Saturday, March 25, 2023 1:14 AM Local Time
Day 1B and Overall Main Event Chip Leader Shaun Deeb
A total of 309 entries filled the Turning Stone Event Center on Friday, but almost wire-to-wire one player stood above them all to bag the chip lead, and it’s five-time WSOP bracelet winner, Shaun Deeb.
Deeb, who hails from Troy, NY, and cut his teeth in the Northeast US poker scene is back at one of his original home casinos and is well on his way to challenging for his first WSOP Circuit ring to go along with those five bracelets. He’ll send 897,000 chips into Sunday’s Day 2, over 150,000 more than Day 1A chip leader Scott Hosbach’s total.
Several players made a run at Deeb’s spot atop the chip counts, but no one could quite get there by night’s end.
Finishing the flight in second place was James Campbell, who won a massive pot on the stone bubble to burst that bubble and put himself into contention for the chip lead, but his 722,000 chips couldn’t quite catch Deeb.
With 545,000 chips is a familiar name to poker fans in Matt Matros. The three-time bracelet winner and author battled back from a short stack late in the night to eventually bag the day’s third-largest stack.
Another interesting story that sits near the top of the counts is Patrick White, who bagged the day’s fifth-largest stack with 470,000 chips.
White busted his first entry of the day in a big pot to Deeb midway through the day, but quickly ran his new stack up and was actually in close contention for Deeb’s chip lead before fading a bit at the end of the night.
With a much quicker bubble than Day 1A, eliminations occurred quickly afterward, leading to an early night once just 31 players remained early in level 17, which represented ten percent of the field and a necessary hard stop.
For a look at the counts of all 31 survivors, click here.
While those 31 join the 21 survivors from Day 1A, several notables will need to try a final time Saturday to advance including eight-time ring winner and all-time WSOP cash leader Roland Israelashvili, WSOP bracelet and ring winner Jean Gaspard, and ring winners Blake Napierala and Timothy Russ to name a few.
The final opening flight takes place Saturday at 11 a.m. local time and is expected to be the largest starting field yet which will significantly boost the already huge prize pool, which currently sits at $769,620.
Stay close to WSOP.com for all the excitement of the final opening flight of the main Event here at the beautiful Turning Stone Resort Casino.
Saturday, March 25, 2023 12:03 AM Local Time
Just 31 players remain with 38:24 remaining in Level 17 following the elimination of Michael Reck to end the night.
Reck was all in on the button with and was called by Daniel Barry's .
The flop brought the in the window, pairing Reck's queen, but it was followed by the to give Barry trip nines.
The board completed without a miracle for Reck and he became the final elimination of the night.
Stay tuned for complete chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Friday, March 24, 2023 11:58 PM Local Time
Level: 17
Blinds: 4000/8000
Ante: 8000
Friday, March 24, 2023 11:50 PM Local Time
Picking action up on a flop of , Ryan Eriquezzo checked his big blind to Shaun Deeb on the button who bet 15,000.
The five-time Circuit ring winner called the five-time bracelet winner's bet, and the jewelry collectors saw the on the turn.
Eriquezzo checked again and Deeb now bet 40,000, which Eriquezzo again called.
On the river, Eriquezzo checked a final time and Deeb bet 60,000.
Eriquezzo flahed the and folded. Deeb showed him and dragged the pot to extend his chip lead.
Shaun Deeb - 925,000
James Campbell - 695,000
Matt Matros - 550,000
Patrick White - 445,000
Ryan Eriquezzo - 298,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 11:29 PM Local Time
Shaun Deeb's 'student' Joe Porto has been eliminated by James Campbell, who is now approaching Porto's mentor's chip lead in the process.
Porto was all in preflop for his last 70,000 on the button versus Campbell in the hijack with the cards on their backs.
Joe Porto:
James Campbell:
The board ran out ending Porto's run in the money, but shy of Day 2, though he says he'll be back Saturday to give it a final go in Day 1C.
James Campbell - 813,000
Joe Porto - eliminated
Friday, March 24, 2023 11:16 PM Local Time
Level: 16
Blinds: 3000/6000
Ante: 6000
Friday, March 24, 2023 11:05 PM Local Time
After a flurry of post-bubble bustouts, just 39 players remain at the final break of the day.
Two more levels are scheduled, but if eight more players are eliminated before then, play will come to an end early.
Shaun Deeb remains the chip leader, but has a couple of players hot on his heels, including Patrick White, whom Deeb busted earlier in the day.
Shaun Deeb - 856,000
James Campbell - 735,000
Patrick White - 712,000
Ryan Eriquezzo - 420,000
Matt Matros - 400,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 10:37 PM Local Time
Despite many short stacks in the room as hand for hand play progressed it was a huge pot that ended up bursting the bubble.
After Charles Alex-Barton limped in the small blind, James Campbell raised to 22,000 in the big blind.
Alex-Barton then jammed all in for about 220,000 and got called by Campbell who had him covered.
Charles Alex-Barton:
James Campbell:
The board ran out bursting the bubble in shocking fashion as Alex-Barton's elimination put the final 47 players into the money.
James Campbell - 630,000
Charles Alex-Barton - eliminated
Friday, March 24, 2023 10:27 PM Local Time
Following an early position raise to to 9,000, Kareem Cowart three-bet to 26,000 in the hijack. Arnaldo 'AG' Gordon cold-called in the cutoff and the original raiser folded to leave the pot heads up.
The flop came and Cowart checked. Gordon bet 30,000 and got check-raised to 65,000 by Cowart.
Gordon called, and the fell on the turn. Cowart now bet 45,000 and Gordon moved all in for his last 107,000.
Cowart went deep into the tank, counting and riffling his chips in various formations, talking through the hand, and taking over five minutes to come to a decision which could potentially eliminate Gordon.
Ultimately he opted to fold, with Gordon showing him his for a turned Broadway straight as hand for hand play continued on the bubble.
Arnaldo 'AG' Gordon - 340,000
Kareem Cowart - 240,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 10:17 PM Local Time
Kevin Boesel - 53,000
Michael Kinney - 35,000
Ryan Lamanque - 25,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 10:06 PM Local Time
Level: 15
Blinds: 3000/5000
Ante: 5000
Friday, March 24, 2023 10:05 PM Local Time
Shaun Deeb has added more towers to his stack and he relayed the details of how he extended his chip lead to WSOP.com.
Deeb raised to 8,000 in middle position and got called by the cutoff, button, and both blinds.
The flop came and all five players checked.
On the turn, the big blind led out for 12,000. Deeb raised to 48,000 and only the big blind called.
Now heads-up to the river, and after the big blind checked, Deeb bet enough to put the big blind all in for his last 140,000. His opponent called and Deeb showed him his for a turned full house.
The big blind showed for trip aces which ended up in the muck while his chips ended up in Deeb's now massive stack which is approaching Day 1A chip leader Scott Hosbach's total of 743,000.
Shaun Deeb - 741,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 9:54 PM Local Time
Shaun Deeb - 741,000
Kareem Cowart - 410,000
Bruce Pace - 370,000
James Hundt - 345,000
Charles Alex-Barton - 320,000
Matthew Vuillemot - 302,000
Matt Matros - 287,000
Vito Masi - 286,000
Patrick White - 280,000
Daniel Drislane - 278,000
Ryan Eriquezzo - 250,000
Arnaldo 'AG' Gordon - 202,000
Tom Frank - 176,000
Ioannis Penefountas - 70,000
Jose Noboa - 60,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 9:36 PM Local Time
Joesph LaTona raised to 8,000 in early position and was called by Joe Porto in the small blind and Anthony Russo in the big blind.
On the flop, action was checked to LaTona who bet 12,000. Porto folded, but Russo check-raised to 30,000. latona called and the duo went to the turn.
The dealer put the on the board and Russo bet 25,000. LaTona went into the tank, thinking for over a minute before landing on a fold.
"I almost jammed on you" said LaTona as Russo collected the pot, with each one important as the bubble is just five eliminations away.
Anthony Russo - 200,000
Joseph LaTona - 155,000
Joe Porto - 50,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 9:32 PM Local Time
Level: 14
Blinds: 2000/4000
Ante: 4000
Friday, March 24, 2023 9:22 PM Local Time
After an under the gun raise to 11,000 by Michael Reck, Andrew Brongo moved all in for 52,000 from the big blind.
Reck thought briefly then made the call to put Brongo at risk.
Andrew Brongo:
Michael Reck:
The flop came , bringing reck a pair of eights, but the turn and river brought him no further help as Brongo put a 'reck'-ing on his opponent to earn the double-up.
Andrew Brongo - 112,000
Michael Reck - 103,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 9:07 PM Local Time
Registration is closed with 309 entries Friday creating an additional $468,135 for the prize pool, which combined with Day 1A's total now sits at $769,620, already well past the $500,000 guarantee with Saturday's final opening flight still to come.
As for tonight, the final 47 players will earn at least a min-cash of $2,542, with the final 31 players advancing to Sunday's Day 2, unless the end of Level 17 is reached, at which point all remaining players would advance.
Friday, March 24, 2023 9:02 PM Local Time
"Welcome to the 400 Club" commented one of his tablemates as Matthew Vuillemot raked a massive pot that's seen him rocket to one of the biggest stacks in the room, while also leaving Matt Matros on fumes.
After Matros raised to 7,000 in early position, Vuillemot called in the cutoff. The small blind then three-bet jammed for approximately 80,000.
Matros re-jammed for about 210,000 and with approximately 160,000 in his stack, Vuillemot called, setting up a massive three-way pot with two players at risk.
Small blind:
Matthew Vuillemot:
Matt Matros:
Vuillemot's flat-call with his kings had created some massive action behind him and set up the opportunity to win a massive pot.
The flop came bringing no significant help to anyone. The turn was the , which also changed nothing but left the small blind drawing dead, and the river cinched the hand for Vuillemot.
Matthew Vuillemot - 415,000
Matt Matros - 36,000
Friday, March 24, 2023 8:45 PM Local Time
Level: 13
Blinds: 2000/3000
Ante: 3000
Friday, March 24, 2023 8:33 PM Local Time
The 72 remaining players have been sent on a 15-minute break, which when completed will signify the end of registration and re-entry for day 1B.
The final 15% of the field will get paid tonight, with the final 10% advancing to Day 2, or however many survive to the end of level 17 should it reach that point.