Wendy Freedman was just seen walking from the registration desk to a new table of players as the field size eclipses the 50-mark prior to the first break of the day.
Freedman is another familiar face to the tournament circuit and to Black Hawk, Colorado, with over $1.1 million in live earnings including a victory at HPT Golden Gates in September of last year for $167,696.
There was around 10,000 in the pot on a board reading 
and a player in middle position had bet 5,000 into Nate Zoller, who was all in for around 15,5000 from the hijack.
Zoller's opponent thought for around a minute, saying he felt like Zoller had something like pocket eights. He eventually folded in a reluctant manner.
Zoller asked the gentleman what he had that made him consider calling if he put Zoller on eights and received a response that he had a middling pair. Zoller said he guessed he would then show, tabling 
to confirm that he did not have a pair of eights, but rather, "Just the nut boat." He then asked his opponent again what he had now that he had shown.
"I'm the one being run over," the player responded. "I can't share all the information with you."
There was 3,500 in the middle from preflop action between Joel Verbeck, who was on the button, and a player in the big blind. The dealer fanned a flop of 
and the big blind bet 2,250. Verbeck called.
The turn came 
to put a fourth diamond on board and the big blind checked. Verbeck put out a bet of 2,000 and his opponent thought for a few moments before sending his cards to the muck.
There was a pot with several red, T5,000 chips in the middle on a board reading 
. Action had been completed with a player in middle position having the all-in button and another 7,000 or so in front of him. He was in the process of standing up while his hand was being mucked.
Meanwhile, David Mittleman had 
tabled in front of him as he awaited the pot, bringing his chip total just shy of two starting stacks.
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 0
Nick Pupillo is no stranger to both the tournament circuit and the Golden Gates Poker Parlour, having found two HPT final tables this year.
He was just seen taking his seat, entering the field coming off a second-place finish at HPT St. Louis earlier this month for $98,195. He also made the final table of the HPT event here in Black Hawk last month, taking seventh place for $19,810.
Furthermore, he was the champion of the $1,650 HPT event here in February 2019 as well, when he topped a field of 588 to earn a prize of $194,478. He currently sits atop the HPT Season XV Player of the Year race by a good margin.
A player limped in from under the gun and action folded around to Brian Leitch, who raised to 800 from the hijack. The cutoff called and action folded back to the limper, who confirmed the amount before folding.
The two players saw a flop of 
and Leitch checked. The cutoff made a bet of 1,100. Leitch called. The turn came and Leitch checked again. The cutoff fired again for 2,500 and Leitch counted out a call.
The river fell 
and Leitch checked. The cutoff tabled 
for a pair of queens, indicating a check behind.
"Guess I missed a bet," said Leitch as he turned over 
for a pair of kings and took down the pot.
Ki Kong called an under-the-gun open to 600 from middle position and action folded around to Matt Livingston, who was on the button and also called. The small blind came along as well and the four saw a flop of 
.
The original raiser made a continuation-bet of 1,200 and Kong called. Livingston got out of the way and the small blind put in chips to call, taking action three ways to the turn . The small blind led out for 3,500 and the player who was under the gun folded. Kong put in chips to call.
The river fell 
and the small blind checked. Kong threw out a bet of 25,000, effectively putting his opponent at risk for his last 13,400 or so. The player went deep into the tank, apologizing for doing so. He said he just needed another moment and proceeded to fold after that moment passed, resulting in Kong taking down the pot.
Since that won, Kong appears to have lost a hand as he has a starting stack in front of him once more.
With Level 2 underway, the tournament clock is reading 44 entries and of the recent arrivals is Nate Zoller, who finished in fourth place out of 732 entries during last month's Heartland Poker Tour event here at Golden Gates Casino for a payday of $42,815. Ben Jensen has also been seen in a new seat, having wasted no time getting back in on the action.
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
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