20 March, 2017 (Atlantic City, N.J.) -- The official final table of the Circuit Main Event at Harrah’s Atlantic City has been reached here on Day 2. From 341 total entries, 61 returned today. The top 36 were in the money, with the minimum payout being $2,644. The nine players returning for the final table tomorrow at noon are guaranteed at least $11,059, with $117,645 and a gold ring up top for the winner.
Abraham Korotki finished the day as the overwhelming chip leader with 2,080,000. Korotki really got going shortly after the final three table redraw when he doubled through Thomas Ippolito with against Ippolito's on a flop. After the two table redraw, Korotki went on a tear, eliminating Chinmay Patel in 16th place ($6,102), start-of-day chip leader Ryan Tamanini in 13th place ($7,340), and Joseph Giulino in 12th place ($8,946). He went into the unofficial final table of ten second in chips, just behind Brian Paneth. Korotki won a large pot against Paneth to take a sizable chip lead, which he held to the end of the night.
The second biggest stack is 1,300,000 and that belongs to Henry Edmondson, who eliminated Michael Woll in 10th place ($8,946) to get them down to the official final table of nine. Two-time ring winner Alex Rocha bagged the third biggest stack with 742,000. Shannon Shorr (363,000) and Jules Cornelius (308,000) are also still in contention, both looking for their first Circuit gold.
The field got down to the money bubble towards the second level of the day, and it lasted for one hour. Mike Azzaro was the unfortunate bubble boy, eliminated at the hands of Thomas Ippolito, who rivered a flush to beat Azzaro's aces up.
Many notable players made it to the money, but did not survive to the final table. Jamie Kerstetter was eliminated in 32nd place for $2,946, Matt Affleck hit the rail in 25th place for $3,795, and bracelet winner Alex Bolotin took 21st place for $5,141. Despite getting some key double ups in the early levels of the day, Dennis Phillips lost a big chunk of his stack to Chinmay Patel when Patel rivered trips to double through Phillips. Phillips was eliminated a little while later in 20th place, taking home $5,141.
Some players unfortunate to bust out before the money included WSOP Main Event champion Joe McKeehen and two-time bracelet winner Loni Harwood, who were both eliminated early in the day. Four-time ring winner Roland Israelshvili and ring winner Frank Conti lasted for awhile, but also busted before the money.
The final table begins tomorrow at 12 p.m. The clock will start with 14 minutes to go in Level 24 with blinds of 10,000/20,000 and a 3,000 ante.
Final Table Seating and Chip Counts:
Seat 1: Henry Edmondson - 1,300,000
Seat 2: Edward Duncan - 227,000
Seat 3: Jeremy Stein - 435,000
Seat 4: Jules Cornelius - 308,000
Seat 5: Nenad Cvetkovic - 458,000
Seat 6: Abraham Korotki - 2,080,000
Seat 7: Shannon Shorr - 363,000
Seat 8: Alex Rocha - 742,000
Seat 9: Brian Paneth - 721,000
Seat 10: [Empty]
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