Thursday, June 1, 2017 6:07 PM Local Time
Bryan Hollis Wins Event #1: $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em for $68,817!
Bryan Hollis is the winner of Event #1: $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em, defeating Chris Solomon in just 25 short hands of heads-up play. Hollis earned himself the first gold bracelet of the 2017 World Series of Poker, along with a first-place prize of $68,817.
In the final hand, Hollis three-bet from the big blind and flopped top pair. He put in a continuation bet on the flop, and Solomon shoved his remaining chips in the middle with ten-high. Solomon, who was the chip leader for a good part of the final table, was drawing dead by the turn, and it was all over, with Hollis completing an impressive comeback to snag the win.
Hollis hails from the state of Maryland, and was just in Las Vegas attending the 2017 WSOP to take a shot at the Casino Employees Event and the Colossus. He grew up playing limit poker back in his hometown when he was just 15 years old and he still enjoys the game today. He has had to make the transition to no-limit poker in order to play in some of these tournaments.
This is Hollis' first WSOP cash and he even admitted, "I've never made it past the first break before. Last year I busted this tournament in seven hands." Hollis will be sticking around the Las Vegas area a little while longer now but when he does return home he did say he has some plans for the newly acquired cash. "I have always wanted to buy a house and now I have a down-payment. It feels so cool."
This opening event attracted a total of 651 entries, combining for a prizepool of $325,500 and paying 98 spots. The bubble burst just before the dinner break on Day 1, and eliminations came quickly. Victor Kim was the one to burst the bubble after flopping a set of threes, and he coasted his way to the final table. The end-of-day chip leader was Chris Gallagher, and he managed to leverage his stack and turn it into a deep final table finish. Day 2 began with just 11 players, and Haviv Bahar was the first player to drop after running pocket jacks into Kim's pocket queens. The unofficial final table of ten came together, and that's when the real battle began.
Here is a look at the official results from the final table:
Place | Player Name | Country | Prize (USD) |
1 | Bryan Hollis | United States | $68,817 |
2 | Chris Solomon | United States | $42,508 |
3 | Josh Clanton | United States | $29,372 |
4 | Jermel Stephens | United States | $20,629 |
5 | Alex Cordova | United States | $14,731 |
6 | Adem Arbuckle | United States | $10,698 |
7 | Chris Gallagher | United States | $7,903 |
8 | Vincent Russell | United Kingdom | $5,941 |
9 | Victor Kim | United States | $4,547 |
Some of the notable players who finished in the money included 2015 WSOP Casino Employees Event champion Brandon Barnette (20th place - $1,874), Christian Percevecz (37th place - $1,351), Christopher Womack (47th place - $1,182), and Kenji Ikeda (85th place - $856).
This event is known for attracting the many key players in this industry, and some of the familiar faces who took a shot but came up short included Kenny Hallaert, David Tuchman, Erica Lindgren, Dana Castaneda, Jesse Capps, and Molly Anne Mossey.
Final Table Action
Bahar finished in tenth place ($3,543) after getting his chips in the middle with pocket jacks but was up against Kim's pocket queens. Bahar couldn't find a jack and busted on the official final table bubble.
Kim had an up-and-down day but it all came to a halt when he couldn't win a race with and was eliminated in ninth place ($4,547).
After staying patient for most of the day, Vincent Russel busted in eighth place ($5,941) when he ran into a red-hot Solomon. Unfortunately for Russell, he got it all in ahead but Solomon would out-flop him.
Gallagher came into the day as the chip leader but couldn't get anything to go his way as he was soon eliminated in seventh place ($7,903). Gallagher became the short stack and eventually got all of his chips in the middle with and was called by the of Hollis. Hollis hit a queen on the flop and Gallagher's tournament was over.
Adem Arbuckle remained quiet and stayed out of the way of most of the action, but the blinds eventually caught up with him. He called an all-in shove from Solomon and found himself behind and unable to catch up, finishing in sixth place ($10,698).
Alex Cordova was taken out just two hands later with pocket kings; when Solomon showed he flopped trips, Cordova just became another victim to Solomon, ending his tournament in fifth place ($14,731).
Four-handed play continued for a while longer with the three smaller stacks battling it out. Unfortunately for Jermel Stephens he ran his top pair of kings into Josh Clanton's middle set of jacks and was eliminated in fourth place ($20,629).
When the final three players took their seats it was sure to be a battle, and chips were passed back and forth. On hand #102 of the final table, Clanton was taken out in third place ($29,372) after he flopped top pair with on a board, but Hollis had for two pair. Clanton was unable to catch a king and the tournament was down to its final two players.
Heads-up play went on for 25 hands before Bryan Hollis finally lured Chris Solomon into bluffing into his flopped top pair to end the match.
The first event of the much-anticipated 2017 World Series of Poker is in the books, and PokerNews is honored to be providing live updates for everyone following at home. Keep checking back as the Live Reporting team brings all of the exciting hands and stories until the last winner is crowned deep in July.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 5:38 PM Local Time
Hand #127: Chris Solomon Eliminated in 2nd Place ($42,508)
Hand 127: Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 and Bryan Hollis three-bet to 165,000. Solomon called.
The flop came and Hollis continued for 170,000. Solomon stacked up his chips and slid his entire stack forward, moving all in for 655,000. Hollis snap-called.
Solomon tabled and Hollis showed . Solomon needed some help with ten-high, but the turn was the and he was drawing dead to the on the river.
Solomon was eliminated and is the runner up in Event #1: $565 Casino Employees No-Limit Hold'em, taking home $42,508 for his deep run today. Hollis is the winner and has earned himself $68,817 for the win, along with the first gold bracelet of the 2017 World Series of Poker.
A full recap will be posted shortly.
Bryan Hollis | 3,255,000 | 1,105,000 |
Chris Solomon | 0 | -1,070,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 5:28 PM Local Time
Hands #121-126: Hollis Chips Away
Hand 121: Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 and Bryan Hollis called. The flop was and both players checked. The turn was the and Hollis bet 80,000. Solomon called and the came on the river. Both players checked and Solomon showed for the win.
Hand 122: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 and Chris Solomon called. The flop came and Solomon check-folded to bet of 80,000 from Hollis
Hand 123: Bryan Hollis received a walk.
Hand 124: Bryan Hollis limped on the button and Chris Solomon raised to 90,000. Hollis called. The flop was and Solomon bet 90,000. Hollis called again. The turn was the and both players checked. The river brought the . Solomon bet 250,000 and Hollis called again. Hollis held for a pair of deuces good enough to win.
Hand 125: Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 and Hollis called. The flop came and both players checked. The turn was the and Hollis bet 80,000. Solomon folded and Hollis took down another one.
Hand 126: Bryan Hollis limped in, and Chris Solomon checked his option. The flop came and Solomon checked. Hollis bet 30,000 and Solomon check-raised to 80,000. Hollis called. The turn was the and both players checked to the river, which was the . Solomon checked, and Hollis bet 180,000. Solomon tank-folded.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 5:20 PM Local Time
Hands #116-120: Solomon Gets Involved
Hand 116: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 and Chris Solomon called. The flop came and Solomon checked. Hollis bet 60,000 and Solomon folded.
Hand 117: Chris Solomon limped in, and Bryan Hollis raised to 80,000. Solomon called. The flop came and Hollis checked. Solomon bet 150,000 and Hollis folded.
Hand 118: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 and Chris Solomon three-bet to 200,000. Hollis moved all in and Solomon snap-called.
Solomon tabled and Hollis showed . The flop came and Solomon extended his lead, flopping a set. The turn was the and Hollis picked up some outs to chop. The river was the and the entire rail gasped when the board made a straight for a chop.
Hand 119: Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 and Bryan Hollis called. The flop came and Hollis checked. Solomon bet 80,000 and Hollis check-raised to 225,000. Solomon immediately moved all in and Hollis snap-folded.
Hand 120: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 and Chis Solomon called. The flop came and Solomon led out for 100,000. Hollis called. The turn was the and Solomon led out for 100,000 again. Hollis called again. The river was the [kc[ and both players checked. Solomon tabled for a pair of eights and Hollis mucked his hand.
Bryan Hollis | 2,150,000 | -95,000 |
Chris Solomon | 1,070,000 | 90,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 5:11 PM Local Time
Hands #110-115: Bryan Hollis Regains the Chip Lead
Hand 110: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 and Chris Solomon three-bet to 180,000. Hollis called and the flop came . Solomon bet 200,000 and Hollis folded.
Hand 111: Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 and Bryan Hollis folded.
Hand 112: Bryan Hollis limped on the button and Chris Solomon checked his big blind. The flop came and Solomon check-folded to bet of 30,000 from Hollis.
Hand 113: Chris Solomon limped on the button and Bryan Hollis raised to 80,000. Solomon called. The flop came and both players checked. The turn was the and Hollis bet 80,000. Solomon called and the river came the . The action went check-check and Hollis showed , good enough to win the pot.
Hand 114: Chris Solomon received a walk.
Hand 115: Chris Solomon limped on the button and Bryan Hollis checked. The flop came and Hollis checked. Solomon bet 40,000 and Hollis called.
The turn was the and Hollis checked again. Solomon bet 80,000 and Hollis called.
The river was the and Hollis checked for the third time. Solomon moved all in and after some deliberation Hollis made the call. Solomon played the board and Hollis showed good enough to double up and regain the chip lead.
Bryan Hollis | 2,245,000 | 1,195,000 |
Chris Solomon | 980,000 | -1,190,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:59 PM Local Time
Hands #105-109: Hollis Climbs Back
Hand 105: Chris Solomon raised to 50,000 on the button and Bryan Hollis defended. The flop came and Hollis check-called a bet of 50,000 from Solomon. The turn was the and both players checked to the river, which was the . Hollis led out for 165,000 and Solomon called. Hollis tabled for trip fours and Solomon mucked.
Hand 106: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 on the button, and Chris Solomon moved all in. Hollis tanked for two minutes and eventually folded.
Hand 107: Bryan Hollis got a walk.
Hand 108: Bryan Hollis raised to 60,000 on the button and Chris Solomon called. The flop came and Somolon check-called a bet of 60,000 from Hollis. The turn was the and both players checked to the river, which was the . Both players checked again and Hollis revealed for the winner.
Hand 109: Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 and Bryan Hollis defended. The flop came and both players checked to the turn, which was the . Hollis led out for 75,000 and Solomon folded.
Chris Solomon | 2,170,000 | -430,000 |
Bryan Hollis | 1,050,000 | 315,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:45 PM Local Time
Level 25 started
Level: 25
Blinds: 15000/30000
Ante: 5000
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:43 PM Local Time
Hands #103-104: Solomon Doubles Up
Hand 103: Chris Solomon raised to 87,000 on the button and Bryan Hollis folded.
Hand 104: Bryan Hollis raised to 50,000 on the button and Chris Solomon called. The flop came and Solomon checked. Hollis bet 50,000 and Solomon raised to 150,000. Hollis called.
The turn was the and Solomon led out for 120,000. Hollis raised to 280,000 and Solomon called.
The river was the putting four diamonds on the board and Solomon checked. Hollis moved all in, having his opponent covered. Solomon called with his tournament life on the line, and the hands were tabled. Solomon had and Hollis held . Solomon doubled up and now holds a large chip lead.
Chris Solomon | 2,600,000 | 1,305,000 |
Bryan Hollis | 735,000 | -1,225,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:31 PM Local Time
Heads-Up Play Will Begin Shortly
The remaining two players are taking a 15-minute break ahead of schedule before heads-up play resumes. When they return they will play through the next couple blind levels. Here is how the chip counts look.
Bryan Hollis | 1,960,000 | 40,000 |
Chris Solomon | 1,295,000 | -1,205,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:28 PM Local Time
Hand #102: Josh Clanton Eliminated in 3rd Place ($29,372)
Hand 102: Josh "Plinko" Clanton raised to 61,000 on the button and Bryan Hollis three-bet to 172,000 from the small blind. Clanton called and they saw the flop of . Hollis bet 75,000 and Clanton moved all in for 258,000. Hollis instantly called and the cards were tabled.
Hollis:
Clanton:
Clanton would need to catch a king to keep his tournament hopes alive, however, the board ran out and the giving Hollis the win with two pair. Clanton was eliminated in 3rd place and will take home $29,372 for his efforts.
Bryan Hollis | 1,920,000 | 1,440,000 |
Josh Clanton | 0 | -900,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:28 PM Local Time
Hands #96-101: The Solomon Show
Hand 96: Chris Solomon got a walk.
Hand 97: Chris Solomon limped in from the small blind and Josh Clanton checked his option in the big blind. The flop came and Solomon check-folded to a bet of 31,000 from Clanton.
Hand 98: Chris Solomon raised to 75,000 on the button and got no action.
Hand 99: Josh Clanton raised to 61,000 on the button and Chris Solomon defended his big blind. The flop came and Solomon checked to Clanton, prompting him to bet 55,000. Solomon folded.
Hand 100: Bryan Hollis raised to 50,000 on the button and Josh Clanton defended his big blind. The flop came and Clanton check-called a bet of 50,000 from Hollis. The turn was the and both players checked to the river, which was the . Clanton checked and Hollis bet 130,000. Clanton snap-called.
Hollis tabled and Clanton mucked his hand.
Hand 101: Chris Solomon raised to 65,000 on the button and both Josh Clanton and Bryan Hollis called. The flop came and action checked to Solomon. He bet 85,000, Clanton folded and Hollis called. The turn was the and Hollis check-called another bet of 85,000 from Solomon. The river was the and both players checked.
Solomon tabled and Hollis showed for a chop.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:15 PM Local Time
Hands #86-95: Bryan Hollis Work His Way to the Lead
Hand 86: Chris Solomon raised to 75,000 on the button and Bryan Hollis went all in for 185,000. Solomon called.
Solomon:
Hollis:
Hollis made a full house and stayed alive in the tournament.
Hand 87: Josh Clanton raised to 61,000 from the button and everyone folded.
Hand 88: Bryan Hollis raised all in for 374,000 on the button and everyone folded.
Hand 89: Chris Solomon raised to 75,000 on the button and the blinds folded.
Hand 90: Bryan Hollis pushed all in from the small blind and the big blind folded.
Hand 91: Chris Solomon moved all in from the small blind and the big blind folded.
Hand 92: Chris Solomon went all in on the button and Bryan Hollis called for less.
Solomon:
Hollis:
The board ran out and Hollis hit an ace on the river to keep his bracelet hopes alive.
Hand 93: Josh Clanton raised to 61,000 on the button and Bryan Hollis went all in from the small blind. Clanton folded.
Hand 94: Chris Solomon raised to 75,000 from small blind and Josh Clanton called in the big blind. The flop came and both players checked. On the river, Solomon bet 100,000 and Clanton folded.
Hand 95: Chris Solomon raised to 75,000 on the button and Bryan Hollis called from the big blind. Both players checked down to the river that saw the board read . On the river, Hollis bet 100,000 and Solomon raised to 350,000. Hollis re-raised all in for 871,000 and Solomon folded, handing the chip lead to Hollis.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 4:01 PM Local Time
Hands #83-84: Jermel Stephens Eliminated in 4th Place ($20,629)
Hand 83: Josh Clanton limped in from under the gun, as did Chris Solomon from the small blind. Jermel Stephens was in the big blind and checked his option.
The flop came and Solomon checked. Stephens bet 200,000 and Clanton instantly moved all in for 418,000. Solomon folded and Stephens called.
Stephens tabled for top pair and Clanton tabled for a set of jacks.
The turn was the and Clanton celebrated as Stephens was drawing dead to the on the river. Clanton doubled through, leaving Stephens with less than three big blinds.
Hand 84: Chris Solomon limped in on the button, and Jermel Stephens went all in for 52,000. Josh Clanton called from the big blind, as did Solomon. The flop came and both players checked to the turn, which was he . Solomon led out for 100,000 and Clanton folded.
Stephens was drawing dead with as Solomon tabled for a straight. The river was the and Stephens was eliminated.
All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of $29,372.
Chris Solomon | 2,500,000 | 270,000 |
Josh Clanton | 900,000 | 650,000 |
Jermel Stephens | 0 | -357,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:52 PM Local Time
Hands #78-83: No Flops
Hand 78: Jermel Stephens moved all in on the button and everyone folded.
Hand 79: Chris Solomon got a walk.
Hand 80: Chris Solomon moved all in from the small blind and got no action.
Hand 81: Bryan Hollis raised to 125,000 from under the gun and everyone folded.
Hand 82: Josh Clanton limped in from the small blind and Bryan Hollis shoved from the big blind. Clanton folded.
Hand 83: Jermel Stephens moved all in from under the gun and everyone folded.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:46 PM Local Time
Hands #70-77: Clanton and Stephens Both Get a Double-Up
Hand 70: Jermel Stephens limped from the small blind and Josh Clanton checked his option. The flop came and both players checked. The turn was the and Stephens checked to Clanton, who bet 30,000. Stephens folded.
Hand 71: Chris Solomon raised to 65,000 from the cutoff and everyone folded.
Hand 72: Chris Solomon got a walk.
Hand 73: Josh Clanton moved all in from the cutoff for 215,000 and Bryan Hollis re-shoved from the button for more. The blinds folded and the cards were turned face-up.
Clanton:
Hollis:
The board came and Clanton's set of fours was good enough to take down the pot.
Hand 74: Jermel Stephens limped from the small blind and Josh Clanton pushed all in from the big blind. Stephens folded.
Hand 75: Chris Solomon moved all in from the cutoff and everyone folded.
Hand 76: Chris Solomon received a walk.
Hand 77: Chris Solomon moved all in from the small blind and Jermel Stephens called for less from the big blind.
Solomon:
Stephens:
Solomon was unable to catch any cards on the board of and Stephens doubled up.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:36 PM Local Time
Level 24 started
Level: 24
Blinds: 12000/24000
Ante: 4000
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:36 PM Local Time
Hand #69: Solomon Jams
Hand 69: Bryan Hollis raised to 50,000 from the cutoff and Chris Solomon moved all in. Hollis folded.
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:35 PM Local Time
Hand #68: Alex Cordova Eliminated in 5th Place ($14,731)
Hand 68: Alex Cordova was in the small blind and raised to 50,000. Chris Solomon defended his big blind.
The flop came and Cordova checked. Solomon bet 55,000 and Cordova called.
The turn was the and Cordova led out for 140,000. Solomon immediately moved all in. Cordova went into the tank for about a minute before deciding to call.
Cordova tabled for two pair, kings and tens and Solomon showed for trip tens. The river was the and Cordova was eliminated.
All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of $20,629.
Chris Solomon | 2,230,000 | 670,000 |
Alex Cordova | 0 | -530,000 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:26 PM Local Time
Hand #66: Adem Arbuckle Eliminated in 6th Place ($10,698)
Chris Solomon raised to 60,000 from the hijack position and Adem Arbuckle moved all in for 196,000. Solomon called and the cards were tabled.
Solomon:
Arbuckle:
The board came giving Solomon the nut flush and eliminating Arbuckle in 6th place.
All remaining players are guaranteed a payout of $14,731.
Chris Solomon | 1,560,000 | 200,000 |
Adem Arbukcle | 0 | 0 |
Thursday, June 1, 2017 3:23 PM Local Time
Hands #63-65: Alex Cordova Applies Pressure
Hand 63: Alex Cordova raised to 50,000 from the button and Jermel Stephens called from the big blind. The flop came and both players checked. The turn was the and Stephens checked again. Cordova bet 75,000 and Stephens folded.
Hand 64: Bryan Hollis raised to 50,000 from under the gun and everyone folded.
Hand 65: Alex Cordova raised to 50,000 from the hijack and everyone folded.