Friday, December 1, 2017 11:32 PM Local Time
There were 378 entries for Day 1A of the Harrah's Cherokee $1,675 Main Event, but leading the way after the first 15 levels of play is Nathan Gentry (pictured above) who finished the night with 399,500. Gentry is relatively unknown thus far as poker player having only amassed $23,143 in recorded live tournament earnings and he slipped by unnoticed for most of the day as he amassed a mountain of chips. He will lead the 60 survivors from this flight into Day 2.
Also making it through the day with a massive chip stack is David Jackson (above) who won his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring earlier this week. Jackson used his "baby run-good" from the birth of his second child to amass a stack of 357,000 today after being placed at a rather tough table including Justin Harvell and Jeffrey Trudeau.
Another notable to make it through the day include Tyler Phillips (above) who is the brother of two-time WSOP bracelet winner, Carter Phillips. Phillips bagged up 328,500 at the end of his night, but his brother Carter was not as fortunate and didn't manage to bring a bag into Day 2 yet. Some other survivors include Chris Bell (79,500), Jeffrey Trudeau (198,000), DJ Mackinnon (43,500), Jett Schencker (266,000), Jeter Brock (34,000), and Russ Head (230,500).
But there were plenty who didn't make it through Day 1A either. That plentiful list includes names such as Maurice Hawkins, Marvin Rettenmaier (above), Mike Wang, Krzysztof Stybaniewicz, Kevin Eyster, David Bach, Kindah Sakkal, Fikret Kovac, Jared Hemingway, Kurt Jewell, and Chun Law to name a few.
Players will return on Sunday for Day 2 at 12 p.m. and continue playing at level 16. On Saturday at 11 a.m. Day 1B will commence and there are sure to be many familiar faces and players taking second chances as they try to find a bag for Day 2. Updates can be found throughout the day at WSOP.com so be sure to stay tuned.
Friday, December 1, 2017 11:07 PM Local Time
The final hands are complete at each table, and the remaining players are bagging up for the night. A recap of the action will follow shortly, along with the end-of-day chip counts.
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:58 PM Local Time
With a huge pot brewing in the middle of the table, Trung Pham is facing off against Roderick Macpherson on the turn. The board is and there is over 70,000 in the middle of the table. Macpherson puts out a nearly pot sized bet putting Pham to a decision for most of his chips.
He tanks for a couple of minutes, then moves all in for 21,800 more than what Macpherson bet. Macpherson calls instantly.
Pham:
Macpherson:
It looks really bad for Pham who has just one card to come to catch up, but the river is the , one of his gin cards, giving him trips. That allows Pham to get a massive double up through Macpherson right at the end of the night while Macpherson is left with just a few thousand after having his aces cracked.
Trung Pham - 285,000
Roderick Macpherson - 4,500
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:43 PM Local Time
The clock is paused and the Tournament Director has announced the players will play six more hands before bagging for the end of the night.
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:40 PM Local Time
There is a four-way limped pot preflop, which includes Marvin Rettenmaier under the gun, Peter Moore in middle position, the small blind, and Ken Taffaro in the big blind.
The flop comes down and the small blind leads out with a bet of 6,000. Taffaro folds. Rettenmaier thinks for a bit, then moves all in for right around 37,000. Next to act is Moore who shoves all in over the top of that for 44,500. Action is back on the small blind and he folds his hand.
Rettenmaier:
Moore:
The turn is the which gives Moore two pair, leaving Rettenmaier drawing to just a six, but it doesn't come when the comes on the river filling up Moore. Rettenmaier wishes everyone luck and says that he'll return to fire at least one more bullet tomorrow.
Peter Moore - 85,000
Marvin Rettenmaier - Eliminated
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:30 PM Local Time
The player under the gun shoves for 15,000 and Tass Robertson re-shoves for 50,000 from early position. Woody Van Stratum is in the cutoff and comes over the top for about 70,000 and the player in the small blind calls off his last 35,000 from the small blind.
Robertson:
Van Stratum:
Opponent 1 (UTG):
Opponent 2 (SB):
Van Stratum is in a dream spot having his three opponents dominated and covered. Unfortunately for him, the flop comes and Robertson takes a commanding lead with a set of tens. The turn is the to give Robertson quads to lock up the pot. The river is the insignificant and Robertson rakes in the pot.
Robertson wins the main pot, Van Stratum is left with about seven big blinds and the other two players are sent to the rail.
Tass Robertson - 165,000
Woody Van Stratum - 17,000
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:20 PM Local Time
The player on the button limps in for 2,000, and Marvin Rettenmaier (pictured) raises all in for 15,600 in the small blind. The big blind folds, but the button calls the remainder to put Rettenmaier at risk.
Button:
Rettenmaier:
The board runs out , and Rettenmaier doubles up with jacks up.
Marvin Rettenmaier - 35,600
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:11 PM Local Time
With 14,000 already in the pot and a board showing the player in the big blind checks over to Alex Rocha who is in early position. Rocha bets 6,500. The player on the button calls as does the big blind.
The turn is the and the big blind checks to Rocha again. He bets 15,000 this time. The button thinks for about a minute before letting his hand go, but the big blind calls again.
On the river, the big blind checks for a third time. Rocha fires again, this time making it 42,700. The big blind thinks for several minutes before releasing his hand. Rocha licks his lips as he takes down the pot without a show down.
Alex Rocha - 195,000
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:11 PM Local Time
Level 15 has begun, meaning there is just one more level to go before the remaining players bag their chips for Day 2 on Sunday at Noon.
The clock will pause at the 10-minute mark and hands will be drawn to play out the rest of the level.
Day 1B starts up tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:10 PM Local Time
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:08 PM Local Time
Justin Harvell opens the button to 5,000, and both blinds call.
The flop is , and it checks to Harvell, who moves all in for 21,100. The small blind quickly folds, the big blind quickly calls, and Harvell is heads-up for his tournament life. And the showdown reveals some bad news, too.
Harvell:
Big blind:
Harvell is out-kicked, but he turns the lead with the to give him two pair. The river is the , and he ends up with nines full of tens to double up.
"Jeffy, I got this in on the flop!" he says to Jeff Trudeau, who was distracted by his massage across the table.
Justin Harvell - 59,600
Friday, December 1, 2017 10:03 PM Local Time
With about 15,000 in the middle, on a board reading , Shiva Dudani leads out for 6,500 from the big blind and Nate Bandy calls from middle position.
The river is the and Dudani leads out for 10,500 this time. "Do you have the flush? asks Bandy. He is less than thrilled but tosses in chips to call anyway. Dudani tables for two pair aces and sixes, but Banday shows for aces and sixes with a better kicker and rakes in the pot.
Dudani smiles and says, "I do not."
Nate Bandy - 80,000
Shiva Dudani - 55,000
Friday, December 1, 2017 9:57 PM Local Time
On a flop of Jared Hemingway moves all in. Trung Pham is his opponent and he quickly calls the shove of right around 20,000.
Hemingway:
Pham:
"Well that's unfortunate," Hemingway says upon seeing that Pham had flopped trips.
The board bricks out for Hemingway when it comes and that allows Pham to take down the pot and move to almost 200,000.
Trung Pham - 195,000
Jared Hemingway - Eliminated
Friday, December 1, 2017 9:39 PM Local Time
From the button, Marvin Rettenmaier makes a raise to 25,000. The small blind, Cody Brinn shoves all in for just a bit more. Action folds back to Rettenmaier who calls the shove.
Brinn:
Rettenmaier:
The board rolls out which gives Brinn the best hand with top pair. Rettenmaier is forced to send over more than half his stack to Brinn who doubles to right around 80,000 chips.
Cody Brinn - 80,000
Marvin Rettenmaier - 17,000
Friday, December 1, 2017 9:30 PM Local Time
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 300
Friday, December 1, 2017 9:29 PM Local Time
Kindah Sakkal raises to 3,500 from middle position and Russ Head calls on the button.
The flop comes and Sakkal leads out for 3,500. Head calls.
The turn is the and Sakkal leads out for 8,000 this time. Head calls again.
The river is the and both players quickly check. Sakkal shakes her head and Head tables for a pair of aces. Sakkal mucks.
Head now sits on 240,000 chips, good for the chip lead heading into the final levels of the night.
Russ Head - 240,000
Kindah Sakkal - 29,000
Friday, December 1, 2017 9:12 PM Local Time
Chun Law raises to 3,600 from early position and Nathan Blair three-bets to 9,000 from middle position. Law moves all-in for about 42,000 and Blair asks for a count before deciding to call.
Law:
Blair:
Law is flipping for his tournament life, but the flop comes and while he pairs his king, Blair flops a set of tens. The turn is the and Law is drawing dead to the on the river.
It's too late to re-enter, but Law has exhausted both bullets for the day. Expect him to return for at least one more shot on Day 1B tomorrow.
Nathan Blair - 105,000
Chun Law - Eliminated
Friday, December 1, 2017 9:06 PM Local Time
Justin Harvell opens from middle position with a raise to 3,200. Action folds around to the blinds where Jeffrey Trudeau defends from the big blind with a call.
"It's a decent one," Trudeau says before the flop comes out.
The flop comes and both player check. They check again on the turn.
On the river, Trudeau leads out for 7,000.
"See I knew you were going to lead super large," Harvell says leaning back. "And I know you could be doing this with just a ten, or a seven."
Harvell doesn't take too long to fold. Trudeau shows him the , then the .
"I can't believe you didn't three-bet me with that," Harvell says.
"I saw you betting with two-fours the other day," Trudeau says laughing.
Jeffrey Trudeau - 100,000
Justin Harvell - 87,000
Friday, December 1, 2017 8:52 PM Local Time
Level: 13
Blinds: 800/1,600
Ante: 200
Friday, December 1, 2017 8:35 PM Local Time
Players in the Main Event are on their last break of the day for the next 15 minutes.
Registration will close at the end of this break.
Day 1B fires up at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday