$1,700 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Hard Rock Tampa
$1,700 Main Event
Day: 1a
Kempton Bags Exactly Half a Million to Lead 88 Surviving Players After Day 1 of Main Event
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Day 1a of the WSOP Circuit Seminole Hard Rock Main Event is in the books. After close to 11 hours of play, the field was whittled from a starting amount of 450 down to 88.
Leading the way as the punctuation mark was put at the end of the day was Isaac Kempton who finished with 500,000 in chips on the dot. Kempton was spotted after dinner break with a large stack and gained more through several eliminations to catapult himself to the precipice of the counts.
Second in chips to end the day was Tyler Phillips who bagged 385,000. He had a sizable stack toward the end of the day but it really exploded in one of the last hands of the night when his shove was called as he held the nut flush draw that got there on the river to send him above 400,000 at the time.
Tom Nguyen finished in 3rd with 382,500, well known circuit grinder Marshall White was 4th with 365,000 and rounding out the top five was Kevin Davis with 335,000.
Some other notables advancing to Day 2 include: Aaron Massey who bagged 310,500. Ryan Yu with 303,500, Blake Whittington 212,500, Mike Shin 124,500 and Robert Mizrachi 107,500.
The 88 surviving players will now return on Sunday February 16th at 12 p.m. and join the survivors from Day 1b for a rip-roaring Day 2 of action
Tune back in to PokerNews tomorrow at 11 a.m. local timeto find out who is able to wade their way through the Day 1b muck.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
500,000 | -10,000 |
|
385,000 | -20,000 |
|
382,500 | 222,500 |
|
335,000 | 48,000 |
|
328,000 | -47,000 |
|
315,500 | 315,500 |
|
310,500 | 55,500 |
|
306,500 | 196,500 |
|
306,000 | 306,000 |
|
303,500 | 63,500 |
|
303,000 | 303,000 |
|
|
268,000 | 268,000 |
|
260,500 | 260,500 |
|
254,000 | 111,000 |
|
|
248,500 | 248,500 |
|
|
240,000 | 240,000 |
|
|
239,000 | -6,000 |
|
228,000 | 228,000 |
|
212,500 | 105,500 |
|
199,000 | 199,000 |
|
|
190,000 | 190,000 |
|
|
182,500 | 182,500 |
|
182,000 | 89,000 |
|
181,000 | 181,000 |
|
176,000 | 176,000 |
Play Ended
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Play is over for the night. Full chip counts and recap to follow momentarily.
Late Night Flush Dramatics Soar Phillips
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
There was a huge hand in progress on a flop that read 
. The pot had about 35,000 in the middle. Tyler Phillips jammed his stack of about 200,000 over the bet of 15,000 from his opponent.
His opponent was in a precarious position as had a decent size stack of over 100,000 but was easily covered by Phillips.
After several moments his Phillips's opponent called and the cards were turned on their backs.
Phillips had a pair and a draw with the 
while his opponent led with the 
. The turn was a harmless 
but the river was huge for Phillips as the 
binked off to give him the huge pot worth over 300,000 and soar him towards the chip lead as play nears an end for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
405,000 | 235,000 |
Yu Gets Value
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
The board read 
. Ryan Yu bet 40,000 and got a quick call from his opponent.
Yu tabled the 
for the second nut flush and his opponent mucked his hand unable to beat that to send Yu a decent sized pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
240,000 |
Elkins Turns Set to Bust Opponent
Level 15
: 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Action was on the river on a board that read 
. Cain Elkins's opponent moved all in and Elkins snap called.
Elkins had which sent his opponent's 
up in flames as he got up to dust off of his chips off into the stack of Elkins.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
245,000 | 245,000 |
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000
Sailor Has Better Two Pair
Level 14
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The flop read 
. Luke Graham bet 11,000 and Brad Sailor called.
The turn was the 
. Graham led out again, this time for 17,000 and again Sailor make the call.
The river camethe 
. Graham took the led again with a bet of 35,000 which Sailor called again in relatively quick fashion.
Graham confidently turned over the 
for two pair but Sailor had the better version as he showed the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
375,000 | |
|
110,000 |
Be Sure to Check Out Oddschecker
Level 14
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
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