Friday, August 28, 2015 8:19 PM Local Time
Ting Xiao ends Day 1A of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore as the chip leader with 184,000. The first of two starting flights in the $1,675 buy-in event saw 187 entries, and after 12 levels of play, only 56 will advance to Day 2 on Sunday.
Flight A saw a number of Circuit Ring winners enter the Harbor Room for play, including Chris Csik, Dan Gilmer, DJ Mackinnon, Greg Himmelbrand, Eric Rivkin, Sara Hall, William Kopp, and Dennis Phillips, among others. Hall (46,100) and Rivkin (31,200), who have already won a ring at the Baltimore series, advanced to Day 2 and will be hunting for their second ring. Gilmer, who owns three circuit rings ended Flight A with 142,300, good enough for the third best stack.
Csik, who won the inaugural Baltimore Main Event in March, also remains in the field with 39,200.
WSOP bracelet winners Robert Cheung and Chris Tryba also entered the fray Friday, but were unable to advance. Darvin Moon, the 2009 WSOP Main Event runner up, also failed to advance from Flight A.
In addition to Xiao and Gilmer, players advancing from Day 1A with a top five chip stack include Adam Cirnigliaro (172,100), Ryan Blank (127,500), Thai Ha (125,300).
Complete chip counts from Flight A are available in the reports tab above.
Main Event action continues Saturday with the second and final flight beginning at 11 a.m. Players will have through Level 12 to register. Live updates will be available throughout the day right here at WSOP.com.
Friday, August 28, 2015 8:08 PM Local Time
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:56 PM Local Time
The clock has been paused with ten minutes left in the day, the clock has been paused. Each table will play three more hands, then the bags come out to signal the end of Day 1A.
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:41 PM Local Time
Daniel Gilmer holds and has a lone opponent, who holds , at risk and behind. The board runs out and Gilmer sends his foe to the rail. The pot moves Gilmer well over 150,000 and he now contends for the chip lead with about 20 minutes remaining in the final level of the day.
Daniel Gilmer - 157,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:38 PM Local Time
Eric RIvkin is heads up with the big blind on a flop. The big blind bets 4,600 and Rivkin calls from the button.
On the turn, the big blind quickly moves all in and Rivkin goes all in for less, 14,200. Rivkin flopped a straight with , while the big blind holds and is looking for a queen on the river to chop the pot.
The river changes nothing and Rivkin, who won Event #8 Thursday, will double up.
Eric Rivkin - 42,300
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:28 PM Local Time
Level: 12
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 200
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:13 PM Local Time
Tommy Vu is under the gun and raises to 2,200. Kevin Davis calls from the button and the blinds fold. They are heads up to the flop.
The board comes and Vu checks. Davis bets 3,000. Vu calls and they're off to the turn.
The turn is the . Vu checks again. Davis bets 3,000 again. Vu calls and they are off to the river.
The river brings the and Vu checks a third time. Davis slows down, checking back. Vu and Davis table virtually simultaneously, Vu holding and outkicking Davis' . Vu wins the pot.
Tommy Vu - 83,000
Kevin Davis - 28,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:10 PM Local Time
DJ Mackinnon open-shoves for 15,500 from early position. The player in the cutoff moves all in for over 80,000 and that's enough to force the rest of the table to fold.
Mackinnon's is up against . Mackinnon remains ahead after the flop. The turn and river keep Mackinnon out in front to scoop the pot and double up.
DJ Mackinnon - 34,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:03 PM Local Time
Michael Richer (big blind) and Justin Liberto (early position) are heads-up on the turn of an board. There's 13,500 in the pot, and Richer leads for 13,000. Liberto calls, and the river is the . Richer cranes his neck to eye up his opponent's stack, then makes a repeat bet of 13,000.
Liberto cuts down his own stack, noticing that the call would cost him almost exactly half his remainder. After just a few seconds, he calls.
Richer shows for two pair, and Liberto shakes his head and mucks. That's another pot to Richer, and he appears to be the chipleader in the room right now.
Michael Richer - 145,000
Justin Liberto - 13,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 7:00 PM Local Time
Mark Zullo opens with a raise from under the gun for 2,200. A player in middle position quickly moves all in for over 110,000 and the action folds around to Zullo, who thinks for a moment before putting all of his chips — 23,200 — into the middle.
Zullo is behind with to his opponent's . The flop is no help to Zullo, but the falls on the turn, giving Zullo a set of queens. His opponent is looking for an ace or a jack on the river, but the river sends the pot over to Zullo.
Mark Zullo - 48,500
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:46 PM Local Time
Level: 11
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 100
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:45 PM Local Time
In a heads-up pot, the board lays and Christian Harder is out of position. He leads for 11,000 and Michael Richer shoves for about 40,000 total. Harder, who's getting a massage, plops a handful of red 5,000 chips in the pot for a call and sees the bad news. Richer exposes for quad sixes and Harder is left stunned. After the stacks are counted down, it's revealed Richer has Harder covered. Harder hits the rail while Richer contends for the chip lead.
Micheal Richer - 120,000
Christian Harder - Eliminated
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:45 PM Local Time
William Kopp opens in early position with a raise to 1,600. The player directly to Kopp's left calls, as does the big blind, and it's three way to the flop.
On the flop, the big blind moves all in for 5,800. Kopp asks for a count before he calls and the third player in the hand folds. Kopp flips for a set of fours and the big blind holds for a pair of fives and is drawing slim.
The turn and river keep Kopp's set out in front to scoop the pot and eliminate one.
WIlliam Kopp - 32,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:40 PM Local Time
The hijack open-shoves all in for 3,300, and the cutoff calls. Robert Cheung three-bet shoves for 14,500 in the small blind, and the cutoff calls again, putting both of his opponents at risk.
Hijack:
Cutoff:
Cheung:
The board runs out , and the cutoff wins the pot with a flush.
Robert Cheung - Eliminated
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:25 PM Local Time
A player in early position opens to 1,600, and Dennis Phillips calls on the button. Nick Guagenti three-bets to 4,800 in the small blind, and the original raiser folds. Phillips calls, though, and it's heads up to the flop.
It comes , and Guagenti continues for 4,800. Phillips moves all in for just about 20,000 total, and Guagenti calls to put his opponent at risk.
Guagenti:
Phillips:
"Well, I need somethin'," Phillips surmises. The turn is the and the river is the , and Guagenti wins the pot with the nut flush. Phillips is eliminated, though he has one more bullet to use today if he so chooses.
Nick Guagenti - 55,000
Dennis Phillips - Eliminated
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:24 PM Local Time
The player under the gun moves all in for 11,300 and one player calls before the action is to Sean Kline in the cutoff. Kline calls and the big blind moves all in for less — 8,800 — sending four players to the flop with two all in.
On the flop, it is checked to Kline, who bets 3,000. His opponent calls and the falls on the turn. Both players check and see the river. Once again, both players check. Kline tables to his lone betting opponent's , which will not only scoop their side pot, but the entire pot.
The big blind held and the player who was under the gun and all in mucked his hand, sending all the chips to Kline with his pocket jacks and sending two players to the rail.
Sean Kline - 79,000
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:14 PM Local Time
Dennis Phillips claims roughly 12,000 chips and Dean Schultz holds even less. The pair gets the last of Schultz's stack in and Phillips has a slight edge with against the of Schultz.
The flop is kind to Schultz, falling and improving him to a pair. The turn gives him a flush draw as well and takes an out away from Phillips as they head to the river. But the board completes with the , one of just two outs for Phillips, giving the former November Niner a set and busting Schultz.
Dean Schultz - Eliminated
Friday, August 28, 2015 6:05 PM Local Time
Level: 10
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:50 PM Local Time
Players are on their final 15-minute break of the day.
Friday, August 28, 2015 5:45 PM Local Time
Karim Baruque opens to 1,200 in late position, Susan Frazier calls on the button, and Dustin Murphy three-bet shoves from the big blind. It's a total of 9,100. Baruque calls, Frazier folds, and Murphy is heads-up for his tournament life.
Baruque:
Murphy:
The flop is clean for Murphy, but the turn is the . Baruque takes the lead with a pair of aces, and Murphy can not catch back up on the river. He is eliminated.
"See ya tomorrow," he says.
Karim Baruque - 43,000
Dustin Murphy - Eliminated