Monday, May 21, 2018 12:35 AM Local Time
Darren Martin
Day 2 of the $1,675 Harrah's New Orleans Main Event began with 120 players, and 12 hours after play began, action ended with Darren Martin leading the remaining 13 players with 1,875,000 in chips.
The first order of business on Day 2 was reaching the.... READ MORE
Monday, May 21, 2018 12:11 AM Local Time
Level 25 has come to a close and the players are in the process of bagging up for the night. A complete recap will be posted later tonight.
Monday, May 21, 2018 12:10 AM Local Time
John Skinner has had one of the biggest stacks for quite some time, and he's shown an inclination to get it all in preflop, even after a standard raise.
In one of the final hands of the night, fellow chipleader Mike Cohen raises UTG+1 to 55,000, and Skinner moves all in from the button for a little more than 1.7 million, slightly covering Cohen by about two big blinds.
Action folds back to Cohen, and he says, "I'm probably not gonna call, but this is sick." Cohen thinks for a while before he folds, saying he held pocket sevens.
Skinner takes the pot, and Cohen says, "If I had tens, I would have called."
John Skinner - 1,820,000 (76 bb)
Mike Cohen - 1,600,000 (67 bb)
Monday, May 21, 2018 12:09 AM Local Time
Pearce Arnold raises to 52,000 from middle position and Ben Mintz moves all in from late position for about 200,000. Action folds back to Arnold, who calls.
Arnold shows and needs help against Mintz's .
The board runs out and Mintz doubles up just a few minutes before they bag up chips for the night.
Ben Mintz - 410,000 (17 bb)
Pearce Arnold - 750,000 (31 bb)
Monday, May 21, 2018 12:06 AM Local Time
Paul Distefano
Pearce Arnold raises from the hijack and Paul Distefano moves all in out of the big blind for 259,000. Arnold calls and the cards are tabled. Arnold is dominated with his against Distefano's .
The flop is and Arnold hits a three-outer to take the lead. The turn is the and the river is the . Distefano is eliminated in 14th place for $12,745 and Arnold chips up.
Pearce Arnold - 840,000 (35 bb)
Paul Distefano - Eliminated
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:50 PM Local Time
Nathaniel Gibbs
Jeff Banghart opens to 58,000, Nathaniel Gibbs calls and the blinds release. The flop comes , Banghart check-calls 125,000 and the turn comes . Banghart checks, Gibbs moves all in and Banghart snap-calls.
"Do you have a set?" Gibbs asks after he shows for two pair. Banghart nods, shows pocket nines and the river comes .
Jeff Banghart - 1,500,000 (62 bb)
Nathaniel Gibbs - Eliminated
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:34 PM Local Time
John Skinner raises from the small blind to 57,000, and Andrew Dennis calls from the big blind. Both players check to the turn on a board of , Skinner bets 100,000, Dennis moves all in for 437,000, and Skinner tanks for a while before he folds. Dennis takes the pot.
Andrew Dennis - 683,000 (28 bb)
John Skinner - 1,650,000 (69 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:28 PM Local Time
Nathaniel Gibbs moves all in from middle position for 310,000 and Ben Mintz calls on the button. Mintz shows and is in the lead against Gibbs' .
The flop is and Gibbs flops a flush to take the lead, leaving Mintz drawing to runners. The turn is the and the river is the to send the pot to Gibbs.
Nathaniel Gibbs - 684,000 (28 bb)
Ben Mintz - 220,000 (9 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:20 PM Local Time
Brandon Newsome
Ben Mintz opens to 52,000 in middle position, Brandon Newsome moves all in from the button for 157,000 and Mintz calls.
Newsome:
Mintz:
The board runs out , Mintz pairs his queen and Newsome is eliminated.
Ben Mintz - 620,000 (25 bb)
Brandon Newsome - Eliminated
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:17 PM Local Time
Jeff Banghart moves all in from the small blind for 312,000 and Brandon Newsome calls out of the big blind. Banghart shows and is in trouble against Newsome's .
The flop is , putting Banghart out in front. Newsome needs a one-outer to send Banghart home in 16th, but the on the turn and the on the river send the pot to Banghart for a double up.
Jeff Banghart - 652,000 (27 bb)
Brandon Newsome - 170,000 (7 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:12 PM Local Time
Jeff Banghart moves all in from middle position for 164,000, and Pearce Arnold calls from the big blind with . Banghart turns over , and he needs to improve to stay alive.
The board comes , and Banghart pairs his seven on the flop to win the pot and double up in chips.
Jeff Banghart - 362,000 (15 bb)
Pearce Arnold - 700,000 (29 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:07 PM Local Time
Level: 25
Blinds: 12,000/24,000
Ante: 4,000
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:03 PM Local Time
Jonathan Hilton
Jonathan Hilton opens for 75,000, Hugh Cullen three-bets to 200,000 and Hilton calls off all in after action folds back around.
Hilton:
Cullen:
The board runs , Hilton fails to improve and is eliminated.
Hugh Cullen - 1,030,000 (51 bb)
Jonathan Hilton - Eliminated
Sunday, May 20, 2018 11:02 PM Local Time
It's a battle of the blinds on a flop of . Justin Donato bets from the small blind and Jeff Banghart raises to 120,000 from the big blind. Donato calls and the turn is the .
Donato checks and Banghart bets 200,000. Donato asks to see how much he has remaining and Banghart moves his arm to expose his remaining 220,000. Donato moves all in and Banghart doesn't waste a ton of time before folding. Donato chips up and leaves Banghart on the shorter end of the chip counts.
Justin Donato - 1,450,000 (73 bb)
Jeff Banghart - 220,000 (11 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10:57 PM Local Time
Timothy McReynolds
Paul Distefano raises from middle position to 60,000, Timothy McReynolds moves all in from the hijack for 274,000, and Hugh Cullen moves all in over the top from the small blind for 315,000. Distefano asks for exact counts and thinks for a while before they turn over their hands:
Paul Distefano:
Hugh Cullen:
Timothy McReynolds:
The board comes -- McReynolds pairs his ten on the flop as Distefano flops a gutshot straight draw. Distefano picks up a double-gutshot straight draw on the turn, but the river card is a blank. Cullen wins the entire pot with his pocket kings to eliminate McReynolds in 18th place and double thru Distefano.
Hugh Cullen - 951,000 (48 bb)
Paul Distefano - 468,000 (23 bb)
Timothy McReynolds - Eliminated in 18th Place ($10,500)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10:51 PM Local Time
Andrew Dennis moves all in from middle position for 271,000 and Timothy McReynolds moves all in on the button for about 540,000. The blinds folds and it's a race with McReynolds tabling against Dennis' .
The board runs out and Dennis doubles up with a pair of aces.
Andrew Dennis - 599,000 (30 bb)
Timothy McReynolds - 275,000 (14 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10:45 PM Local Time
Jerry Monroe raises from middle position to 60,000, Nick Graphia moves all in from the big blind for 312,000, and Monroe calls with . Graphia turns over , and he needs his hand to hold to stay alive.
The board comes , and Graphia turns a set of jacks to win the pot and double up in chips.
Nick Graphia - 661,000 (33 bb)
Jerry Monroe - 615,000 (31 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10:41 PM Local Time
We find Tim McReynolds and Scott Horvath on a flop of . Horvath bets, McReynolds moves all in and Horvath calls.
Horvath:
McReynolds:
The board completes and McReynolds takes the pot with trips.
Tim McReynolds - 660,000 (33 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10:37 PM Local Time
Justin Donato opens to 48,000, Donnell Dais moves all in for 112,000 and Donato calls holding pocket nines. Dais tables and watches the board run his way with .
Donnell Dais - 250,000 (12 bb)
Sunday, May 20, 2018 10:30 PM Local Time
After the elimination of David Gunas in 19th place, the final 18 players redraw for random seats at the final two tables:
TABLE 1
Seat 1. Nick Graphia
Seat 2. Scott Horvath
Seat 3. Paul Distefano
Seat 4. Timothy McReynolds
Seat 5. Jerry Monroe
Seat 6. Jonathan Hilton
Seat 7. Hugh Cullen
Seat 8. John Skinner
Seat 9. Andrew Dennis
TABLE 2
Seat 1. Jeff Banghart
Seat 2. Mike Cohen
Seat 3. Brandon Newsome
Seat 4. Donnell Dais
Seat 5. Nathaniel Gibbs
Seat 6. Darren Martin
Seat 7. Pearce Arnold
Seat 8. Ben Mintz
Seat 9. Justin Donato