button in SafariThai Dinh Bags Chip Lead After Day 1a
It was an exciting start to the Roughrider Poker Tour $640 Main Event at the Jackpot Junction Casino and Hotel which attracted a total of 84 entries for the opening of three starting flights. Day 1a wrapped up in Level 16 with just 13 players advancing to Day 2 on Sunday, when a winner will be crowned.
It took Thai Dinh four bullets to get there, but in the end, it was all worth it as he bagged up the chip lead when play was halted after reaching 15% of the field. Dinh finished the day with 729,000 chips, good enough for 73 big blinds when the action resumes on the final day of the tournament. Dinh took some rough beats earlier in the day but quietly went about his business to climb the leaderboard.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Darrin Gerr earned his big stack on one bullet and the majority of it came from one crazy hand midway through the day. He collided with fellow chip leader when his pocket queens cracked the pocket aces of Rob Wazwaz in the largest pot of the day. Gerr coasted to the end of the day with 685,000 chips, good enough for third place on the leaderboard.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thai Dinh | United States | 729,000 | 73 |
| 2 | Charles Kersey | United States | 714,000 | 71 |
| 3 | Darrin Gerr | United States | 685,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Shaun Simmons | United States | 597,000 | 60 |
| 5 | Harold Behling | United States | 427,000 | 43 |
| 6 | Kaden Becker | United States | 401,000 | 40 |
| 7 | Robert Severson | United States | 367,000 | 37 |
| 8 | Cody Krause | United States | 284,000 | 28 |
| 9 | Leo Pinamonti | United States | 276,000 | 28 |
| 10 | Justin Deutsch | United States | 187,000 | 19 |
Day 1a Action
While it is expected to be the smallest of the three starting flights, Day 1a still attracted a total of 84 entries throughout the 12 levels of late registration. With a 300 big blind starting stack, it took a few levels for anyone to hit the rail. It was Charles Kersey who held a big stack at the first break and continued to do so throughout the day, finishing with 714,000 chips.
He will be joined by a few other young poker pros in Kaden Becker (401,000), Leo Pinamonti (276,000), and Justin Deutsch (187,000), who are all among the top ten chip counts after Day 1a.
Despite playing down to 15% of the field today, players are not guaranteed in the money unless the remaining two starting flights reach the 15% threshold as well. More players are expected to roll into the western Minnesota area over the rest of the weekend, which should result in larger field sizes the next two days. Day 1b will get underway at 1 p.m. local time on Friday with a symmetrical schedule to play out.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on the tournament floor throughout the entire event to bring you all of the live updates en route to crowning a winner.