Ring Event #9: $1,675 MAIN EVENT

Jamie Gold

Bell Gardens, Calif. (28 March 2016) – The Main Event of the World Series of Poker Circuit at the Bicycle Casino was a star-studded affair, and after Day 2 on Monday the remaining field exemplifies the event’s star power.

The chip leader heading into Day 3 is Jamie Gold, winner of the 2006 WSOP Main Event. Gold’s signature victory earned him a $12,000,000 payout for besting a field of 8,773 players, the biggest Main Event the WSOP has ever held. He has 2,875,000 in chips at the end of Day 2, a full 700,000 ahead of his closest competitor.

Only two tournaments in WSOP history have had larger first-place prizes, and the winner of the biggest is also advancing to Day 3 here at the Bike. Antonio Esfandiari – winner of the 2012 Big One for One Drop event for $18,346,673 – is currently sixth in chips at the Bike with 1,235,000.

Antonio Esfandiari

Gold is not the only remaining player with a history of success in tournaments with big fields. Ray Henson (currently ninth in chips with 870,000), won the re-entry tournament at the Choctaw Circuit stop last year. The event attracted 4,053 entries, at the time the largest tournament field in Circuit history. A few months later, he finished in third place in the inaugural Colossus event at the World Series of Poker. That event had a massive field of 22,374 entries, the biggest live tournament in poker history.

Also advancing to Day 3 is Bruce Buffer, UFC’s Voice of the Octagon. He is currently in 11^th place with 455,000 in chips. Buffer is one of several celebrities who played in this event. Oscar-nominated actor James Woods made a deep run and finished in 30^th place, and actor Bill Fagerbakke made it to Day 2, but was eliminated short of the money.

Bruce Buffer

Two other WSOP bracelet winners made it to Day 3 – Bryn Kenney (395,000 in chips) and Jack Duong (1,455,000).

Day 2 began at noon on Monday with 140 players. Esfandiari held the chip lead to start the day after amassing 520,000 in chips on Day 1A. He had such a big stack to start the day that three of the players advancing to the final table have fewer chips than Esfandiari had at noon.

The top 81 players finished in the money, and the bubble burst after about three hours of play. Players who cashed include bracelet winners Tuan Le (71^st place, $3,075), Mel Wiener (61^st, $3,345), and David “ODB” Baker (19^th, $9,605).

Also finishing in the money is eight-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Ari Engel. Engel recently won Casino Champion honors at Harrah’s Atlantic City. After finishing in fourth place in the Atlantic City Main Event, Engel hopped on a plane and entered Day 1B here at the Bike the following day. He advanced to Day 2 and eventually finished in 50^th place for $3,675.

Nipun Java won this event two years ago. He had a chance to repeat the accomplishment, but ended up bowing out in 18^th place ($11,535). The player who finished runner-up to Java in 2014, Shane Schleger, made the money today as well. He finished in 80^th place for $2,825.

Also finishing in the money were Nancy Nguyen (59^th, $3,345), Dylan Wilkerson (42^nd, $4,080), Nam Le (39^th, $4,080), Phong “Turbo” Nguyen (27^th, $6,905), Kevin O’Donnell (34^th, $4,580), and Jason Les (22^nd, $8,095).

The tournament attracted a total of 756 entries across two starting days, generating a prize pool of $1,134,000. The eventual winner will earn $226,785. A full list of payout is available here.

Play will resume Tuesday at 1:00 p.m.

Here are the chip counts for the remaining 12 players. Results so far are available here.

1 – Jamie Gold – 2,875,000
2 – Ludovic Geilich – 2,175,000
3 – Alexander Greenblatt – 1,780,000
4 – Jack Duong – 1,455,000
5 – Blaise Hom – 1,290,000
6 – Antonio Esfandiari – 1,235,000
7 – Hector Contreras – 1,155,000
8 – Barry Woods – 940,000
9 – Ray Henson – 870,000
10 – Ken Coplon – 500,000
11 – Bruce Buffer – 455,000
12 – Bryn Kenney – 395,000

Shawn Busse moves all in for 340,000, and Ludovic Geilich quickly calls.

Busse:   
Geilich:   

The board comes      , and Geilich wins with his rockets.

Shawn Busse is eliminated in 13th place, earning $14,005.

Ludovic Geilich - 2,200,000
Shawn Busse - Eliminated

Alexander Greenblatt raises in early position to 55,000. Ly Tran moves all in from middle position. Action folds to Hector Contreras in the small blind and he asks for a count - Tran is all in for 262,000. Contreras calls. Greenblatt folds.

Contreras tables    and Tran turns over    for a pair of eights.

The flop comes down    , putting Contreras in the lead with a pair of Aces. The turn is   and the river is  , which is of no help to Tran.

Hector Contreras - 1,200,000
Ly Tran - Eliminated

On a flop reading    , Gilbert Rosas checks from the big blind. Ludovic Geilich limps from middle position, and Jamie Gold bets 200,000 from the button. Rosas calls. "Nice hand," Gold says jokingly as Rosas puts his chips in the pot. Geilich folds, and they go the turn heads up.

Rosas checks again when the dealer turns the  . "How much do you have left?" Gold asks him. Rosas counts his chips, and tells him 710,000. "I'm going to bet 500,000," Gold announces. Rosas thinks for a minute, then moves all in. "Call, I have the nuts," Gold nearly yells as he jumps out of his seat and turns over   . 

"I need a ten or an eight," Rosas says as he tables    for two pair.

"You need something," Gold replies.

The river bricks out, and Gold wins the pot with his straight. Rosas is eliminated in 17th place, earning $11,535.

Jamie Gold - 2,450,000
Gilbert Rosas - Eliminated

Bruce Buffer moves all in before the flop and Barry Woods calls.

Buffer is holding    and Woods tables   .

The flop is    , giving Buffer the lead now with a pair of Aces. The turn is   and the river  , which is no help to Woods. Buffer gets another double through Woods.

Bruce Buffer - 655,000
Barry Woods - 690,000

There are now 18 players left, and they've redrawn to the final two tables:

Table 1
1 - Ken Coplon - 430,000
2 - Alex Greenblatt - 2,100,000
3 - Ly Tran - 450,000
4 - Bruce Buffer - 280,000
5 - Shawn Busse - 410,000
6 - Barry Woods - 1,100,000
7 - Ray Henson - 645,000
8 - Hector Contreras - 690,000
9 - Antonio Esfandiari - 1,250,000

Table 2
1 - Gilbert Rosas - 570,000
2 - Nipun Java - 875,000
3 - Jack Duong - 1,320,000
4 - Ludovic Geilich - 510,000
5 - Zu Zhou - 510,000
6 - Blaise Hom - 1,060,000
7 - Bryn Kenney - 960,000
8 - Jamie Gold - 1,620,000
9 - Doanh Le - 515,000

Gilbert Rosas and Ludovic Geilich get into an all-in preflop confrontation. Geilich is all in for 257,000, and he's the at-risk player. Geilich has   , and Rosas is in good shape with   .

The board comes      . Geilich makes a flush to crack Rosas's kings, and he doubles up on the hand.

Ludovic Geilich - 565,000
Gilbert Rosas - 620,000

Antonio Esfandiari

With the board reading      on the turn, there's almost 400,000 in the pot already. Gilbert Rosas checks from the big blind. Antonio Esfandiari bets 176,000 from the button. Rosas calls.

The river is the  , and Rosas checks again. Esfandiari moves all in. Rosas asks for an exact count, and Esfandiari breaks down his stacks. He has 432,000. Rosas thinks for a minute, then calls.

Esfandiari shows    for trip nines. Rosas shakes his head, flashes one card - the   - and tosses his cards to the muck.

Antonio Esfandiari - 1,600,000
Gilbert Rosas - 410,000

Andre Dyonisio moves all in under-the-gun for 137,000. Alexander Greenblatt calls in middle position. Ly Tran moves all in over top. Greenblatt folds.

Coplon:   
Tran:   

The board runs out       and Tran's Jacks hold up.

Ly Tran - 650,000
Andrew Dyonisio - Eliminated