2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi

$1,700 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi

Final Results
Winner
Richard Bai
Winning Hand
a4
Prize
$138,317
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,700
Entries
447
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
192
Players Left
31

Khalili Leads as 31 Advance From Day 1a of the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi Main Event

Level 16 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Sohale Khalili
Sohale Khalili

Day 1a of the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi $1,700 Main Event saw 192 entrants hit the felt, and just 31 of those players would make it through to Day 2 after just over fifteen levels of play. In the end, it was Sohale Khalili who bagged the biggest stack, taking 624,000 on to Day 2.

Khalili, from Los Angeles, California, already has three WSOPC rings to his name, and more than $570,000 in career WSOP earnings. In February, he finished second in the WSOPC Rio Las Vegas Main Event, taking home $169,497. He'll be looking to use his already impressive stack to try and finish one spot higher here at Potawatomi.

Hot on the trail of Khalili are Ravi Raghavan (481,000), Matthew Levin (382,000), Janae Magnuson (373,000), and Frank Cerminara (371,000). WSOP Bracelet winner Brett Apter (339,000), 2019 WSOP Main Event Final Tablist Kevin Maahs (155,000), and 12-time WSOPC ring winner Josh Reichard (132,000) are still in the hunt, while former WSOPC Potawatomi champs Michael Hudson (148,000) and Keven Stammen (90,000) also managed to find a bag.

Maurice Hawkins, who holds the all-time lead in WSOPC rings, had a healthy stack for a good portion of the day, but faltered late and was unable to advance. Aaron Massey, Aaron Johnson, and Jerod Smith were some of the other notables that found themselves out the door during today's flight, but they have one more flight in which to secure a bag.

Saturday's Day 1b flight kicks off at 11:00 a.m. local time, and any players who were unable to find a bag, along with any newcomers, will have one final shot to advance to Day 2. Players will start with 30,000 in chips and play through to the same time that the previous flight ended.

Be sure to keep it tuned to the PokerNews Live Reporting blog to follow all the action here in Milwaukee, as we come one step closer to crowning the latest WSOPC Main Event champion!

Tags: Aaron JohnsonAaron MasseyBrett ApterFrank CerminaraJanae MagnusonJerod SmithJosh ReichardKeven StammenKevin MaahsMaurice HawkinsMichael HudsonRavi RaghavanSohale Khalili

Shin Last to Fall on Day 1a

Level 16 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Mike Shin
Mike Shin

Mike Shin jammed for 29,000 on the button, and Kou Vang called in the small blind.

Mike Shin: {a-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds}
Kou Vang: {a-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}

"Chop it up," Vang said with a smile.

Vang instead pulled far ahead on the {8-Hearts}{5-Hearts}{6-Spades} flop, and the {2-Diamonds} turn and {j-Hearts} river failed to improve Shin, leaving him out the door as the last elimination of the evening.

Stay tuned for a full list of chip counts, as well as a full recap of the day's action shortly.

Player Chips Progress
Mike Shin us
Mike Shin
Busted

Tags: Kou VangMike Shin

Reichard Wins With a River Bet

Level 15 : 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Josh Reichard
Josh Reichard

12-time WSOPC ring winner Josh Reichard raised to 7,000 from the hijack, and was called by the big blind.

Both players checked the {7-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds}{2-Spades} flop, and the big blind bet 8,000 on the {k-Hearts} turn. Reichard called.

The big blind checked the {a-Clubs} river, and Reichard cut out a bet of 22,500 and placed it in the pot. The big blind didn't take long to fold.

Player Chips Progress
Josh Reichard us
Josh Reichard
270,000 60,000

Tags: Josh Reichard

Wazwaz Ends Herstein's Day

Level 13 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Gary Herstein
Gary Herstein

Gary Herstein jammed for 16,500 from the cutoff, and Rob Wazwaz three-bet to 31,000 in the small blind, chasing out Frank Cerminara in the big blind.

Gary Herstein: {8-Diamonds}{7-Diamonds}
Rob Wazwaz: {a-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds}

Both players found a pair on the {a-Spades}{7-Spades}{j-Spades} flop, but Wazwaz's pair of aces held on the {6-Hearts} turn and {2-Hearts} river.

"Good luck," Herstein said before he left the table, and Wazwaz nodded and said, "I'm sure we'll see ya on Sunday, Gar," referencing tomorrow's remaining Day 1b flight that Herstein is expected to fire.

Player Chips Progress
Rob Wazwaz us
Rob Wazwaz
WSOP 1X Winner
180,000 22,000
Gary Herstein us
Gary Herstein
Busted

Tags: Frank CerminaraGary HersteinRob Wazwaz

Vang Takes Two

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Kou Vang
Kou Vang

Kou Vang, who recently joined a tough table that includes Jerod Smith, Jeremy Brown, Jacob Rich and Matt Shepsky, among others, raised to 3,500 from under the gun, and Artem Zverhovskyy made the call in the hijack.

Vang bet 8,500 on the {10-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}{8-Spades} flop, and Zverhovskyy folded.

The very next hand, a player raised to 5,000 from under the gun, and Vang three-bet to 14,000 in the big blind. His opponent thought for a few moments, then released his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Jacob Rich us
Jacob Rich
225,000 5,000
Kou Vang us
Kou Vang
130,000 56,000
Mike Shin us
Mike Shin
81,100 35,100
Jerod Smith us
Jerod Smith
48,400 8,400
Jeremy Brown us
Jeremy Brown
47,000 -6,000
Matt Shepsky us
Matt Shepsky
34,000 -2,800
Artem Zverhovskyy us
Artem Zverhovskyy
30,500 -52,500

Tags: Jacob RichJeremy BrownJerod SmithKou VangMatt Shepsky

Baime Rips on Stammen

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Ken Baime
Ken Baime

Ken Baime raised to 4,000 on the button, and the small blind three-bet to 13,200. Keven Stammen four-bet to 30,000 in the big blind, sending Baime into the tank.

Baime eventually settled on a five-bet shove for 160,000, and the small blind quickly folded. Stammen paused for just a moment, then tossed his hand away as well.

Player Chips Progress
Keven Stammen us
Keven Stammen
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
230,000 -35,000
Ken Baime us
Ken Baime
215,000 60,000

Tags: Keven StammenKen Baime

Kings Stick With Raghavan

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Ravi Raghavan
Ravi Raghavan

A player raised to 2,700 from middle position, and Ravi Raghavan three-bet to 10,300 in the small blind. The middle position player quickly called.

Raghavan bet 6,000 on the {k-Diamonds}{j-Spades}{5-Clubs} flop, and the middle position player called.

On the {10-Spades} turn, Raghavan checked, and the middle position player bet 15,000. Raghavan called.

Both players checked the {7-Clubs} river, and Raghavan tabled {k-Spades}{k-Hearts} for a set of kings. The middle position player said, "Nice hand," then mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Ravi Raghavan us
Ravi Raghavan
WPT 1X Winner
180,000 70,000

Tags: Ravi Raghavan

Hawkins Soars Into the Chip Lead

Level 11 : 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Maurice Hawkins
Maurice Hawkins

Maurice Hawkins, who has seen his stack grow at a blistering clip since the dinner break, raised to 3,200 from middle position, and Larry Wagner three-bet shoved for 10,500 from the big blind. Hawkins called.

Larry Wagner: {q-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}
Maurice Hawkins: {q-Clubs}{10-Clubs}

The {9-Spades}{a-Clubs}{j-Clubs} flop gave Hawkins a Royal Flush draw and left Wagner looking for a non-club three to survive. He found one on the {3-Hearts} turn, but Hawkins snatched the lead right back on the {k-Hearts} river, giving him Broadway and the knockout. Hawkins now commands a quarter-million chip stack, while one-time chip leader and tablemate John Simon now sits with just over starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Maurice Hawkins us
Maurice Hawkins
250,000 179,000
John Simon us
John Simon
32,500 -222,500
Larry Wagner us
Larry Wagner
Busted

Tags: John SimonLarry WagnerMaurice Hawkins

Wazwaz Gets a Triple

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Steve Wazwaz
Steve Wazwaz

Steve Wazwaz jammed for 7,600 from under the gun, and was called by Ken Baime in the hijack, as well as the big blind.

Action checked through a {j-Spades}{k-Diamonds}{3-Clubs}{10-Hearts}{2-Clubs} board, and Wazwaz tabled {q-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds} and said, "Where was the ace?"

"It's good," Baime told Wazwaz as he turned over {7-Diamonds}{7-Clubs}, and after the big blind showed his {a-Spades}{5-Hearts}, Wazwaz pulled in the triple-up.

Player Chips Progress
Ken Baime us
Ken Baime
110,000 56,000
Steve Wazwaz us
Steve Wazwaz
25,000 9,400

Tags: Ken BaimeSteve Wazwaz

Shanahan Nearly Triples Up

Level 10 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan

Peter Alba ripped his last 10,400 in from middle position, and Frank Cerminara called next to act. Mike Shanahan made the call in the small blind, leaving himself just 1,200 behind.

Shanahan committed those last 1,200 chips after the {10-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{5-Hearts} flop, and Cerminara called.

Peter Alba: {a-Clubs}{q-Hearts}
Frank Cerminara: {a-Spades}{k-Hearts}
Mike Shanahan: {7-Clubs}{5-Clubs}

Shanahan's pair of fives was ahead, and he held on the {j-Diamonds} turn and {10-Hearts} river to eliminate Alba and essentially triple up.

Player Chips Progress
Frank Cerminara us
Frank Cerminara
120,000 -20,000
Mike Shanahan us
Mike Shanahan
33,000
Peter Alba us
Peter Alba
Busted

Tags: Frank CerminaraMike ShanahanPeter Alba