Level 8 is underway, leaving just 30 minutes of late registration remaining in Day 1a.
The tournament clock shows 106 entries thus far, while players still have two more flights on Saturday to take their shot in the RGPS Passport Tunica Main Event.
Level: 8
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 1,200
Three-way action to the 6♦7♥10♠ flop saw David Altizer fire a bet of 20,000 on the button. Action folded to Rafael Lopez in middle position, who check-raised all in.
Altizer called, and the hands were revealed.
Rafael Lopez: Q♠Q♥ 
David Altizer: K♦10♥
Altizer's top pair was second best, as Lopez saw his pocket queens hold after the 7♠ turn and 3♣ river to earn the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
142,000
96,000
|
96,000 |
|
11,000
37,000
|
37,000 |
Justin Kelley and Scott Hirsch tangled once again, this time in a battle of the blinds. Kelley led out for 4,000 from the small blind on the 7♣5♣Q♦ flop, and Hirsch stuck in the call.
The dealer flipped over the A♦ turn, and Kelley continued for 8,500. That produced a fold from Hirsch, and Kelley tabled A♥K♣ as he raked in another pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
94,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
26,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
Level: 7
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 1,000
David Strickland committed his short stack from the big blind on the 3♥6♣5♦ flop, at risk against Kimberly Francisco in the cutoff.
David Strickland: 9♥7♥
Kimberly Francisco: 4♠4♣
"I've got one more bullet," Strickland said as he revealed his hand. After losing with a pocket pair a short time earlier, Francisco was able to hold through the 3♣ turn and J♣ river to claim the pot.
Strickland quickly walked over to the reentry desk before returning to the same seat with a new starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
122,000
79,000
|
79,000 |
|
|
30,000 |
The lastest PokerNews PowerStack champion has been crowned, as Cody Stanford defeated a field of 452 entries at Horseshoe Tunica to earn $18,067 and the RGPS Passport ring.
Stanford outlasted Tony Wofford heads-up to claim the largest share of the $90,400 prize pool.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cody Stanford | United States | $18,067 |
| 2 | Tony Wofford | United States | $12,045 |
| 3 | Ricky Roberson | United States | $8,895 |
| 4 | Antonio Taylor | United States | $6,638 |
| 5 | Matt Higgins | United States | $5,007 |
| 6 | Mike Costello | United States | $3,817 |
| 7 | Trong Nguyen | United States | $2,942 |
| 8 | Sanh Vuong | United States | $2,293 |
| 9 | Lucus Drummond | United States | $1,807 |
Level: 6
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 800
Players were standing at table 15, where four hands were turned up after the 6♣5♦4♣ flop as the dealer sorted the side pots.
Justin Kelley: 9♣7♣
Brian Durr: K♣3♥
Scott Hirsch: 8♠7♠
Kimberly Francisco: 6♠6♦
Francisco flopped a set of sixes, but all three opponents revealed draws to stay alive. The 9♦ turn gave Hirsch additional outs, while the 10♣ river brough a flush for Kelley.
Hirsch improved to a straight to stay alive, while Francisco's set came in third. Durr was the only player eliminated, but he quickly returned to a new seat after purchasing a fresh stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
89,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
|
44,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
|
43,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
30,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
Three players saw the stacks hit the middle after the 9♦K♠2♣ flop, with Michael Saunders and Brandon Owens both at risk against Matthew Higgins.
Michael Saunders: 9♠9♣
Brandon Owens: K♣K♦
Matthew Higgins: A♣A♥
Higgins saw his pocket aces trailing, as Saunders and Owens had flopped a set. The 6♠ turn and 6♥ river changed nothing, leaving Owens to collect a big stack while knocking out Saunders.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
116,000
73,000
|
73,000 |
|
21,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
|
Busted |
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