Event #10: $1,675 MAIN EVENT

Julian Sacks

Ledyard, Conn. (27 August 2016) - Day 1B of the Main Event at the World Series of Poker Circuit at Foxwoods is in the books, and the chip leader is Julian Sacks. Sacks vaulted to the top of the leaderboard right at the end of the night, moving from a slightly better than average chip stack into the clear chip lead. He finished the day with 437,500 in chips, well ahead of his closest competitor.

In second place behind Sacks is Jose Montes. Montes won the Main Event at the Choctaw Circuit earlier this year, and he heads a big group of previous Circuit Main Event winners advancing to Day 2, some of whom have accomplished the feat here at Foxwoods.

Montes played on Friday in Day 1A, finishing the day with a huge lead. He advanced to Day 2 with 364,000 in chips, and no one else was within 100,000. The next closest player was Samuel Taylor, who finished with 238,500. Taylor has also won a Circuit Main Event in the past. In fact, he’s the defending champion in this event, and it’s just barely more than a year since his victory here.

Before Taylor’s triumph a year ago, the previous time the Circuit came to Foxwoods, the Main Event champ was David Kluchman. Kluchman also advanced to Day 2. He played in Day 1B Saturday, finishing the day with 111,000 in chips.

Montes, Taylor, and Kluchman will be joined tomorrow by David Cossio (107,500) and Johannsy Joseph (84,500), both of whom came close to joining the club of champions, but fell just short. Cossio finished runner up in the biggest Circuit Main Event in history. And Joseph finished second place here at Foxwoods last year behind Samuel Taylor. Jeremy Meacham (sixth place last year), also advanced to Day 2.

The tournament began Friday at noon with Day 1A. There were 162 entries on Friday, and another 298 on Saturday’s Day 1B. The 460 total entries produced a $690,000 prize pool, well in excess of the half-million-dollar guarantee. On Friday, 30 players survived to make Day 2, and they’ll be joined by 50 from Day 1B. The top 54 players will make the money. The eventual winner will earn $148,350, along with a WSOP Circuit ring and a free entry into the 2017 WSOP Global Casino Championship.

Other players who made it to Day 2 include David Paredes (105,000), Eric Rivkin (127,000), Vinny Pahuja (46,000), Matthew Wantman (83,000), Tim Reilly (61,000), and Dena Pearlman (76,000).

All 80 players who made it through Day 1 will return on Sunday at noon to play in a combined field.

Here are the top 10 players to begin Day 2. A full list of advancing players will be posted to the Reports tab later tonight:

1 – Julian Sacks – 437,500
2 – Jose Montes – 364,000
3 – Muhammad Rahim – 331,000
4 – John Shin – 305,500
5 – Jeremy Meacham – 285,000
6 – Robert Corcione – 255,000
7 – Long Tran – 239,000
8 – Samuel Taylor – 238,500
9 – Vinny Dang – 209,500
10 – Solomon Yi – 196,000

Julian Sacks nearly tripled up in one of the last few hands of the day to soar into the chip lead. 

According to players at the table, David Paredes opened under the gun, Julian Sacks, who started the hand with about 160,000, called in early position with pocket nines, a player in middle position called, and two others called. 

The flop was    . Paredes checked, Sacks bet with his middle set, another player went all in for around 60,000 with pocket twos for bottom set, and another player, who had Sacks covered, re-shoved with   . The other two players got out of the way, and Sacks had a stronghold on the hand.

The turn and river were inconsequential and Sacks took the chip lead just before players bagged and tagged.

Julian Sacks - 437,500

The player under the gun goes all in for around 26,000, the cutoff re-shoves for 29,000, and Matt Zola calls in the big blind to put both of his opponents at risk.

Zola:   
Under the gun:   
Cutoff:   

The board runs out       and Zola's pocket tens prevail.

Matt Zola - 134,000

According to players at the table, Sean Bartlett opened to 7,000 in the cutoff, John Shin three-bet to 19,500 in the big blind, and Bartlett called.

The flop was     and both players checked. 

On the   turn, Shin checked again and Bartlett went all in for around 60,000.

Shin called with pocket kings for a set of kings and had Bartlett drawing dead with   .

The river was insignificant and Shin scooped a huge pot to take the current chip lead.

John Shin - 269,500
Sean Bartlett - Eliminated

Peter Sennon raises to 7,000 in middle position, and Aram Zobian calls in the big blind.

The flop comes    , and both players check.

The turn is the  . Zobian betts 5,000, and Sennon calls.

The river is the  . Zobian bets 12,500 and Sennon calls.

Zobian turns over    for quad twos.

"I am so happy I didn't do what I planned to do...I had an overpair," Sennon says.  A few seconds later he tells Zobian that he folded   . 

Aram Zobian - 130,000
Peter Sennon - 95,000

The board reads     , and Philip Singh checks in the small blind.  Jeremy Meacham bets 5,000, and Singh calls.

The river is the  . Singh checks again, and Meachman bets 11,400.  Singh thinks for a few moments before tossing in a single chip to call.

Meacham turns over   , and Singh mucks his cards.  This pot puts Meacham over the 200,000 chip mark.

Jeremy Meacham - 225,000
Philip Singh - 40,000

Aram Zobian raises to 6,000 from under the gun, and the player next to act calls.  Peter Sennon calls in middle position, and the cutoff shoves all in for around 25,000. The button shoves all in for less (around 9,000) and it folds back to Zobian who reshoves, having both of the players covered. Sennon folds, and the three players table their hands.

Zobian:   
Cutoff:   
Button:   

The board runs out      . Zobian's ace king high will take the pot, and both of his opponents are sent to the rail. 

Aram Zobian - 100,000

There's nearly 40,000 in the middle, and a board reading      . Frank Flowers checks, and Vinh Dang bets 15,000.  Flowers goes into the tank. and after two minutes starts talking aloud. 

"King jack of diamonds here," Flowers says as he shakes his head. 

Another minute and a half passes before Flowers cuts out 15,000 in chips and tosses it out in front of him.

Dang turns over    for a straight. Flowers looks at the board for about 20 seconds and then slides his cards forward. This pot puts Dang over the 200,000 chip mark and leaves Flowers with five big blinds. 

Vinh Dang - 215,000
Frank Flowers - 10,000

Joe Heinzmann was left short after calling a player's shove holding   . His opponent held   , and flopped an ace to leave Heinzmann with around ten big blinds. 

An orbit or so later, it folds to Heinzmann in the cutoff, and he shoves all in. Fred Paradis reshoves over the top, and the remaining players fold. 

Heinzmann:   
Paradis:   

The board runs out      , eliminating Heinzmann from play. He stands and gathers his belongings, shakes Paradis' hand graciously, and exits the tournament area. 

Fred Paradis - 40,000
Joe Heinzmann - Eliminated