Southern Comfort 100 Proof National Championship Day 1 | 2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's New Orleans

05-22-2013 22:22 UTC-5

Jewell Done and Dusted

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Kurt Jewell has a reputation as an action player, and his chip counts often reflects that. He either wins big or loses big, and his five WSOP Circuit rings are evidence of that. Unfortunately for Jewell, he won't be adding a bracelet to that here in New Orleans.

In a recent hand Brock Parker opened for 2,200 only to have Jewell three-bet all in for 28,100. Parker thought long and hard before making the call, and he seemed pleased that he got it in good.

Jewell:
Parker:

He may have had the best hand, but Jewell was drawing to live cards. The gave Jewell some gutshot straights outs, but neither the turn nor river would help him.

"Good game, guys," Jewell said before making a beeline for the door.

Player	Chips	Progress
Brock Parker	72,000 24,000	24,000
Kurt Jewell	Busted

Tags: Brock Parker Kurt Jewell

05-22-2013 22:25 UTC-5

Mayfield Hits the Rail

[user101598]

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Kevin Eyster opened for a raise in the cutoff and then called a three-bet shove from Jason Mayfield who was sitting in the big blind.

Eyster:
Mayfield:

Eyster's hand held as the board rolled out , and Mayfield hit the rail. Eyster, who was the very last automatic qualifier, now sits with 52,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kevin Eyster	52,000 22,000	22,000

Jason Mayfield	Busted

Tags: Kevin Eyster Jason Mayfield

05-22-2013 22:27 UTC-5

Big Daddy Spanks O'Brien

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Action folded to Dan O'Brien on the button and he moved all in for 17,000. At-large qualifier Joshua Pender then called from the small blind and the big folded.

O'Brien:
Pender:

O'Brien was looking for some help, maybe an ace or clubs, but he would come up empty handed when the board ran out .

Minute later, Jason Koon would double his 11,600 stack when his held up against Pender's on a board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joshua Pender	63,000 21,000	21,000
Jason Koon	25,000 13,400	13,400

Dan O'Brien	Busted

Tags: Joshua Pender Jason Koon Dan O'Brien

05-22-2013 22:28 UTC-5

Reslock Out

[user101598]

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

According to a member of the WSOP staff, Chris Reslock was all in and risk with on a flop that included a . Chris Parsons had him at risk with , and rivered a pair of fours, eliminating Reslock.

The seven-time ring winner hit the rail, while Parsons now has 145,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Parsons	145,000 15,000	15,000
Chris Reslock	Busted

Tags: Chris Parsons Chris Reslock

05-22-2013 22:43 UTC-5

MacKinnon Wins a Flip

[user101598]

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Jeremy Ausmus opened to 2,000 from under the gun, Josh Palmer called in the cutoff, and DJ MacKinnon moved all in for 24,500 on the button. Ausmus quickly folded, and Palmer tanked for over 90 seconds before calling.

Palmer:
MacKinnon:

The flop didn't change much, but the turned, giving MacKinnon a leading pair of aces. The bricked on the river, and MacKinnon doubled to around 52,000 chips.

Palmer dropped down to 35,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
DJ MacKinnon	52,000 25,000	25,000
Josh Palmer	35,000 -25,000	-25,000

Tags: DJ MacKinnon Jeremy Ausmus Josh Palmer

05-22-2013 22:44 UTC-5

"Can't Seem to Get There These Days"

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

We're not sure of the action, but we do know Andy Frankenberger, who flew in from Vegas last night to put up the $10,000 buy-in, got his stack of around 27,000 all in preflop holding the and was at risk against the of Joe Kuether, who barely had him covered.

The flop was disaster for Frankenberger as it gave Kuether a set of cowboys, but he got a little help on the turn when the gave him a flush draw. All he needed was a non-three club on the river to stay alive, but it wasn't in the cards as the blanked.

"Can't seem to get there these days," Frankenberger said to no one in particular before taking his leave.

Meanwhile both Harveys Lake Tahoe Main Event champion Cary Marshall and Caesars Palace Las Vegas Main Event champion David Tuthill have been eliminated.

Tags: Andy Frankenberger

05-22-2013 22:45 UTC-5

Four More Hands

[user101598]

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

The remaining players will play four more hands then bag and tag for the evening.

05-22-2013 22:57 UTC-5

Official End-of-Day Counts (full)

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Valentin Vornicu	203,000 13,000	13,000
Brock Parker	133,900 61,900	61,900
Chris Parsons	133,000 -12,000	-12,000
Jarod Ludemann	128,100 -1,900	-1,900
Andrew Robinson	117,900
Jeff Gross	117,000 12,000	12,000

Ari Engel	113,800 18,800	18,800

Blake Barousse	111,000
Jeremy Ausmus	109,200 -25,800	-25,800

Joe Tehan	107,600 17,600	17,600

Nicolas Vaca-Rondon	97,200 17,200	17,200
Wade Woelfel	95,800
Jim Willerson	91,100

Kyle Julius	87,500 -5,500	-5,500

Luke Graham	85,100 -4,900	-4,900
Jonathan Hilton	85,000
Rex Clinkscales	80,200 40,200	40,200
Steve Hesse	78,500 37,500	37,500
Kevin Eyster	75,400 23,400	23,400

Brent Hanks	74,000 4,000	4,000

Josh Reichard	73,100 1,100	1,100
Dominik Nitsche	72,000 -8,000	-8,000

Robert Panitch	71,400 11,400	11,400
Nathan Bjerno	69,500 28,500	28,500
Max Steinberg	69,300

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05-22-2013 23:06 UTC-5

Vornicu Pulls Out to Big Chip Lead as 62 Players Advance to Day 2

Chad Holloway

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 100 ante

The World Series of Poker Southern Comfort 100 Proof National Championship kicked off on Wednesday as 126 players took to the felt at Harrah’s New Orleans for their shot at the first WSOP bracelet to ever be awarded on American soil outside of Las Vegas. After nine one-hour levels of play, just 62 survived with Harrah’s Rincon Casino Champion Valentin Vornicu and his stack of 203,200 leading the way.

Vornicu steadily built his stack throughout the day and added to it late at night when he eliminated WSOP bracelet winner Nick Jivkov. It happened in Level 9 (500/1,000/100) when Vornicu led out for 3,500 on a flop of and Jivkov raised to 8,600. Vornicu then moved all in and Jivkov tank-called off for 35,000 or so holding the . Much to his dismay Vornicu rolled over the . The turned, giving Jivkov a flush draw, but the completed the board, giving Jivkov quads. With that, Vornicu extended his chip lead and never looked back.

Remember, there were only three ways to get a seat into the prestigious tournament—1. Either win a WSOP Circuit Main Event or Casino Championship; 2. Earn enough points to finish in the top 60 on the National Leaderboard; or 3. Be amongst the top 100 on the WSOP Player of the Year List and buy in for $10,000. Day 1 was comprised of all the Main Event and Casino Champion winners, 62 at-large qualifiers and 26 players who forked over $10,000 to buy in. Registration is open up to the start of Day 2, so the last number will certainly change.

The day started off slow and it took three levels before the first elimination to occurred. It happened when Brandon Fish, the Harrah’s Atlantic City Casino Champion, three-bet jammed with the only to be called by Ping Liu, who had opened with the . Liu’s hand held and Fish became the first casualty, though he was soon followed out the door by River Rock Main Event champ John Crncic and at-large qualifiers Charles “Woody” Moore and Michael Jukich.

One of the most feared players in the world, Vanessa Selbst’s National Championship experience came to an end at the tail end of Level 4 (100/200/25). With 3,000 in the pot and a flop of , at-large qualifier Josh Reichard checked and Selbst bet 1,500. Reichard woke up with a check-raise to 3,500 and then moved all in after Selbst had three-bet to 6,000. Selbst called off for approximately 15,000 holding , but it was no good as Reichard had flopped a set with the .

Selbst was up out of her seat even before the dealer turned the . When the completed the board on the river, giving Reichard quad fours for the second time in the National Championship, Selbst gathered her things, wished her opponents luck and then exited the Harrah's New Orleans theater.

Many more would join Selbst on the rail as the day progress including five-time ring winner and IP Biloxi champ Kyle Cartwright; at-large qualifier Aaron Massey; Horseshoe Hammond Casino Champion Mike Leah; two-time bracelet winner Eric Froehlich; six-time ring winner Alex Masek; and all-time WSOP Circuit ring leader Chris Reslock.

While many fell plenty of notables managed to punch their ticket to Day 2 including at-large qualifier Jarod Ludemann (128,100), “Professional Best Friend” Jeff Gross (117,100), National Points leader Ari Engel (113,800), October Niner Jeremy Ausmus (109,200), Harrah’s Philadelphia Main Event Champion Rex Clinkscales (80,200), WSOP bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche (72,000), 2012 WSOP Main Event runner-up Jessie Sylvia (57,600), three-time ring winner Nancy Birnbaum (37,200) and last year’s National Championship sixth-place finisher David “ODB” Baker (19,900), just to name a few.

Day 2 will kick off at Noon CST as the remaining field looks to play down to the final table of eight. Once registration is closed at the start of play, the prize pool and payout information will be released. Be sure to check back then for that information as well as all the action from the Southern Comfort 100 Proof National Championship!

Tags: Valentin Vornicu

Southern Comfort 100 Proof National Championship

Day 1 Completed