$3,500 Championship Day 1b | 2024 Wynn Millions

03-09-2024 01:59 UTC-7

Mitchell Halverson Bags Chip Lead in Day 1b of Wynn Millions Championship

Connor Richards

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Another starting flight of the $3,500 Wynn Millions Championship in Las Vegas wrapped up after ten levels of play with Mitchell Halverson leading the 116 remaining players with a stack of 629,000.

Day 1b of the Wynn Millions Championship drew 403 runners, nearly double the 236 players who bought into the previous starting flight. Players who bagged on Day 1b include Maria Ho, Cherish Andrews, Farah Galfond, Mike Holtz, Blake Bohn, Shannon Shorr, Adam Hendrix, Eric Baldwin, inaugural Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno and last year's runner-up Andrew Esposito.

Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts

RANK	NAME	COUNTRY	CHIP COUNT	BIG BLINDS
1	Mitchell Halverson	United States	629,000	252
2	Jared Hemingway	United States	474,500	190
3	Spencer Champlin	United States	414,500	166
4	Jake Ripnick	United States	373,500	149
5	John Khoury	United States	297,000	119
6	Yevgeniy Minakrin	United States	288,000	115
7	Chris Frank	United States	274,000	110
8	Hal Rotholz	United States	250,500	100
9	Shannon Shorr	United States	243,000	97
10	Adam Hendrix	United States	242,000	97

Day 1b Action

Just like on Day 1a, there were no shortage of notable names as action kicked off at noon inside Wynn Las Vegas. That included 2023 WSOP Main Event final tablist Adam Walton, who had busted in brutal fashion the previous flight but managed to ran up a stack on the second starting flight.

Another player who failed to bag Day 1a but found success on Day 1b was inaugural Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno, who got a boost late in the evening when he doubled through Wynn daily dominator Jeremy Becker.

PokerNews spent an orbit with Becker, and it happened to be an active one filled with flat calls, three-bets, and three-street call downs. Unfortunately, Becker's Day 1b reign reached an end as he unsuccessfully attempted to bluff Julien Martini before hitting the rail shortly after.

Fittingly enough for International Women's Day, there were several notable women in the Day 1b field, including Women in Poker Hall of Famer Maria Ho, soap opera star Farah Galfond, poker coach and author Lexy Gavin-Mather and 2022 GPI Female Player of the Year Cherish Andrews, who less than 24 hours earlier was holding up a trophy she won in the $2,200 NLH 6-Max event.

Those who bagged on Day 1b will join the Day 1a survivors that include Day 1a chip leader Fikret Kovac and the likes of Steven Jones, Landon Tice, Alex Foxen, Kristen Foxen, John Riordan and David "ODB" Baker.

Before that happens, there is still one more starting flight left to play out with Day 1c, which will get underway on Saturday, March 9 at noon local time.

Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team will be back on-site at Wynn Las Vegas tomorrow for continued coverage of the Wynn Millions Championship.

Tags: Adam Hendrix Adam Walton Alex Foxen Andrew Esposito Andrew Moreno Blake Bohn Cherish Andrews Eric Baldwin Farah Galfond Fikret Kovac Jeremy Becker John Riordan Julien Martini Kristen Foxen Landon Tice Lexy Gavin-Mather Maria Ho Mike Holtz Mitch Halverson Shannon Shorr Steven Jones

03-09-2024 00:38 UTC-7

2023 Runner-Up Esposito Flops a Set of Jacks

Connor Richards

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Maria Ho opened to 4,000 from under the gun and a middle position player three-bet jammed a stack of 48,000. Last's year's runner-up, Andrew Esposito, then four-bet jammed a stack of around 100,000 to bring a fold from Ho.

Middle Position: A♦K♣ All in
Andrew Esposito: J♥J♦

The flop of K♠J♠8♦ gave Esposito a set of jacks to have his opponent drawing nearly dead before the runout of 3♥10♠ confirmed the opponent's elimination with less than 15 minutes left in the evening.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Esposito	155,000 80,000	80,000

Tags: Andrew Esposito Maria Ho

03-08-2024 23:18 UTC-7

Becker Can't Bluff Martini

Connor Richards

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

PokerNews got to the table as things were heating up in a heads-up pot between Jeremy Becker and four-time bracelet winner Julien Martini.

The board read J♥A♦3♠7♦K♣ and while the full river action wasn't clear, Martini has put out 26,000 before Becker raised to put the Frenchman all in. Martini gave it some thought and called for around 35,000 more.

Becker could only show a bluff as Martini revealed K♥J♠ to double up with two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Julien Martini	130,000 130,000	130,000

Jeremy Becker	60,000 -90,000	-90,000

Tags: Jeremy Becker Julien Martini

03-08-2024 22:19 UTC-7

An Active Orbit with Jeremy Becker

Connor Richards

Level 8 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Jeremy Becker won more than a dozen Wynn trophies in 2023 alone, and he has already picked up two more in 2024. Now, the daily assassin is taking his shot in the Wynn Millions Championship.

PokerNews spent an orbit with Becker as he grinds up a stack late into the Day 1b flight in preseason warm-up for his summer crossbook with Landon Tice.

Hand #1 (UTG+1): Jeremy Becker opened to 2,500 and got three calls to see a flop of 10♣A♣5♠. The flop checked through, and Becker bet 4,000 on the 8♥ turn, bringing three folds to win him the pot.

Hand #2 (UTG): Becker folded.

Hand #3: (Big Blind): A player in middle position opened to 2,500 and Becker defended out of the big blind. Beckecer checked on the flop of 9♥6♠3♣ and his opponent continued for 3,000. Becker called. Becker then check-called again on the K♠ turn when faced with a bet of 8,500.

Becker checked once more on the Q♦ river and his opponent fired a bet of 24,000. Becker took some time before calling, leading his opponent to muck face-down to win Becker the pot without showdown.

Hand #4 (Small Blind): The under the gun player opened to 2,600 and the cutoff called before Becker three-bet to 13,000 in the small blind to bring folds from both his opponents.

Hand #5 (Button): Action folded to Becker on the button and he followed suit.

Hand #6 (Cutoff): As Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno joined the table, an early position player opened to 2,500 and Becker called in the cutoff before the big blind also called. The flop of 5♦7♣K♣ checked through and the initial raiser bet 4,000 on the 4♠ turn. Only Becker called. Becker then called a bet of 11,000 on the K♠ river and saw the bad news as his opponent showed a full house with 5♠5♣.

Hand #7 (Hijack): The under-the-gun player opened to 2,500 and Becker called in the hijack before Chino Rheem three-bet to 13,000 in the big blind. The initial raiser and Becker both folded.

Hand #8 (Lojack): Becker opened to 2,500 in middle position and Rheem called on the button before Moreno moved all in for a starting stack. Becker called and Rheem folded A♦6♦ face-up.

Andrew Moreno: A♠K♣ All in
Jeremy Becker: A♥Q♥

Becker was pipped and couldn't improve as the board ran out J♥2♠J♣4♣J♦ to earn the inaugural Wynn Millions champion a double.

Hand #9 (Middle Position): Becker folded in middle position.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jeremy Becker	150,000 95,000	95,000
Chino Rheem	135,000 60,000	60,000

Andrew Moreno	85,000 15,000	15,000

Tags: Andrew Moreno Chino Rheem Jeremy Becker

03-08-2024 21:27 UTC-7

Andrews Goes for Three

Connor Richards

Level 7 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Ryan Leng opened in early position and recent $2,200 NLH 6-Max champion Cherish Andrews called from the next seat as Samuel Laskowitz came along in the big blind.

Laskowitz and Leng checked on the 8♣A♥5♥ flop and Andrews bet 2,500. Laskowitz called and Leng folded. Laskowitz checked again on the 3♥ turn and Andrews sized up to 14,000. Laskowitz again called.

Laskowitz checked once more on the 5♣ river and Andrews put him to the test by betting 36,000 for all of her opponent's stack. Laskowitz went in the tank for over a minute before folding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cherish Andrews	85,000 30,000	30,000
Ryan Leng	70,000 70,000	70,000

Samuel Laskowitz	35,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Cherish Andrews Ryan Leng Samuel Laskowitz

03-08-2024 18:30 UTC-7

Wisdom from the Wynn Millions Field

Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Poker players can often be sources of wisdom and insight, and PokerNews has been fortunate enough to speak with a few players in the Wynn Millions Championship field in the past.

Here are quotes from five players who are currently in the Day 1b field of the Wynn Millions Championship.

Andrew Moreno

Three years after winning the first-ever Wynn Millions for $1.5 million, Andrew Moreno is back at the Wynn and in the Day 1b field with a stack of around 55,000.

When he won the inaugural Wynn Millions event in 2021, he told PokerNews he was “grateful above all else" after accomplishing a goal he set earlier in the year to move over $1 million in career earnings.

“I think just declaring what I wanted to do was really important to me because I believed in myself and I wanted to hold myself accountable … I’m just so shocked it happened so quickly.”

Moreno called the Wynn Millions "probably the best event I’ve ever played as far as the structure and the room."

“The floors listen to the players a lot, and there was always an open-ended conversation. Everything about the tournament was pristine.”

Adam Hendrix

Another player in the Day 1b field is Adam Hendrix, Alaska's all-time money leader with over $6 million in earnings.

When he appeared on the PokerNews Podcast last spring, Hendrix discussed his poker upbringing and his dominant year in 2022, as well as specializing in Pot-Limit Omaha.

"I think the skill gap in PLO is still pretty big. There (are) a lot of people that don't bother studying at all, compared to no-limit, now everybody sort of studies in some way. But PLO is still sort of the Wild West."

Jared Griener

Another state's all-time money leader, Jared Griener, is in the Day 1b field. PokerNews caught up with the Utah all-time money leader last year at the WPT Gardens Poker Championship, where he talked about the poker scene in southern California.

“It has its ups and downs; there’s a lot of people with some attitude, but I kind of enjoy that. And there’s no doubt that I’ve had way more success in LA and it’s just because I play here so much that I know all the players. And once you play someone over and over again, I feel like that’s kind of my strongest (skill) is just adjusting based on who you are and what I know about you.”

Shannon Shorr

Shannon Shorr recently had his name scrubbed from the "Best Without a Bracelet" list, and now the veteran grinder is looking for his first Wynn trophy after a deep run last night in the $2,200 NLH 6-Max event.

PokerNews spoke with Shorr back in 2022 about a PGT US Poker Open victory that brought him $213,900.

"That was super cool. I live in Vegas, so it's nice to just be able to commute and go play poker. Playing against the highest (level) and the toughest competition is super fascinating and a lot of fun. It's like a small player pool, a lot of us guys who have been around 15 years, so there's an innate respect that we all have for each other. So it's a vibe playing, and to get there and win is just a super cool experience."

Ari Engel

Just weeks ago, all-time Circuit ring leader Ari Engel won a record-extending ring. Now, Engel is looking for a Wynn trophy to add to his suitcase.

Engel is also a two-time bracelet winner, and spoke with PokerNews back in October 2021 after winning his second bracelet in the $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.

“In these kinds of situations, it’s a balance between wanting to put pressure on other players who presumably want to move up, and then at the same time kind of protecting your own chip lead. You’ve got to strike the right balance depending on how the other players are playing and how the stacks work out.”

Player	Chips	Progress
Shannon Shorr	85,000

Jared Griener	60,000
Andrew Moreno	55,000 15,000	15,000
Adam Hendrix	35,000 -5,000	-5,000
Ari Engel	12,000 -38,000	-38,000

Tags: Adam Hendrix Andrew Moreno Ari Engel Jared Griener Shannon Shorr

03-08-2024 16:20 UTC-7

Women In the Wynn Millions Field on International Women's Day

Connor Richards

Level 3 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

International Women's Day is the perfect time to honor successful women in any industry, and there are no shortage of successful women in the poker world.

In honor of International Women's Day, here is a look at some of the women competing in the Wynn Millions Championship Day 1b field.

Cherish Andrews may have been up past 2 a.m. taking down the $2,200 NLH 6-Max Event for $182,927 and her third Wynn trophy, but the 2022 GPI Female Player of the Year wasted no time hopping into the championship event with hopes of another deep run.

https://twitter.com/WynnPoker/status/1766127695845560745?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Andrews is currently seated across from Esther Kim, a Las Vegas-based grinder whose first live tournament cash dates back to 2012.

At another table, poker coach and recently published author Lexy Gavin-Mather is seated in the nine-seat just a dealer's chair away from poker socialite Hayley Hanna, the fiance of high-stakes pro David Peters who is currently pregnant with the couple's first child but couldn't resist the Wynn Millions Championship action.

Speaking of poker power couples, Farah Galfond is also in the Day 1b field, while Yi "KitKat" Klassen is chipping up nicely a few tables away from Blake Bohn. Meanwhile, four-time GPI Female POY Kristen Foxen has the day off after bagging the Day 1a flight.

A few hours into the day, Women in Poker Hall of Famer Maria Ho took her seat in pursuit of another big score after winning Game of Gold Season 1 for $456,000.

Other women spotted in the Day 1b field include Gloria Jackson, Cindy Li, and Isabel Kou.

Celebrating International Women's Day: Meet the PokerNews Team

Yi "KitKat" Klassen — Yi \"KitKat\" Klassen

Tags: Cherish Andrews Cindy Li Esther Kim Farah Galfond Gloria Jackson Hayley Hanna Kristen Foxen Lexy Gavin-Mather

03-08-2024 14:52 UTC-7

Moreno Out

Connor Richards

Level 2 : Blinds 200/300, 300 ante

Inaugural Wynn Millions champion Andrew Moreno failed to bag on Day 1a and hasn't had any better luck so far on Day 1b.

In a four-way pot, Moreno moved all in from the big blind on a flop of 3♣J♦3♦ and got two callers, who both checked on the 9♦ turn. One player then bet 4,000 on the 6♠ river and turned over 5♦4♦ for a flush as the other player folded, while Moreno showed a no-good A♦5♠.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Moreno	Busted

Tags: Andrew Moreno

03-08-2024 13:55 UTC-7

"You Play Very Good, Blake"

Connor Richards

Level 1 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante

In a heads-up pot on a flop of 10♥2♠A♣, Blake Bohn checked in middle position and Dan Goepel bet 600 on the button. Bohn called.

Bohn checked again on the 10♣ turn and Goepel checked back. Bohn checked once more on the J♣ river and Goepel fired a bet of 2,100. Bohn called.

Goepel tabled A♥10♦ for tens full of aces as Bohn showed a no good pair of aces with A♠Q♦.

"I only lost THAT much? I check-call, check, check-call?" Bohn commented about his cautious play against the fellow midwesterner and MSPT champion.

"You play very good, Blake," said Goepel.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Goepel	43,000 43,000	43,000
Blake Bohn	37,000 37,000	37,000

Tags: Blake Bohn Dan Goepel