Million Dollar Main Event Day 1b | 2023 RGPS Checkpoint Thunder Valley

07-29-2023 16:25 UTC-7

Gargiulo Quacks Himself Up

Kirk Brown

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

On a heads-up completed bard of 8♥3♣2♦J♦J♣, the pot was already swelled when Joey Gargiulo bet another 25,000 into it. The action was then on big stack Paul Arguelles who went into the tank to consider this bet.

After not too much time, he tossed out some chips to make the call.

"Full house," Gargiulo announced as he tossed out 2♠2♣ for deuces full of jacks and Arguelles quickly mucked.

"I guess that's how you win with deuces! Quack quack!" he joked as he raked in the pot to boost him to over 200,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joey Gargiulo	215,000 175,000	175,000
Paul Arguelles	165,000 600	600

Tags: Joey Gargiulo Paul Arguelles

07-29-2023 16:00 UTC-7

Gavin-Mather Finds a Double

Kirk Brown

Level 5 : 300/600, 600 ante

After a preflop betting war, Lexy Gavin-Mather and Simon Yohannes got all of their chips into the middle, with Yohannes covering.

Gavin-Mather tabled A♠A♦ while Yohannes flipped over the inferior 10♥10♣. The board did not provide Yohannes with any help and Gavin-Mather was pushed the pot for a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lexy Gavin-Mather	35,000 35,000	35,000
Simon Yohannes	24,000 -14,000	-14,000

07-29-2023 15:54 UTC-7

The Chad & Jesse Poker Show: Final Show from 2023 WSOP w/ Guests Brian Rast & Phil Hellmuth

Chad Holloway

Level 5 : 300/600, 600 ante

On the latest The Chad & Jesse Poker Show[/I][/B] straight from the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP)., Chad Holloway and Jesse Fullen welcome two guests to the show starting with the legendary Phil Hellmuth! The “Poker Brat” captured his record-extending 17th WSOP gold bracelet earlier in the series, and he sits down with the boys to talk all about it.

The other guest is this year’s Poker Hall of Fame inductee Brian Rast, who also won the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for a record-tying third time. Rast shares his thoughts on being inducted, who he’d like to see join him, and much more.

Chad and Jesse then do a new "Calling the Clock" segment in which they offer quick two-minute dialogues for topics on “The Board.”

Level: 5

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

07-29-2023 15:45 UTC-7

Updated Chip Counts

Kirk Brown

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Arguelles	164,400 -600	-600
Alejandro Castellano	149,000 103,000	103,000
Ralph Topete	146,800 108,600	108,600
Joseph Gargiulo	141,000 88,400	88,400
Zephyr Peling	135,300 91,100	91,100
Wesley Nally	133,000 52,000	52,000
Fudong Li	125,000 99,100	99,100
Mehran Moeinzadeh	120,000 49,000	49,000
Jonathan Epstein	116,000 17,000	17,000
Lam Le	112,600 -2,400	-2,400
Joseph Quaile	102,900 43,800	43,800
Ubaid Gada	102,300 40,300	40,300
Ryan Bechthold	98,600 18,500	18,500
Reginald Pears	94,800 -25,200	-25,200
Benjamin Underwood	93,400 58,400	58,400
Timothy King	90,200 26,900	26,900
Victor Paredes	88,000 48,100	48,100
Jared Smith	87,900 44,800	44,800
Mingzhe Li	87,800 33,100	33,100
Sean Drake	87,500 13,500	13,500

Irakli Tabidze	87,400 9,800	9,800
Joseph Blackwell	87,000 15,500	15,500
Timon Rooney	87,000
John Kenner	87,000 47,000	47,000
Jagdeep Bal	86,000 34,900	34,900

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07-29-2023 15:22 UTC-7

Break Time

Kirk Brown

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

The players are now on their second scheduled break of the day and will return to battle shortly.

07-29-2023 15:12 UTC-7

Le Ships into Teng

Kirk Brown

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

On a flop of 8♠J♣A♥ Benjamin Teng checked to Lam Le who bet 4,000 into the pot of 5,800 and Teng made the call to see the turn 2♥.

Both players decided to check through the turn and went straight to the river K♠ which saw Le move set out a stack large enough to cover Teng.

"Wow, really?!" Teng was flabbergasted as he was faced with a bet that could end his tournament. He began thinking out loud for around 20 seconds but eventually talked himself into a fold and slid his cards into the muck to award Le the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lam Le	115,000 78,600	78,600
Benjamin Teng	31,000 31,000	31,000

Tags: Benjamin Teng Lam Le

07-29-2023 14:50 UTC-7

Epstein Called Down By Affleck

Kirk Brown

Level 4 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

On a flop of 8♣5♦2♣, Jonathan Epstein led out for 3,500 from the small blind and was called only by Matthew Affleck under-the-gun.

On the turn Q♥, Epstein continued for another 4,00 and again Affleck made the call to see the 7♦ appear on the river. Epstein fired again, this time for 5,000, and Affleck thought about it for about 30 seconds before he flicked in the call.

Epstein then shrugged and flipped over 10♠10♥ for a pair of tens and Affleck promptly tossed his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonathan Epstein	99,000 -1,300	-1,300
Matthew Affleck	21,000 -19,000	-19,000

07-29-2023 14:25 UTC-7

Phu Lays it Down

Kirk Brown

Level 4 : 300/500, 500 ante

On a heads-up turn of Q♣J♥8♠10♣, Tag Phu had made it 18,000 to go and the action was on Reginald Pears who thought for a good while before making the call.

The two players then saw the river fall the 7♦ Phu decided to check to Pears this time, who then moved all in to cover Phu.

After some time in the tank, Phu decided to lay it down to survive another battle and the pot was pushed over to Pears.