Saturday, September 15, 2018 12:42 AM Local Time
Marlon Nonales
There were 155 entries for Day 1A of the $1,700 Thunder Valley Circuit Main Event on Friday, September 14, but by the end of the day there were only 33 remaining. Leading the pack at the end of play was Marlon Nonales. Nonales is looking to put on another strong performance this series after finishing sixth place in Event #1: $400 No-Limit Hold’em $300,000 Guaranteed. In that event, Nonales earned $14,815 for his run, lasting until the final table of the massive event.
Nonales had an up and down day on Friday as well. Early in the day he emerged as one of the chip leaders, becoming one of the first players to breach 100,000 chips. He would later lose a massive pot to Billy Saelee with top pair against top set, but by the end of the take he would get his revenge. Towards the last few levels of the night, Nonales flopped two pair against Saelee’s overpair. All the money got in the middle and Nonales held up to scoop a monster pot worth over 250,000 chips. He would finish the night with 306,000 chips making him the chip leader.
Among others who showed up and put on strong performances here on Day 1A was Hafiz Khan, a former champion of this event, who bagged 103,500. Also bagging were Alexander Greenblatt (126,000), David Feinstein (187,000), Charlton Atwood (226,500), Tommy Chen (232,000), Jason Warner (264,000), Pedro Rodriguez (250,500) and Michael Pearson (82,000), all of whom will be returning for Day 2 which will kick off on Sunday, September 16. A full list of survivors from Day 1A can be found above in the reports tab.
But there were plenty of notables who didn’t make it through to Day 2 just yet. Among those who fell today include Pat Lyons, Robert Mather, Brett Murray, Sean Drake, JC Tran, Lon McEachern, Dan O’Brien, Amir Lehavot, Dutch Boyd, Dan Harmetz, Josh Prager, and Lee Markholt to name a few. Brett Murray fired two bullets today. At the end of his first, Murray lost a coin flip with ace-queen against pocket nines. He quickly doubled up on the second bullet, but wasn’t able to find any traction after that and hit the rail before the end of the action.
Flight 1B of this event kicks off on Friday, September 15 at 12 p.m. Players on Friday will have two more chances to enter this event and to bag up a stack for Day 2. Survivors from Day 1A and Day 1B will combine on Sunday, September 16 at 12 p.m. where players will return for Day 2. Action will start back up in level 16 with blinds of 2,000/4,000 with a 500 chip ante.
WSOP.com will prove live updates from start to finish of this event, so make sure to stay tuned in.
Saturday, September 15, 2018 12:15 AM Local Time
Play has concluded for the night and players are bagging up their chips.
A full recap will be posted shortly.
Saturday, September 15, 2018 12:00 AM Local Time
The clock has been stopped with 10 minutes remaining, and each table will play four more hands before bagging up for the night.
Friday, September 14, 2018 11:47 PM Local Time
After a limp from under the gun, Stephen Graner raises, making it 10,000. Next to act is Imad Allahham and he raises, making it 25,000. Action folds back to the player under the gun who thinks for a while before folding, but Graner calls.
On the flop, Graner checks over to Allahham who leads out with a bet of 15,000. Graner takes his time and tanks for a bit before moving all in for just over 130,000. Allahham drops into the tank and thinks for several minutes, but eventually he decides to let go of his hand, so Graner is able to take down the pot without a showdown to chip up to right around 200,000.
Stephen Graner - 200,000
Imad Allahham - 118,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 11:38 PM Local Time
Marlon Nonales raises to 10,500 from under the gun and everyone folds around to Charlton Atwood in the big blind. He calls.
The flop is and Atwood checks. Nonales continues for 13,000 and Atwood calls.
Both players check the on the turn and the river is the . Atwoods checks a third time. Nonales checks behind and tables . Atwoods turns over , and he wins the pot with two pair, fives and threes.
Charlton Atwood - 210,000
Marlon Nonales - 320,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 11:29 PM Local Time
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 500
Friday, September 14, 2018 11:27 PM Local Time
On a flop of Noel Rodriguez checks over to his lone opponent. The player puts out a bet of 8,000 before Rodriguez check-raises, making it 28,400. His opponent tanks for a while before calling.
On the turn, both players check and they check again on the river. Rodriguez shows down his and that earns him the pot, chipping him up to nearly 200,000 chips.
Noel Rodriguez - 195,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:59 PM Local Time
As the dealer pitches cards, one card (the ) is exposed and becomes the first burn card. Lee Markholt raises to 65,000 from early position. Action folds around to Niv Decalo in the cutoff, and he three-bets to 79,000. Markholt rechecks his cards and says, "That dead is isn't good for me." He then folds face up. Decalo shows .
Niv Decalo - 79,000
Lee Markholt - 65,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:54 PM Local Time
Action is on the turn with the board showing and Viet Tran leads out from middle position with a bet of 8,000. Alex Greenblatt calls in the cutoff seat creating a pot of right around 35,000.
The river is the and Tran slows down with a check. Greenblatt then moves all in for 20,100. Tran thinks for a little bit, then shows his , folding his hand. Greenblatt says nothing, but rakes in the pot to move over 60,000 chips once again.
Alex Greenblatt - 66,000
Viet Tran - 120,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:49 PM Local Time
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:45 PM Local Time
Four players each put in 5,000 preflop, and the flop comes . All four players check, bringing the on the turn. Michael Pearson leads out from the big blind for 11,000. An early position player folds, a middle-position player folds, and the button calls.
The two players see the come on the river. Pearson continues for 33,300, and his opponent folds.
Michael Pearson - 155,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:37 PM Local Time
Action is heads up on a flop of and Marlon Nonales checks from the big blind over to Billy Saelee in middle position. There is roughly 15,000 in the pot and Saelee puts out a bet of 9,000 before Nonales check-raises, making it 35,500. Saelee thinks for a good while before he moves all in for over 100,000 Nonales snap calls.
Marlon Nonales:
Billy Saelee:
The board completes with the and the and Nonales two pair holds up to take down the monster pot. Stacks are counted out and Nonales has Saelee covered. Saelee doubled through Nonales earlier in the day with top set against top pair, but now Nonales has taken his revenge, taking down the big pot to move into the chip lead early here on Day 1A.
Marlon Nonales - 265,000
Billy Saelee - Eliminated
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:25 PM Local Time
There is over 50,000 in the middle of the table and the board shows as Navin Mohan faces off against Hector Martin. Mohan checks over to Martin who puts out a bet of 22,000. Mohan then check-raises, moving all in for 49,400. Martin drops into the tank.
As he thinking, Martin reveals his and the floor is called over since Martin revealed his hand with action pending. Before the floor can come over, Martin folds so Mohan is awarded the pot. Because he exposed his cards with action pending though, Martin is given a warning and told that if this happens again, he will be penalized. Mohan does show his hand though, revealing for trips.
After taking down the pot, Mohan chips up over 140,000 while Martin is left with just over 40,000.
Navin Mohan - 141,000
Hector Martin - 40,500
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:14 PM Local Time
The late-registration period for today's Day 11A has closed with 155 official entries. Saturday's Day 11B, as is normal in multi-flight events, is expected to draw a much larger field
Total Entries: 155
Friday, September 14, 2018 10:09 PM Local Time
Level: 13
Blinds: 1,000/2000
Ante: 300
Friday, September 14, 2018 9:55 PM Local Time
Players are now on a 15-minute break.
When play resumes, registration for Flight A will officially be closed.
Friday, September 14, 2018 9:54 PM Local Time
David Larson
Billy Saelee raises to 4,000 from middle position, and David Larson calls from the hijack. Charlton Atwood calls from the small blind, and they see the flop three-handed.
The flop is and all three players check. The turn is the . Atwood and Saelee check again, then Larson bets 12,000. Only Atwood calls.
The river is the and both players check. Larson turns over , and he's just barely better than Atwood's .
David Larson - 135,000
Charlton Atwood - 155,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 9:52 PM Local Time
Dan Webster opens in early position with a raise to 4,200. Action folds around to Josh Morrow who calls in position.
The flop is and Webster checks to Morrow who puts out a bet of 5,000. Webster calls.
On the turn, Webster checks again. Morrow now decides to move all in, shoving for 22,400. Webster tanks for a bit then lets go of his hand and that allows Morrow to take down the pot.
"One time," Morrow says, showing his for just a gutshot and two over cards. That allows him to take down the pot and move over 40,000 chips while Webster takes a hit down to 122,000.
Josh Morrow - 45,000
Dan Webster - 122,000
Friday, September 14, 2018 9:37 PM Local Time
Catching the action on the flop of , Francis Zhang leads out from under the gun, making it 2,000 to go. Brett Murray calls on the button, having re-entered the tournament after busting earlier in the level.
The turn is the and Zhang bets again, making it 3,100. Murray calls once more.
On the river, Zhang slows down and checks. Murray now moves all in for 20,200. Zhang lets out a groan and tanks for a little while before he calls. Murray shows his for a full house and it's good as Zhang can only produce for two pair.
With that, Murray doubles while Zhang drops under 100,000 chips.
Brett Murray - 57,500
Francis Zhang - 97,500
Friday, September 14, 2018 9:32 PM Local Time
There's about 12,000 in the pot after a series of preflop raises, and three players see the flop come . Marlon Nonales checks from the small blind. The big blind checks, and Billy Saelee checks from early position.
All three players check again on the turn, and the river is the . Nonales now leads out for 5,400, and both other players fold.
Marlon Nonales - 90,000