Zhenjie Hou raised to 300 on the button, and Brian Kelley tossed out a three-bet to 1,200 in the big blind. The call was made, and the dealer fanned out the 6♥5♦A♠ flop.
Kelley checked to Hou, who fired 800 into the middle. Kelley called to the 7♥ turn and checked once more. Hou continued for 1,400, with Kelley calling to see the 10♥ river.
One last check from Kelley was met with a bet of 5,000 from Hou. Kelley took some time before opting to let his hand go, and Hou collected the pot.
Four-way action to the 4♥J♥10♥ flop saw Marcus Banks check from the small blind, and Naji Al-Humaidi followed with a check in the big blind. Michael Kraus also declined to bet from the cutoff before Sokhen Pin slid out 300 on the button.
Banks and Kraus called, while Al-Humaidi got out of the way. Banks checked again on the 3♣ turn, making another call when Kraus fired a bet of 700.
Both players then checked down the 3♦ river, and Banks tabled K♥10♦ to claim the pot as Kraus mucked.
The weekend has arrived at the 2026 PokerStars Open series, and the Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia will be buzzing with drama and anticipation all day long.
The last starting flight of the $1,100 Main Event is set to begin at 10:15 a.m. local time, and the $500,000 prize pool should be eclipsed early on Day 1d.
Everyone will be chasing Rajath Tangam (1,100,000), who was the first to pass the million-chip mark on the way to leading Day 1c. Tangam currently holds an advantage over Abel Gebeyehu (992,000), who set the pace on the opening flight.
Michael Hager (637,000) led Day 1b, and sits sixth on an overall leaderboard that includes PokerStars AmbassadorsArlie Shaban and Jennifer Shahade.
$1,100 Main Event Top Ten Overall Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Rajath Tangam
United States
1,100,000
2
Abel Gebeyehu
United States
992,000
3
David Kinane
United States
724,000
4
Thilbaud Martin
France
721,000
5
Angel Lopez
United States
651,000
6
Michael Hager
United States
637,000
7
Michael McNicholas
United States
610,000
8
Anthony Pagan
United States
504,000
9
Edward Leonard
United States
496,000
10
Stephen Miller
United States
489,000
Overall Chip Leader Rajath Tangam
Play will kick off one hour earlier than the first three flights, and the final 12.5% of the field will make it through to Day 2. They will then join the 62 players who have already secured a spot in the money, returning on Sunday, March 22 for the final day of action.
The day will consist of 40-minute levels, with breaks taking place after every two hours of play. The schedule also includes a 40-minute dinner break at the conclusion of Level 9.
Blinds will start at 100/100, along with a 100 big blind ante. All players will begin with 40,000 chips, and the tournament features unlimited reentry until late registration closes for the final time after Level 12.
$1,100 Main Event Remaining Schedule
Date
Day
Time
Mar. 21
Day 1d
10:15 a.m.
Mar. 22
Day 2
11:15 a.m.
PokerStars Open Philadelphia Main Event Trophy
Action is heating up in Philadelphia, so don’t miss any of the final flight as the PokerNews live reporting team provides full coverage from the start of play through the last money bubble of the $1,100 Main Event.
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