USPO #1 - $10,000 NLH
Day 1 Completed
2019 US Poker Open
USPO #1 - $10,000 NLH
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 US Poker Open
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
90
Level
25
Blinds
75,000 / 150,000
Ante
150,000
Joseph Cheong Leads the Final Table in Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
The final table of the first event in the 2019 US Poker Open has been set after just over 13 hours of play. Joseph Cheong will be leading the way in Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em with a stack of 2,885,000 when play resumes at 1 p.m. PST.
Cheong sat around average for most of the day, it was not until the unofficial final nine that he started to heat up, catching a couple of his opponents trying to bluff towards the end of the night.
He built a stack from his ability to read his opponents, but ultimately he found his chip lead with a pair of aces that would best the queens of Jerry Robinson, busting him in seventh-place and setting the stage for the final table of the first event.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | 1,950,000 |
| 2 | Sean Winter | United States | 1,190,000 |
| 3 | Joseph Cheong | United States | 2,885,000 |
| 4 | Joseph Cappello | United States | 1,380,000 |
| 5 | Lazaro Hernandez | United States | 2,195,000 |
| 6 | Joseph Orsino | United States | 1,635,000 |
The day began with around 38 players in their sits when the cards hit the air. Players took advantage of the nine level late registration period, accumulating a total of 90 entries by the end of registration. That made up a prize pool of $900,000, with the eventual winner taking home a staggering $216,000 first place cash prize, along with points lead in the race to be crowned the 2019 US Poker Open Champion.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1st | $216,000 |
| 2nd | $157,500 |
| 3rd | $112,500 |
| 4th | $90,000 |
| 5th | $72,000 |
| 6th | $54,000 |
Well-known high roller Sam Soverel would be the first bubble boy of the 2019 USPO, running into the set of nines of Stephen Chidwick. Soverel final tabled this event last year and will surely be seen throughout the rest of this series.
The caliber of player to show up for the first event was of the highest standards, with some of the best in the world being eliminated before the money bubble popped, including the likes of Ryan Riess, David Peters, Ryan Leng, Chance Kornuth, Ben Yu, Justin Bonomo, Rainer Kempe, Kristen Bicknell, Alex Foxen, and Byron Kaverman.
Action will resume at approximately 1 p.m. local time at the ARIA Resort & Casino. The players will move to the feature table to be live-streamed with a delay. The live stream can be watched on PokerGO beginning around 2 p.m. and will play until the eventual winner is crowned.
There will be one minute remaining on level 20, the blinds will be at 25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante. The final six players will battle it out until there is one person walking out with the $216,000 first place prize.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be here to bring all the action for the final table of this event. Stay tuned on the site for updates on the remaining nine events that follow.
Jerry Robinson Eliminated in 7th ($45,000)
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Sean Winter opened in middle position with a raise to 105,000. In the cutoff, Joseph Cheong three-bet making it 325,000. Jerry Robinson thought for a bit, then moved all in for right around 760,000. Action folded back to Winter who folded and Cheong snap-called.
Joseph Cheong: 
Jerry Robinson: 
The board ran out 
and Cheong's aces held on to earn him the pot. Robinson hits the rail in 7th place and will collect $45,000 for his run in this event.
After taking down another pot, Cheong appears to be the chip leader, picking up a nice stretch of cards to end the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,890,000 | 940,000 |
|
Busted |
Cheong Trusts His Gut and Makes a Big Call
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Joseph Cappello opened from middle position with a raise to 100,000. Stephen Chidwick called on the button and Joseph Cheong called in the big blind.
The flop was 
and all three players checked to see the 
on the turn. There, Cheong checked. Cappello fired a bet of 150,000. Chidwick folded but Cheong called.
The river was the and Cheong checked again. Cappello put out another bet, making it 220,000. Cheong mulled it over for a bit, but eventually called. Cappello sheepishly turned up his 
for a missed flush draw and queen-high. Cheong tabled his 
for bottom pair and that would earn him the pot.
"I thought I was going to win preflop so I couldn't fold post-flop," Cheong said after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,950,000 | 600,000 |
|
1,320,000 | -580,000 |
Maxx Coleman Eliminated in 8th Place ($36,000)
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Maxx Coleman moved all in for 570,000 from under the gun, Sean Winter moved all in right behind for around 720,000, everyone else folded and the two remaining players turned over their hands.
The flop came down 
and Winter was still ahead, but Coleman did pick up a flush draw. A 
fell on the turn, Coleman would need a heart to stay alive. The dealer slammed over the 
on the river, and Winter's aces held on for the pot, eliminating Coleman from the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,390,000 | 745,000 |
|
Busted |
Cheong Picks Off a Bluff From Hernandez
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Joseph Cheong opened on the button with a raise to 100,000. Laz Hernandez called in the big blind.
The flop was 
and Hernandez checked. Cheong put out a bet of 85,000 and Hernandez called.
On the 
turn, both players checked and the 
came on the river. Hernandez put out a bet of 165,000 and Cheong thought for a bit before calling.
Hernandez showed his 
, implying that was his playing card and Cheong turned up 
for a straight, allowing him to collect the pot and move over a million chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,575,000 | -510,000 |
|
|
1,350,000 | 430,000 |
Jake Schindler Eliminated in 9th Place ($27,000)
Level 20
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Joseph Cheong and Jake Schindler moved all in before the flop. Schindler would be all in for his last 200,000 and would be at risk of elimination.
Joseph Cheong: 
Jake Schindler: 
The board ran out 
and Cheong's kings full took down the pot, eliminating Schindler from the tournament in ninth place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
920,000 | 320,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 20
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 50,000
Chidwick Takes It Down on the Flop
Level 19
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Joseph Cappello limped in from middle position for 40,000 and action folded to the button where Stephen Chidwick made it 140,000. Action folded back to Cappello who took a look at the bet, then called.
The flop was 
and Cappello checked to Chidwick. Chidwick made it 100,000 and Cappello quickly released, allowing Chidwick to take down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,500,000 | 450,000 |
|
|
1,900,000 | 100,000 |
Hernandez Fires the River
Level 19
: 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Joseph Cappello opened to 80,000 from the button, Lazaro Hernandez called from the small blind and Joseph Orsino defended his big blind.
The dealer fanned out on the flop, all three players checked and the fell on the turn. Again all three players checked and the dealer flipped over the 
on the river.
Hernandez pushed in a bet of 120,000, both of his opponents thought for a bit, before they chucked their hands in the muck, sending the pot to Hernandez.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,085,000 | -190,000 |