$3,250 High Roller
Day 2 Started
2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Thunder Valley
$3,250 High Roller
Day: 2
Day 2 Seating Assignments
Day 2 seating assignments are as follows, with numerous open seats on all three remaining tables to accommodate for players who enter before play begins.
| Table | Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | JC Tran | 130,500 | 65 |
| 1 | 3 | Noel Rodriguez | 145,000 | 73 |
| 1 | 4 | Steven Grybas | 40,000 | 20 |
| 1 | 5 | Peter Park | 47,500 | 24 |
| 1 | 7 | Mrityunjay Jha | 107,500 | 54 |
| 2 | 1 | Ian Steinman | 157,000 | 79 |
| 2 | 2 | Glenn Miller | 80,000 | 40 |
| 2 | 5 | Jarod Minghini | 41,000 | 21 |
| 2 | 6 | Mike Heshmati | 172,500 | 86 |
| 2 | 7 | Lee Markholt | 104,500 | 52 |
| 3 | 1 | Alex Condon | 73,500 | 37 |
| 3 | 2 | Mike Lancaster | 111,000 | 56 |
| 3 | 4 | Niv Decalo | 43,000 | 22 |
| 3 | 5 | Brett Murray | 101,000 | 51 |
| 3 | 7 | Tony Hoang | 46,000 | 23 |
$3,250 High Roller To Determine a Winner Today; Registration Open Until Beginning of Play
Day 2 of the 2019 World Series of Poker Thunder Valley $3,250 High Roller is set to get underway with 15 players and counting looking to become the next winner of a WSOP Circuit ring.
Thursday’s Day 1 drew a total of 35 entries, playing 12 40-minute levels before play concluded at around 1 a.m. local time. That number has the potential to continue growing, as registration remains open at present moment and will stay that way until Day 2 begins at noon local time.
Coming into the day atop the chip counts is Mike Heshmati, who finished Day 1 with 172,500 in chips. Ian Steinman(157,000) and Noel Rodriguez (145,000) find themselves as his next closest competitors, though they are far from the only formidable opponents with their eyes set on victory.
Also returning are several players with seven-figure lifetime earnings. JC Tran (130,500), Lee Markholt (104,500), Brett Murray (101,000), and Alex Condon (73,500) are a few more names headlining the list of Day 2 participants.
Play will resume at the start of Level 13 (1,000/2,000/2,000) with levels remaining 40 minutes in length for the duration of the tournament. As mentioned, registration will remain open until cards are in the air.
Prize pool information will be announced shortly after the close of registration. Keep it here at PokerNews all day long to see who reigns supreme as the day unfolds.
Level: 13
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 2,000
Play Underway
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Cards are in the air on Day 2 of the $3,250 with the tournament clock reading 41 entries, meaning six players have registered as the period to do so comes to a close. Payout information will be provided shortly.
Day 2 Runners
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
40,000 | 40,000 |
|
40,000 | 40,000 |
|
40,000 | 40,000 |
|
40,000 | 40,000 |
|
40,000 | 40,000 |
|
40,000 |
Minkin Making Early Fireworks
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
There was an announcement in the air as cards were flying that one last entry was recorded for the high roller. A few seconds later, Kelly Minkin was seen being seated by the tournament director.
According to Dan Ross of Hold'em Media, Minkin went all in on her first hand and received action by Niv Decalo, who had dipped just below starting stack by that time.
Kelly Minkin: 
Niv Decalo: 
The board ran out clean and Minkin found herself down to one chip after her first hand in the tournament. She then doubled and was seen all in preflop against Decalo again for what had been run up to a total of 18,000.
Kelly Minkin: 
Niv Decalo: 
The flop came 
to give Decalo nothing more than a few backdoor draws. The turn 
opened up his outs to give him a gutshot straight flush draw, but the river 
was of no help and just like that, Minkin found herself back at starting stack as if she had just sat down again.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
53,000 | 10,000 |
|
|
41,000 | 1,000 |
Steinman Flops Top Pair
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
There was around 27,000 in the pot from preflop action in a pot between Russell Garrett in the small blind and Ian Steinman, who was in the cutoff. The flop came 
and Garrett checked to Steinman, who checked behind.
The turn fell 
and Garrett checked again. Steinman threw out a bet of 9,000. Garrett called, bringing the river 
. Garrett checked once more and Steinman thought for a bit before checking behind to take the hand to showdown.
Garrett showed 
for ace-queen high to go with the board's pair of threes. Steinman showed 
and took down the pot with jacks and treys, adding to his stack a bit early on Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
183,000 | 26,000 |
|
|
44,000 | 4,000 |
Jha Chipping Up Early; Grybas Gone
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Peter Park raised to 4,500 out of the hijack and was three-bet to 11,000 by Mrityunjay Jha, who was in the cutoff. Action folded back to Park and he put out chips to call.
The dealer fanned a flop of 
and Park checked. Jha threw out a continuation-bet of 12,500 and Park thought for about 15 seconds before folding, resulting in the pot being sent Jha's way. Jha now finds himself with around 163,500 in chips after starting the day with 103,500, giving him a nearly 50-percent increase in the first level of play on Day 2.
Steven Grybas was also eliminated from the same table a few hands prior after registering last night during the last few hands of play. He was unable to be seated as tables were in their final three hands and put his chips straight into a bag. Unfortunately for him, his Day 2 life proved to be the shortest of everybody in the field, which finds itself now down to 20 players.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
163,500 | 56,000 |
|
54,000 | 6,500 |
|
Busted |
Heshmati Wins On River
Level 13
: 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Mike Heshmati saw action folded to him in the hijack and opened to 4,500. He received calls from Lee Markholt in the cutoff, Ian Steinman in the small blind, and Glenn Miller, who defended his big blind. The four saw a flop of 
and action checked to Heshmati, who continued for 11,000. Markholt folded, Steinman called, and Miller folded.
Action went heads up to the turn 
and both players checked. The river fell and Steinman checked to Heshmati, who put out a bet of 17,000. Steinman thought for about 30 seconds and sent his cards to the muck.
Additionally, Russell Garrett now has a stack of around 89,000 at the table after finding what appears to be a recent double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
164,500 | -18,500 |
|
161,000 | -11,500 |
|
|
89,000 | 45,000 |
|
74,500 | -30,000 |
|
35,000 | -45,000 |