Saturday, January 31, 2015 12:37 AM Local Time
Ari Engel bagged up the second-biggest with 216,000 at the end of 15 levels of play at Horseshoe Tunica on Day 1A of the Main Event. Engel has banked more than $400,000 in a decorated career traveling the Circuit that's resulted in seven rings, tied for second only behind Alex Masek's eight. Engel's most recent win was earlier this season at Horseshoe Hammond, where he captured the title and $17,921 for winning the $580 H.O.R.S.E. event.
Out of 172 total entrants, 33 were able to navigate through the day and bag up. Other survivors included chip leader Devon Ballard (349,000), Nathan Bjerno (158,000), Tripp Kirk (157,500), Jordan Smith (131,000), Kory Kilpatrick (109,500), Josh Mancuso (89,500), Dan Gilmer (84,500), and Kyle Cartwright (63,500). Cartwright is also among the all-time leaders in Circuit rings with five, while many of the other players listed are also former WSOP and/or WSOP Circuit champions.
Some of the players who failed to make it through the day included bracelet winner Jonathan Taylor, who fired two bullets, as well as Alex Greenblatt, Casino Championship points leader Scott Stewart, Ryan Tepen, Dan Lowery, Chris Conrad, and John Holley. All besides Taylor will be eligible to reenter for Day 1B, which starts on Saturday at noon. The players who made it through tonight will be back on Sunday for Day 2.
Full chip counts for the remaining players can be found under the “Reports” tab above.
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:50 PM Local Time
Nathan Bjerno is under the gun and opens for 6,000. It folds to Tripp Kirk (pictured) in the cutoff and he slides a pile of gray 5,000 chips in the pot leaving himself about 40,000 behind. The button and blinds fold sending it back to Bjerno. Bjerno moves all in and Kirk calls.
Bjerno:
Kirk:
The flop comes , no help to Kirk.
Fourth street is the and Kirk heads to the river needing an ace and an ace only to stay alive.
The river is just that -- the -- and Kirk doubles on one of the last hands of the night.
"I would have gotten in about 120,000 against you there," Kirk says to Bjerno.
Tripp Kirk - 1580,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:38 PM Local Time
Ten minutes remain in the night's final level and players will log seven more hands before play concludes for the night. A Flight A recap will be posted shortly.
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:37 PM Local Time
Aaron Frei shoves all in for 45,000 in middle position and is called by Devon Ballard in the small blind.
Frei:
Ballard:
"That's the worst," Frei says upon seeing his opponent's hand.
He does catch a straight draw on the flop, and another gutshot on the turn. No help arrives on the river.
Devon Ballard - 320,000
Aaron Frei - Eliminated
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:24 PM Local Time
Chico Pho raises to 4,500 and Devon Ballard makes it 13,000 to go from late position. It folds to the button and he shoves. Pho folds and Ballard calls.
Ballard:
Button player:
The tables squaks at Ballard as he's yet again on the receiving end of good fortune.
The board runs out and the button hits the rail. The table, which includes Pho and bracelet winner Kory Kilpatrick, ribs Ballard about his hot streak of cards.
Devon Ballard - 290,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:21 PM Local Time
A player in early position opens to 6,600, and Aaron Frei jams for 18,800 in middle position. The opener thinks for a bit, shrugs, and tosses in a call.
"You've got me," he says, turning over .
He's right, but Frei doesn't seem thrilled with the spot as he has only . His position improves greatly as the flop comes , however, and the turn locks it in for him.
Aaron Frei - 44,400
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:13 PM Local Time
Level 15 marks the last level of the night. Those players still remaining at its conclusion bag and tag set to return for Day 2 Sunday at 12 p.m.
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:12 PM Local Time
Level: 15
Blinds: 1,200/2,400
Ante: 400
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:11 PM Local Time
Kyle Cartwright opens for 4,000 and the cutoff calls. It's on Jonathan Taylor on the button and he makes it 15,000. The small blind folds sending the action to Ari Engel in the big blind. Engel eyes Taylor's stack and has the dealer verify the size of the three bet. Engel finally four bets to 30,000. Cartwright and the cutoff fold sending it back to Taylor. He promptly moves all in and Engel calls just as fast. Taylor holds and races for his tournament life against Engel's .
Engel offers a $300 insurance policy to Taylor.
"Three hundred dollars," he said as he stops the dealer from dealing. "The winner pays the loser of this hand."
"No," Taylor laughs. "You have a ton of chips."
The flop comes .
"Alright I'll do it," Taylor says.
Engel doesn't take the action as the turn comes the . A river officially sends Taylor to the rail for the second time today.
"Go get a haircut," he says to Engel.
Seven-time ring winner Ari Engel now leads Flight A of the Tunica Main Event.
Ari Engel - 236,000
Jonathan Taylor - Eliminated
Friday, January 30, 2015 11:08 PM Local Time
The board read , and John Gallaher checks and calls 12,000 from Nathan Bjerno, who is on the button. Gallaher checks the river, and Bjerno announces all in, putting Gallaher at risk for what looks to be about 51,000. Gallaher thinks for a minute with a pained look on his face before tossing in a chip.
Bjerno shows for a straight on the river, and Gallaher shows and sends his stack to Bjerno.
Nathan Bjerno - 188,000
John Gallaher - Eliminated
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:53 PM Local Time
The board reads and Jeffrey Orr is in a heads-up pot against Aaron Frei. Orr leads the river for 13,000 and Frei thinks for some time before he calls.
"I have a seven," Orr says indicating he turned trips.
Frei folds and Orr shows . He is now over 100,00 chips.
Jeffrey Orr - 125,000
Aaron Frei - 54,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:48 PM Local Time
Devon Ballard calls the 15,000 all in of a player in middle position, and he's live with against .
"Little ones," Ballard's opponent calls.
Two of them are little, but the third isn't as the flops.
"It's your day," the all-in play says as finishes the board.
Devon Ballard - 218,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:27 PM Local Time
Level: 14
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 300
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:25 PM Local Time
Devon Ballard opens the button and the big blind shoves for roughly 20,000. Ballard calls and can send another player to the rail. The big blind tables and is behind the of Ballard.
The board runs out and Ballard's sevens take the pot.
Devon Ballard - 225,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:13 PM Local Time
Flight A of the Horseshoe Tunica Main Event topped out at 172 entries. That number pairs with the field in tomorrow's 12 p.m. Flight B to create the total player pool.
While players like bracelet winner Jonathan Taylor and Nathan Bjerno have gone bust and already exercised their option to re-enter, others who have not are permitted to take a shot in tomorrow's flight. Those players eliminated from Flight A that made it known they'll participate in tomorrow's Flight B include Casino Championship points leader Scott Stewart and three-time ring winner John Holley.
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:09 PM Local Time
David Trager gets his stack all in from the big blind over an opening raise from Chico Pho, who has . Trager is dominated with , and the board runs out .
Chico Pho - 76,600
David Trager - Eliminated
Friday, January 30, 2015 10:04 PM Local Time
Devon Ballard (pictured) opens a pot and two short stacks shove behind him. It folds back around to Ballard. He calls and has the opportunity to send two players to the rail.
Short stack 1:
Ballard:
Short stack 2:
The table erupts in chatter as two players are at risk. The two players stand up as the dealer burns and turns.
The flop silences the short stacks fast. It comes pairing Ballard's ace and giving him the lead. The turn falls the . Ballard improves even more on the river and he rakes in a pot moving him upward of 200,000 chips while sending two players to the rail.
Devon Ballard - 215,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 9:56 PM Local Time
"Tripp," Jonathan Taylor calls over to Tripp Kirk. "I got him."
Taylor was talking about his double through Kyle Cartwright, who had apparently put him all in with and been called by . Cartwright's ace-high couldn't hold as the board ran out , giving Taylor a winning pair of nines.
"Guy calls all in with queen-high," Cartwright said.
Jonathan Taylor - 34,400
Kyle Cartwright - 119,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 9:55 PM Local Time
Kory Kilpatrick opens for 3,500 from under the gun and a middle-position player jams for just over 23,000. It folds around to Kilpatrick and he calls. The middle-position player is at risk.
Kilpatrick:
Middle-position player:
The board comes and Kilpatrick sends the middle-position player to the rail.
Kory Kilpatrick - 61,000
Friday, January 30, 2015 9:46 PM Local Time
Level: 13
Blinds: 800/1,600
Ante: 200