Sunday, November 19, 2017 12:41 AM Local Time
The two starting flights are complete for the $1,675 WSOP Circuit Main Event at Planet Hollywood.
Friday's Day 1A flight generated 314 entries, and another 531 joined Saturday's Day 1B to bring the total field to 845 across both. That creates a prizepool worth $1,267,500 to be shared by the final 90 players.
Ali Imsirovic bagged up the big stack of 383,000 chips to set the pace after Day 1A, and his lead held through Saturday's session, too. Valentin Vornicu finished Day 1B with 296,500, good for second place heading into Day 2.
Here's the overnight top five:
1. Ali Imsirovic - 383,000
2. Valentin Vornicu - 296,500
3. Rodger Johnson - 277,500
4. Joe Reddick - 274,000
5. Fernando Galvan - 264,000
The field in chase is packed with players who've had good success under the WSOP banner and elsewhere.
Bracelet winner Ankush Manadvia ended Day 1A with 228,000 chips, putting him in ninth place entering Day 2.
Sean Yu is a bracelet winner, too and a three-time victor on the Circuit, as well. Including this event last year. The defending champ is right behind Mandavia with 225,000 chips.
Two-time bracelet winner Scott Clements is looking to add a second Circuit ring to his own collection, and he'll begin Day 2 with 141,500 chips.
Eric Baldwin (151,000), Jeremy Ausmus (110,000), Barry Shulman (70,000), Cliff Goldkind (53,500), and Kevin Eyster (49,000) are among the other bracelet winners who advanced through the Day 1 flights.
Former November Niner Dan Sindelar is right there with 155,500 chips himself, followed by the likes of James Carroll (106,000), Jordan Cristos (101,500), and Sorel Mizzi (87,500).
As for Circuit heroes, one needs to look no further than 10-time ring winner Valentin Vornicu (pictured). The California standout is tied for the Circuit's all-time wins lead, and he's put himself in reasonable position to chase down another title. Vornicu was way out in front of the Day 1B field before stumbling a bit toward the end. He ended the day with 296,500 chips.
Double ring winner Brett Bader will also return to action near the top with 199,000 chips after a successful Day 1A campaign. Two-time winner Kevin Calenzo (189,500) and three-timer Bryan Devonshire (186,500) had productive Day 1B sessions, finishing well above the chip average themselves. They're followed by Wendy Freedman (168,000), Stephen Bierman (144,500), Sal DiCarlo (101,500), Marshall White (77,500), and too many others to name.
Day 2 chip counts | Day 2 seat draw
The 160 players who survived the starting flights will return to action Sunday for 10 more levels of play. Blinds will be 1,500/3,000 with a 500 ante when play resumes, putting the average stack just north of 35 big blinds.
Only the final 90 players will finish in the money, so bursting the bubble is first up on the day's to-do list. A top prize of nearly $250,000 will go to the eventual winner.
Day 2 begins at 12 p.m.
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:57 PM Local Time
Neil Scott raises to 5,500 from early position and a player in middle position calls, as does Sohale Khalili in the big blind.
The flop comes . Khalili checks, Scott bets 9,000 and the middle-position player calls. Khalili check-raises to 27,000 and Scott thinks for a moment before folding. The last player in the hand calls.
The turn is the and Khalili instantly moves all-in for 60,000. His opponent goes into the tank and eventually calls.
Khalili tables for a set of fives, while his opponent shows for a pair of sixes and a straight draw. The river is the and Khalili rakes in the pot while sending his opponent to the rail.
Sohale Khalili - 200,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:55 PM Local Time
Valentin Vornicu has opened eight out of the last 10 pots to 5,500 or 5,600 with a mixed bag of results. He has doubled up one opponent, ,folded to a few three bet shoves and won the pot without contest a couple times.
Vornicu again opens to 5,500 from early position. The player in the hijack moves all-in for about 30,000 and action folds to James Hoeppner in the small blind. He moves all-in for 41,300 and after the player in the big blind folds, Vornicu quickly calls. All three hands are tabled.
Hoeppner:
Vornicu:
Hijack:
Vornicu is in good shape for the double knock out with his opponents sharing an out. However, the flop changes that when it comes . The turn is the and river brings the . Hoeppner more than doubles and eliminates the player in the hijack. Vornicu's big stack takes a hit.
James Hoeppner - 115,000
Valentin Vornicu - 280,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:48 PM Local Time
JJ Liu (pictured) opens the button with a raise, and both blinds call to see a three-way flop.
It comes , and it checks to Liu. She continues for 7,000, and only the small blind calls. Both players check through the turn. The river is the , and the flop action repeats, with the small blind check-calling another bet of 7,000.
Liu shows , winning the pot with kings up.
While many of the familiar faces have been dropping out of contention here in the eleventh hour, Liu has been surging. Her stack is comfortably into six figures with just a couple hands left in the day.
JJ Liu - 130,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:43 PM Local Time
Joe Elpayaa is another who saw his stack dwindle down into push/fold territory as the night progressed.
In what would be his final hand of the tournament, Elpayaa moves all in for around 15,000 under the gun. The small blind re-shoves to put him at risk, and it appears Elpayaa has only looked at one card. He's not thrilled with what he sees at showdown.
Elpayaa:
Small blind:
The board runs out , and Elpayaa is eliminated.
Joe Elpayaa - Eliminated
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:39 PM Local Time
The clock is paused with 10 minutes left in the level. A seven is drawn from the deck, so each table will play that many more hands before the day concludes.
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:39 PM Local Time
Kevin Calenzo opens for 5,500 and the player on the button calls. The player in the small blind moves all-in for 23,900 and Calenzo four-bets to 105,500. The button folds.
The small blind tables , flipping against Calenzo's .
The flop comes and Calenzo pulls ahead with a pair of aces. The turn is the and the river is the to send the chips to Calenzo and his opponent to the rail.
Kevin Calenzo - 170,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:36 PM Local Time
Allyn Shulman has been nursing a shortening stack for the last few levels, resorting to push/fold during the recent orbits.
In the most recent hand, she finds a "push" spot, moving her last 10 big blinds or so into the middle first-in from the button. Unfortunately for her, the player in the big blind wakes up with an easy call to put her at risk.
Shulman:
Big blind:
The board runs out , and Shulman is drawing dead one card early. She's eliminated during the final few minutes of Day 1B.
Allyn Shulman - Eliminated
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:26 PM Local Time
Woody Moore limps in from middle position, Jordan Cristos follows suit next to act, and both blinds join for the minimum to create a four-way flop.
It comes . It checks to Cristos, who bets 18,000—an overbet of the pot. The small blind is the only caller, and it's heads-up to the turn.
It's the . The small blind checks again, and Cristos takes a long pause. After maybe three or four good minutes, he bets 14,000. It's smaller than the previous bet, but it's enough to coax a fairly quick fold and earn Cristos the pot.
After joining the field right before the close of registration, Cristos has done some good work this evening. He's comfortably into six figures with that win.
Jordan Cristos - 117,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:26 PM Local Time
The player under the gun opens the pot and action is on Jody Fayant in the big blind. He jams for 23,300 and the initial raiser calls.
Fayant tables and is at risk and ahead of his opponent's .
The flop comes and Fayant flops the nuts with a redraw to a Royal Flush. His opponent pairs his jack, but the turn is the and he is left drawing dead to the on the river.
Fayant has gone from three big blinds to over 20 in a matter of minutes.
Jody Fayant - 50,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:10 PM Local Time
Level 15 has just begun and the Tournament Director has announced that this is the last level of the night.
The clock will pause with 10 minutes left in the level and a random number of hands will be drawn.
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:09 PM Local Time
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:08 PM Local Time
Valentin Vornicu is raking in a huge pot.
According to Vornicu, Tim Reilly shoved all-in from early position for 26,000. Action folded to Vornicu in the hijack and he called the all-in. Steve Foutty was to Vornicu's direct left and he then moved all-in for 72,600. Action folded back to Vornicu and he called.
Vornicu:
Foutty:
Reilly:
The board ran out . Vornicu's hand was best he eliminated both of his opponents. Vornicu now has over 400K with a whole level to go before bagging.
Valentin Vornicu - 410,000
Steve Foutty - Eliminated
Tim Reilly - Eliminated
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:06 PM Local Time
Jody Fayant is down to 7,300 in chips and shoves all-in from middle position.
The player in the big blind asks how much, and Fayant manages to talk his way into a call. Fayant tables , and it turns out he has his opponent's dominated.
The flop comes and the big blind picks up a straight draw with his lone over card. The turn is the to give the big blind a spade draw, but the on the river is a brick and Fayant holds on to double.
Jody Fayant - 16,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 11:05 PM Local Time
A player in middle position raises to 5,000 and Lily Kiletto three-bets to 12,000 from the hijack. Action folds around to the original raiser and he calls.
The flop comes and action is checked to Kiletto. She moves all-in for 64,200. Her opponent thinks for about a minute and then sends his cards to the muck. The pot is pushed to Kiletto.
Lily Killeto - 93,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 10:57 PM Local Time
Registration is officially closed in the $1,675 Main Event with $1,000,000 guaranteed in the prize pool.
A
total of 845 entries came through the cage between two flights, putting
together a prize pool worth $1,267,500 paying out 90 spots.
First
place in this event will take home $247,160, a World Series of Poker
Circuit ring and a seat into the 2018 Global Casino Championship in
August.
A full breakdown of payouts is available under the Prizepool Tab.
Saturday, November 18, 2017 10:52 PM Local Time
A player in early position moves all in for 33,300, and Ryan Olisar puts him at risk a few seats over.
Olisar:
Opponent:
The board runs out , and Olisar wins the flip to score the knockout with a jack-high straight.
Ryan Olisar - 100,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 10:32 PM Local Time
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 300
Saturday, November 18, 2017 10:30 PM Local Time
Josh Bergman raises to 3,400 from hijack and action folds to the player on the button. The button player three-bets to 9,100 and action folds back to Bergman. He four-bets to 22,000 and the player on the button five-bets all-in for around 80,000. Bergman instantly calls and both players table their hands.
Bergman:
Opponent:
The board runs out and Bergman's ace hold against the kings to win the pot and eliminate his opponent.
Josh Bergman - 181,000
Saturday, November 18, 2017 10:29 PM Local Time
Jasthi Kumar opens with a raise in middle position, and Christopher Than three-bets to what looks like 10,000 in the cutoff. Kumar four-bet shoves for 50,100 total, and Than calls to put him at risk, having Kumar slightly covered.
Kumar:
Than:
The board runs out , and Than's kicker plays to earn him the pot. Kumar, who won his first ring a couple weeks ago at Harveys Lake Tahoe, is eliminated from contention in this Main Event.
Christoper Than - 110,000
Jasthi Kumar - Eliminated