A larger field in this prestigious event was expected Sunday and it is coming to fruition as the Day 1a total of 37 entries has already been matched midway through Level 5.
Registration and re-entry is open until the start of Level 9 at approximately 9:30 local time, which will ensure more players filter into the Champions Club poker room to built toward the event's $150,000 guarantee.
Level: 6
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 300
The PokerNews live reporting team arrived at Table 5 just in time to see a massive four-way all-in preflop involving Christopher Chomenko in the small blind, Julius Threadgill in early position, Jason Daly in middle position, and Han Feng in the cutoff.
Feng, Daly, and Chomenko were all in for about 40,000 each, while Threadgill would still be alive if he lost the pot.
Christopher Chomenko: 8♠7♦6♥4♦
Jason Daly: K♦8♦6♠5♠
Han Feng: Q♠J♦10♦9♠
Julius Threadgill: A♦K♥10♥7♣
The dealer spread a board of 6♣5♦2♣A♠5♥, giving Daly a full house of sixes over fives to take down the massive pot while eliminating Feng and Chomenko.
Chomenko has since re-entered, while Feng has left the tournament area. If he chooses, he'll have another 90 minutes approximately to hop back into the field before registration closes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
150,000
121,500
|
121,500 |
|
||
|
40,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
39,000
46,000
|
46,000 |
|
Busted | |
Picking action up in a raised pot on the Q♣6♠2♦ flop, Kris Burchfield checked his small blind to Ike Nlemchi in the big blind who bet 5,500.
Alejandro Armas called from middle position and Burchfield now came back with a check-raise to 25,000, committing about half of his stack.
Nlemchi folded, as did Armas to send the pot to Burchfield.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
103,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
|
68,500
27,500
|
27,500 |
|
22,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
Level: 7
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 400
The players at Table 7 just alerted the PokerNews live reporting team to a massive hand that saw Chip Ervin double through Alejandro Armas in dramatic fashion.
As told by the players, on a flop of A♠A♣J♠, Ervin got his last 23,000 in from the blinds against Armas in late position. The hand was already a cooler, but it would get much wilder.
Chip Ervin: A♥9♣8♠2♠
Alejandro Armas: J♠J♥9♥3♥
Ervin had flopped trip aces, but Armas held jacks full of aces. Ervin would have to make a better full house of quads if he was to take away the pot.
The J♦ came on the turn, giving Armas the quads instead, leaving Ervin now drawing to the A♦ to avoid elimination.
The dealer incredibly obliged, placing that A♦ on the river to keep Ervin in the game in incredible fashion.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
98,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
53,000
13,500
|
13,500 |
Picking action up on the flop with about 11,000 in the middle and a board of 10♦8♥4♥, Thomas Shipp checked in the big blind, as did Sung Keen in early position, and William Leffingwell in middle position, leading to a bet of 11,000 from Brad Ruben on the button.
Shipp called and Keen then moved all in for about 25,000. Leffingwell folded, but Ruben moved in for about 36,000 and Shipp was then in for less.
Thomas Shipp: 10♥10♠7♥6♣
Sung Keen: A♥5♣4♣3♥
Brad Ruben: Q♣J♠9♣6♥
Shipp was ahead with trip tens versus Keen's nut flush draw and Ruben's wrap.
The turn brought the 4♠, giving Keen trip fours to go with his flush draw, but also a full house for Ship, Keen drawing to the last four, while Ruben was drawing dead.
The river was the A♠, as Shipp's house held to earn him a sizeable pot, while leaving Ruben and Keen short.
Ruben would bust and rebuy shortly after, bringing a fresh 40,000 to a new table with just one level of registration left in the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
65,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
40,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
||
|
14,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
Level: 8
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 500
With 62 entries now in Day 1b, the total number for the first two flights of the Winter Poker Open PLO Championship has now hit 99 total.
Registration remains open through Level 8 and the ensuing break leading to Level 9 where registration and re-entry will then be closed.
Among the new players spotted in the field are highly accomplished local pro Ray Henson, and Jason Fitzpatrick, who is looking to improve on his disappointing bubble finish in Saturday's opening flight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
40,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
||
Christopher Chomenko raised to 3,000 in early position and got a call before Thai Ha potted it from the button. Chomenko re-potted it, the caller folded and Ha moved in with Chomenko calling for about 130,000 to put himself at risk in a massive pot.
Christopher Chomenko: K♦K♥9♥9♦
Thai Ha: A♥A♣K♣8♠
Ha had Chomenko crushed, plus he had one of his outs with the K♣. On top of that, ha got as perfect a flop as he could ask for, coming A♠4♣2♣ for trip aces and the nut flush draw.
The 10♣ turn brought in the flush, and the Q♣ came on the river for good measure as Ha took down the massive pot as he looks for a second title this week after winning the Monster Stack event on Friday.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
340,000
221,000
|
221,000 |
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
