Event #1: $500 Casino Employees | 2023 World Series of Poker

05-31-2023 18:17 UTC-7

Joshua Honegger Eliminated in 14th Place ($2,915)

Chris Land

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Joe Pavan opened under the gun to 235,000 and faced a shove to his immediate left from Joshua Honegger for around 900,000. Action folded back to Pavan who called and turned his hand up.

Joshua Honegger: K♥Q♦
Joe Pavan: A♣K♣

The board ran out A♦8♣7♣6♦4♣ giving Pavan the nut flush and sending Honegger to the rail in 14th place for $2,915.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joe Pavan	2,075,000	575,000
Joshua Honegger	Busted

Tags: Joe Pavan Joshua Honegger

05-31-2023 18:07 UTC-7

Updated Chip Counts After Break

reed17

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Thai	3,900,000	400,000
Lisa Eckstein	2,600,000	900,000
James Urbanic	2,450,000	1,980,000
Zaen Qatan	2,100,000	-300,000
Mark Kawamoto	2,000,000	1,045,000
Keith McCormack	1,650,000	975,000
Benson Tam	1,650,000	-120,000
Sean Balfour	1,550,000	-550,000
Joe Pavan	1,500,000	-350,000
Michael Mcfadden	1,300,000	125,000
Joshua Honegger	950,000	-300,000
Bruce Jiang	950,000	290,000
Paul Blanchette	650,000
Carlton Fitzgerald	540,000	355,000

05-31-2023 18:03 UTC-7

Back From Break

Matt Hansen

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

The final 14 players have returned from their dinner break in Level 27 with blinds at 40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 ante.

Level: 27

Blinds: 40,000/80,000

Ante: 80,000

05-31-2023 16:58 UTC-7

Time for Dinner

Matt Hansen

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

The remaining 14 players have stepped out for a 60-minute dinner break. Players are expected to return at ~5:55 p.m. local time.

05-31-2023 16:56 UTC-7

Under The Gun and Over Exposed

Claudio Elizalde

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Bruce Jiang had opened under the gun but when he pulled his hand back from dropping the chips, he accidentally exposed the J♦10♦ to Michael Mcfadden who was sitting in the big blind.

Floor was called and it was the Tournament Director's ruling that Jiang would be forced to play with his hand exposed. He did not offer any further penalty to Jiang, as it was an obvious accident. The TD later went on the say, "I'm not penalizing you because you punished yourself".

The table then folded around, explaining they would act as if they hadn't seen his hand. However, once it was folded to the big blind, Mcfadden did go all-in, forcing Jiang to fold.

Mcfadden showed the A♠Q♥, explaining he wouldn't have made a move with a random weak hand in this particular circumstance. Jiang made light of the situation and requested that Pokernews report the incident, as it was a funny turn of events.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Mcfadden	1,310,000	135,000
Bruce Jiang	935,000	275,000

Tags: Bruce Jiang Michael Mcfadden

05-31-2023 16:55 UTC-7

Kevin Kivela Eliminated in 15th Place ($2,915)

Chris Land

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Michael McFadden opened to 150,000 before seeing Kevin Kivela three-bet shove for not much more. After making the call, the cards were turned on their backs.

Kevin Kivela: A♣K♣
Michael McFadden: K♦K♥

The board ran out 3♠6♥2♠8♠2♥, sending Kivela to the rail in 15th place for $2,915 as the tournament breaks for dinner.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Mcfadden	1,175,000	-1,675,000
Kevin Kivela	Busted

Tags: Kevin Kivela Michael McFadden

05-31-2023 16:49 UTC-7

Eric Zavodnik Eliminated in 17th Place; Guitong He Eliminated in 16th Place ($2,915)

Claudio Elizalde

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Guitong He went all-in from early position, only to be called by Peter Thai in the small blind and Sean Balfour in the big blind.

All three players saw a flop of A♣Q♣8♠. Thai bet 175,000 into Balfour and he called.

The turn brought the 2♠, which Thai checked. Balfour then went all-in, forcing Thai out of the pot.

Guitong He: 6♣6♠
Sean Balfour: 8♣8♠

He was drawing dead and the river was an inconsequential brick, eliminating He in 16th place for $2,915.

Meanwhile, Eric Zavodnik was eliminated in 17th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Thai	3,500,000	700,000
Sean Balfour	2,100,000	95,000
Guitong He	Busted
Eric Zavodnik	Busted

Tags: Guitong He Peter Thai Sean Balfour

Level: 26

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 60,000

05-31-2023 16:17 UTC-7

Kenneth Weinstein Eliminated in 18th Place ($2,411)

Claudio Elizalde

Level 25 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Kenneth Weinstein was all in and at risk after raising from the button and getting reraised by Peter Thai in the small blind, ultimately leading them both getting all-in preflop.

Kenneth Weinstein: J♣J♥

Peter Thai: A♦A♠

The flop brought the QxAx6x and a brick on the turn and river sent Weinstein to the payouts.