Paul Hunter Bags Massive Chip Lead in Opening Flight of PokerStars Open Maryland Main Event
The first of five starting flights is in the books in the $1,100 Main Event here at the PokerStars Open Maryland hosted by Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. Of the 60 entries tallied in Day 1a, only 9 players will return for Day 2 on Sunday, all of whom have locked up a min-cash.
Paul Hunter emerged as the overwhelming chip leader, bagging an astounding 568,500 - more than second and third place combined. Hunter ascended atop the leaderboard late in the day when he clashed with John Mayo, another big stack at the table, holding pocket aces. He showed no signs of slowing down as the money bubble approached, and eventually went on to eliminate David Olshan on the stone bubble by winning a classic coin flip.
Rounding out the podium is Jhordy Sanchez in second with an impressive 348,000 and Bryan Reyes in third with a respectable 176,500.
Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Hunter | United States | 568,500 | 190 |
| 2 | Jhordy Sanchez | United States | 348,000 | 116 |
| 3 | Bryan Reyes | United States | 176,500 | 59 |
| 4 | Daniel Cosner | United States | 169,500 | 57 |
| 5 | Mariya Persanova | United States | 143,500 | 48 |
| 6 | Charles Furey | United States | 142,500 | 48 |
| 7 | Z Stein | United States | 112,000 | 37 |
| 8 | William Beer | United States | 103,500 | 35 |
| 9 | Sharman Olshan | United States | 36,000 | 12 |
Notable Eliminations
PokerStars ambassador Caitlin Comeskey saw an early exit, busting during the first few levels of play. WSOP bracelet winner Yaser Al-Keliddar was eliminated shortly after the dinner break when his pocket jacks ran into William Beer’s set of fours. Baltimore native and tournament crusher Aaron Pinson was next to see the door not long thereafter.
Others who fell short on Day 1a include Matthew Zambanini and Joshua Mischel. They will have more opportunities to find a bag for Day 2 with four more starting flights left to play.
Day 1b will begin Thursday, October 23 at 11:15 a.m. local time, with blinds starting at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Play for Day 1 flights will conclude once 15% of the field remains and those who bag will be in the money. Day 2 will then start at the earliest blind level of the five flights on Sunday, October 26, where the event will play down to a winner.
Be sure to follow PokerNews throughout the entirety of the $1,100 Main Event here at the 2025 PokerStars Open Maryland.