The bubble has burst in the 10 a.m. flight of the $600 Opener here at the Potomac Summer Poker Open.
Thomas Cheung was sent to the rail empty handed in 17th place at the hands of Jake Cooper. It was a brutal beat as Cheung's pocket jacks were out-flopped by the eights of Cooper, whose set improved to a full house to score a knockout.
Now 16 players remain and 13 will advance to Day 2. Cooper is likely to be among them after adding to his stack.
Check out our interview with Dawn Lucarelli, who told PokerNews about being coached by late World Poker Tour (WPT) legend Mike Sexton and former poker pro Annie Duke, among other major Poker Boom figures.
Hand-for-hand play is now underway in Flight B of the $600 Opener at the Potomac Summer Poker Open.
The event drew 125 players and now sees 17 players remaining. Only 16 spots are paid, and 13 players will advance to Day 2 on Sunday, Aug. 9 at 11 a.m. local time.
🚨PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT🚨
If you make Day 2 of the $600 Opener on Sunday, 9th August, please come back at 11:00 local time, NOT midday.
There seems to be some confusion among the players and we'd hate to see those hardfought stacks go to waste!
To reiterate, 11:00 am start. Many thanks all.
Our excellent photographer Joe has been prowling the streets for photos of the field...
Smile and wave if you see him!
With the tournament through Level 12, we have confirmation of the field from this morning's Flight B of the $600 Opener.
A total of 125 entries added to the ever-growing prize pool, with around 36 players left to battle it out for a bag to Sunday's Day 2.
Dawn Lucarelli took a break from the felt to chat with PokerNews about her poker journey, her table, and her hopes of bagging as chip leader heading into Day 2.
Lucarelli has been playing for over 20 years, first learning the game as a kid, saying, "My mom worked three jobs, we played with her nickels and pennies. We played all the cards, seven card no peek, stud, all of it." A trip to Vegas years later brought her back to the felt for good. "I realized blackjack was a crappy game to play. So I got back to my roots of poker... and I haven't turned back since."
Away from the tables, Lucarelli built a career in education, eventually becoming associate superintendent of schools in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, before retiring and opening her own coaching and consulting business two years ago. "It gives me more flexibility to do the game I love," she said. These days, she's especially passionate about teaching other women to play poker. "That's a really core value for me," Lucarelli added.
As for her table today, Lucarelli isn't one to see anyone as a villain. "I'm a really positive person, so I don't see anyone as a villain. I see everyone as a player that plays their game, and I'm very respectful of the way people play. It's been a tough table, some really good players, some recreational players, but everyone's not afraid to get it in. Everyone's taking risks. It's fun, it's a great table."
And, finally, on her hopes for today: "I had a big double-up right before the break, that always makes you feel good going into the latter part of the tournament. I'm ready to go in as chip leader Day 2."
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If you end up playing with Dawn this week at PSPO, you can't say PokerNews didn't warn you she's a shark!
And sure as night follows day, C follows B as the latest of our seven starting flights have got going.
Players are taking their seats at the MGM National Harbor as Flight C gets underway, with hopefuls looking to book their spot in the money and beyond. As always, the aim of the game on Day 1 is simple: survive, stack up, and bag those chips for a shot at Sunday's finale.
With four more flights still to come after this one, there's plenty of time left for latecomers to fire a bullet, but for those already in action, the grind starts now.
Flight B of the $600 NLH Opener is on a short break, with 125 entrants having built a prize pool of $63,125.
Late registration is closing soon, so there's not much time left for anyone hoping to jump in. Blinds will step up when play resumes, and we'll have more updates as the field continues to thin out.
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