button in SafariEric Cunningham on Top After Day 1c of $800 Main Event
The largest flight of the week at the RGPS Golden Expedition Kentucky series has concluded, as 96 entries were recorded on Day 1c of the $800 Main Event. Another 81 entries were added on Day 1d, bringing the overall total to 352 with two more flights to come.
The prize pool sits just shy of the $250,000 guarantee, and will be passed prior to play getting underway on Sunday, September 6 at The Barrel Social Club.
Two players managed to climb into the top five spots on the overall leaderboard, as Eric Cunningham played the table chip leader to perfection and collected 412,000 by the time the final card had been dealt.
Not far behind is Maxx Dansky (405,000), who secured the only other bag above the 400,000 mark by taking down the last pot of the night. The New York native earned a final table finish earlier this summer at The Barrel, and boasts more than $680,000 in recorded tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob.
End of Day 1c Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Cunningham | United States | 412,000 |
| 2 | Maxx Dansky | United States | 405,000 |
| 3 | Steven Ott | United States | 318,000 |
| 4 | Jeffrey Hill | United States | 310,000 |
| 5 | Brian Cook | United States | 280,000 |
| 6 | John Fagg | United States | 270,000 |
| 7 | Jeffrey Linn | United States | 172,000 |
| 8 | James Palsgrove | United States | 169,000 |
| 9 | Matthew Smith | United States | 162,000 |
| 10 | Joel Fell | United States | 141,000 |
| 11 | John Feitz | United States | 137,000 |
| 12 | Kent Blackstone | United States | 104,000 |
Busy Day at The Barrel
The registration desk was busy throughout the day, and action on the felt matched that pace all the way through the final elimination. Jeffrey Linn was part of a big cooler after the second break, flopping two pair to crack kings and queens to begin building his stack. Linn later found queens himself on the stone bubble, doubling up to finish with 172,000.
After late registration wrapped up, Matthew Smith vaulted up the leaderboard by scoring a double knockout before bagging 162,000 chips. Shortly after, it was John Fagg's turn to benefit from a big pot, as a fortunate river completed his straight draw to triple up while Saeed Nia was sent to the rail.
Among the notable names to come up short were Matthew Lawrence and RunGood Ambassador Craig Welko, who took another shot in the late flight. Fellow ambassador Greg Raymer also hit the rail after an untimely river, but vowed to return for another bullet on Day 1e.
As hand-for-hand play began, Linn's double through Joel Fell (141,000) was followed by another big hand for the short stack. John Feitz (137,000) saw his pocket kings hold against Fell, who was then left short before battling back to 141,000.
The final hand of the night was a three-way pot, as Dansky and Jeffrey Hill (310,000) checked through the board with Peggy Lester at risk. Densky's pocket pair held up to send Lester out, and the remaining 12 players bagged up for the night.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 6 | 1e | 11:15 a.m. |
| Sept. 6 | 1f | 4:15 p.m. |
| Sept. 7 | 2 | 12:15 p.m. |
Action will resume at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday for Day 1e of the Main Event, where players will once again look to navigate their way into the top 12.5% of the field. One last flight will follow at 4:15 p.m. local time, before the final Day 2 field is set.
Participants will begin with 30,000 chips at blinds of 100/200 along with a 200 big blind ante, with the clock ticking down from 30 minutes for the first eight levels of the day. Late registration will close at the start of Level 9, where 40-minute levels will begin for the remainder of the event.
All opening flights feature unlimited reentries, and the action-packed day will determine just how high the prize pool will climb. Players will get 15-minute breaks after every two hours, and any survivors earning a second bag will carry their larger stack into Day 2 while earning an added minimum payout.
The final two opening flights are still ahead, so be sure to catch full coverage on PokerNews on another busy day at The Barrel Social Club.