$3,500 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2023 BetMGM Poker Championship
$3,500 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2023 BetMGM Poker Championship
Buy-in
$3,500
Prize Pool
$3,283,200
Entries
1,026
Level
33
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entries
485
Players Left
150
Jing Wang Bags Best in Bumper Day 1a Field of BetMGM Poker Championship
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Day 1a of the 2023 BetMGM Poker Championship $3,500 Main Event at the ARIA Resort and Casino has concluded with 150 players remaining after ten hours of play. This tournament is on track to easily surpass its $2,000,000 guarantee with today’s 485 entries contributing $1,552,000 to the prize pool.
Jing Wang is the one who emerged leading the pack and is in a prime position to control the action when players return for Day 2 on Sunday. Wang scooped the biggest pot of the day after turning a two outer in the last level of the night.
Wang will be joined on Day 2 by fellow big stacks Jonathan Jaffe and Anuj Agarwal.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Name | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jing Wang | 667,500 | 267 | |
| 2 | Anuj Agarwal | United States | 453,500 | 181 |
| 3 | Paul Gunness | United States | 362,000 | 145 |
| 4 | Leo Taffe | United States | 350,500 | 140 |
| 5 | Brett Bassock | United States | 329,000 | 132 |
| 6 | Ivan Galinec | Croatia | 317,000 | 127 |
| 7 | Joshua Boulton | United States | 315,000 | 126 |
| 8 | Stephen Song | United States | 285,500 | 114 |
| 9 | Alexandre Vuilleumier | Switzerland | 284,000 | 114 |
| 10 | Fernando Garcia | Spain | 280,500 | 112 |
Agarwal collected his own large pot late on at the expense of qualifier Thomas Coan. He hit a set while his opponent held ace-king for top pair top kicker on a ace-high board.
Alex Keating had the highest hand of the day and received a momentum-shifting double up after flopping quads and getting paid off.
There were 110 players who qualified for the Main Event by playing online on BetMGM Poker and 63 of them took part in today’s flight. Among them were Jim Farrelly, Patrick Hensley, and Laura Church.
Joining Farrelly in Day 2 will be ambassador Darren Elias, who also registered in the opening flight and found a bag.
Notable names to not survive include Ethan “Rampage” Yau, Jesse Lonis, Robbi Jade Lew, Landon Tice, and defending BetMGM Champion Joey Weisman.
Those who wish to try their luck in this tournament Saturday can do so, as Day 1b kicks off at noon local time with the same structure.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be back on-site tomorrow, June 10th, for continued coverage of the BetMGM Poker Championship at ARIA, so stay tuned!
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
667,500
-32,500
|
-32,500 |
|
||
|
453,500
133,500
|
133,500 |
|
||
|
362,000
362,000
|
362,000 |
|
350,500
350,500
|
350,500 |
|
||
|
329,000
329,000
|
329,000 |
|
317,000
317,000
|
317,000 |
|
315,000
315,000
|
315,000 |
|
285,500
239,500
|
239,500 |
|
|
||
|
284,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
|
||
|
280,500
280,500
|
280,500 |
|
276,500
276,500
|
276,500 |
|
265,500
155,500
|
155,500 |
|
260,500
260,500
|
260,500 |
|
250,500 | |
|
||
|
248,000
131,500
|
131,500 |
|
247,500
247,500
|
247,500 |
|
235,500
235,500
|
235,500 |
|
225,500
225,500
|
225,500 |
|
224,000
224,000
|
224,000 |
|
||
|
223,500
-31,500
|
-31,500 |
|
|
||
|
223,500
223,500
|
223,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
222,000
222,000
|
222,000 |
|
214,500
214,500
|
214,500 |
|
|
||
|
214,000
-19,000
|
-19,000 |
|
213,500
-49,500
|
-49,500 |
|
|
||
Day 1a Closes
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Day 1a has now closed and the tournament clock says 150 players remain from 485 entries.
Recap of today's action and end of night chip counts to follow.
Final Three Hands
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The Tournament Director has paused the clock and announced that three more hands will be played before players begin the bagging process for the night.
Battle of the Blinds
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The action had folded around to the blinds, and after the small blind made the call for 2,000, Cherish Andrews in the big blind raised the price of poker to 6,000. The small blind then decided to put in a three-bet to 13,500 but Andrews wasn't having any of that as she then moved all in which prompted a hasty fold from the small blind to award her the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
38,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
Lichtenberger Runs into Aces
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The cards were face up with Andrew Lichtenberger calling the big blinds all in.
Big Blind: A♣A♦
Andrew Lichtenberger: JxJx
The board ran out with the 6♥8♦3♦9♥Q♦ and the big blind doubled while Lichtenberger was left on fumes late on in the final level of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
17,500
-22,500
|
-22,500 |
|
|
||
Updated Counts
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
263,000
-62,000
|
-62,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
170,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
||
|
153,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
||
|
150,000
121,000
|
121,000 |
|
142,000
54,000
|
54,000 |
|
||
|
100,000
-102,000
|
-102,000 |
|
100,000 | |
|
|
||
|
77,000
-63,000
|
-63,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Wang Sun Runs to Chip Lead; Binks Two Outer in Huge Pot
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The middle position player opened 4,500 and was called by opponent. Big stack Jing Wang then squeezed to 25,000 from the big blind. The original raiser then four-bet to 66,000 and only Wang called.
The middle position player continued for 40,000 on the 7♥4♥3♣ flop. Wang moved all in as the bigger stack and his opponent, who had around 275,000 behind, snap-called for his tournament life.
Middle Position: KxKx
Jing Wang: JxJx
Wang was way behind and was about to be reduced to crumbs until he binked a set on the J♠ turn to the disbelief of his opponent. The river bricked out and Wang became the overwhelming chip leader.
The following hand, the player in the under-the-gun position moved all in for around 35,000 and Wang called from the small blind.
Wang had 7♥7♠ and was up against K♦J♣. Wang claimed another elimination as he held out to scoop following the A♦9♥6♦6♠A♣ runout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
700,000
355,000
|
355,000 |
|
|
||
Qualifier Coan Falls Late
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Thomas Coan opened to 5,500 from middle position and Anuj Agarwal called from the big blind.
Agarwal check-called for 7,000 on the A♠10♠2♦ flop, bringing in the 5♣ turn. Agarwal checked once more and Coan just ripped in his stack of around 75,000 and was snap-called.
Thomas Coan: AxKx
Anuj Agarwal: 10x10x
Coan had top pair top kicker but was behind Agarwal's set of tens. The river was a brick and Agarwal took in the massive pot to become one of the chip leaders.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
320,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||