2017 WinStar River Poker Series

Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2017 WinStar River Poker Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
109
Prize
$347,134
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,500
Entries
926
Level Info
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000

Hessami Finds the Call Button to Bust Berry

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

We found Will Berry all in for 20,150 into a pot of about 25,000. He was in position against Nemo Hessami, and the board was {q-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{3-Hearts}{j-Hearts}{3-Clubs}.

"Aces or kings with a heart?" Hessami wondered aloud. After about a minute of thought, he announced a call.

Berry tabled {a-Hearts}{9-Clubs} for an ace-high bluff, and Hessami took it down with {q-Clubs}{6-Clubs}.

Player Chips Progress
Nemo Hessami
Nemo Hessami
75,000
Will Berry us
Will Berry
Busted

Tags: Will BerryNemo Hessami

Maria Ho Busts in Huge Three-Way Pot

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante
Maria Ho
Maria Ho

The pot was built quickly as Alex Greenblatt opened to 1,800 and AJ Nimer three-bet from his direct left to 4,700. Gary Widener called and Maria Ho shoved all in for 25,500. Greenblatt folded and Nimer went all in for a little more, 29,850.

Widener, who had both covered, asked for a count and then called with {8-}{8-}. Ho had {q-}{q-} and Nimer had {a-}{k-}.

When the flop came {a-Clubs}{9-Spades}{9-Hearts} Nimer took the lead and didn't look back. The turn, {3-Spades}, and the river, {5-Diamonds}, completed the board and sent Ho to the rail, while Nimer earned what was essentially a triple up.

Player Chips Progress
Gary Widener
Gary Widener
112,000
AJ Nimer us
AJ Nimer
102,000
54,000
54,000
Maria Ho us
Maria Ho
Busted

Tags: AJ NimerAlex GreenblattMaria HoGary Widener

Greenblatt With a Straight and Piles

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

Alex Greenblatt bet 8,000 from the big blind on an {8-Diamonds}{a-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{6-Clubs} board, and a player on the button thought briefly and called. Greenblatt tabled {10-}{9-} for a pair that turned into a straight, and he looks to have one of the more formidable stacks in the room at the moment.

However, he'll have some stiff competition soon as fellow American pro Kevin Eyster just grabbed a seat at that table. Eyster has a long history of success both live and online, and he made a deep run into the last few tables here last year, finishing 16th for $17,555.

Player Chips Progress
Alex Greenblatt us
Alex Greenblatt
131,000
33,000
33,000
Kevin Eyster us
Kevin Eyster
25,000
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 2X Winner

Tags: Alex GreenblattKevin Eyster

Level: 9

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 100

AJ Nimer Picks Up a Little More

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

AJ Nimer was one of five players who called an early position raised to 2,200. Six players saw the {9-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{2-Clubs} flop and the preflop raiser was the first to bet, making it 7,300 before Nimer raised to 17,000. The action folded back to the preflop raiser who took about a minute before folding.

Nimer said she could pick one card to look at and she flipped over the {k-Clubs}.

"That's what I thought you had I should have called," she said as Nimber collected the pot.

Player Chips Progress
AJ Nimer us
AJ Nimer
110,000
8,000
8,000

Tags: AJ Nimer

Himmelbrand Three-Outed by Dentale

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Chris Staats opened for 2,000 and got one caller before Greg Himmelbrand made it 8,000 to go. Big blind Mike Dentale asked to see Himmelbrand's stack and then repopped to 20,000. Action folded to Himmelbrand, and he counted his stack down and then went all in for about 34,000. Dentale quickly called and wasn't happy at showdown.

Himmelbrand: {a-Hearts}{k-Diamonds}
Dentale: {a-Clubs}{q-Diamonds}

"You slowroll me like that?" Dentale groaned.

"You cold four-bet!" Himmelbrand replied with a laugh.

The board looked clean for Himmelbrand as it ran out {5-Spades}{4-Spades}{8-Spades}{6-Clubs} but a {q-Clubs} river sent him to the exits.

Player Chips Progress
Mike Dentale us
Mike Dentale
107,400
15,400
15,400
Anthony Spinella us
Anthony Spinella
25,000
25,000
25,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Greg Himmelbrand us
Greg Himmelbrand
Busted

Tags: Greg HimmelbrandMike Dentale

Nipun Java May Have Just Redefined Snap Call

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Nipun Java
Nipun Java

Nipun Java saw the flop with two other players for 3,500.

The flop came {a-Spades}{7-Diamonds}{5-Spades} and all three players checked. The turn was the {3-Clubs} and the first player to act led for 8,000. Java called.

The river was the {j-Hearts} and Java's opponent led again, immediately going all in.

Right after he heard the words all in, Java's chips beat his opponents into the pot and he turned over {a-Hearts}{a-Clubs}. His opponent tossed his hand into the muck and headed to the rail.

The dealer revealed the mucked hand since the player was all in and showed {k-}{j-}.

Player Chips Progress
Nipun Java in
Nipun Java
108,000
56,200
56,200
WSOP 3X Winner

Tags: Nipun Java

Hinkle Holds

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

A player was all in for about 10,000 when we got to Grant Hinkle's table, and the WSOP bracelet winner, who chopped this event last year, put his stack of 12,000 in from the cutoff. Everyone else mucked.

Hinkle: {a-Diamonds}{k-Clubs}
Opponent: {k-Diamonds}{j-Clubs}

The {3-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{a-Clubs} flop gave Hinkle a stranglehold with top pair and a flush draw, and the {2-Diamonds} turn and {4-Hearts} river changed nothing.

Player Chips Progress
Grant Hinkle us
Grant Hinkle
25,000
-27,000
-27,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Grant Hinkle

Updated Chip Counts

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante
Player Chips Progress
TJ Thondup
TJ Thondup
165,000
120,000
120,000
John Richards us
John Richards
119,000
Patrick Eskandar us
Patrick Eskandar
105,000
82,700
82,700
Ben Zamani us
Ben Zamani
82,000
10,000
10,000
Chris Staats us
Chris Staats
79,200
62,200
62,200
Jose Montes us
Jose Montes
31,200
200
200
Sam Phillips us
Sam Phillips
28,500
3,500
3,500
Kevin Eyster us
Kevin Eyster
23,400
-1,600
-1,600
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 2X Winner
Keith Lehr us
Keith Lehr
7,000
7,000
7,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Collin Grubaugh us
Collin Grubaugh
5,300
-16,700
-16,700
Noah Nodine
Noah Nodine
5,200
-15,100
-15,100

Brandon Steven Hits the Rail and Gregg Merkow Doubles Up

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Omar Zazay was all in with Brandon Steven preflop. He showed Steven two queens.

"Well I got two unders," Steven said presenting {5-}{5-}.

Steven didn't catch up, in fact, he got counterfeited by the board as it ran out {k-}{k-}{8-}{j-}{8-}.

A couple hands later at the same table, Gregg Merkow doubled up with {a-}{q-} against pocket nines when he flopped a pair and turned two pair.

Player Chips Progress
Omar Zazay us
Omar Zazay
112,000
Gregg Merkow us
Gregg Merkow
62,000
-6,000
-6,000
Brandon Steven us
Brandon Steven
Busted

Tags: Brandon StevenGregg Merkow