Day 1a of the Hollywood Poker Open Columbus $1,115 Regional Main Event was in the books on Friday and Jeremy Detamore led the way.
Detamore hovered around the middle of the pack and didn't play many huge hands, but that was only until the last two levels. He started stacking more and more chips and didn't slow down until after he put a huge dent in Eli Stepanovich.
Detamore was heads up with Stepanovich and shoved his last 76,500 in on the river. Stepanovich called with top two pair. Detamore had the best of it with a set of aces and stacked a pot of more than 200,000.
J.J. Ura also won a couple big hands at the end of the day, including the hand that busted Stepanovich. Ura had against the of Stepanovich and hit a queen on the flop. Stepanovich didn't catch up, and Ura jumped into the second spot, where he would finish on the leaderboard going to Day 2.
Andrew Barfield (199,500), Paul Kardules (195,500), and Greg Yeager (177,000) rounded out the top five Day 1a stacks.
Chris Moneymaker tweeted that his Day 1a was much like a roller coaster, and it rang true to the very last hand of play. Josh Lowing opened and Moneymaker three-bet. The two ended up getting all in preflop, and Moneymaker held against the of Lowing. Lowing's tens held and left Moneymaker sitting 54,500 on the last hand.
The 16 returning players will be back Sunday at 12:15 p.m. local time for Day 2. They will be joined by the survivors of the Day 1b flight, which takes place on Saturday.
The field for Day 1b is expected to be at least twice the size of Day 1a and there should be some familiar faces in the crowd. Stay tuned to PokerNews.com for all the updates when Day 1b starts at 11:15 a.m. local time.
Eli Stepanovich and Emad Allabsi were two of the bigger stacks coming into the final two levels. After two huge pots, they were both short stacked and looking for a path back up. Unfortunately for both, it wasn't to be and they are both on the outside looking in.
Allabsi lost a pot worth more then 190,000 with a flush against a better flush held by Paul Kardules. Shortly after that, Allabsi got all in for his tournament life and busted.
Stepanovich lost versus when Jeremy Detamore hit a set on the river and shoved all in. That left Stepanovich in dangerous territory and J.J. Ura was there to take his remaining stack when the two got all in preflop with for Ura and for Stepanovich.
Ura hit a queen on the flop and stayed ahead to eliminated Stepanovich.
The last two levels of the night have been a bit more eventful than expected. After Eli Stepanovich called Jeremy Detamore's all in on the river for a massive 260,000 pot, Paul Kardules and Emad Allabsi played a 195,000 flush over flush pot.
Three players saw the flop and Josh Lowing made it 10,000 on the flush draw flop. Kardules called and Allabsi raised. Lowing folded and Kardules called. When the flush was completed on the turn, it didn't take either player too long to get all their chips in. Allabsi was second best with . Kardules had and the better flush.
Jeremy Detamore has been in the middle of the pack for most of the day. Recently, he's gone on a bit of a run which may have peaked when he took the chip lead and a massive chunk of Eli Stepanovich's stack.
Stepanovich has been among the leader throughout the day and could chalk up the massive pot to just a cooler.
The two players were heads up and looking at a board of and Detamore shoved all in for 76,500 more. Stepanovich waited long enough to get the count and called, showing ace king. Detamore had pocket aces, , for trips. Stepanovich had flopped top, top but was still behind the over pair of Detamore.
Detamore is poised to finish atop Day 1a, while Stepanovich might have to do some work to guarantee his spot.
Craig Bergeron just went runner, runner for a double up midway through level 11.
Three players, including Craig Bergeron and Ryan Kalb say the flop for 3,600. The flop came and the action checked to Kalb, who was last to act. He bet 8,100 and the action folded to Bergeron who shoved all in for a total of 32,500. Kalb snap called and showed a set of nines holding . Bergeron needed significant help, holding .
Bergeron got the help he needed as the board went runner, runner diamonds, , giving him the flush and the win.
Steve Phillips just eliminated another player and has tripled his starting stack in just over an hour. He sat down after the dinner break and quickly busted two people.
On this hand, Phillips was on the button and in the tank. A player had opened to 2,100 and Phillips made it 4,000. Eli Stepanovich
called and the original raiser shoved all in. That is what sent Phillips into the tank.
Eventually Phillips called and Stepanovich folded. Phillips had against the of his opponent. The board wasted almost no time deciding the winner, when Phillips hit a king with two spades and then turned a flush on the board.
Phillips won the pot and is off to a fiery start about halfway through level ten.
Nicole Miller just called a bet on the river, putting her tournament life at risk.
The action started when Josh Lowing limped and the player on the button raised. Miller called from the big blind, as did Lowing.
The flop came and Miller and Lowing checked. The button player bet 4,000, which was about half of Miller's remaining stack. She seemed to have a really difficult choice but eventually called.
The turn was the and both players checked. The river was the and Miller checked for a third time. Her opponent bet 6,000, which was more than she had left. She was very reluctant, but called fairly quickly. She showed and her opponent mucked.
Eli Stepanovich and Jeff Goodrich were two of five players who called Nick Guagenti's preflop raise. All players checked the flop.
When the hit the turn, things heated up quick. Goodrich bet 5,000 and Stepanovich called. The next player to act raised to 12,000 and when the action was back on Goodrich, he shoved all in for about 20,000 total. Stepanovich, who had both players covered by a decent amount, flat called Goodrich's all in.
The original raiser then shoved all in again for about 40,000 and the decision was on Stepanovich again. He eventually decided to call.
"Four outs," said Goodrich as he turned over . The other at risk player had turned broadway, with , and Stepanovich was on a flush draw with .
Once the chips were counted, the dealer put the on the river and that sealed the win for Stepanovich. He scored a double knockout and is now over 120,000.
Blake Barnes just called a raise on the river when the board read .
The action started when four players saw the flop. Everyone checked and the came on the turn. The action checked to Barnes who bet 1,725 and got one caller.
On the river, the action checked to Barnes again when the hit and paired the board. Barnes bet 3,300 and his opponent raised to 8,000.
Barnes thought for a second and looked pained, but grabbed his original bet and frustratingly smacked down enough chips to call the bet, making a muffled thud as his hand hit the table.
His opponent turned over for a straight and Barnes showed for a flush, which was good enough to win the pot.
Barnes' best HPO Regional Main Event finish came when he got third place as part of a deal at HPO Lawrenceburg for $31,000.
against the 
versus 
. Kardules had 
and the better flush.
and Detamore shoved all in for 76,500 more. Stepanovich waited long enough to get the count and called, showing ace king. Detamore had pocket aces, 
and the action checked to Kalb, who was last to act. He bet 8,100 and the action folded to Bergeron who shoved all in for a total of 32,500. Kalb snap called and showed a set of nines holding 
. Bergeron needed significant help, holding 
.
, giving him the flush and the win.
against the 
and both players checked. The river was the 
and her opponent mucked.
, and Stepanovich was on a flush draw with 
.
on the river and that sealed the win for Stepanovich. He scored a double knockout and is now over 120,000.
. 
for a straight and Barnes showed 
for a flush, which was good enough to win the pot.