Cates Becomes First Casualty of 2017 Poker Players Championship
No-Limit Hold'em
In the second half of the fourth level, the 2017 Poker Players Championship finally saw its first casualty. Daniel Cates was the first man to leave his seat.
It was a casual start to the crucial hand. More than 200 big blinds deep, Cates three-bet to 6,500 over Mark Gregorich's 2,100-chip raise from under the gun. Action returned to Gregorich, who fired back, four-betting to 22,100. Cates paused for a while and then pushed all of his chips toward the middle. It was around 170,000, and Gregorich had a simple decision, calling instantly.
Daniel Cates: 
Mark Gregorich: 
What looked to be a disaster for Cates could have turned into a huge bad beat story for Gregorich as the 
brought a massive sweat. The 
turn and 
river, however, left Cates' flush draw incomplete.
Gregorich had Cates well covered, but the high-stakes cash game legend remained seated for a few seconds, processing what had just happened.
Then, Cates stood up and walked away. Just like that, his chips were gone, as the Poker Players Championship ended right there for Cates.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
430,000 | 175,000 |
|
Busted |