"Iri$hPoet" Leads Final 48 in Event 61-H: $500 NLHE [8-Max, Main Event-High]
A total of 355 players took their shot on Day 1 of Event 61-H: $500 NLHE [8-Max, Main Event-High], the pinnacle of the Ontario Championship of Online Poker (ONCOOP). That turnout, thought high given that entry was restricted to Ontario residents only, failed to meet the $200,000 guarantee, ensuring extra value for those who did choose to jump in the ring. When all was said and done after roughly seven hours of play, just 48 players found a bag for the second and final day of the inaugural ONCOOP Main Event.
Of those 48, it is "Iri$hPoet" who holds a commanding chiplead, sitting on a stack of 3,088,541, which puts them in a good position to chase down the $36,864.58 first place prize. Closest to catching "Iri$hPoet" is "P.Green6" on 2,188,532 with "fahdsmom" rounding out the top three with a stack of 1,761,678.
Several notables entered the fray, including five time ONCOOP winner Arlie "Prince Pablo" Shaban, who built a big stack early but crumbled late in the day to bust short of the money, as well as Patrick "Egption" Tardif, who failed to build any momentum. Some well known players that were able to navigate their way to Day 2 include Matthew "Sucra71" Gillingham (1,551,795) and Ryan "Ristokat" Riske (569,596).
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Iri$hPoet" | 3,088,541 | 193 |
| 2 | "P.Green6" | 2,188,532 | 137 |
| 3 | "fahdsmom" | 1,761,678 | 110 |
| 4 | "TORO20155" | 1,723,167 | 108 |
| 5 | "dsquirrels" | 1,652,571 | 103 |
| 6 | Matthew "Sucra71" Gillingham | 1,551,795 | 97 |
| 7 | "tcavallin" | 1,497,383 | 93 |
| 8 | "wunogos" | 1,340,035 | 84 |
| 9 | "bluetwopac" | 1,189,775 | 74 |
| 10 | "tmw.wood" | 1,083,221 | 68 |
Day 2 starts at 7:05 p.m. ET, Monday October 17th, at which point the remaining players will battle down to a winner. Be sure to tune back in for the final day of the ONCOOP Main Event as the PokerNews live reporting team continues to provide coverage through to the end of the tournament.