Gordon McKenzie Bags Day 1f Chip Lead of Event #1: $400 Mystery Bounty
Day 1f of Event #1: $400 Mystery Bounty has come to an end with Gordon McKenzie emerging on top after bagging 609,000 in chips. McKenzie's chip lead was thanks part to a crazy three-way all-in on the stone bubble wherein he eliminated two players at once. Trailing McKenzie for Day 1f is Nick Chow (570,000), Marshall Roof (569,000), and Alexander Wright (537,000).
Day 1f began with 125 players and that number continued to rise until the end of late registration for a final count of 463. Between all six flights, Event #1: $400 Mystery Bounty attracted 2,457 total entries, which is more than enough to cover the $500k guarantee.
Several notables tried to secure a Day 2 birth but fell short, including WSOP-bracelet winner Yaser Al-Keliddar, Justin Arnwine, and Jay Jin, who was part of the money bubble for the second time this event after bubbling Day 1b. As mentioned, the money bubble burst in an unforgettable hand that saw three players holding aces, kings, and queens respectively get all-in preflop, with aces holding for a double KO. A third player also busted on the bubble at a different table after Evan Kochav (219,000) rivered a flush against him.
It took less than a level for an additional seven players to bust and end play for the day with 36 survivors. In total, there were 193 players that made it to Day 2 between the six starting flights.
Potomac Winter Poker Open $400 Mystery Bounty Top 10 Overall Chip Counts
| Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Poe | United States | 976,000 |
| Aaron Wright | United States | 952,000 |
| Shouyi Gao | United States | 920,000 |
| Dan Matei | United States | 841,000 |
| Jacob Mitich | United States | 806,000 |
| Hiep Nguyen | United States | 766,000 |
| Gabe Gonzales | United States | 746,000 |
| Jacob Hershey | United States | 745,000 |
| Tom Northern | United States | 725,000 |
| Trenton Wilt | United States | 724,000 |
The remaining players will reconvene on Sunday, January 29 at noon for Day 2 and play down until a winner is decided. The mystery bounty portion of the tournament begins on Day 2, which means each remaining player will be assigned a mystery bounty. If a player busts an opponent from the tournament, they will receive a mystery bounty ticket, which can be redeemed at the mystery bounty redemption table. Potential prizes range in value from $50 to $25,000.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action leading to an eventual champion for Event #1: $400 Mystery Bounty!
The 2023 Potomac Winter Poker Open $400 Mystery Bounty Schedule
| Day | Date | Starting Time | Late Reg | Entries | Survivors | Further Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1a | Wednesday January 25 | 17:00 | End of Level 11 | 278 | 22 | 10% of field will be in the money, play down to 8% |
| Day 1b | Thursday January 26 | 17:00 | End of Level 11 | 334 | 26 | 10% of field will be in the money, play down to 8% |
| Day 1c | Friday January 27 | 11:00 | End of Level 11 | 403 | 32 | 10% of field will be in the money, play down to 8% |
| Day 1d | Friday January 27 | 17:00 | End of Level 11 | 340 | 27 | 10% of field will be in the money, play down to 8% |
| Day 1e | Saturday January 28 | 11:00 | End of Level 11 | 639 | 50 | 10% of field will be in the money, play down to 8% |
| Day 1f | Saturday January 28 | 17:00 | End of Level 11 | 463 | 36 | 10% of field will be in the money, play down to 8% |
| Day 2 | Sunday January 29 | 12:00 | - | - | - | Level duration increases to 45 mins, play down to a winner |
runout kept McKenzie best — allowing him to scoop the sizable pot while eliminating two opponents. 
turn and 
river left Mullen with a full house and he scooped the massive pot late in the day.
flop came out and Gorman checked behind. 
fell on the turn, prompting a 20,000 bet from Gorman. Kelly quickly announced he was all in for a bit over 100,000. 
