2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Thunder Valley

The first day is a wrap in the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley $3,250 High Roller, and at the end of Day 1 it was Dapo Ajayi (197,000) bagging the chip lead.

Others near the top of the chip leader board include Qi Hu (174,000), Frank Azavedo (154,000), and Joshua Shaw (138,500).

A total of 43 entries registered for Day 1, with 20 players bagging at the end of play. Late registration and re-entry will still be available up until the beginning of Day 2, with the restart commencing Friday at noon. Play will resume at Level 13, with the blinds at 1000/2000/2000.

The field played through 12 40-minute levels on Day 1, and that structure will continue through the rest of the tournament. This event will play down to a champion Friday, with the winner being crowned and the WSOP Circuit ring, along with the first-place prize money, being awarded.

Other players bagging on Day 1 included Noel Rodriguez (120,000) and JC Tran (117,500).

Some of the players sent to the rail on the first day included Tony Dunst, Glenn Miller, Andrew Ostapchenko, Tim McDermott and Josh Prager. Dunst re-entered late in the day, and finished the night at 106,500 chips.

Follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team as the tournament resumes, and a champion is determined Friday.

Day 1 of the High Roller is complete; a recap and end-of-day chip counts will follow shortly.

Darren Rabinowitz opened under the gun, and got called by Ian Steinman in the small blind, and Jesse Lonis in the big blind.

All three player checked the flop. Steinman bet 4,000 on the turn, Lonis called and Rabinowitz folded.

Steinman checked the river, Lonis bet 15,700, and Steinman thought it over for a bit before making the call. Lonis showed the winner with for the queen-high flush, and Steinman mucked.

Tony Dunst is back to work after re-entering the fray, adding to his stack with a big pot against Bryan Piccioli going Dunst's way.

With about 20,000 in the pot and the board showing , Piccioli checked from the big blind, and Dunst put in a pot-sozed bet for 20,000.

Piccioli went deep into the tank, eventually deciding on a fold.

Dapo Ajayi continues to surge on Day 1, with his latest pot coming at the expense of Tim McDermott.

McDermott, from under the gun, got into a preflop all in against Ajayi, who was in the hijack and had McDermott well covered.

Ajayi's pocket fives held up against the ace-queen of McDermott, and McDermott's first bullet in the High Roller has expired. McDermott re-entered immediately, and is right back in the mix.

JC Tran opened to 2,700 from the hijack, the cutoff three-bet to 6,000, and Tran called.

Tran check-called bets for 4,000 on the flop, and 13,000 on the turn.

Tran checked again on the river, the cutoff bet 16,000, and Tran thought it over for a bit before calling. Tran tabled , and his opponent mucked.

JC Tran opened to 2,700 from the cutoff, and Jonathan Ingalls called from the big blind.

Both players checked the flop. Ingalls checked again on the turn, Tran bet 3,000 and Ingalls called.

The river fell , both players checked, and Ingalls turned over the winner with .