2022 The Lodge Championship Series

Event #13: $3,000 Main Event
Day: 1e
Event Info

2022 The Lodge Championship Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j8
Prize
$374,800
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,000
Prize Pool
$2,000,000
Entries
617
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Players Info - Day 1e
Entries
169
Players Left
71

Dien Le Tops Day 1e to Take Overall Lead in LCS $2M GTD Main Event

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Dien Le
Dien Le

The penultimate flight of Event 13: $3,000 NLH $2 Million Guaranteed Main Event has now come to an end after nine levels of play here at The Lodge Poker Club in Round Rock, Texas. A total of 169 slips were sold for Day 1e when late registration had closed and 71 found a bag when the night ended.

When the last chance saloon had closed for business it was Dien Le sitting on top of the field with 435,500 in chips. Le doubled with queens versus aces early in the day and never looked back. He is now the overall leader of this event with just one flight left to play.

The closest behind Le on the totem pole is Stephen Song with 291,000 in his Day 2 bag. Song career earnings are sitting just shy of $3 million in cashes and brings an aggressive style that is always exciting to watch. Rounding out the top five for this flight are Tad Macaraeg (267,000), Ryan Roussel (265,000), and Shawn Rice (263,500).

Top Five Counts of Day 1e

RANKPLAYERHOMETOWNCHIP COUNTBIG BLINDS
1Dien LeBellevue, WA435,500218
2Stephen SongWest Palm Beach, FL291,000146
3Tad MacaraegAustin, TX267,000134
4Ryan RousselNew Orleans, LA265,000133
5Shawn RiceLubbock, TX263,500132

The biggest field of the night had some other familiar names finding a bag and some of those are Nir Cohen (215,000), Bin Weng (207,00), Jeremy Meacham (146,000), William Nguyen, and Guilebaldo Flores (103,500). Another face you can't forget to advance was Frank Stepuchin who ended with 126,500 for the night.

After nine levels, 71 runners from this flight found a bag and they will combine tomorrow with the other Day 1 survivors at 2 p.m. to play ten levels. Blinds will begin at 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante and the levels will increase to 60-minutes in length. A total of ten levels will be played on the second day and all who remain will bag up for Day 3.

That is a wrap for the penultimate Day 1 flight of the Main Event but PokerNews will be here until a champion has been crowned so tune in for all the action.

Tags: Dien Le

Porter Takes Back-to-Back Hands vs. Russo

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Anthony Russo
Anthony Russo

Tad Macaraeg started the hand off when he raised to 5,000 in the cutoff and Andrew Porter then shoved the small blind for a total of 33,300. Anthony Russo shoved over the top from the big blind and Macaraeg let his cards slide.

Andrew Porter: {a-Hearts}{8-Hearts}
Anthony Russo: {a-Diamonds}{j-Spades}

Russo had Porter dominated but a very sweaty {j-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{7-Diamonds} flop hit down on the board. The sweat ended quickly when Porter binked his flush on the {6-Hearts} turn and Russo was the drawing dead to the {3-Spades} river.

On the next hand, Porter opened the button and Russo pushed in 17,700. Porter called and the two turned over their hands once again, but Russo was at risk this time.

Anthony Russo: {k-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}
Andrew Porter: {k-Hearts}{q-Clubs}

The board ran out dry, having {5-Hearts}{3-Spades}{2-Hearts}{a-Clubs}{q-Spades} fill up the community and Porter took it down. Russo was eliminated just a few hands shy of a Day 2 bag.

Player Chips Progress
Tad Macaraeg us
Tad Macaraeg
256,500 111,500
Andrew Porter us
Andrew Porter
WSOP 1X Winner
92,000 42,000
Anthony Russo us
Anthony Russo
Busted

Tags: Andrew PorterAnthony Russo

Fortuitous River Saves Hanberry

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Tuler Hanberry
Tuler Hanberry

Tyler Hanberry opened to 3,500 in the cutoff and Guilebaldo Flores then bumped it up to 8,500 on the button. George Abi-Zeid was in the big blind and four-bet to 21,500. Hanberry shoved it in, totaling 44,000 and Flores folded to Abi-Zei who snapped it off.

Tyler Hanberry: {a-Clubs}{k-Hearts}
George Abi-Zeid: {k-Diamonds}{k-Clubs}

A {9-Clubs}{3-Hearts}{3-Clubs} flop fanned out and cowboys held a grasp on the hand. The turn was the {6-Hearts} which left Hanberry with one last chance for romance.

Lady luck showed up for the date, hitting Hanberry with an {a-Diamonds} river to scoop in the pot, besting the kings of Abi-Zeid to shoot past the 50,000 stack that he had been sitting on for most of the day.

Player Chips Progress
George Abi-Zeid us
George Abi-Zeid
168,000
Tyler Hanberry us
Tyler Hanberry
99,000

Tags: George Abi-ZeidGuilebaldo FloresTyler Hanberry

Weng Is a Non-Believer

Level 9 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Bin Weng
Bin Weng

The {k-Clubs}{6-Spades}{3-Diamonds} flop saw two check to Bin Weng who bet 5,200 into a pot that contained roughly 10,000. Ian Tang was the only player to call and the dealer flipped over an {a-Hearts} turn.

Both tapped the table to see a {4-Hearts} fall and Tang then threw in 21,000. Weng took his time but in the end, he called. Tang showed {8-Clubs}{6-Clubs} for a pair of sixes and Went quickly showed {a-Spades}{4-Hearts} to pull in the pot with his ace.

Player Chips Progress
Bin Weng us
Bin Weng
WPT 2X Winner
205,000 15,000
Ian Tang ca
Ian Tang
120,000 -15,000

Tags: Ian TangBin Weng

Golden Nugget to Host $1,100 Buy-In, $1,000,000 GTD PokerNews Cup June 24-28

Level 5 : 300/600, 600 ante
PokerNews Cup Golden Nugget
PokerNews Cup Golden Nugget

This summer, Golden Nugget Las Vegas will play host to the 14th Annual Grand Poker Series, which features 81 events and offers over $3 million in guaranteed prize money from May 31-July 3. One of those events is the $1,100 buy-in, $1,000,000 Guaranteed PokerNews Cup that will run from June 24-28.

The tournament will feature three starting flights beginning with Day 1a at 11 a.m. PT on Friday, June 24. Days 1b and 1c will take place at the same time on Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26 respectively. The surviving players from each flight will return at Noon on Monday, June 27 to play down to the final table, which will play out at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 28. PokerNews will be on-site throughout the duration to offer live updates, videos, social media content, and more.

“We’re very excited to partner with our friends at Golden Nugget this summer to offer the PokerNews Cup in Las Vegas for the first time,” said Head of PokerNews Mark Powell-Bevan. “Not only will players have the opportunity at a seven-figure prize pool for an affordable buy-in, but they’ll also get to experience everything PokerNews has to offer including live updates, giveaways, videos, a live podcast, and more. It’s going to be one of the premier tournaments of the summer.”

“We’re especially excited about taking our partnership with PokerNews to the next level,” said Andy Rich, Golden Nugget Las Vegas Director of Poker Operations. “This is huge news for poker players, and we couldn’t be happier that all the action is right here at Golden Nugget during Grand Poker Series.”

For those looking to get into the PokerNews Cup event cheaper, there will be a $200 buy-in Mega Satellite guaranteeing 10 seats at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 23.

PokerNews Cup
PokerNews Cup

History of the PokerNews Cup

The first-ever PokerNews Cup took place in 2007 at Australia’s Crown Casino and saw Dory Zayner become the inaugural champion. The following year, Nali Kaselias won the same event while Darren Kramer claimed the title in the 2008 PokerNews Cup South African Poker Open. In 2009, it was Con Tsapkounis winning the third edition of PokerNews Cup Australia while Marc Naalden was victorious in the PokerNews Cup Alpine (Austria).

Lamkin Takes Stroll Down Suboptimal Road, Finds Fortuitous Runout

Level 3 : 200/300, 300 ante
Jesse Crenan
Jesse Crenan

Brian Lamkin opened with a bet of 700 from the hijack, Mario Sanroman called on the button, and Kennzy Smith called in the small blind. Looking down at his cards from the big blind was Jesse Crenan who elected to three-bet, making it 7,000 total.

Lamkin shoved his 35,300 into the middle and action folded back around to Crenan who called.

"Do you have ace-king?" asked Crenan and Lamkin replied "I've got nothing," with an earnest look on his face.

Jesse Crenan: {a-Hearts}{k-Clubs}
Brian Lamkin: {a-Diamonds}{j-Hearts}

Crenan was in a commanding spot but the {q-Diamonds}{j-Clubs}{9-Clubs} flop then fanned out and Lamkin spiked a johnnie. The {3-Hearts} turn and {q-Hearts} river retained the lead for Lamkin who pulled in the double, leaving Crenan with crumbs.

Player Chips Progress
Brian Lamkin us
Brian Lamkin
73,000 73,000
Jesse Crenan us
Jesse Crenan
4,800 4,800

Tags: Brian LamkinJesse CrenanMario Sanroman

Penultimate Flight in $2M GTD Main Event Starts Soon

The Lodge Championship Series
The Lodge Championship Series

Last two flights on the venue today in Event 13: $3,000 Main Event $2 Million Guaranteed here in Round Rock, Texas at The Lodge Poker Club. So far 325 registration slips have been sold for the main event over the first four flights and leading the way is still Raymond Brint who managed to bag 401,500 in Day 1a.

Day 1e is set to begin at 11 a.m. and all who sit down will see a stack of 50,000. Blinds will be a reasonable 50-minutes in length, giving plenty of time for the players to pick their spots. The late registration period will remain open until the start of Level 7 and the night will end after Level 9, or when just 15% of the field is left standing.

All survivors who advanced from a Day 1 flight will return Sunday, May 22, at 2 p.m. for the second day. A total of ten levels will be played on the second, all being 60-minutes in length and all survivors will then bag up for Day 3. The third day will play down to just six players before the night commences, at 75-minute levels and will return to crown a champion on Tuesday, May 24.

The PokerNews live reporting team will be bringing all of the updates throughout the event, so stay tuned as all of the action unfolds.