Level: 15
Blinds: 2,500/5,000
Ante: 5,000
2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series
$1,500 Main Event
Day: 1a
Nixon Binks the River For an Unlikely Double
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Rudy Nixon had his last 168,000 in preflop from middle position, and Brian Carrubba, who already had 50,000 invested, made the call, asking, "You got aces?"
Rudy Nixon: 
Brian Carrubba: 
Nixon's queens were in bad shape against the kings of his opponent, and a 
flop and 
turn offered no help to Nixon. The 
river caused Carrubba to slump in his seat, before sending a big chunk of his stack across to Nixon.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000 | 350,000 |
|
200,000 | -116,000 |
Carroll Gets Lucky To Send One Home
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Jim Carroll was overheard talking about how he got lucky as the dealer was counting chips. His winning hand of 
was tabled on a board of 
, as was the soon-to-be eliminated player's losing bust-out hand of 
.
When all was said and done, Carroll had made jacks and sixes to his opponent's ace-king kicker to go along with the board's pair of jacks. The player whose hand was second best was wished a good game from a few players at the table and he got up from his seat and exited the tournament area.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
92,000 | 32,000 |
Carrubba Scores Knockout and Some
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Daniel Lu opened to 12,000 from middle position and was called by the hijack. Brian Carrubba was on the button and also called, as did the big blind to take action four ways postflop.
The flop came 
and the big blind checked to Lu, who made a continuation-bet of 30,000. The hijack called, putting action on Carrubba. He thought for a bit and put out a raise to 66,000. The big blind called all in for 44,500 and both Lu and the hijack folded, causing Carrubba to get a rebate from his raise before the cards were turned up.
Brian Carrubba: 
Big Blind:
Carrubba had flopped top two pair and was in pole position to earn the knockout as long as he could fade a queen or a running pair to cause some form of counterfeit. The turn meant another five would bring a chop, but the river 
was clean to give Carrubba a full house en route to earning the pot and the knockout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
454,000 | -104,000 |
|
|
316,000 | 136,000 |
Hudson Check-Jams
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
A player raised to 10,000 from the cutoff, and Kami Hudson made the call in the big blind.
Hudson checked the 
flop over to her opponent, who bet 13,000. Hudson quickly check-raised all in for her last 48,000, and her opponent instantly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
86,000 | 22,000 |
A Round of Chip Counts
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
558,000 | 16,000 |
|
356,000 | 176,000 |
|
227,500 | 19,500 |
|
177,000 | -3,000 |
|
169,500 | -37,500 |
|
147,000 | -16,000 |
|
115,000 | 43,000 |
|
103,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
100,000 | -20,000 |
|
|
93,000 | -2,300 |
|
|
78,500 | -37,500 |
|
|
64,000 | -12,000 |
|
38,000 | -65,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Mercetic's Big Slick Does the Trick Against Ho
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Maria Ho raised to 9,000 from the cutoff, and was met with a three-bet to 22,000 from Nikola Mercetic in the small blind. Ho called.
Mercetic bet 15,500 on the 
flop, and Ho made the call.
The turn and 
river were checked through, and Mercetic tabled . Ho mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
190,000 | -8,000 |
|
|
160,000 |
Willerson Holds To Double
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Jim Willerson opened to 11,000 from middle position and was three-bet to 27,000 by the player on the button. He shoved over the top for a total of 39,500 and his opponent put another 12,500 to make the call.
Jim Willerson:
Opponent: 
Willerson was in prime position to earn a double and saw a clean runout of 
to hold and secure said double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
89,000 |
More For Webster
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
A player raised to 13,000 in middle position, and was called by Simon Webster in the hijack, as well as the button.
Action checked to the button on a flop, and he bet 18,000. The middle position player folded, but Webster tanked for a minute before sliding in a column of 5k chips, raising to 100,000 and enough to put the button in for his last 70,000. The button thought for just a moment before flicking his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
275,000 | 35,000 |
Carroll Check-Shoves on Ho
Level 14
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Maria Ho opened to 8,000 from the hijack and action folded around to Jim Caroll, who defended his big blind. The flop came 
and Caroll checked to Ho, who made a continuation-bet of 8,000.
Carroll pushed his entire stack forward, check-raising all in for 44,000. Ho asked for a count and then proceeded to fold, resulting in the pot being sent Carroll's way.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
198,000 | 58,000 |
|
|
74,000 | 19,000 |