2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Thunder Valley

$3,250 High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info

2020 World Series of Poker Circuit Thunder Valley

Final Results
Winner
JC Tran
Winning Hand
qq
Prize
$49,035
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,250
Prize Pool
$141,000
Entries
47
Level Info
Level
24
Blinds
10,000 / 25,000
Ante
25,000
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
43
Players Left
19

Level: 6

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 400

McDermott Shoves on Hu

Level 6 : 200/400, 400 ante
Tim McDermott
Tim McDermott

Qi Hu raised to 800 under the gun and Ray Villaman called from the button. Tim McDermott then three-bet to 4,000 from the big blind and Hu responded with a four-bet to 10,000. Villaman thought for about a minute before folding and McDermott called.

The {3-Spades}{q-Clubs}{8-Diamonds} flop saw both players check and the dealer burned and turned the {j-Diamonds}.

McDermott paused for a few beats before moving all in for 24,700 and Hu ditched his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Qi Hu ca
Qi Hu
60,000
-11,000
-11,000
Profile photo of Tim McDermott us
Tim McDermott
45,000
10,000
10,000

Tags: Qi HuTim McDermott

Current WSOPC Thunder Valley Casino Champ Points Leaderboard

Level 6 : 200/400, 400 ante

Players can qualify for the 2019/20 Global Casino Championship in one of several ways (a.) win a Circuit Main Event at any domestic or international stop (b.) win a "Casino Championship," which is defined as the player at each stop who accumulates the most points throughout the 12-event gold ring schedule at any domestic or international stop (c.) be one of the top 50 cumulative point earners over the entire season who hasn't otherwise qualified (Domestic tour only). Each of these projected 128 players will receive a "free roll" seat into the culminating event.

Players are amassing points here at Thunder Valley, and one of them will eventually walk away with the title of "Casino Champ" for a 2020 GCC seat. Here's a look at how things currently stack up through seven events.

*PlaceNamePointsRingsCashesEarnings
1Josh Prager87.5 pts12$54,814
2Brendon Thomson75 pts02$8,743
3Jimmy Wester70 pts12$12,592
4David Valdez57.5 pts13$8,928
5Michael Lin50 pts11$70,181
6Jesse Lonis50 pts11$11,062
7Chris Brandin50 pts11$8,310
8David Diiorio50 pts11$7,125
9Patrick Testoni47.5 pts02$8,439
10Jeff Lennon45 pts02$12,544

Duan Doing Work

Level 6 : 200/400, 400 ante

Frank Azevedo opened to 1,100 in the cutoff, Bin Duan called on the button, and Joshua Shaw called in the big blind.

Action checked to Duan on the {a-Hearts}{k-Clubs}{8-Hearts} flop, Duan bet 2,000, and only Azevedo called.

Both players checked the {4-Hearts} turn. Azevedo checked the {3-Spades} river, Duan bet 6,000, and Azevedo folded.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Bin Duan us
Bin Duan
50,000
Profile photo of Frank Azavedo us
Frank Azavedo
32,000

Tags: Bin DuanJoshua Shaw

Ante Up World Champion Josh Prager Ships First Circuit Ring at Thunder Valley

Level 6 : 200/400, 400 ante
Josh Prager
Josh Prager

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.

In Event #6: $400 NLH 6-Handed (One Day), 129 runners created a $42,570 prize pool that was paid out to the top 20 players. Among those to cash were Survivor alum Shirin Oskooi (19th - $595), Adam Dunkle (15th - $698), David Valdez (13th - $698), Jimmy Wester (7th - $1,351), and Alan Mulleady (3rd - $4,819).

In the end, Thunder Valley regular Josh Prager, a 46-year-old poker pro from Oakland, beat Eyyal Altar in heads-up play to win a $11,440 top prize and his first gold ring.

“I don’t know how I won, honestly. At one point I had 15,000 chips and ended up with 1.9 million. I am not really sure what my opponents were doing, I was not playing that well”, said Prager. “The times you have success you don’t deserve it, and the times fail you don’t deserve that either. Over a decade you got what you deserve, but I am happy I won today.”

You might recall that Prager had quite a bit of success last year. First, he won the LAPC One Million for $227,775 in February and then in late July came to Thunder Valley and took down the $1,650 Ante Up World Championship Main Event for $116,434.

As a result, he was a featured guest on the LFG Podcast, which you can listen to here.

Final Table Results

PlacePlayerHometownPrize
1Josh PragerYuba City, California$11,440
2Eyyal AltarSherman Oaks, California$7,069
3Alan MulleadyMeridian, Idaho$4,819
4Rafael GonzalezModesto, California$3,370
5Jerome WilliamsLodi, California$2,419
6James ThompsonParker, Colorado$1,783
7Jimmy WesterFairfield, California$1,351
8Bryan SharpTucson, Arizona$1,351
9David MannFresno, California$1,053

Tags: Josh Prager

Underwood Stays Afloat

Level 6 : 200/400, 400 ante

Ben Underwood opened to 900 from middle position, and David Stamm called from the big blind.

Stamm check-called a 700 bet from Underwood on the {6-Hearts}{3-Hearts}{k-Clubs} flop. The turn came {10-Hearts}, and Stamm check-folded to a 2,000 from Underwood.

The pot put Underwood back up over the 10,000 chip mark as the second break of Day 1 approaches.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of David Stamm us
David Stamm
54,000
4,000
4,000
Profile photo of Ben Underwood ca
Ben Underwood
11,000
-11,000
-11,000

Tags: Ben UnderwoodDavid Stamm

Level: 7

Blinds: 300/500

Ante: 500

Shaw Doubles Through Duan

Level 7 : 300/500, 500 ante

Joshua Shaw opened rom under the gun, Bin Duan raised , and Shaw reraised for 17,600 total.

Duan went deep into the tank, then made the call, having Shaw covered.

Joshua Shaw: {k-Hearts}{k-Spades}
Bin Duan: {8-Spades}{8-Diamonds}

Board: {10-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}{2-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}{j-Clubs}

The aftermath of the hand put Shaw back up to nearly the starting stack, while leaving Duan with 15,000 chips.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Joshua Shaw us
Joshua Shaw
36,000
10,000
10,000
Profile photo of Bin Duan us
Bin Duan
15,000
-35,000
-35,000

Tags: Joshua Shaw

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