Run It Up Reno IX

Day 1a of the series-opening, $100,000 Guaranteed $440 Mini Main Event here at Run It Up Reno IX saw 145 entrants hit the felt in search of a Day 2 bag. After nearly fifteen levels of play, 24 players survived, and it was Lucas Hill leading the way with a stack of 521,000 after a late surge near the end of the night.

Run It Up founder Jason Somerville cruised along for most of the day, before he and Run It Up Reno VIII Pro Bounty champ Jim Petzing both fell after a pair-over-pair-over-pair cooler at the hands of Hill, which propelled him over the 300,000 chip marker. Hill then began to apply relentless pressure on his table over the last level of play, adding a few hundred thousand in chips to his stack before ending the night.

Rounding out the top three are Tyler Burke (430,000), and Run It Up Reno VIII 6-Max 8-Game Championship winner Nick Kiley (378,000) while Jon "PearlJammed" Turner (221,000), Ricky "ratedGTO" Guan (82,000), and Team partypoker Pro Patrick Tardif (78,000) also managed to work their way through the field to make it to Sunday's Day 2 and guarantee a cash.

Some of those unable to make it through the day include former Survivor champ Tyson Apostol, Twitch streamers Vanessa Kade and Arlie Shaban, and bubble boy Carlo Vitale.

Players who didn't find a bag today will have one more chance to make it to Sunday's Day 2, as Day 1b of the $440 Mini Main Event kicks off at Noon on Saturday, October 12th. Players will again receive 25,000 in starting chips, with late registration and unlimited re-entry available through the dinner break after Level 11, or approximately 7 p.m. local time. All players who make it through to Day 2 will return at Noon on Sunday, October 13th to play down to a winner, and players will resume play at the earlier of the two Day 1 stop times. (Day 1a ended with 2:08 remaining in Level 15.)

Stay tuned right here to PokerNews as we bring you all the action right here from Run It Up Reno IX's Opening Event.

With the elimination of Carlo Vitale, play has come to a close for the day. Stay tuned for full chip counts and a full recap of the day's action.

Tyler Burke raised to 10,000 from under the gun, and Matthew Moreno called in the big blind.

Moreno check-called a bet of 11,000 on the flop, and Moreno checked the turn as well. Burke bet 75,000, enough to put Moreno in for his last 54,000, and Moreno folded. Burke flashed as he raked in the pot.

Alexander Deutsch jammed for 40,000 from the cutoff, and Tyler Burke called in the big blind.

Alexander Deutsch:
Tyler Burke:

"Ace always comes," Deutsch said, and lo and behold, the flop contained the ace for Burke. No one-outer fell on the turn and river, and with Andrew Smith busting at the same time at another table, the field has been reduced to 25. Hand-for-hand play will commence until one more player is eliminated, at which point play will end for the evening.

Patrick Preston open shoved for 41,000 from middle position. Carlo Viatle called from the hijack, and the action folded to Tyler Burke in the big blind.

Burke jammed over the top for his 121,000 stack, and Vitale, having Burke covered, made the call. What unfolded was perhaps the most dramatic hand of the day so far.

Patrick Preston:
Carlo Vitale:
Tyler Burke:

Burke was in great shape preflop, but the flop that came out was the last one he wanted to see, with hitting the board. That put Vitale in the lead with a set of kings, and gave Preston hope with a flush draw.

Burke got up and left the table in disbelief. He didn't see the next card to come in, with the coming in the give him the superior set of aces.

Preston still had hope of a heart hitting on the river, but that fell an inconsequential , and Burke, much to his shock, doubled up through Vitals and also collected Preston's chips.

Mitchell Cogert raised to 10,000 from middle position, and Bruce Spikell three-bet to 25,000 from the cutoff. Cogert tanked for a minute, then called.

Cogert checked the flop to Spikell, who bet 20,000. Cogert tanked for a minute, then folded.