$1,500 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series
$1,500 Main Event
Day: 3
Eric Bunch Wins 2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series $1,500 Main Event for $260k
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Eric Bunch claimed victory at the 2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series $1,500 Main Event, earning the title and accompanying trophy after a heads-up chop that landed him $260,000.
Bunch outlasted a field of 1,242 entries over nearly three full days of play en route to becoming champion. His journey didn’t come easy, however - his biggest competition throughout the day was Spencer Champlin, with whom he ended up chopping.
Champlin was the one in control for most of the day, and when the two got heads up, Bunch said he “just had to grind it out.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Eric Bunch | United States | $260,000* |
| 2nd | Spencer Champlin | United States | $234,887* |
| 3rd | Eluterio Rodriguez | United States | $119,046 |
| 4th | Jeremy Liu | United States | $97,000 |
| 5th | Viet Vo | United States | $74,955 |
| 6th | James Jewell | United States | $57,318 |
| 7th | Kris Burchfield | United States | $44,091 |
| 8th | Jim Harris | United States | $35,273 |
| 9th | Katherine Offutt | United States | $29,982 |
*denotes heads-up chop
Day 3 Action
The day started with 10 players returning with their eyes on the $300,005 up top. Chuck Barker (10th place - $24,338) became the first elimination of the day just a few hands after play began. He had entered the day with 125,000 after losing almost his entire stack on the last hand of Day 2 when he doubled up Katherine Offutt running ace-king into her pocket aces. A quick triple up graced his presence to start the day but then he lost a coin flip with pocket threes to Day 2 chip leader Bunch’s ten-nine when Bunch hit a queen-high straight on the turn.
The final table of nine was then reached and the players drew new seats. It wasn’t long after that before Offult became the ninth-place finisher after getting her stack in with Big Slick on an ace-high flop versus the ace-queen of Champlin, only to find it second-best after Champlin hit not just one queen, but two as the turn and river gave him a full house, the elimination, and the chip lead.
Jim Harris (8th place - $35,273) was next to go after spending his short-lived Day 3 on the short stack. It was then time for Champlin to pull away. Kris Burchfield (7th place - $44,691), James Jewell (6th place - $57,318), and Viet Vo (5th place - $74,995) all fell victim to Champlin’s prey over the next hour, leaving just four players in the tournament by the first break of the day.
Champlin picked up right where he left off when play resumed, picking off a bluff from Bunch, who was in second place through most of the day, to create even further separation in the counts between the two players. He then knocked out Jeremy Liu after Liu shoved ace-eight into his ace-queen, holding to surpass the 20 million-chip mark.
Three players remained and play continued for over an hour with Champlin, Bunch, and Eluterio Rodriguez trading chips back and forth with no significant fluctuation. The tournament came out of its second break of the day to Level 30, with blinds of 100,000/200,000/200,000. Bunch and Rodriguez both had about 5 million in front of them and Champlin held the other 21 million.
Shortly after the break, Rodriguez found his luck begin to run dry. He dropped down to around 2 million, which was only a 10-big blind stack, and shoved king-deuce into Champlin’s ace-ten suited. He hit two pair to double up but then ran pocket nines into Champlin’s pocket aces a few hands later to finish in third place.
Champlin took nearly a three-to-one chip lead into heads-up play and built even further from there. Then, the turning point came. Bunch made a few hands in a row and found his stack nearly back to where it started in the match. He then got all of his chips in with king-seven suited against Champlin’s ace-jack on a king-jack-eight flop to double and take the chip lead.
Another 40 minutes went by and the two traded blows, watching stacks get to even momentarily. Champlin regained the lead shortly but re-surrendered it after Bunch hit a straight and got paid on a 5 million-chip river bet. The two then took what proved to be the final break of the night with Bunch having nearly a two-to-one chip lead. No further poker would be played as a deal was agreed upon once the two returned from break.
When asked about what he is going to do moving forward, Bunch said he is going to keep at it at the felt. Historically a cash-game player, Bunch got into tournament poker about three years ago and said that he is going to just continue to play the same tournaments.
“I’m pretty happy, obviously,” he said in an interview afterward. “I’m glad it all worked out.”
Chop Agreed Upon
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Spencer Champlin and Eric Bunch have agreed to a chop of the remaining prize pool based on chip equity after coming to the conclusion to end the tournament outright without leaving any money left on the side.
Eric Bunch was determined the winner and will receive the trophy along with $260,000 for his efforts.
Spencer Champlin will receive the remaining $234,887 for his second-place finish.
Stay tuned for a recap of the tournament.
Delayed Restart
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
The start of Level 32 has been delayed as Spencer Champlin and Eric Bunch are in the process of talking about a potential chop. They are discussing chopping via chip equity and leaving an amount on the side for which to play along with the accompanying trophy. A verdict will be provided shortly.
Last Hand of the Level; Break Time
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Eric Bunch raised to 700,000 on the button, and Spencer Champlin called.
Both players checked the 
flop, and Bunch bet 600,000 on the 
turn. Champlin folded.
The two players are off on a fifteen-minute break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
20,595,000 | 295,000 |
|
10,455,000 | -295,000 |
Bunch Makes a Straight To Flip-Flop Stacks
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Eric Bunch opened to 700,000 from the small blind and was three-bet by Spencer Champlin to 2.4 million out of the big blind. Bunch announced a call.
The flop came 
and both players checked. The turn 
saw two more checks to bring the river 
. Champlin checked a third time and Bunch announced a bet of 5 million. Champlin thought for a few moments and decided to call.
Bunch tabled 
for a turned straight and took down the pot, resulting in stacks more or less being flip-flopped as he now finds himself having regained the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,300,000 | 7,500,000 |
|
|
10,750,000 | -7,500,000 |
Champlin Check-Jams on Bunch
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Eric Bunch raised to 700,000 from the button, and Spencer Champlin called.
Both players checked the 
flop, and Champlin checked again on the 
turn. Bunch bet 800,000 and Champlin called.
Champlin checked again on the 
river, and Bunch bet 2 million. Champlin tanked for a minute before check-raising all in for around 11 million. Bunch, who barely had Champlin covered, folded after a few moments.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
18,250,000 | 2,760,000 |
|
|
12,800,000 | -2,760,000 |
Stacks Nearly Even
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Eric Bunch raised to 700,000 in the small blind and Spencer Champlin defended. The flop came 
and both players checked.
The turn fell 
and both players checked again, bringing the river 
. Champlin bet 550,000 and Bunch called.
Champlin tabled 
for bottom two pair with no kicker but it was good for the pot as Bunch sent his cards to the muck. Champlin has been plugging away over the last few minutes, winning a few small pots prior and has now appeared to have reduced the deficit to make stacks nearly even as the match continues.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
15,560,000 | -4,940,000 |
|
|
15,490,000 | 4,940,000 |
Bunch Cracks Twenty Million
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Eric Bunch raised to 700,000 from the button, and Spencer Champlin called.
Champlin checked the 
flop, and Bunch bet 600,000. Champlin called.
The turn was checked again by Champlin, and Bunch fired 1.5 million. Champlin folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,500,000 | 1,000,000 |
|
|
10,550,000 | -1,000,000 |
A Small One for Bunch
Level 31
: 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante
Spencer Champlin opened to 700,000 from the small blind and Eric Bunch defended his big blind. The flop came 
. Bunch checked to Champlin, who announced a continuation-bet of 650,000. Bunch called.
Both players checked through the turn 
and river 
to take the hand to showdown.
Bunch tabled 
for a pair of queens and took down the pot as Champlin mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
19,500,000 | 450,000 |
|
|
11,550,000 | -450,000 |