Main event
Day 2 Completed
2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Philadelphia
Main event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Event - Harrah's Philadelphia
Buy-in
$1,675
Prize Pool
$526,500
Entries
351
Level
32
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Assante Leads Final 14; Silberstein & Clinkscales Return For Deep Runs
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
On Sunday, 192 players returned to the felt for the Harrah's Philadelphia Main Event on the World Series of Poker Circuit presented by Southern Comfort 100 Proof. Over the course of a grueling twelve-hour day of poker, the field was whittled down to the final fourteen. After bagging up for the evening, it was Michael Assante who led the remaining players with a stack of 1.149 million.
Assante burst into the chip lead during a late-day confrontation with Jonas Wexler where Assante made an excellent call with pocket tens. Hot on Assante's heels will be Mike Jukich, who bagged up 1.05 million to end Day 2. Rounding out the top three was Matthew Weber with a stack of 919,000.
Day 2 began with 174 returning players and 18 new entrants hitting the felt with the dream of grabbing the WSOP Circuit title, the seat to the National Championship, the shiny gold ring, and the $121,095 in first-place prize money. As play wore on, however, players began dropping like flies. The likes of Ari Engel, Allen Kessler, Robert Cheung, Michael Esposito, Sean Rice, Doug "Rico" Carli, Scott Baumstein and DJ MacKinnon all fell before the field reached the money.
While those players were unable to seize the moment, it was Jukich who grabbed the field by the throat and did not relent. Jukich won a massive pot fairly early in the day to secure his spot above the field. From there, it was a relative upward trend until the final few tables were reached. When Jukich's stack began to fall behind the rest of the field, he made a late surge that included eliminating Ido Ashkenazi and Larry Pileggi.
Also making a big splash during Day 2 play was Wexler. Wexler entered the day as a top 10 stack, and that was a status that he rarely relinquished. His shining moment, however, came just before the final three tables were reached at the 3,000/6,000/1,000 level. It all began when Matt Glantz opened with a preflop raise that was flat-called by Tom Christopher from the cutoff. Wexler three-bet to 43,000 from the small blind, and Glantz announced a four-bet ship all in for roughly 180,000. Christopher snap-called the four-bet, and Wexler came right back over the top and put Christopher all in. He called for his tournament life, and the three hands were tabled.
Wexler: 
Christopher: 
Glantz: 
The flop was relatively tame as it fell 
, but it wouldn't be a critical all-in situation without a sweat. Knowing this, the 
hit fourth street and suddenly Christopher was drawing live to a spade flush. It did not pan out, though, as the 
completed the board and Wexler scooped up a giant pot. This brought his stack up to 1.37 million, but by the end of the night he bagged up 590,000.
One of the more interesting stories surrounding the final day of play is that of redemption. Both Ken Silberstein and Rex Clinkscales are still alive in the field, and have both now made back-to-back deep runs in this very event. Back in 2012, Silberstein finished runner-up in this event to Christopher Bonn (who also made Day 2 this year, but fell before the money bubble burst). This year, Silberstein finds himself in eighth place overall heading into the final day of play with the chance to improve on his second-place finish last year. Clinkscales, on the other hand, finished 10th place one year ago and is looking to best his final-table-bubble-boy finish and possibly secure his first WSOP Circuit ring. He'll have his work cut out for him on Day 3, though, as he is one of the field's shorter stacks with 262,000 in chips.
WSOP Circuit Harrah's Philadelphia Final 14
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Assante | 1,149,000 |
| 2 | Mike Jukich | 1,050,000 |
| 3 | Matthew Weber | 919,000 |
| 4 | Tony Natale | 598,000 |
| 5 | Jonas Wexler | 590,000 |
| 6 | Andrew Rudnik | 493,000 |
| 7 | Leonardo Palermo | 356,000 |
| 8 | Ken Silberstein | 349,000 |
| 9 | Beverly Cheney | 287,000 |
| 10 | Dave Moersdorf | 286,000 |
| 11 | George Zinaty | 264,000 |
| 12 | Patrick Friday | 263,000 |
| 13 | Rex Clinkscales | 262,000 |
| 14 | Kris Bradshaw | 164,000 |
Play will resume on Monday in the Harrah's Room at Harrah's Philadelphia at 2 p.m. EST. Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as we wind down to a champion in the exciting conclusion of this event!
End-of-Day Chip Counts
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,149,000 | 164,000 |
|
1,050,000 | 460,000 |
|
|
919,000 | 9,000 |
|
|
598,000 | -2,000 |
|
590,000 | |
|
493,000 | 78,000 |
|
356,000 | -144,000 |
|
349,000 | 4,000 |
|
287,000 | 7,000 |
|
|
286,000 | 6,000 |
|
264,000 | 144,000 |
|
263,000 | -12,000 |
|
262,000 | 162,000 |
|
164,000 | -26,000 |
Play Concludes; 14 Remain
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Play has officially concluded for the night. Stay tuned for full counts and a recap of today's massive day of play.
Noam Fliegelman Eliminated in 15th Place ($7,555)
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Patrick Friday opened with an early position raise and it folded around to Noam Fliegelman who shipped his short stack all in over the top. Ken Silberstein four-bet all in from the blind and Friday made a reluctant fold.
Silberstein: 
Fliegelman: 
The two were racing for Fliegelman's life going to the flop. The dealer fanned 
and Silberstein retained his lead. The 
turned and Fliegelman needed to pair on the river to stay alive. The river, however, was the 
and Fliegelman was eliminated from play in 15th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
345,000 | 75,000 |
|
Busted |
James Sloat Eliminated in 16th Place ($6,281)
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
We caught up to find James Sloat all in and at risk with before the flop. Sloat, however, was crushed by Tony Natal's 
.
Natal seized a death grip on the hand on the 
flop and never looked back as the turned and the 
rivered. Sloat was sent home in 16th place and will collect $6,281 in prize money.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
600,000 | 155,000 |
|
Busted |
Cheney Doubles Through Palermo
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Leonardo Palermo opened with a raise from the button and Beverly Cheney shipped all in over the top from the big blind. Palermo called and the two were racing for Cheney's life.
Cheney: 
Palermo: 
A run out of 
ensured a double for Cheney to around 280,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
500,000 | -130,000 |
|
|
280,000 | 150,000 |
John Renzi Eliminated in 17th Place ($6,281)
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
John Renzi opened to 23,000 and Jonas Wexler called from the small blind. Leonardo Palermo shipped all in over the top from the big blind and Renzi called for his tournament life (roughly 270,000). Wexler folded and the hands were shown.
Renzi: 
Palermo: 
The board fell 
and Palermo was able to send Renzi out in 17th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
630,000 | 215,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Assante Makes Great Call; Doubles Huge Through Wexler
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
The board read 
and there was roughly 100,000 already in the middle. Michael Assante fired 60,000 into the middle and Jonas Wexler announced that he was all in. This was a bet for Assante's life.
Assante took a moment, took what looked to be a deep breath, and announced a call. Wexler quickly showed 
for merely a flush draw and Assante made the correct read- tabling his . He still needed to dodge a heart on the river and he did exactly that as the 
fell and he was able to double huge up to about 985,000. Wexler, the one time massive chip lead, has now fallen to about 590,000 in chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
985,000 | 375,000 |
|
|
590,000 | -480,000 |
Final Two Tables
Level 21
: 4,000/8,000, 1,000 ante
Table 1
| Seat | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | John Renzi |
| 2 | George Zinaty |
| 3 | Michael Assante |
| 4 | Jonas Wexler |
| 5 | Leonardo Palermo |
| 6 | Rex Clinkscales |
| 7 | Beverly Cheney |
| 8 | Matthew Weber |
| 9 | Mike Jukich |
Table 2
| Seat | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | -empty- |
| 2 | Tony Natal |
| 3 | James Sloat |
| 4 | Andrew Rudnik |
| 5 | Noam Fliegelman |
| 6 | Dave Moersdorf |
| 7 | Ken Silberstein |
| 8 | Kris Bradshaw |
| 9 | Patrick Friday |