$1,450 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2021 Colorado Poker Championship
$1,450 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2021 Colorado Poker Championship
Buy-in
$1,450
Prize Pool
$389,276
Entries
307
Level
27
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Entries
47
Players Left
2
Two Remain as Day 2 Concludes in the 2021 Colorado Poker Championship $1,450 Main Event
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Forty-seven players returned to action on Day 2 of the Bally's Black Hawk 2021 Colorado Poker Championship (CPC) $1,450 Main Event with the hopes of making it through another full day of action as play was set to continue until the final table of nine was reached.
That feat was accomplished after nearly eight hours of play, at which point all nine who remained agreed to continue marching on. Four-plus hours later, the clock struck 1 a.m. as Level 26 came to a close exactly 14 hours after cards went in the air, and at that time just two remained in Colorado's Jason Dennis and accomplished poker professional Justin Liberto.
When heads-up play began, Liberto was in command after dominating much of the final table, and entered play with nearly 75% of the chips in play. However, Dennis still had roughly 50 big blinds' worth of chips with which to fight and he made the most of it, pulling even and eventually taking the chip lead for a quick moment. Liberto then doubled after hitting two pair, kings and fives on the river and getting stacks in against Dennis' inferior kings up, but Dennis battled back to even once more and finished the day with the chip lead, holding 4.66 million — just barely more Liberto's 4.555 million — through the first 80 minutes of heads-up play.
Upon play finishing for the day, the two agreed to return on Monday at 2 p.m. local time to play for the trophy and the top prize of $89,534, with both players having already locked up $57,224.
CPC $1,450 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $89,534 | |
| 2 | $57,244 | |
| 3 | Steve Wilkie | $38,344 |
| 4 | Dwane Collard | $27,055 |
| 5 | Jason Remshardt | $20,242 |
| 6 | Chris Quackenbush | $16,350 |
| 7 | Josh Saltz | $13,625 |
| 8 | Rocco Palumbo | $11,289 |
| 9 | Jay Teel | $9,771 |
Day 2 Recap
The 47 returning players came into the day knowing one-third of them would walk away empty-handed with the top 31 places set to make it into the money. Eventual third-place finisher Steve Wilkie entered the day third in chips much the same and quickly ascended to the top of the counts after waking up with pocket aces in the big blind against Aaron Frei's pocket sevens and getting stacks all in preflop to make Frei the first elimination of the day.
Despite the bump to one-hour levels and incredibly deep-stacked play all day, chips flew continuously throughout the afternoon and the likes of Ian Pelz, Sammy Aweida, Ryan Dodson, and Vincent Moscati among those to find the rail early in the day. Wilkie then struck again with 33 remaining, hitting a straight with eight-seven to crack the pocket aces of Ben Keeline and bring about the bubble prior to the first break of the day. The bubble then lasted nearly half a level, with Donna Gadd falling to Dwane Collard to bring play into the money.
Just four eliminations were needed from that point to reach the three-table redraw, which came shortly thereafter with the pace of play continuing to move rapidly. A short-stacked Rich Dixon found himself able to hold onto crumbs as one-third of the field dropped, and he eventually found himself ousted in 17th place.
Play then slowed down with 16 remaining, staying that way for nearly 90 minutes before Michael Hinde (16th - $5,567) fell to Liberto, who wound up with a top-three stack he would maintain for the next three hours as others such as Jorden Helstern (14th - $5,567), Phil Gioia (12th - $7,591) and Matt Livingston (11th - $7,591) all fell short of the final table. Collard also built up a sizeable stack during that time, and then Day 1b chip leader Mike Kenny went out in 10th after spending most of the day with less than the 550K he entered play with.
Final Table Action
Dennis entered the final table as the shortest stack with just 138,000 (5.5 big blinds), but it was Jay Teel who got his 10 big blinds in with ace-ten to Collard's ace-king in the opening hands of the final table to go out first in ninth. Half an hour later, overall Day 1 chip leader Rocco Palumbo went out in eighth after stacks went in on the river of a king-high board and Palumbo's king-jack was second best to the ace-king of Liberto.
Seven then remained and went on a break with Collard still out in front before all returned to increased blinds. Almost 90 minutes then went by with a handful of doubles occurring before Josh Saltz open-jammed with king-jack and lost a coin flip to Wilkie's two tens to go out in seventh.
Shortly thereafter, Liberto took the chip lead after opening with ace-queen in the cutoff and seeing Chris Quackenbush re-jam in the small blind with pocket jacks.. Jason Remshardt came over the top for a little bit more in the big blind holding ace-jack of hearts and Liberto found a queen on the river to knock both players out of the tournament.
Liberto continued to build throughout short-handed play and eventually got the better of Collard, sending him out in fourth after his king-queen held versus king-jack in an all-in preflop situation, and a few hands later eliminated Wilkie when his top pair, top kicker held against Wilkie's pair of jacks that had picked up a gutshot straight flush draw before stacks got in on the turn.
As mentioned from there, Liberto took a sizeable chip advantage into heads-up play but found a formidable opponent in Dennis, with the two exchanging blows back and forth for roughly 80 minutes before deciding to come back tomorrow and finish what they started.
The finale of the CPC Main Event will resume Monday at 2 p.m. local time and PokerNews will be there to bring you through to the finish line. Be sure to follow along.
Play FInished for the Night
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Level 26 has come to a close and play has finished for the day due to a hard stop set at 1 a.m.
Chips are going into bags after Justin Liberto and Jason Dennis played heads up for more than an hour without a champion being crowned. The two players have agreed to come back at 2 p.m. tomorrow to finish the battle after play has concluded with the two being as close as humanly possible: Dennis' 4.66 million to Liberto's 4.555 million.
A recap of the day's action will be posted shortly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,660,000 | 300,000 |
|
4,555,000 | -295,000 |
Liberto Pays Off the Full House
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Jason Dennis opened to 150,000 on the button and Justin Liberto called in the big blind. The flop fell 
and Liberto check-called a continuation-bet of 250,000 from Dennis.
Liberto check-called another 400,000 on 
and the board completed 
. Liberto checked once more and Dennis bet 900,000, sending Liberto into the tank for nearly two minutes before finding a call.
Dennis tabled 
for the turned full house and Liberto sent his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,850,000 | -1,890,000 |
|
|
4,360,000 | 1,890,000 |
Liberto Doubles
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Justin Liberto was on the button and raised to 125,000, receiving a call from Jason Dennis who defended his big blind. The flop came 
and Dennis checked to Liberto, who made a continuation-bet of 160,000. Dennis called.
The turn was 
and Dennis checked again. Liberto fired a second barrel of 355,000 and Dennis check-raised to 900,000. Liberto thought for a bit and called, bringing the river 
.
"All in," announced Dennis. Liberto quickly dropped a stack onto the table and both players triumphantly turned over their hands.
Dennis' 
had turned two pair but Liberto's 
hit a better kings up on the river.
"Oh man!" responded Dennis in agonizing fashion after seeing Liberto's hand. Liberto's stack was totaled to be 2.155 million and the pot was made right before being shipped his way.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,740,000 | 2,990,000 |
|
|
2,470,000 | -2,990,000 |
Dennis Takes the Lead
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Justin Liberto raised to 150,000 on the button and Jason Dennis defended his big blind, bringing a flop of 
. Dennis checked to Liberto, who continuation-bet 125,000 and saw Dennis check-raise to 350,000. Liberto called.
The turn came and Dennis fired out another 550,000. Liberto raised to 1.23 million, sending Dennis into the tank. After 15 seconds, he looked down at his cards and then thought for another half a minute before looking back at them once more and announcing he was all in.
"Nice hand," said Liberto without much deliberation. He then sent his cards to the muck and Dennis took down the pot, overtaking the chip lead along the way.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,460,000 | 1,535,000 |
|
|
3,750,000 | -1,535,000 |
Small Pots The Norm
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Jason Dennis and Justin Liberto have been exchanging chips back and forth with not much to report about. A recent hand saw a single-raised pot go to 
, where Dennis bet 325,000 in the big blind and got called by Liberto.
Dennis immediately sent his cards to the muck and Liberto followed suit in exchange for the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,285,000 | 485,000 |
|
|
3,925,000 | -485,000 |
Stacks Getting Even
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Justin Liberto raised to 125,000 on the button and Jason Dennis three-bet to 350,000. Liberto called.
The flop fell 
and Dennis continuation-bet 550,000. Liberto folded to earn Dennis the pot.
Moments earlier, Dennis also won another pot prior to showdown in which two bets went in, and he now holds more than 45% of the chips in play as stacks have become nearly even.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,800,000 | -715,000 |
|
|
4,410,000 | 715,000 |
Dennis Wins a Decent Pot
Level 26
: 30,000/60,000, 10,000 ante
Jason Dennis opened to 125,000 on the button and Justin Liberto three-bet to 360,000 in the big blind. Dennis called.
Liberto continuation-bet 140,000 on 
and Dennis called. The turn came and Liberto checked. Dennis bet 375,000 and Liberto called.
The river fell and Liberto checked once more. Dennis bet another 500,000 and Liberto went into the tank for a bit before finding a call.
Dennis showed for kings up on the river and Liberto sent his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,515,000 | -720,000 |
|
|
3,695,000 | 720,000 |
Level: 26
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 10,000