button in SafariWynn Spring Classic $1M GTD Championship
Day 1a Completed
2021 Wynn Spring Classic
Wynn Spring Classic $1M GTD Championship
Day: 1a
Players Left 2 / 614
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Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
A slew of well-known pros turned out and the field nearly met the guarantee on the first day, making for a successful Day 1a of the Wynn Spring Classic $3,500 Championship.
When the first 10 levels were a wrap, about 90 of the 268 entries had punched tickets to Sunday's Day 2.
Among the players advancing was former WSOP Main Event champ Joe McKeehen. McKeehen didn't exactly have a banner day as he busted a couple of bullets before turning things around, but he did bag a solid stack with 209,500. Most importantly, McKeehen is on a roll coming into this event, as he had a near miss with a second-place finish at WPT Venetian worth $491K and followed that up with a victory in the $10K High Roller just yesterday here at the Wynn for $224,100.
Combined, that's north of $700K in cashes, and McKeehen has put himself in good position to add to that total if he can author another deep run.
The biggest stacks of the bunch belonged to Paul Balzano (397,000), James Anderson (325,000) and Brian Green (311,500). Balzano has made his presence felt at the Wynn before, chopping the Wynn Summer Classic $1,600 Championship for $180,583 back in 2014.
Some of those running dry on chips at least once included Ali Imsirovic, Nick Pupillo, Darren Elias and Sergi Reixach. All will have plenty more chances on Saturday's Day 1b, which will surely see the prize pool race past the $1 million guarantee early on.
Action resumes with Day 1b at noon local time, so be sure to come back to PokerNews to monitor the final starting day.
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Landon Tice was all in from an early position, and it looked like he'd opened and gotten two callers before the cutoff crammed it in for about 60,000. Tice isolated and one of the callers flashed 
as he folded.
Tice: 
Cutoff: 
The 
gave Tice the winning hand with a flush.
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Ryan Depaulo bet 7,000 from under the gun on 
and was called by the next player before Aaron Van Blarcum made it 22,000 in the next seat. Depaulo jammed for 46,500 and Van Blarcum called.
Van Blarcum: 
Depaulo: 
Depaulo was stone dead against the flush and headed for the exit.
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Each table will deal five more hands, signaling the end of Day 1a.
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Chance Kornuth had a tower of T5,000 chips in front of him and showed down 
against a player who held 
. The queens held as the board ran 
and Kornuth sent over 81,000.
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Ali Imsirovic got his last 19,000 in from middle position and was called by Dylan Wilkerson on the button, who held . Imsirovic showed the 
and the dealer revealed the 
behind it. The 
flop brought a sweat but nothing further materialized to improve Imsirovic's hand and he headed for the exit, doubtless set to take a shot on Day 1b.
Level 10
: 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Matthias Auer checked in middle position on 
and Eric Afriat bet 8,500 in the cutoff. Auer moved all in for 32,000 more and Afriat called with .
He was in rough shape against 
for a set, and he asked for the . Close, but it was the that was just as good, sending Auer to the rail on a bad beat.
