Monday, August 31, 2015 2:45 AM Local Time
Day 2 of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore wrapped up early Monday morning with a familiar face atop the leaderboard.
Chris Csik, the defending champion of this event, navigated a field of 151 players Sunday to emerge as the chip leader with 11 remaining at the end of the day. Csik started with only 39,200, but was hot early in the day. Csik’s ascent up the leaderboard continued throughout the day and culminated with a more than 500,000 pot against John Gorsuch during the last level of the day.
Csik is looking to become only the second back-to-back Main Event Champion of a circuit stop after Blair Hinkle accomplished the feat in 2013 and 2014 at Horseshoe Council Bluffs.
When play resumes on Monday, John Gorsuch (1,235,000) and Peter Lee (1,155,000) will join Tsik (1,760,000) at the top of the leaderboard. Also remaining in the field are Circuit Ring winners DJ MacKinnon (435,000), Russ Head (575,000), and Cullen Hoffmann (205,000).
Of the 151 players who started Day 2 play, 54 made the money with the bubble bursting around 5 p.m. ET. Those finishing in the money include John Gallaher (17th), Asher Conniff (26th), Dan Gilmer (32nd), and Jesse Cohen (35th). Chase Bianchi, who began Day 2 as the chip leader, finished in 39th place. A full listing of those who made the money can be found in the results tab above.
Day 2 also saw players such as WSOP National Champion Loni Harwood, November Niner Joe McKeehen, and Daryll Fish fire one more bullet into the Main Event, but come up short of the money. The Casino Champion Race will come down to Monday after Sara Hall just missed a chance to take the lead with a minimum cash in the main event. Hall’s pocket queens were cracked by the pocket jacks of Gorsuch shortly before the bubble burst. Dustin Murphy remains ahead going into the last day of the Baltimore series.
The final day of Horseshoe Casino WSOP Circuit Main Event will begin Monday at 2 p.m. Players are guaranteed a $11,054 payday, but will all have their eyes set on the $147,699 first place prize, WSOP Circuit Ring, and seat in the WSOP Global Casino Championship.
Chip counts for Day 3 of the Baltimore Main Event:
1) Chris Csik - 1,760,000
2) John Gorsuch - 1,235,000
3) Peter Lee - 1,155,000
4) Tommy Vu - 1,155,000
5) Sandeep Patel - 1,070,000
6) Brian Walters - 845,000
7) Ting Xiao - 580,000
8) Russ Head - 575,000
9) DJ MacKinnon - 435,000
10) Cullen Hofmann - 205,000
11) John Kostelac - 140,000
Monday, August 31, 2015 2:41 AM Local Time
Day 2 has come to a close with 11 players remaining. A full recap as well chip counts will be posted shortly.
Monday, August 31, 2015 2:35 AM Local Time
Ting Xiao opens the cutoff to 50,000, and Michael Falcone three-bet shoves for 300,000 in the big blind. Xiao tanks and calls, and Falcone is at risk.
Xiao:
Falcone:
The board runs out , and Xiao wins the pot with two pair. Falcone is eliminated in 12th place, earning a money jump and the first five-figure payout of the Main Event.
Ting Xiao - 720,000 (30 bb)
Michael Falcone - Eliminated
Monday, August 31, 2015 2:27 AM Local Time
John Gorsuch opens the button for 55,000 and Ken Taffaro calls from the small blind. Chris Csik folds the big blind and Taffaro and Gorsuch are heads up to the flop.
The board comes and Taffaro open jams about 280,000. Gorsuch calls and tables for top pair, top kicker. He's well ahead of the of Taffaro as they head to the turn.
The turn is the .
The river is the . Gorsuch's queens are good and Taffaro hits the rail earning $9,041 for his 13th-place finish.
John Gorsuch - 1,195,000 (49 bb)
Ken Taffaro - Eliminated
Monday, August 31, 2015 2:23 AM Local Time
Ting Xiao shoves from under the gun and it folds to DJ MacKinnon in the small blind. He shoves for more and Cullen Hofmann folds his big blind. Xiao is at risk but ahead of MacKinnon.
Xiao:
MacKinnon:
The board runs out and Xiao doubles through MacKinnon.
Ting Xiao - 430,000 (17 bb)
DJ MacKinnon - 435,000 (18 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 2:10 AM Local Time
Defending Baltimore Main Event champion Chris Csik (pictured) raises to 55,000 from under the gun. It folds to John Gorsuch in the small blind and he calls. Ken Taffaro folds his big blind and they're heads up to the flop.
Gorsuch checks when the flop comes . Csik bets 45,000. It's back on Gorsuch and he raises to 110,000. Csik sits still and eyes Gorsuch's stack. He flats and they head to the turn.
Fourth street is the and Gorsuch leads for 160,000. Csik goes into the tank for a minute or two before he goes all in. Gorsuch has 523,000 chips behind and is well covered by Csik. Gorsuch leans back in his chair and puts his hands behind his head. He take a couple minutes, but finds a fold.
"My instincts say you have ace-king," he says as he exposes .
Csik quietly folds his hand and takes the pot. The defending champion is now the chip leader with 13 players remaining.
Chris Csik - 1,680,000 (70 bb)
John Gorsuch - 523,000 (21 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 1:54 AM Local Time
Michael Falcone raises to 50,000 from under the gun. It folds all the way around to Peter Lee in the big blind and he calls.
The flop comes . Lee opens shoves for 144,000. Falcone calls. Lee is at risk with for king-high, but he's ahead of the of Falcone as the dealer begins to burn and turn.
The board completes with the turn and river. Lee's king-high remains ahead and he doubles through Falcone.
Peter Lee - 400,000 (20 bb)
Michael Falcone - 300,000 (15 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 1:49 AM Local Time
Russ Head opens to 55,000 from late position, and Jon Borenstein moves all in for 76,000 on the button. Head calls, and Borenstein is at risk.
Head:
Borenstein:
"I'm dead, aren't I?" Borenstein asks rhetorically. Sure enough, the board runs out , and Head wins the pot with a flush. Borenstein is eliminated in 14th place, earning $9,041.
Russ Head - 640,000 (27 bb)
Jon Borenstein - Eliminated
Monday, August 31, 2015 1:40 AM Local Time
Level: 25
Blinds: 12,000/24,000
Ante: 4,000
Monday, August 31, 2015 1:40 AM Local Time
Jon Borenstein opens with a raise from under the gun to 45,000. DJ MacKinnon, seated directly to Borenstein's left, moves all in for 241,000. The action folds back around to Borenstein, who double checks his cards, and calls.
MacKinnon is out in front with to Borenstein's , but Borenstein hits a queen on the flop to move ahead. MacKinnon is looking for a jack or king on the turn and hits with the . The river is a blank for Borenstein and MacKinnon will double up.
DJ MacKinnon - 533,000 (26 bb)
Joe Borenstein - 121,000 (6 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 1:08 AM Local Time
Brian Walters limps from late position and John Kostelac shoves the button for 152,000. John Gorsuch folds the small blind and it's on Ken Taffaro in the big blind. He calls sending the action over to Walters. Walters sits still for a minute before he slides his cards into the muck. Kostelac is at risk holding against the of Taffaro.
A flop of improves neither player, but gives Taffaro outs to a flush and straight while taking away the as an out from Kostelac.
The turn is the . Kostelac heads to the river with two outs.
Kostelac jumps from the table and claps his hands as the dealer reveals the on the river improving him to a pair and earning him the pot.
John Kostelac - 370,000 (18 bb)
Ken Taffaro - 590,000 (29 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 1:02 AM Local Time
Peter Lee moves all in for 119,000 from the cutoff, and DJ MacKinnon calls from the big blind.
Lee:
MacKinnon:
The board runs out , and Lee doubles up with a set of sixes.
Peter Lee - 269,000 (13 bb)
DJ MacKinnon - 357,000 (18 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:56 AM Local Time
Ting Xiao open shoves from the cutoff for 222,000. Russ Head calls from the button. Peter Lee folds his small blind and Michael Falcone follows suit from the big blind. Xiao, who holds , is all and at risk against Head's .
The flop pairs Xiao falling .
The turn and river are no help to Head and he surrenders a double to Xiao.
Ting Xiao - 500,000 (25 bb)
Russ Head - 265,000 (13 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:56 AM Local Time
Ruben Ybarra and Brian Walters are heads up on a board.
Ybarra has check-raised all in for 425,000 into what is already a sizable pot. Walters, who has Ybarra covered, takes only a moment before he calls and flips for a pair of sevens and the nut flush draw. Ybarra holds and will need to hit a king or queen on the river to keep his tournament alive.
The falls on the river, sending the massive pot to Walters and eliminating Ybarra in 15th place.
Brian Walters - 1,488,000 (74 bb)
Ruben Ybarra - Eliminated
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:53 AM Local Time
Jon Borenstein opens for 45,000 and Cullen Hofmann shoves for 169,000. The remaining players in the hand fold and it's back on Borenstein. He asks for a count and announces "call" before the dealer's fully finished breaking down Hofmann's stack.
Borenstein:
Hofmann:
The runout is and Hofmann's pair of aces is good. He doubles through Borenstein.
Cullen Hofmann - 385,000 (19 bb)
Jon Borenstein - 425,000 (21 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:48 AM Local Time
Elie Williams moves all in for 133,000 from under the gun. John Gorsuch, seated directly to WIlliams' left, calls and the rest of the table folds.
Williams:
Gorsuch:
Gorsuch jumps out in front on the flop. The turn is the , giving Williams outs to a straight and Gorsuch the nut flush draw. The river is the giving Gorsuch two pair, aces and sixes, to scoop the pot and eliminate Williams.
John Gorsuch - 818,000 (40 bb)
Elie Williams - Eliminated
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:39 AM Local Time
Level: 24
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 3,000
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:23 AM Local Time
Players are on a 15-minute break.
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:08 AM Local Time
According to players at the table, Ting Xiao opened with a raise to 32,000. One player called and Jon Borenstein called, defending his big blind.
On the flop, Borenstein checked and Xiao bet 60,000. The third player in the hand folded before Borenstein moved all in for 195,000. Xiao called and showed , but Borenstein showed for two pair. The turn missed Xiao and Borenstein improved to a full house on the river to double up.
Jon Borenstein - 515,000 (32 bb)
Ting Xiao - 165,000 (10 bb)
Monday, August 31, 2015 12:03 AM Local Time
A few hands after John Kostelac doubled through Peter Lee, he open shoves from early position for 104,000. It folds to Michael Falcone in the big blind and he snap calls with . Kostelac holds and is in a coin flip for his tournament life.
The flop pairs Kostelac, falling .
The turn and river improve Kostelac to the nut flush and he doubles through Falcone.
John Kostelac - 230,000 (14 bb)
Michael Falcone - 650,000 (40 bb)