2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series

$1,500 Main Event
Day: 1c
Event Info

2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series

Final Results
Winner
Eric Bunch
Prize
$260,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,500
Prize Pool
$1,763,640
Entries
1,242
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Players Info - Day 1c
Entries
537
Players Left
65

Welcome to Day 1c of the 2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series Main Event!

WinStar World Casino
WinStar World Casino

Day 1c of the 2019 WinStar River Poker Series $1,500 Main Event, the final starting flight for the $1,500,000 Guaranteed tournament, is set to begin today at Noon. Yesterday's Day 1b flight saw 412 entrants join the 293 entrants from Day 1a in hopes of advancing to Day 2, and Quan Donot Nguyen went on a heater late in the day to bag 619,000 in chips to earn the Day 1b chip lead, just behind Day 1a chip leader Daniel Lu and his 658,000 chips. Only two other players managed to crest the half-million chip threshold yesterday; James Mordue with 566,000, and Mason Vieth with 504,000.

With today marking the last chance for players to earn their way to Day 2, a massive field is set to descend upon the WinStar World Casino and Resort to try and earn a bag. Players who failed to find a bag yesterday, such as Will Berry, Justin Sharpe, and Day 1b bubble boy [Removed:341], are expected to return, along with anyone else looking to take one last crack at a six-figure payday.

All players that make it through today's Day 1c flight will combine with the 86 players from the first two flights on Monday, September 1st at Noon to play either ten one-hour levels, or down to the final table, whichever comes first. A winner will be crowned on Day 3, which takes place Tuesday, September 2nd.

Players will begin with 25,000 in starting chips, and the blinds will kick off at 100/100. On the three Day 1 flights, action will consist of 40-minute levels until the field has been reduced down to 12%. There will be a fifteen-minute break every three levels, and a 45-minute dinner break is scheduled after the completion of Level 9. Players may re-enter as many times as they wish until the end of registration after the dinner break. Play is scheduled to conclude today once the field is reduced down to 12%.

Stay tuned right here to the PokerNews Live Reporting blog as we follow all the action from Day 1c all the way down to a winner here at the WinStar Labor Day River Series Main Event!

Tags: Daniel LuJames MordueJustin SharpeMason ViethQuan Donot NguyenWill Berry

Lynch Takes it on the Turn

Level 1 : 100/100, 0 ante
Mstr Lynch
Mstr Lynch

Five players invested 400 preflop, and the {3-Hearts}{10-Hearts}{2-Spades} flop was checked over to Mstr Lynch in the cutoff, who bet 1,100. Only the big blind and button made the call.

The {j-Clubs} hit the turn, and the big blind checked. Lynch bet 2,800, and both the button and big blind quickly folded.

Player Chips Progress
Mstr Lynch us
Mstr Lynch
32,000
32,000
32,000

Tags: Mstr Lynch

Cho Weathers the Storm

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante
Joon Cho
Joon Cho

A player raised to 600 from middle position, and was called by the hijack, as well as Joon Cho in the small blind. The big blind three-bet to 2,600, and only the hijack and Cho called.

Cho checked the {6-Clubs}{7-Hearts}{q-Hearts} flop to the big blind, who bet 4,000. The hijack folded and Cho called.

The {5-Hearts} turn was checked again by Cho, and the big blind bet 8,700. Cho called again.

Cho checked for a third time on the {q-Clubs} river, and the big blind fired a final barrel of 9,000. Cho paused for a few moments before sliding in a call. The big blind tabled {a-Clubs}{7-Clubs} for queens-up, but Cho held {a-Spades}{q-Spades} for trip queens and the winner.

Player Chips Progress
Joon Cho us
Joon Cho
59,000
59,000
59,000

Tags: Joon Cho

Visher Bets Three Streets

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante
Barb Visher
Barb Visher

A player in early position opened to 600 and was called by Barb Visher in middle position. Action folded around to the big blind, who defended and the flop came {8-Spades}{a-Spades}{3-Hearts}. Action checked to Visher and she bet 1,200. The big blind called and the early-position player folded.

Action was then heads up as the turn fell {3-Spades}. The big blind checked to Visher, who bet another 1,800 and was called.

The river was {5-Clubs}. The big blind checked once more and Visher threw out a third barrel for 2,400. Her opponent quickly sent his cards to the muck and she was awarded the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Barb Visher us
Barb Visher
30,500
5,500
5,500

Tags: Barb Visher

Poker Hall of Famer TJ Cloutier in the Mix

Level 4 : 200/300, 300 ante
TJ Cloutier
TJ Cloutier

A Poker Hall of Famer is in the field today, as 2006 Poker Hall of Fame inductee TJ Cloutier, who resides in Richardson, Texas, is out in the field, looking to add the 2019 WinStar Labor Day River Poker Series $1,500 Main Event title to his expansive list of career poker highlights.

Cloutier's poker accomplishments include six WSOP bracelets, two runner-up performances in the WSOP Main Event, and more than $10 million in lifetime tournament earnings, good for the number one spot in Texas's all-time tournament earnings list, and forty-fifth all time, according to Hendon Mob.

A recent hand with Cloutier saw a player open to 1,000 from the cutoff, and Cloutier called in the big blind. Action checked to the river of a {2-Spades}{8-Diamonds}{6-Hearts}{8-Spades}{j-Diamonds} board, where Cloutier checked again, and the cutoff bet 1,200. Cloutier showed his {a-Hearts}{10-Spades} to the table before tossing it in the muck, but Cloutier still sits above starting stack in the final flight of the Main Event.

Player Chips Progress
TJ Cloutier us
TJ Cloutier
27,600
2,600
2,600
WSOP 6X Winner
Poker Hall of Famer

Tags: TJ Cloutier

Monaghan Fires a Few Barrels

Level 5 : 200/400, 400 ante
Michael Monaghan
Michael Monaghan

Michael Monaghan raised to 1,000 from middle position, and was called by the player next to act, as well as the cutoff and the small blind.

The small blind checked a {6-Hearts}{10-Clubs}{8-Clubs} flop over to Monaghan, who bet 2,200. Only the cutoff called.

Monaghan announced a bet of 3,000 after the {q-Hearts} hit the turn, and the cutoff thought for a few moments before pushing his hand to the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Michael Monaghan us
Michael Monaghan
27,500
4,100
4,100

Tags: Michael Monaghan

Rust Rivers Lynch

Level 7 : 400/800, 800 ante
Mstr Lynch
Mstr Lynch

On a {5-Clubs}{q-Clubs}{6-Hearts} flop, Brandon Rust checked from the big blind, and Mstr Lynch bet 2,100 from the cutoff. Rust called.

Rust checked again on the {2-Diamonds} turn, and Lynch bet 6,500. Rust called again.

Both players checked the {j-Spades} river, and Lynch turned over {7-Hearts}{5-Hearts} for a pair of fives. Rust showed his {a-Clubs}{j-Clubs} for the nut flush draw that found a pair of jacks on the river, and he took down the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Mstr Lynch us
Mstr Lynch
120,000
58,200
58,200
Brandon Rust us
Brandon Rust
55,000
55,000
55,000

Tags: Brandon RustMstr Lynch

Williams Busts a Shorty After a Sweaty Board

Level 8 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Shomari Williams
Shomari Williams

Shomari Williams jammed from the small blind to put the big blind at risk for his last 6,000, and the big blind called it off.

Opponent: {6-Hearts}{4-Hearts}
Shomari Williams: {q-Clubs}{7-Spades}

Williams paired up on the {10-Spades}{q-Hearts}{k-Hearts} flop, but was left shaking his head, as his opponent had picked up a flush draw. The {4-Spades} turn added more outs to Williams' opponent, as now any six or four would do the trick. The {a-Clubs} river harmlessly plinked off on the river, and Williams took out his opponent.

Player Chips Progress
Shomari Williams us
Shomari Williams
29,100
8,700
8,700

Tags: Shomari Williams

Garg Surging Up the Counts

Level 9 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Lokesh Garg in Day 1b action
Lokesh Garg in Day 1b action

A player raised to 3,000 from the cutoff, and Lokesh Garg made the call in the small blind.

Garg checked the {q-Hearts}{6-Clubs}{3-Hearts} flop over to the cutoff, who bet 5,000. Garg asked to see his opponent's stack, then upon seeing the cutoff's remaining 25,000, Garg check-raised to 12,500. The cutoff folded, and Garg flashed the {q-Clubs} out of his hand before pulling in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Lokesh Garg us
Lokesh Garg
125,000
35,000
35,000

Tags: Lokesh Garg

Rodriguez Cracks Aces for the Knockout

Level 10 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Eluterio Rodriguez on Day 1b
Eluterio Rodriguez on Day 1b

A player shoved all in from the small blind for about 30,000 and Eluterio Rodriguez called in the big blind, covering the player just slightly.

Eluterio Rodriguez: {a-Spades}{10-Spades}
Small Blind: {a-Diamonds}{a-Hearts}

"Whoa!" said Rodriguez, seeing how far behind he was with his hand. The flop came {k-Clubs}{k-Spades}{2-Spades} and Rodriguez found himself in a better situation. He said as the dealer brought the turn {2-Clubs} that things would be good as long as he got one more spade.

The river {8-Spades} gave him exactly what he needed and he earned the pot and the knockout He was recently seen stacking even more chips and now looks to have around 108,000 in front of him.

Player Chips Progress
Eluterio Rodriguez us
Eluterio Rodriguez
108,000
52,300
52,300

Tags: Eluterio Rodriguez