoilers. Keep your browsers locked here for all the excitement Monday when the champion will be crowned.
Final Table Seat Draw and Chip Counts
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
| 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 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,635,000 | 335,000 |
|
1,800,000 | -250,000 |
|
1,425,000 | |
|
920,000 | -20,000 |
|
700,000 | 50,000 |
|
690,000 | 60,000 |
|
630,000 | -270,000 |
|
620,000 | -25,000 |
|
365,000 | 45,000 |
Rodney Turvin Eliminated in 10th Place ($12,201)
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Rodney Turvin moved his last 200,000 in from the hijack and got called by Michael Frierson in the big blind.
Rodney Turvin: 
Michael Frierson: 
While Turvin had found a very good hand to go with, he'd run into Frierson's monstrous pair of kings.
The board came 
, bringing no help to Turvin, sending him to the rail short of the final table and ending the night.
The final nine players will now return at 2 p.m. Monday to play the final table.
Stay tuned for complete chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,425,000 | 325,000 |
|
Busted |
Hyndi Khomutetsky Eliminated in 11th Place ($9,813)
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Down to her last big blind, Hyndi Khomutetsky moved it in from the cutoff. After Bryce McVay called in the small blind, David Tuthill moved all in for 600,000 from the big blind and McVay folded.
Hyndi Khomutetsky: 
David Tuthill: 
The board came 
, pairing Tuthill's eight on the turn to lock up the hand and send Khomutetsky home short of the final table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
645,000 | 295,000 |
|
Busted |
Macella on Post-Dinner Break Heater
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
While eliminations have been happening around him, Justin Macella has been building his stack by taking from the other big stacks at his table.
A pot of over 600,000 chips had been built by the river versus Aftab Patni with a completed board of 
.
Macella bet 500,000 from the small blind and was quickly called by Patni on the button.
Macella turned over 
for a turned queen-high straight and Patni mucked his hand.
The pot boosted his stack well into the lead with just two more eliminations needed to end the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,300,000 | 1,160,000 |
|
|
650,000 | -770,000 |
Charles Campos Eliminated in 12th Place ($9,813)
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
After Charles Campos limped in the cutoff, Thomas Carroll moved all in from the blinds for 310,000. Campos made the call to put Carroll at risk.
Thomas Carroll:
Charles Campos: 
Campos had trapped Carroll with his pair of tens, but there were still five cards to come.
The flop came 
giving Carroll backdoor opportunities, and those grew significantly with the 
turn.
The river then brought Carroll the 
to give him the winning flush and a needed double-up, leaving Campos very short.
A couple of hands later Campos moved in in the big blind over a Toby Boas button raise and Boas called.
Charles Campos:
Toby Boas:
The board came 
to eliminate Campos.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
900,000 | -150,000 |
|
|
630,000 | 305,000 |
|
Busted |
Post-Dinner Break Chip Counts
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,050,000 | |
|
|
1,420,000 | -180,000 |
|
|
1,140,000 | 40,000 |
|
|
1,100,000 | 380,000 |
|
|
1,050,000 | 145,000 |
|
|
940,000 | 350,000 |
|
|
410,000 | -45,000 |
|
|
390,000 | 20,000 |
|
|
350,000 | -60,000 |
|
|
325,000 | -61,000 |
|
|
320,000 | -95,000 |
|
|
150,000 | -190,000 |
Level: 21
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
PN Podcast: 2023 WSOP Schedule + Hear from Bonomo, Boston Rob & David Costabile at PSPC!
Level 20
: Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante
On the latest PokerNews Podcast episode of 2023, Chad Holloway and Connor Richards come to you straight from the 2023 PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold'em Championship (PSPC) in the Bahamas. First, they discuss the full schedule reveal of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule, and then dive headfirst into all things PSPC and PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.
That includes interviews with PCA champ Michel Dattani, Survivor all-star "Boston" Rob Mariano, Billions and Breaking Bad actor David Costabile, and Justin Bonomo, who had a big win to extend his lead atop poker's all-time money list.
They also chat about Nick Schulman replacing Gabe Kaplan on High Stakes Poker, the new Galfond Challenge between Phil Galfond and Dan "Jungleman" Cates, Perry Green's first tournament win in 35 years, and remember Julian Track and Jeff Fogel, who both, unfortunately, passed away.