"Four-and-a-half hours ago I was in Borgata," Will Failla told us when we asked why he wasn't in the Day 1a field. "We raced up here for this."
Now that "The Thrill" is here, you can bet some entertainment will follow.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
18,000 | |
|
||
The overall ambience here for the second Day 1 flight is a tad more subdued when compared to the earlier Day 1a.
Especially now that the exciting first NCAA semifinal game between Wichita State and Louisville has come to a conclusion, the room is much quieter than before. Today's college basketball games are being shown on a half-dozen television screens, and while there were some shouts as the Cardinals clinched their spot in Monday's finals, most are focused on the action at the tables.
Not too long after sending that short-stacked opponent to the showers, Chris Tryba has unfortunately followed suit by getting knocked out himself here in Level 6.
Tryba follows Tim Reilly to the rail as another player who didn't make in through either of the two flights today.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Here are some counts from around the room. As you can see, it's a mix of players from the first flight and some players entering for the first time (i.e. Ronnie Bardah, Bernard Lee and Ylon Schwartz).
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
63,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
|
60,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
40,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
35,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
33,000
33,000
|
33,000 |
|
|
30,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
29,000
29,000
|
29,000 |
|
28,000 | |
|
20,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
|
18,500
18,500
|
18,500 |
|
14,500
14,500
|
14,500 |
|
|
||
|
12,500
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
8,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
After busting in the first flight, Chris Tryba has opted to fire a second bullet. It wasn't looking good for him as he was down to 9,300, but he just won a nice hand to chip up to 16,000.
It happened when he opened for 400 only to have the player to his direct left three-bet to 1,800. Action folded back around to Tryba and he moved all in. The three-bettor quickly called off for 6,625 with the 
, and he was racing against the 
of Tryba.
The 
flop kept Tryba firmly in the lead, as did the 
turn. Tryba just needed to dodge an ace and jack on the river, which is exactly what he did as the harmless 
peeled off. "Hit the showers," Tryba told his crestfallen opponent before pulling in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
16,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
||
Level: 6b
Blinds: 150/300
Ante: 25
Ylon Schwartz is one of those who skipped Day 1a to play the evening session. He's built up a healthy stack during the first three-and-a-half levels of Day 1b, and just now was getting involved again by open-raising from the button.
Schwartz's opponent in the big blind reraised to 1,500, Schwartz called the three-bet, and the pair watched the flop come monotone — 
.
The big blind fired a bet of 2,200, and Schwartz came back with a raise to 5,200 which his opponent called. The turn then brought the , putting a fourth club on the board, and both players checked this time.
The river was yet another club, the 
. Schwartz's opponent bet 5,000, and after a bit of chip-riffling Schwartz called. The big blind turned over 
— he'd flopped aces, but now was playing the flush on board.
Schwartz then revolved his cards around in the air, showing in brief flashes his 
. He'd flopped a set, but was also now playing the board even though it appeared he might be about to toss his cards as though to muck.
"Chop," said Schwartz's opponent, and Schwartz stopped revolving the cards and set his hand forward face up. The two shared a fist bump before splitting the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
43,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
|
||
We now move over to the other side of the room where Day 1b is going strong. The board is showing 217 players have bought in for this second flight, a group which also includes several who busted Day 1a.
Victor Ramdin was one of those who bought in twice today, but alas for Ramdin he's already busted a second time. Meanwhile Aaron Massey — winner of Event #8 last night — finds himself down to less his starting stack as we begin Level 4.
"But I can go three times, right?" asked Massey of the table as we moved past.
Massey was referring to the fact that yes, indeed, should he bust again here in Day 1b, he still has an option to re-enter once more prior to the start of tomorrow's Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,500
6,500
|
6,500 |
|
Busted |
Level: 5b
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
Day 1a is in the books here at Foxwoods, and by our counts Eric Rando of East Providence, Rhode Island leads the 123 surviving players with 143,100. We didn't catch Rando's big hand, but according to Andy Frankenberger, he got it when his 
overcame 
and in a three-way all-in situation.
Not far behind is Erek Gaines, who would have finished with the chip lead if not for a bad last level. In one hand, Gaines and Andrew Higgins each put in 8,500 preflop and saw a flop of 
. Higgins moved all in for 51,500 and Gaines opted to throw away his hand, which he claimed was pocket jacks. Higgins showed the 
. Despite losing that hand, Gaines still finished the night with a heatlhy 133,600.
Others who punched their ticket to Day 2 in the first starting flight were Greg Raymer (89,500), Allen Kessler (72,300), Nancy Birnbaum (109,500), John Dibella (30,400) and the aforementioned Frankenberger (94,000).
The action is far from over here at Foxwoods as the Day 1b flight is still taking place. We pick up the action in Level 5. In the meantime, here are some notable counts from Day 1a:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
143,100
143,100
|
143,100 |
|
|
133,600
40,400
|
40,400 |
|
|
124,900
124,900
|
124,900 |
|
109,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
109,200
109,200
|
109,200 |
|
|
107,100
107,100
|
107,100 |
|
94,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
||
|
|
89,900
89,900
|
89,900 |
|
89,500
41,500
|
41,500 |
|
||
|
86,800
41,800
|
41,800 |
|
85,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
81,700
33,700
|
33,700 |
|
|
||
|
72,300
2,300
|
2,300 |
|
69,700
69,700
|
69,700 |
|
68,700
12,300
|
12,300 |
|
57,300
35,800
|
35,800 |
|
44,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
|
35,600
11,600
|
11,600 |
|
|
35,500
35,500
|
35,500 |
|
34,300
27,500
|
27,500 |
|
30,400
400
|
400 |
|
||
|
27,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
|
19,500
27,500
|
27,500 |
|
|
||
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