Saturday, January 13, 2018 1:17 AM Local Time
Gil George
The first of two starting flights in the 2018 World Series of Poker Choctaw Circuit Main Event has come to a conclusion after 16 levels of play. There were 472 players who put up the $1,675 to enter the first flight of the tournament and only 80 players remained by the end of the night. The players that survived will return for Day 2 Sunday at noon along with all of tomorrow’s Day 1B survivors.
Gold Bracelet and gold ring winners littered today's field. Some of the Bracelet winners to enter today’s flight include six-time Bracelet winner TJ Coutier, Justin Liberto, Jonathan Hilton, Kevin Eyster, Blair Hinkle, and James Mackey who also won a major title here in 2016.
Leading at the end of Day 1A is Gil George (pictured) with 275,000 chips from DeSoto Texas.
Other notables to advance chip stacks to Day 2 include Mike Dentale (224,000), Jeff Fielder (194,000), Ralph Massey (145,500), Mina Greco (110,000), Allen Kessler (52,000), and Andy Philachack (177,000) who won this event in 2016.
Daniel Jones, who sits a top the Casino Champion Leaderboard with 85 points, bagged 173,500 and is looking to improve his lead.
Players that were not fortunate enough to make it to the end of the day include Aaron Massey, Jake Bazeley, Krzysztof Stybaniewicz, Joe Elpayaa, Craig Varnell and Jeff Trudeau. Robert Hankins, who won his ninth ring two days ago was in the field but also failed to advance.
The second flight of the Main Event will begin tomorrow at 12 p.m. local time.
Saturday, January 13, 2018 12:58 AM Local Time
Ten minutes remain on the Flight A clock
and tournament staff has just announced players will log three more
hands before bagging and tagging. Those who advance return for Day 2
Sunday at 12 p.m. CT. Complete chip counts will be made available
shortly.
Saturday, January 13, 2018 12:58 AM Local Time
Mina Greco moves all in for her last 26,000 from middle position and the player on the button calls. The blinds fold and the cards are tabled.
"It was a weak call," said the player on the button. "You're good."
Greco shows and is in the lead against the button's . The flop is and Greco moves further into the lead after adding the nut flush draw to her hand. The turn is the and the river is the . Greco doubles up with ace-high and doubles up just before the staff pauses the clock to draw hands.
Mina Greco - 63,500
Saturday, January 13, 2018 12:54 AM Local Time
Tim Phiouphanh shoves all in from early position for his remaining 32,000 and his opponent immediately shoves over the top behind him. Phiouphanh is up against it, holding [ks,ts] against the [as,ad] of his opponent.
The board runs out [3s,2s,2h,jd,5s] and makes a spade flush to double up.
Tim Phiouphanh - 67,000
Saturday, January 13, 2018 12:36 AM Local Time
Scott Saunders shoves all in from middle position and the player in the small blind calls. Saunders has against the of his opponent.
The board runs out and Saunders earns the double up.
Scott Saunders - 84,000
Saturday, January 13, 2018 12:23 AM Local Time
Johannsy Joseph opens from under the gun to 7,000 and Jacob Phillips shoves all in from middle position. The player in the big blind shoves over the top and Joseph folds.
Phillips shows against the of the big blind and flops an ace, then turns a queen to make two pair and take down the pot.
Jacob Phillips - 85,000
Saturday, January 13, 2018 12:18 AM Local Time
Level: 16
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 500
Friday, January 12, 2018 11:50 PM Local Time
Justin Liberto opens to 5,300 from under the gun, Mike Dentale calls next to act, and Jeff Fielder makes it 13,000. It folds back around to Liberto who moves all in for 26,300 total. Dentale gets out of the way, and Fielder calls with . Liberto turns over and has a dominating lead.
The flop comes , and Liberto is still way ahead. The spikes the turn and Fielder takes the lead. The river brings the eliminating Liberto.
Jeff Fielder - 125,000
Justin Liberto - Eliminated
Friday, January 12, 2018 11:38 PM Local Time
Krzysztof Stybaniewicz moves all in for around 20,000 from the button and the big blind calls with . Stybaniewicz needs to get lucky with his .
The board comes and the button's jack high kicker plays, eliminating Stybaniewicz.
Krzysztof Stybaniewicz - Eliminated
Friday, January 12, 2018 11:14 PM Local Time
A player opens to 4,500 from middle position and Keenan Davis raises all in for 23,200. Another player goes all in and Davis has him covered. Davis has pocket aces against the pocket kings of his opponent.
Davis stays ahead and eliminates his opponent, adding and extra 13,000 to his stack.
Keenan Davis - 72,000
Friday, January 12, 2018 11:10 PM Local Time
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Friday, January 12, 2018 11:09 PM Local Time
Rod Jahanguiri moves all in for 32,800 from the button and the big blind calls with . Janhanguiri turns over and appears to be in great shape.
The flop comes giving his opponent a flush draw, the and run out and theres no heart in sight as Jahanguiri safely doubles up.
Rod Jahanguiri - 70,000
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:54 PM Local Time
Aaron Frei moves all in from the cutoff for 5,000 and Douglas 'Rico' Carli moves all in for about 25,000 out of the small blind. Frei shows and needs help against Carli's .
The flop is and Frei takes the lead with a pair of sixes, leaving Carli drawing to just three outs. One of them comes in right on the turn with the . The river is the and Carli wins the pot to eliminate Frei.
Douglas Carli - 31,000
Aaron Frei - Eliminated
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:48 PM Local Time
The player under the gun moves all in for his last 4,200, Daniel Jones calls from middle position, as does a player in late position.
Both players check down the board, under the gun over , late position tables , but its Jones's pair of aces, that takes the pot.
Daniel Jones - 120,000
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:30 PM Local Time
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 300
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:22 PM Local Time
Four players see the flop and all four players check. The turn is the and Jeff Fielder leads for 8,000. One player calls.
The river is the and Fielder leads for 13,000, his opponent calls. Fielder wins the hand with .
Jeff Fielder - 104,000
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:18 PM Local Time
Neil Patel
Neil Patel raises on the button and Ralph Massey moves all in out of the big blind. Patel calls and is all in for about 26,000. He's in the lead with his against Massey's .
The flop is , keeping Patel's big slick in the lead, but the turn is the , which gives Massey the best hand. The river is the and Massey wins the pot to eliminate Patel.
Ralph Massey - 111,000
Neil Patel - Eliminated
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:16 PM Local Time
On a flop of , Trung Pham checks from the big blind and Frankie Krumney bets 9,500 on the button. Pham check-raises all in for about 50,000 and Krumney snap-calls.
Krumney tables and is in the lead against Pham's .
Krumney needs to fade a spade on the turn or river to eliminate Pham and rake a massive pot. The turn is the , keeping Krumney in the lead, and the river is the . Pham hits the rail and Krumney takes the chip lead.
Frankie Krumney - 245,000
Trung Pham - Eliminated
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:10 PM Local Time
Justin Liberto moves all in from the cutoff for 29,100 and Mike Dentale reshoves from the button. The blinds fold and its heads up. Liberto turns over and needs to get lucky against Dentale's .
The board comes and Dentale is in great shape, that is until the hit the river, winning Liberto the pot.
Justin Liberto - 63,000
Mike Dentale - 70,000
Friday, January 12, 2018 10:05 PM Local Time
With around 20,000 in the pot on a final board reading , Mike Dentale bets 10,000 from the small blind. The action is on Jeff Fielder in early position. Dentale tells him "I got you here". Fielder asks "Why do I believe you?" to which Dentale responds "I'm not lying".
Fielder had to see for himself as he put the calling chips in the pot. Dentale turns over and Fielder mucks.
"I told you I had it"
"You did, nice hand"
Mike Dentale - 100,000
Jeff Fielder - 75,000