CK Yarbough opened to 600 preflop and got two callers. The flop came 
and only one opponent check-called his 800 bet.
The turn was the 
and his opponent check-called a bet of 1,100. The river was the 
and his opponent led for 2,000. Yarbough called and his opponent quickly mucked. Yarbough showed 
and scooped up the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
27,000 |
Chris Moneymaker opened to 500 and Matthew Lapossie called in position. Aaron Massey raised to 2,000 on the button and both Moneymaker and Lapossie folded.
Moneymaker is short early after a brutal level one. He still has plenty of chips and says he really wants to bag today because he plans on spending all day tomorrow watching the start of the college football season.
His neighbor, Lapossie is sitting with 36,000 and Wendy Freedman just behind him with 35,000 after she won a big pot early.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
36,000 | 36,000 |
|
35,000 | 4,000 |
|
28,500 | 28,500 |
|
27,000 | 2,000 |
|
8,500 | -16,500 |
Chris Moneymaker arrived early today and started the tournament with the first hand. Maria Ho just arrived and will be entering the tournament shortly.
Ho stopped by Moneymaker's table to say hello before entering the tournament. Moneymaker asked her whether she had tweeted something about this event and that got the two started on a conversation about who followed who on twitter.
Moneymaker wasn't sure he was following Ho and said he might be embarrassed if he didn't. He looked it up and was relieved to find out he was following her but found out Ho wasn't following him. The table laughed along with them as Ho joked about needing to leave.
During all this, Aaron Massey who won the River Poker Series Main Event in 2012 for $651,559 sat down at Moneymaker's table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
25,000 | |
|
|
25,000 | |
|
|
25,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Wendy Freedman called 650 preflop and checked the queen-high flop, 
, to her opponent. He bet 1,200 and Freedman called.
The turn was the 
and Freedman checked again. This time she called 3,100. The river brought a third diamond to the board with the and both players checked.
"Just a queen," Freedman said showing 
and her opponent mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,000 |
Early in level one action, David Coker saw the flop against two other players for 350.
The flop came 
and the action checked to the cutoff who bet 600. The small blind called before Coker check-raised to 1,500 and both his opponents folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
26,800 |
Cards are in the air for Day 1a of the WinStar River Poker Series Main Event. So far, 105 players have entered and former Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker is one of them.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
It is time once again for the WinStar River Poker Series. The $2,500 buy-in tournament brings with it a $2 million guarantee. Today is the first of three starting flights. The players will start at noon, each queuing up for their shot at the top prize.
WinStar Ambassador Maria Ho will be in the field and former WSOP Main Event Champion Chris Moneymaker is expected as well. The field will definitely be packed with some of the biggest names in poker, tournament circuit grinders, and plenty of satellite winners. The WinStar Wolrd Casino has been holding satellites leading up to the kickoff day.
Last year, 2016 Main Event runner-up Gordon Vayo took home the title after a five-way deal. It would not be a surprise to see a few of the faces from this year's Main Event Final table in the field this weekend.
This is a multiple reentry tournament and players will start with 25,000 chips. The levels are 40 minutes long and each starting day will play down to 12 percent of the field.
The WinStar River Poker Series has become one of the more intriguing tournaments over the last few years. Originally offering a $1 million dollar first place guarantee, the series now upped the overall guarantee to $2 million. Over the years the field has transitioned from mostly recreational players to a good mix of pros and recreational players.
Follow all the action right here on PokerNews throughout the weekend. Find out who is playing, who is winning, and who will take home the WinStar River Poker Series Main Event Championship.
Main Event
Day 1a Started
