$1,700 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi
$1,700 Main Event
Day: 1b
Bryant Leads as 39 Advance From Day 1b of the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi Main Event
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
The second of two opening flights of the 2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Potawatomi $1,700 Main Event drew 255 total entrants, with 39 surviving to come back for Day 2 action. The 31 survivors from Day 1a will combine with the 39 from today, giving us a combined field of 70 players returning tomorrow, with 68 slated to get paid.
At the end of today's play, it was Jill Bryant walking home with the chip lead, bagging 376,000. That is well behind the 624,000 chip stack that Day 1a chip leader Sohale Khalili managed to bag, but still represents a strong stack going into Day 2. Bryant surged into contention early, hovering near or at the chip lead all day long. She just barely clipped Quinterol Mallette (362,000) for the lead, while Michael Esquivel (335,000), Alex Ziskin (334,000), and Michael Perrone (324,000) all lurk just behind as the rest of the Top 5 from today's flight.
Other notables able to survive through to Sunday's Day 2 are James Pupillo (320,000), who closed out his night with quads and quotes, Cody Brinn (183,000), Travis Lauson (174,000), and Daniel Sepiol (128,000).
Of course, not everyone that entered today's flight was able to make their way through the field, and some of those unable to find a bag include Aaron and Ralph Massey, Aaron Johnson, Blake Battaglia, and Brett Reichard.
The 255 Day 1b entrants brought the total number of entries for the Main Event to 447, generating a total prize pool of $677,602. $138,317 will be awarded to the eventual winner, along with a seat in the 2020 WSOPC Global Championship. The tournament will pay 68 places, meaning just two players have to bust before players earn a min-cash of $2,533.
Play will resume at Level 16, with the blinds at 2000/4000 and a 4,000 big blind ante for 32:56, before levels convert to one-hour in length for the remainder of the tournament. Follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team as we return Sunday at Noon to come one step closer to crowning a champion here in Milwaukee!
End Of Day 1b Chip Counts (full)
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
376,000 | 20,000 |
|
362,000 | 62,000 |
|
335,000 | 40,000 |
|
334,000 | 334,000 |
|
324,000 | 19,000 |
|
320,000 | -20,000 |
|
311,000 | 71,000 |
|
310,000 | |
|
297,000 | 297,000 |
|
278,000 | 278,000 |
|
277,000 | 277,000 |
|
|
265,000 | 265,000 |
|
255,000 | 255,000 |
|
215,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
209,000 | 209,000 |
|
205,000 | 40,000 |
|
193,000 | 118,000 |
|
|
187,000 | 187,000 |
|
187,000 | -18,000 |
|
183,000 | -27,000 |
|
176,000 | 31,000 |
|
174,000 | 19,000 |
|
171,000 | 171,000 |
|
167,000 | 167,000 |
|
163,000 | -37,000 |
Massey, Alsup Bust to End Play
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Ralph Massey got his last 49,000 in from the button after a player had raised to 10,000 and Henry Zou called in the hijack. Action folded back to Zou, who tanked for a bit before calling.
Ralph Massey: 
Henry Zou: 
Massey would fail to find a nine on the 
board, sending the last of his chips to Zou.
At the same time, Rich Alsup was eliminated, meaning seventy players will return for Day 2 action tomorrow. Stay tuned for a full list of chip counts, as well as a full recap of the day's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Pupillo Spells Out His Foe's Doom
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
A player raised to 12,000 from middle position, and James Pupillo called in the cutoff, as did Quinterol Mallette on the button.
Action checked through the 
flop, and the fell on the turn. The middle position player jammed for 83,000, Pupillo called, and Mallette folded.
"You have zero chance of winning this hand," Pupillo solemnly told his foe, turning over 
as he did for quads.
"Can I fold it then?" the middle position player said with a sheepish grin, before tabling his 
. The fell on the river, and Pupillo knocked out a player, leaving us one player shy of play ending for the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
340,000 | 135,000 |
|
|
300,000 | -50,000 |
Esquivel Makes Two Pair the Hard Way
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Travis Lauson raised to 9,000 from middle position, and Michael Esquivel three-bet to 24,000 on the button. Lauson called.
Lauson checked the 
flop to Esquivel, who bet 22,000. Lauson called.
Both players checked the 
turn, and Lauson checked a third time on the 
river. Esquivel bet 40,000, and Lauson called. Esquivel flipped over 
for runner-runner two pair after the flop, and Lauson smirked, then mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
295,000 | 17,000 |
|
|
155,000 | -5,000 |
Brown Slows Down Reichard
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
A player raised to 9,000 from middle position, and was called by Brett Reichard on the button, Nicola Ditrapani in the small blind, and Jeremy Brown in the big blind.
Action checked to Reichard on the 
flop, and he bet 17,000. Only Brown called.
Both players checked the 
turn, and Brown checked again on the 
river. Reichard bet 25,000, and Brown called. Reichard tabled 
, but Brown's turned two pair with his earned him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
240,000 | 85,000 |
|
60,000 | -88,000 |
Late Night Chip Counts
Level 16
: 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
350,000 | -15,000 |
|
|
315,000 | 188,000 |
|
|
305,000 | 305,000 |
|
|
290,000 | -4,000 |
|
|
278,000 | 68,000 |
|
|
210,000 | 75,000 |
|
|
205,000 | 133,000 |
|
|
205,000 | -35,000 |
|
180,000 | 99,500 |
|
|
165,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
160,000 | 30,000 |
|
|
148,000 | 76,000 |
|
|
145,000 | 5,000 |
|
125,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
110,000 | 10,000 |
|
|
75,000 | -60,000 |
|
68,000 | -23,500 |
|
60,000 | -15,000 |
|
|
30,000 | -49,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level: 16
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Last Break of the Night
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
The final forty-six players are off on their last fifteen-minute break of the evening. When they return, they'll play one more one-hour level or until forty-one players remain, whichever comes first. Play will resume tomorrow at Noon local time at the earliest remaining time of the two flights.