$2,700 Main Event Day 1a | 2023 Potomac Winter Poker Open

02-03-2023 23:29 UTC-4

Updated Chip Counts

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Shouyi Gao	240,000 240,000	240,000
Darren Elias	225,000 10,000	10,000

Jacob Mitich	175,000 -75,000	-75,000
Isiah Ditoto	160,000 -70,000	-70,000
Bin Weng	155,000 143,000	143,000

Joe McKeehen	130,000 -95,000	-95,000

Mark Dickstein	125,000
Lara Eisenberg	75,000 10,000	10,000

James Liddell	Busted
Robert Cohen	Busted
Jim Dike	Busted
Scott Panozzo	Busted
Jason Bregger	Busted
Besnik Biberaj	Busted
Xiaohai Wu	Busted
Chris Smith	Busted

Tags: Besnik Biberaj Bin Weng Chris Smith Darren Elias Isiah Ditoto Jacob Mitich James Liddell Jason Bregger Jim Dike Joe McKeehen Lara Eisenberg Mark Dickstein Robert Cohen Scott Panozzo Shouyi Gao Xiaohai Wu

02-03-2023 23:17 UTC-4

Elias Spikes River

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Darren Elias opened to 7,500 from early position and action folded around to the big blind who three-bet to 19,000. Elias just called.

The big blind almost immediately announced they were all in after the flop came prompting Elias to go into the tank. He did end up making the call with the effective stack to put himself at risk.

Darren Elias:
Big Blind Player:

Elias was behind, needing to hit his gutshot or make a set to survive. The turn was bad news for Elias, removing his straight outs, but the river saw him hit one of the two remaining cards in the deck that would cause his hand to surpass his opponent's in strength to give him the full double and prolong his stay in the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darren Elias	215,000 198,000	198,000

Tags: Darren Elias

02-03-2023 22:59 UTC-4

Entry Numbers Confirmed

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

With late registration on day 1a now closed, the total number of entries has been confirmed at 223, meaning that the guaranteed prizepool of $500,000 has already been surpassed. Of those 223 entrants, just 68 remain with play continuing for a further three levels before the survivors bag for the night.

02-03-2023 22:56 UTC-4

McKeehen Gets a Fold

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Robert Cohen opened to 8,000 from early position and action folded around to Joe McKeehen in the big blind who defended.

McKeehen check-called a bet of 12,000 from Cohen on a flop of to send the two players to the turn.

Action checked through the turn to the river and McKeehen opted to lead into Cohen for 23,000. It did not take long for Cohen to decided his hand was no good, tossing it away to send the pot over to McKeehen.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joe McKeehen	225,000 100,000	100,000

Robert Cohen	80,000 -21,000	-21,000

Tags: Joe McKeehen Robert Cohen

Level: 13

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 4,000

02-03-2023 22:31 UTC-4

Break Time

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Players have been sent on another 15-minute break. They will return to blinds of 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 big blind ante at which point late registration in this flight will be closed.

02-03-2023 22:30 UTC-4

Cohen Cannot Overcome Queens

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Robert Cohen opened to 7,000 from under the gun only to see the player to his immediate left move all in for 79,200. Action folded back around to Cohen who decided to make the call with the covering stack to put his opponent at risk.

Early Position Player:
Robert Cohen:

Though at risk, the early position player was in a good spot to get a full double. That is exactly what happened after the board ran out to leave Cohen crippled.

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Cohen	101,000 6,000	6,000

Tags: Robert Cohen

02-03-2023 22:16 UTC-4

Weng On Fumes

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Bin Weng opened to 6,000 on the button and was called by the big blind.

The big blind led into Weng for 7,000 on a flop of and he decided just to call.

There was no slowing down for the big blind after the turn came as he fired a second barrel of 20,000. Again, Weng flatted.

The river completed the board with the big blind opting to move all in for around 102,000, sending Weng deep into the tank. After some time and a glance up at the tournament clock he did commit calling chips holding but came up short against his opponent's to leave himself with just a few chips near the end of the late registration period.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bin Weng	12,000 -53,000	-53,000

Tags: Bin Weng

02-03-2023 21:56 UTC-4

Mitich Gets a Call

Cottrell van Wingerden

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

A player opened to 7,000 on the button and Jacob Mitich, who recently took down Event #6: $400 Monster Triple Stack, defended out of the big blind.

Mitich checked to the preflop aggressor on a flop of and then called a continuation of 6,000.

Action checked through the turn to the river at which point Mitich fired off 7,000. The button player made the call but mucked when Mitich showed for a pair of jacks.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jacob Mitich	250,000 15,000	15,000

Tags: Jacob Mitich

Level: 12

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000