$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  617  (Total:  1,165)

In the final minutes of the last level before registration closed, there were some players with short stacks trying to either double up or bust so they could re-enter to get a fresh starting stack of 40,000 in chips.

WPT champion Shawn Cunix appeared to be one of those players.

Rodney Turvin raised from middle position to 3,500, the player in the small blind called, and Shawn Cunix called from the big blind.

The flop came , and it checked to Turvin, who bet 15,000. The small blind folded, and Cunix called.

The turn card was the , and they quickly got it all in (Cunix possibly open-shoved). Cunix was all in for 28,900, and he showed for two pair, jacks and eights. Turvin turned over , and Cunix needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Cunix won the pot with his two pair to double up in chips.

Shawn Cunix  –  99,500  (66 bb)
Rodney Turvin  –  12,900  (9 bb)

The next hand, Rodney Turvin got it all in from middle position for 12,900 against — you guessed it — Shawn Cunix in the small blind.

Turvin turned over , and he needed it to hold to stay alive against Cunix’s .

The board came — Cunix paired his seven on the flop, but Turvin paired his ace on the turn to win the pot and double up in chips.

Rodney Turvin  –  28,200  (19 bb)
Shawn Cunix  –  86,600  (58 bb)

The next hand was the last hand before the break (and before registration closed). The player in the cutoff raised to 4,000, Shawn Cunix called from the button, David Tuthill called from the small blind, and the player in the big blind moved all in for 30,800. The cutoff called, as did Cunix, while Tuthill folded.

The big blind didn’t realize the cutoff had called, and prematurely revealed he had , but then quickly turned it back face down.

The flop came , the cutoff checked, Cunix moved all in for 55,800, and the cutoff folded.

The big blind showed for ace high with an ace-high flush draw, and Cunix turned over for a lower flush draw with a gutshot straight draw.

The turn card was the , the river card was the , and Cunix managed to turn a seven-high straight to win the pot and eliminate a very surprised player in the big blind.

Shawn Cunix  –  153,400  (102 bb)

It was a bit of a roller coaster for Cunix at the end of last level, but he ended the registration period with a little over 100 big blinds to be in a pretty good position facing the final three levels of the night.

Action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 11 (12:30 am).