Level: 13
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 300
2017 WinStar River Poker Series
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 WinStar River Poker Series
Buy-in
$2,500
Entries
926
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
Alex Greenblatt Doubles Through Jeff Sowell
Level 13
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
Alex Greenblatt just broke 100,000 when he doubled through Jeff Sowell. Greenblatt held 
against the 
of Sowell.
Both players failed to connect with the board, but Greenblatt's ace-king high was enough to win the pot and earn the double up.
Sowell is now left with just over three big blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
135,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
|
8,000
-121,000
|
-121,000 |
Pham Doubles Through Thondup
Level 13
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
Trung Pham bet 5,000 from the button on a 
flop and after the small blind folded, big blind TJ Thondup raised enough to put Pham all in. He snap-called with 
and was fading clubs as Thondup held 
. The turn was a 
and the river a 
, and Thondup sent 32,400 over.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
166,000
-32,000
|
-32,000 |
|
77,000 |
That Heated Up Quickly, Gary Otake Sends One Home
Level 13
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
Gary Otake limped the button and Mike Dentale called from the small blind. The player in the big blind counted out what looked to be a raise and then checked.
"What's the matter did your kings shrink to seven-eight," Dentale asked.
The flop came 
and Dentale checked. The big blind checked, saying he didn't remember what he had and Otake checked behind.
The turn was the 
and all three players checked again. The river was the 
and Dentale checked a third time. The big blind finally bet and made it 5,000 to go. Otake raised to 15,000, Dentale folded and the big blind went all in. Otake called instantly and won the hand with 
holding a bigger straight than his opponent who held 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
210,000
128,000
|
128,000 |
Spinella Eliminated
Level 13
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
Anthony Spinella was in and out of the tournament area on a few bullets early on Day 1b, and when he finally got a settled in with a stack, bad luck sent him right back out. Having already lost the earlier all-in pot with queens against the tens of Grant Hinkle, Spinella just got it in on a board of 
with 
against Daniel Lu, who limped 
early. Spinella checked his big blind and flopped a straight, check-called a flop bet and got it in with one card to come for about 26,000 fading hearts. Unfortunately for the WSOP bracelet winner, the river brought the .
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
106,100 | |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Tim Frazen Shoves Into Four Players
Level 13
: 1,200/2,400, 300 ante
Nipujn Java opened to 5,500 and four players called preflop. The flop came and Frazen was first to act, He checked and the next player bet 10,500. All four remaining players called the bet.
The turn was the 
and Frazen shoved all in for 40,600. All four of the remaining players folded and Frazen took down the pot. Java said that he folded a set of sixes and was trying to figure out what Frazen might have been holding with his neighbor over the next few hands.
Java is still sitting with a better-than-healthy stack with just about 300,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
301,000
174,000
|
174,000 |
|
||
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 400
"That's How the Pros Do it"
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
We found Brandon Steven getting his stack of 49,000 in on a 
flop with . Unfortunately for Steven, his flush draw was not live as his opponent had 
. However, the 
turn paired Steven and the 
river preserved his newfound lead for a double.
"That's how the pros do it," someone said.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
116,000
116,000
|
116,000 |
Chuck Brookins Knocks Out Two With a King on the River
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Chuck Brookins was all in three-ways and had both his opponents covered. He also held the best hand with 
.
He was against and 
. The flop came out, giving his opponent an ace, but the river brought a king and the huge pot to Brookins. The final board looked like this 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
250,000 |
Richards Leaves Merkow With Dust
Level 14
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
On a flop of 
, it looked like the blinds had checked and faced a bet of 8,000, with small blind Gregg Merkow making it about 25,000 to go and big blind John Richards cold-calling. The bettor mucked and Merkow stuck the rest in on the turn, with Richards calling immediately and tabling 
for a set. Merkow had and needed a heart river, but it was Richards improving with the 
.
Merkow sent over 90,000, leaving less than 10,000 remaining as the table broke and players headed to find their new homes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
280,000
97,000
|
97,000 |
|
8,500
-69,500
|
-69,500 |