With 
showing on the flop, Qi Hu checked from the big blind, and Ray Villaman bet 2,200 from the hijack.
Hu put in the check-raise to 7,100, and Villaman thought things over for a bit, then folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
71,000 | 11,000 |
|
44,000 | -3,000 |
Ray Villaman opened to 800 from the cutoff, and Tim McDermott called in the big blind.
The flop came 
, McDermott checked, Villaman bet 1,800, and McDermott folded. Both players have hovered around the starting stack mark throughout Day 1, with Level 6 approaching.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
47,000 | -5,000 |
|
35,000 | -7,000 |
With 
showing on the turn, Dapo Ajayi bet 1,000 from the small blind, and Erick Lindgren called on the button.
Ajayi bet 2,000 on the 
river, Lindgren quickly called, and the Lindgren quickly mucked when Ajayi showed 
for the win.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
46,500 | 1,500 |
|
31,000 | 4,000 |
Bryan Piccioli opened to 900 from the cutoff, and Ian Steinman and Darren Rabinowitz called from the blinds.
Action checked to Piccioli on the 
flop, Piccioli bet 2,000, Steinman folded, and Rabinowitz called.
Both remaining players checked the 
turn. Rabinowtiz led for 2,000 on the 
river, and Piccioli folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
50,000 | -2,000 |
|
23,000 | -11,000 |
David Stamm raised to 800 from early position and Tim McDermott called out of the small blind. Qi Hu then three-bet to 4,100 from the big, Stamm called, and McDermott got out of the way to make it heads-up action to the 
flop.
Both players checked and did the same on the 
turn before the completed the board on the river.
Stamm went to put out a bet of what looked to be 8,000 but before he could do so Hu flicked his cards to the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
60,000 | -9,000 |
|
50,000 | 2,000 |
PokerNews is in town to live report both the $3,250 High Roller and $1,700 Main Event here at the World Series of Poker Circuit Thunder Valley, but that is just one of the gold ring events that will have played out by the end of the series.
For instance, Event #4: $400 NLH Double Stack was a one-day tournament featuring 20-minute levels. It attracted 125 runners, which offered up a $41,250 prize pool, and the top 19 got paid including Gerald Watts (16th - $610), Ryan Awwad (13th - $684), Jason Tang (8th - $1,156), Sam Cosby (5th - $2,520), and Marcus Laffen (3rd - $4,832).
In the end, Jimmy Wester bested Bruce Powell in heads-up play to win the title for $11,241 and his first gold ring.
“It feels great to get the win, I am happy it is over,” said Webster, who played three hours at the final table and ten overall. “There were a lot of good players at the final table, so I am happy to be able to win. I also came in fairly short and was one of the short stacks for a long time, but won a few pots here and there, grinding it out and managed to pull it off.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Wester | Fairfield, California | $11,241 |
| 2 | Bruce Powell | Tracy, California | $6,945 |
| 3 | Marcus Laffen | Cupertino, California | $4,832 |
| 4 | Cory Cook | Bay Point, California | $3,445 |
| 5 | Sam Cosby | Portland, Oregon | $2,520 |
| 6 | Anthony Bloesch | Walnut Creek, California | $1,892 |
| 7 | Salas Alam | Hayward, California | $1,459 |
| 8 | Jason Tang | El Cajon, California | $1,156 |
| 9 | Benjamin Heinrichs | Chico, California | $943 |
Joe Kuether raised to 800 under the gun and Bryan Piccioli called from the hijack. Ian Steinman came along from the button before Andrew Ostapchenko did the same from the big blind.
When the flop came down 
, Ostapchenko opted to lead out for 1,100 and Kuether quickly folded. Both Piccioli and Steinman called and it was three-way action to the turn, which everyone checked.
Ostapchenko then bet a hefty 6,000 on the river and that did the trick as both Picciolo and Steinman released.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
31,000 | 16,000 |
Level: 5
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
Tim McDermott opened to 800 from the small blind, and Qi Hu made the call in the big blind.
McDermott bet 1,200 on the 
flop, and 3,000 on the turn. Hu called both.
Both players checked the river, and McDermott turned over 
, with his queen-high falling to Hu's 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
69,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
42,000 | 1,000 |
Glenn Miller opened to 500 from hijack, David Stamm three-bet to 1,500 from the cutoff, and Miller called.
Miller check-called bets for 1,600 on the 
flop, and 6,000 on the 
turn.
Both players checked the 
river, and Stamm showed 
to the best of Miller's 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
48,000 | 8,000 |
|
11,000 |