Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2017 WinStar River Poker Series
Main Event
Day: 2
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
Coleman Trying for Second Title in Three Years, Trails Only Jiang With 12 Left
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
After three Day 1 flights and a 13-hour grind on Day 2, just 11 players stand between Maxx Coleman and a second victory in three years at WinStar River Poker Series $2,500 Main Event.
Back in 2015, Coleman got by far the biggest share of a three-way chop in this event, taking down $750,000, the biggest score of his live tournament career. The Kansas native followed that up with another strong showing in 2016 when he finished 32nd for $7,864.
Now, he finds himself in a great position to truly make it a three-year run for the ages near the Texas-Oklahoma border. Coleman finished Day 2 with a stack of 3,230,000, leaving him in second place after starting the day as chip leader. That represents more than 50 big blinds as the tournament heads to Level 27 (5,000/30,000/60,000).
However, a mountain of a chip stack stands in his way, belonging to Chengce Jiang. Jiang ran white-hot and finished with 6,675,000, more than a quarter of the chips in play.
It seemed every time Jiang got in a big showdown he held two aces. It started early in the day when he three-bet an open and had Charles Bass shove over behind him with king-seven of spades. Jiang snapped it off with aces to begin his climb. He busted a short stack with the blades and had one of the best stacks going into the final 27 redraw, and he found himself with aces again in a fortuitous spot.
This time, he three-bet a late-position open from DJ Alexander and they got stacks in on a ten-high flop, with Alexander revealing two kings for a tough cooler. Nobody even came close to catching Jiang after that monstrous win.
Coleman certainly isn't the only headliner remaining in the event. Anthony Spinella (2,560,000), Johanssy Joseph (1,715,000), two-time bracelet winner Ben Zamani (535,000), and Mike Dentale (475,000) are all still trucking along, though the latter pair are in dire need of an early double when Day 3 gets going.
That happens at noon Tuesday, with the final 12 players taking seats and battling it out for $400,032 in first-place prize money. Make sure you come right back to PokerNews as the field it whittled to a champion.
End of Day 2 Chip Counts (full)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
6,675,000 | 375,000 |
|
3,230,000 | 30,000 |
|
2,560,000 | 1,060,000 |
|
2,454,000 | -746,000 |
|
1,853,000 | 153,000 |
|
1,715,000 | -185,000 |
|
1,230,000 | 790,000 |
|
1,096,000 | -104,000 |
|
990,000 | -260,000 |
|
760,000 | -80,000 |
|
535,000 | -145,000 |
|
475,000 | -465,000 |
Daniel Rodriguez Eliminated in 13th Place ($26,624)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Daniel Rodriguez shoved all in for 230,000 and Maxx Coleman made it 600,000 to go. Everyone else folded and Rodriguez was heads up with Coleman for his tournament life.
He has 
against the 
of Coleman. The flop was safe, but the turn brought some worries and the river finally put the nail in. Rodriguez would bust when the board finished 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,200,000 | 950,000 |
|
Busted |
Porath Ships
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Lawrence Porath opened for a raise to 125,000 under the gun and got three-bet to 335,000 by neighbor Lang Nguyen. Porath called after some thought. When the 
flop hit, he tanked a bit, checked out his opponent's stack, and then ripped it in for about 500,000. Nguyen folded.
Porath showed 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,700,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
1,200,000 | 710,000 |
Taking it to the Hoop: Chengce Jiang Gets Value From Chris Hooper
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Chengce Jiang opened to 150,000 and Chris Hooper called from the big blind.
The flop came 
and Hooper bet 150,000. Jiang called.
The turn was the and Hooper check-called a 275,000 bet.
The river was the 
and Hooper checked again. Jiang bet 400,000 and Hooper called.
Jiang showed 
and was good with two pair against the 
of Hooper.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
6,300,000 | 960,000 |
Sellars Rivers Spinella for a Dub
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Dwight Sellars opened to 100,000 in the cutoff and faced a three-bet to 435,000 from Anthony Spinella, in the big blind. Sellars said he was all in, which amount to about 100,000 more, and Spinella put him at risk.
Spinella: 
Sellars: 
The 
board left Sellars standing and readying to leave, but the 
river saved him.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,500,000 | -640,000 |
|
|
1,250,000 | 790,000 |
Adam Gonzales Eliminated in 14th Place ($26,624)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
We found Adam Gonzales calling the all-in shove of small blind Chengce Jiang, who showed 
. Gonzales had 
and was a favorite to double his 500,000 or so. However, the 
flop paired his opponent.
"Oh, you dog," Gonzales said.
The 
turn was a brick. Gonzales asked for one time but it was a 
. Cheerfully enough, he wished everyone good luck and good night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
5,340,000 | 440,000 |
|
Busted |
Gary Otake Eliminated in 15th Place ($26,624)
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
Gary Otake was eliminated after he three-bet shoved on a Lang Nguyen open to 100,000. Otake had 555,000 and Nguyen called.
Nguyen had against the 
of Otake. He flopped a queen and Otake couldn't improve.
The final board read 
and Otake hit the rail in 15th place. He will take home $26,624.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,800,000 | 520,000 |
|
Busted |
Spinella and Joseph Tangle Twice
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 5,000 ante
In a pot that occurred at the previous level, Anthony Spinella raised under the gun and Johanssy Joseph called on his left for 90,000. They checked down a board of 
until Spinella bet 90,000. Joseph slid in a raise to approximately 300,000 and Spinella folded.
Moments later, we saw the two butting heads again in a blinds battle. Spinella check-called 120,000 on a flop and both checked the 
. On the 
river, Spinella checked and called 200,000.
Joseph opened 
.
"Nice," Spinella said.
"I knew I had the jack or the ten," Joseph said. "I didn't want to look and see which one."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,140,000 | -660,000 |
|
|
1,900,000 | -200,000 |