Main Event Day 1bc | Southern Poker Open

08-10-2019 02:12 UTC-4

Wes Gauthier Bags Overall Chip Lead After Two More Southern Poker Open Flights

Brentharrington

Level 12 : 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Three flights down and two to go in the first-ever Southern Poker Open at the Horseshoe Bossier City.

Flight B saw 167 players enter the event, and 170 came to play in Flight C. That brings the total number of entries to the Southern Poker Open to 537 over three starting flights.

Wes Gauthier bagged the biggest overall stack (308,000) in Flight B, good enough for the overall chip leader thus far. In Flight C, Glen Sheffield topped the field by bagging 225,000, with Keith Lehr right behind with 223,500. Lehr had bagged 93,000 in Flight A, but decided to aim higher and managed to work up a top ten stack.

Ross Bybee made an appearance today, but fell short of securing his spot in Day 2. He is expected to be in the field tomorrow when the final two flights take off. The first flight Saturday is at 11 a.m. with the final flight scheduled for 6 p.m.

Another familiar face at the RGPS, Wadih Kaawar, came out to play today. Kaawar won one of the two Showbound seats during the last RunGood Poker Series season. Kaawar bagged up 71,000 chips at the end of Flight C.

Flight B saw 38 players bag up chips, with 37 more surviving Flight C. That brings the total Day 2 field to 112 and counting.

Tags: Glen Sheffield Horseshoe Bossier City Keith Lehr Ross Bybee Southern Poker Open Wadih Kaawar Wes Gauthier

08-10-2019 00:26 UTC-4

Braun Turns Better Than Fuentes

Brentharrington

Level 10 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

Rick Braun was one of three people in a three-way pot.

The pot was 9,000.

Bobby Fuentes shoved his remaining 7,400 as the first player to act and got a call before Braun shoved all in. The other opponent folded and Fuentes showed two pair with .

Braun had and needed a little help.

He got that help on the turn when the hit and then even more help he didn't need on the river when the came.

He won the pot and sent Fuentes to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rick Braun	78,000 78,000	78,000
Bobby Fuentes	Busted

Tags: Bobby Fuentes Rick Braun

08-10-2019 00:02 UTC-4

Knockout Artist

MarkSlatcher

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Guidry has knocked out another player. A middle position player limped in for 1,200 and Guidry raised to 4,800 from the cutoff. The action folded back to the limper who moved all-in for 30,000.

Guidry took his time to consider his options but ultimately decided to call.

Guidry -
Opponent -

The flop came , giving Guidry flush and straight outs to go with is pair outs. The turn came the , completing Guidry's flush, but his opponent could still win with a queen or ten on the river.

The river was the and Guidry's opponent made his exit from Flight B.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mike Guidry	118,000 33,000	33,000

Tags: Mike Guidry

08-09-2019 17:40 UTC-4

Gauthier Fades Cardenas' Draw

MarkSlatcher

Zozimo Cardenas opened for 3,800 and Wes Gauthier three-bet to 14,000. Cardenas called and the two saw a flop of .

Cardenas checked. Gauthier continued for 17,000 and Cardenas called.

The turn paired the board with the . Cardenas checked and Gauthier moved all-in for around 60,000. Cardenas had slightly less (56,000) and went into the tank. After a few minutes, the clock was called, and thirty seconds later, Cardenas called to put himself at risk.

Cardenas -
Gauthier -

Gauthier was ahead but Cardenas had a lot of outs to win the pot. None of them arrived when the river brought the and Cardenas has been eliminated from Flight B.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wes Gauthier	122,000 86,000	86,000
Zozimo Cardenas	Busted

Tags: Wes Gauthier Zozimo Cardenas

08-09-2019 16:01 UTC-4

From Alexandria to Bossier City

MarkSlatcher

The first thing you notice about Richard Golmon is his rail. Samuel "Buddy" Whitstein, Randy Browning, and Paul Seeser are seated just a few steps back from Golmon's table, rooting him on as he plays.

According to Golmon, the group has been getting together to play poker for six or seven years, going to Choctaw Pines on Wednesdays and Sundays and any big events in the area. Jonell Whitstein, Buddy's wife, and Shana Browning, Randy's wife, round out the group who traveled from Alexandria to Bossier City for the Southern Poker Open.

"I'll tell you a story," Seeser says, "Richard used to be a runningback for Terry Bradshaw at Louisiana Tech. He's got records in track and field, too. In fact, before Bradshaw, it was Phil Robinson who was the quarterback. But Robinson left to become a duck hunter, so that's how Bradshaw got the job."

Randy, Paul, and Buddy all played in today's flight but have busted. Rather than re-enter Flight B, Randy says, they're rooting on everyone who's left.

"There are plenty more flights," Randy joked.

Jonell came close to bagging in Flight A and is having a tough time of it today, with half of her original starting stack still intact. Randy's wife, Shana, had the most chips as Level 8 began, with 71,200, but Richard just tripled up to take over bragging rights.

Golmon got all his chips in the middle (23,200) preflop with against two opponents. The first tabled while the other held
to have Goldmon dominated.

The flop came , keeping his opponent ahead but giving Golmon a live flush draw. The draw came in on the turn with the , and the completed the board.

Thanks to some dead money in the pot, Golman more than tripled to 76,600.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Golmon	76,600 76,600	76,600
Shana Browning	71,200 71,200	71,200
Jonell Whitstine	9,900 -31,900	-31,900

Tags: Jonnel Whitstein Paul Seeser Randy Browning Richard Golmon Samuel Whitstein Shana Browning

08-09-2019 15:08 UTC-4

Gallo Sends One to the Rail

MarkSlatcher

A middle position player limped and the small blind raised to 2,500. Richard Gallo called from the big blind and the middle position player came along.

Three players saw a flop of , and all three checked. The turn brought the to the board, and the small blind bet 2,000. Gallo called and the middle position player folded.

The came on the river, bringing in the potential backdoor flush. The small blind immediately shoved for his last 14,000 and Gallo snap called, tabling for the second nuts. His opponent turned over for the broadway straight and headed to the registration booth to reenter.

Player	Chips	Progress
Richard Gallo	40,400 40,400	40,400

Tags: Richard Gallo

08-09-2019 14:54 UTC-4

Hart in Uniform

MarkSlatcher

Conway, Arkansas, resident Grant Hart showed up yesterday unrecognizable, in a t-shirt and hatless; but today the professional rodeo cowboy turned real estate investor is back in uniform. Hart has taken a seat in a $125 sit-n-go for a seat into the Southern Poker Open.

Hart has $58,148 in lifetime tournament winnings and is a regular at RGPS stops with three cashes and one final table from that tour. He's fresh off a couple cashes at the WSOPC stop in Durant in July.

08-09-2019 14:43 UTC-4

McCalman Spikes the Turn

MarkSlatcher

Two players limped and James McCalman made it 2,000 to go from the small blind. Only the player on the button called.

The flop came . McCalman continued for 3,000 and the button called.

The came on the turn, and McCalman lead out for 5,000. Without hesitation, the button called.

The board completed with the , completing a potential flush draw. This time, McCalman checked. His opponent quickly moved all-in for around 8,000 and McCalman called off his last 6,200 chips.

McCalman tabled for the broadway straight. His opponent flashed a and mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
James McCalman	33,200 33,200	33,200

Tags: James McCalman

08-09-2019 14:30 UTC-4

Quads Are Good

Brentharrington

Jeff Grimes just busted an opponent when he made quad sixes on the turn.

"And I made the straight," his opponent said heading to the rail.

"Quads are good," Grimes said while scooping in the pot.

Grimes made the trip to the Southern Poker Open from Missouri. He has $115,834 in career tournament winnings and is looking find a bag in his second flight here. He arrived yesterday in time to register and play the opening flight but was unable to make it through to Day 2. So far his second attempt is going well as he is sitting with a little more than double the starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeff Grimes	41,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Jeff Grimes