Level: 16
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000
2019 SIGA Poker Championship
CAD$880 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2019 SIGA Poker Championship
Buy-in
880 CAD
Prize Pool
263,800 CAD
Entries
346
Level
35
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
240,000
Entries
146
Players Left
40
Forty Players Make Their Way to Day 2
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
The first starting flight for the 2019 SIGA Poker Championship is now done. After 16 full levels of play, just 40 of the original 146 entries still had chips in front of them. The player who collected the most through Day 1a was Josh Hopkins, bagging up a whopping 272,000 chips. Second place belonged to Dale Wasko with 225,500, and three other players, Joseph Dumas, Rod Deslauriers and Adrian Baran, bagging more than 200,000.
Action kicked off at noon on Friday, and it was well attended right from the start. More than 100 players took their seats to start the action, and by the end of late registration, a total of 143 entries were recorded. That was an increase over last year's Day 1a total of 134, and bodes well for the prize pool after Day 1b numbers are in.
As is usually the case, the room was full of familiar faces. Derek and Jared Klimosko made it out for the day, and while Jared couldn't quite manage to hold his stack, his brother Derek bagged a decent stack of 94,500. The same "split pot" was true for the Loudon's as well. Sandra Loudon was seen in late stage action on Day 1a, but failed to make it through the day, while her husband Jim finished with 137,000. Other familiar names to bag stacks at the end of the night included Shawn Leis, Antony Pinette, Jaymie Holland, Adrian Baran, 2017 Champion Trevor Norlander, Kyle Woloshyn, and last year's winner, Daniel Lefebvre.
Quite a few regulars took their shot today and just couldn't find a bag. Kimberly McClymont had her day end when Trevor Norlander called her ace-king with eights and held. Sy Clark was out shortly after dinner, and Brian Borsheim, who final tabled this event last year, nearly made it through, but ultimately fell in the last couple levels of the night.
Tomorrow, it all kicks off again at noon with Day 1b. One again, they'll play 16 levels before they finish for the day, and the payers with chips after that will join the 40 players from today's action in Sunday's Day 2. PokerNews Canada will be there throughout the day to bring you the news as it happens.
Final Chips From Day 1a (full)
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
272,000 | |
|
225,500 | 71,500 |
|
217,000 | -25,000 |
|
216,500 | 216,500 |
|
202,000 | -28,000 |
|
190,000 | 140,000 |
|
|
175,000 | 5,000 |
|
141,500 | 109,500 |
|
|
137,000 | 82,100 |
|
129,000 | 129,000 |
|
116,000 | 116,000 |
|
111,000 | 6,000 |
|
108,500 | 3,500 |
|
108,500 | 108,500 |
|
|
105,000 | 105,000 |
|
|
99,000 | 71,400 |
|
99,000 | 99,000 |
|
95,500 | 95,500 |
|
|
94,500 | 94,500 |
|
94,500 | 94,500 |
|
94,500 | 9,000 |
|
|
90,500 | 90,500 |
|
|
84,500 | 84,500 |
|
|
77,000 | 77,000 |
|
|
76,000 | 76,000 |
Day 1a is in the Books
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
Action is over for Day 1a now. A total of 41 players bagged chips for Day 2. An end of day post along with final chip counts will be published shortly.
Ten Minutes Left in the Night
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
With just ten minutes remaining on the clock in Level 16, the clock has been stopped. Last year's winner Daniel Lefebvre drew for the number of remaining hands, and the result was seven.
Day 1a will be over after all five remaining tables have player seven hands each.
Baran Takes a Stack
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
A player went all in from middle position, and Adrian Baran flat-called from the hijack, The rest of the table got out of the way, and it was the kings of Baran against the 
of the all-in player. The board of Qd4sJh8h3s] was clean for the kings, and Baran chipped up to one of the biggest stacks of the day.
Meanwhile in a previous hand on the same table, Brian Borsheim lost his stack in the second last level of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
230,000 | 178,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Final Level of the Night
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
The clock has just clicked over into Level 16 which means players are in the final level of the night. After 30 more minutes of play, remaining players will bag their stacks in preparation for Day 2 on Sunday.
Cary Shoves
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
Brian Borsheim made it 7,200 to go from early position, and Bruce Cary shoved over top for 26,500 from his immediate left. It folded all the way back to Borsheim, and he hit the tank hard.
After thinking for more than a minute, and watching the clock tick over into Level 16, he joked with the table. "I might just tank 29 more minutes."
It didn't that long however, as shortly after his joke he mucked the unsuited slick face up. Cary collected the pot without revealing his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,700 |
Iron Hits and Holds
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
It was all in action between Francis Iron and Tony Kowalczyk pre-flop. The board of 
was already on the felt, and the dealer was counting up Iron's double, showing 
, as Kowalczyk's cards were already in the muck. Kowalczyk still sits on one of the top 5 stacks in the room, and Iron is growing as well.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
170,000 | -50,000 |
|
|
110,000 |
Hopkins Flop Bet Takes It
Level 15
: 1,200/2,400, 2,400 ante
Josh Hopkins opened the betting from middle position with a raise to 5,100. He was called by Joseph Dumas in the cutoff, as well as the player in the big blind.
The big blind checked in the dark and the flop came 
. Hopkins meticulously counted out a bet of 6,500 and tossed it in, forcing folds from the other two players.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
94,000 |