Monday, March 18, 2019 1:58 PM Local Time
Oklahoma City's Michael Carter has claimed the largest payday of his poker career by capturing the win in Event #3 at Circuit Hard Rock Tulsa, earning $86,000 and his first career Circuit ring. Carter came to an unscheduled Day 3 with a large lead over his only remaining foe, Tulsa's Andrew Watson, and finished off the win in about 30 minutes of play.
Watson earned $53,500 for his own deep run, while Overland Park, Kansas's Greg Jennings took third for $39,205.
"I'm still a little bit in shock," said Carter, moments after his win. "I wasn't even planning on being here. At the last minute I talked my wife, Amanda, into coming, so she could do some shopping... and shopping seems to work with that, so I gave up a little shopping money to play some poker." (There's a good chance that Amanda, who was at the rail for the Day 3 conclusion, will have some more shopping money in the near future, too.)
Carter moved into the lead halfway through the final table and successfully bullied the shorter stacks into battling each other. By the time the event reached heads-up play near the end of a lengthy Day 2, Carter had built roughly a 5:1 edge, and he nearly closed out the event on Sunday night, before an all-in Watson caught a runner-runner club flush to stay alive.
Watson, though, ran out of luck. In the final hand, he moved all in with A-K, while Carter called with J-9 suited and his big stack as insurance. A nine arrived on the flop, no other help appeared, and the ring and the big payday was his.
Monday, March 18, 2019 2:54 AM Local Time
Play has ended for the night in Event #3 with just two players remaining. When an unscheduled Day 3 begins at 1 pm on Monday, Oklahoma City's Michael Carter will start with 17.52 million in chips, while Tulsa's Andrew Watson returns to a 3.465 million stack.
Sunday, March 17, 2019 9:10 PM Local Time
Event #3 has reached its unofficial 10-player final table. Here are the final 10 players, with seat assignments and chip counts:
Seat 1: Jesse Jones - 2,820,000
Seat 2: Richard Koller - 1,260,000
Seat 3: Michael Carter - 1,505,000
Seat 4: Blake Conyers - 2,100,000
Seat 5: Pete Petree - 850,000
Seat 6: Kevin Rund - 4,925,000
Seat 7: Martin Grivich - 1,090,000
Seat 8: Andrew Watson - 4,000,000
Seat 9: Greg Jennings - 1,375,000
Seat 10: Josh Wilder - 960,000
Sunday, March 17, 2019 2:58 PM Local Time
Play has moved well inside the money bubble in Event #3 and bustouts remain happening at a speedy pace. At the moment, roughly 82 players remain.
Sunday, March 17, 2019 2:52 AM Local Time
Flight E has concluded play for the night. This flight's 49 survivors were led by McAlester, OK's Cole James, who bagged 364,000 in chips to take the overall lead heading into Sunday's Day 2 play.
Overall, 196 players will return when action resumes at noon.
Sunday, March 17, 2019 12:44 AM Local Time
The prizepool for Event #3 has been calculated, and here are the topline numbers:
Entries: 1,399
Prizepool: $500,000
Spots Paid: 153
1st Place: $86,000
Min-cash: $670
Complete payout numbers are available under the "Prizepool" tab above.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 11:49 PM Local Time
The late-registration period has closed for Flight E, with a total of 365 entries logged. This brings Event #3's total registration to 1,399 paid entries.
Prizepool information for this event will be available in a short while.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 8:38 PM Local Time
Today's Flight D has now concluded play, with 75 players moving on to Sunday's Day 2 from 461 total entries. The 75 are led by Atlanta, GA's Massimo Dirienzo, who bagged 288,000 in chips.
Complete chip counts for all 75 surviving Flight D players can be found under the "Reports" tab above.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 6:55 PM Local Time
Late registration has closed for today's "D" starting flight. As expected, it's the largest flight so far, with 461 entries recorded. That brngs the total through for flights to 1,034, with another 240 entries already logged in today's Flight E.
Flight D has another hour or so of play before chips are bagged for the night.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 4:59 PM Local Time
The fifth and final starting flight in Event #3, Flight E, has just begun play. Meanwhile, late registration in Flight D remains open for another 45 minutes.
Final registration numbers will be available later tonight.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 10:59 AM Local Time
The fourth of five starting flights in Event #3, $400 No-Limit Hold'em, begins at 11 am.
This event includes:
- 15,000 in starting chips
- 30-minute levels through Level 22, 45-minute levels thereafter
- Each starting flight will play until the completion of level 16 or approximately 12% of the field
- Re-entry event
- Survivors of all five (5) starting flights return for Day 2 action on Sunday
Scroll to the beginning of this blog to view the event's complete structure sheet. Participation numbers for Flight D will be available early this evening.
Saturday, March 16, 2019 2:15 AM Local Time
Event #3's third starting flight is complete, with 27 players remaining at night's end from a 211-entry field. The 27 are led by Noam Shahar, who bagged 235,000 in chips.
Complete counts for all surviving "C" flight players are available under the "Reports" tab above.
Friday, March 15, 2019 11:59 PM Local Time
Level 13 has arrived and the registration window has closed in today's "C" starting flight. This third of five flights drew 211 entries, swelling the total turnout through three flights to 573.
Action will continue in flight C for another two hours.
Friday, March 15, 2019 8:18 PM Local Time
Action has concluded for the night in starting flight B, with 29 players remaining from the flight's 241 entries. The 29 are led by Catoosa, OK's own Joe Ferguson. Ferguson, a regular here at Hard Rock Tulsa, bagged 286,000 in chips to lead this flight's survivors, each of whom will return at noon on Sunday for Day 2 action.
Chip counts for the flight's 29 surviving players are available under the "Reports" tab above.
Friday, March 15, 2019 6:13 PM Local Time
Today's starting flight B has reached Level 13, and with that, registration has closed. This flight attracted 241 entries, almost exactly double yesterday's A flight total of 121. Meanwhile, registration for today's C flight is open for several more hours, with another 130 entries already logged.
Friday, March 15, 2019 5:24 PM Local Time
Action has also begun in today's starting flight C. Meanwhile, late registration remains open in today's B flight, which has already drawn 239 entries.
Friday, March 15, 2019 9:55 AM Local Time
The second of five starting flights in Event #3, $400 No-Limit Hold'em, begins at 11 am.
This event includes:
- 15,000 in starting chips
- 30-minute levels through Level 22, 45-minute levels thereafter
- Each starting flight will play until the completion of level 16 or approximately 12% of the field
- Re-entry event
- Survivors of all five (5) starting flights return for Day 2 action on Sunday
Participation numbers for Flight B will be available early this evening.
Friday, March 15, 2019 1:59 AM Local Time
Play has ended for the night with 16 players remaining from 121 Flight A entries. The 16 players who are moving on to Sunday's Day 2 are led by Oklahoma CIty's WIll Berry, with 240,500 in chips.
Chip counts for the flight's survivors are available under the "Reports" tab above.
Thursday, March 14, 2019 10:53 PM Local Time
On a day possibly impacted by a major Midwestern storm, Flight A of Event #3 has drawn 121 entries. Chip counts for today's surviving players will be available later tonight.
Thursday, March 14, 2019 3:31 PM Local Time
The first of five starting flights in Event #3, $400 No-Limit Hold'em, begins at 5 pm.
This two-day event includes:
- 15,000 in starting chips
- 30-minute levels through Level 22, 45-minute levels thereafter
- Day 1 will play until the completion of level 16 or approximately 12% of the field
- Re-entry event
- Survivors of all five (5) starting flights return for Day 2 action on Sunday
Participation numbers will be available early this evening.