Joseph Cheong Leads the Final Table in Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em
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.
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. 
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.
and Kenney was sitll ahead. A 
fell on the turn, Chidwick would need to hit to send Kenney home. The 
on the river did just that as Chidwick had now hit a flush, taking down the pot and eliminated Kenney in the process.
and action checked to Robinson who bet 60,000. Cappello called as did Weinand. 
for a double gutshot straight draw that he tried to use as a bluff.
on the turn and 
, both players checked to the 
on the river. Soverel bet 190,000 and Chidwick moved all in for around 600,000. 
showing. Cappello put out a bet of 160,000 and Adams dropped into the tank. Adams thought for a while, then moved all in for almost 500,000. Cappello called quickly with a covering stack.
for a flush. Cappello scooped the pot, moving well over a million while Adams hit the rail.
leaving Bicknell dead on the turn. Winter took down the pot and moved over 700,000 while Bicknell hit the rail.
