Event 3: Ladies Champ Going for #2

$150 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 6: 300/600/75 Ante

Ladies Event champion Jean Miccio playing the Turbo
Ladies Event champion Jean Miccio playing the Turbo

Only one Winter Poker Open champion has been crowned so far and it was Jean Miccio walking away with the Ladies Event title two days ago.

Miccio is back in action today and taking a shot at her second title of the series in the Turbo tournament. She picked up a $600 certificate to Rock Spa with her title and she said she’s already put it to use to relax before getting in the game.

Friday wasn’t Miccio’s first taste of success in a Ladies Event, she went deep in this summer’s WSOP Ladies Championship with a 19th place finish.

Event 1: Misti Murphy Leads the Last of the Ladies

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 19: 6,000/12,000/2,000 Ante

Misti Murphy (Tuscon, AZ) is one of the last three ladies standing.
Misti Murphy (Tuscon, AZ) is one of the last three ladies standing.

With 41 players left, the field is (unfortunately) down to just three ladies and it’s Misti Murphy of Tucson, Ariz. who sets the pace for the fairer sex. She holds  275,000 compared to Christy Pham’s 270,000. Deborah Farmer of Lutz, Fla. has her work cut out for her with 85,000.

Each of the 41 remaining players has locked up $927.

Event 3: Fast Start to Turbo

$150 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 3: 100/200

Sam Medina (Tampa, FL)
Sam Medina (Tampa, FL)

We expected action to be quick in the Turbo event but we’re also seeing players get in the game at a fine pace as well.

The tournament hit its $15,000 guarantee midway through the second level and showing no slowing in the first hour. The clock shows 130 entrants at the start of Level 3 with several players already firing their second bullet.

We have a few in their second game of the day after being sent out of Event 1. Sam Medina began that Day 2 with less than an average stack and was unable to run it up. Jeremy Costa was a one-time leader of Event 1 but couldn’t make it further than a min-cash.

Both are in the Turbo field and looking to get further this time around.

Jeremy Costa (Decatur, GA)
Jeremy Costa (Decatur, GA)

Event 1: Bubble Burster Praveen Challagundla Eliminated in 54th Place ($816)

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 5,000/10,000/1,000 Ante

Praveen Challagundla (Dunedin, FL) pictured moments after bursting the money bubble in Event 1
Praveen Challagundla (Dunedin, FL) pictured moments after bursting the money bubble in Event 1

About an hour after bursting the bubble and sending the remaining 72 players into the money, Praveen Challagundla is Event 1’s most recent elimination. He got all in holding Ac8h versus the KsKd of Christy Pham. The board ran out 7c2d2cTc8s and Challagundla busted 54th earning $816.

Christy Pham – 410,000 (41 bb)
Praveen Challagundla – Eliminated in 54th place ($816)

Event 1: Eliminations Through 55th Place

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 18: 5,000/10,000/1,000 Ante

55th: George Hemphill – $728
56th: Christopher Kline – $728
57th: Julius Gaduang – $728
58th: Ronald Sullivan – $728
59th: Cheri Beatty – $728
60th: Rocco Defina – $728
61st: David Lawrence – $728
62nd: James Carmadella – $728
63rd: Michael Turton – $728
64th: Anatoly Zharnitsky – $640
65th: Benjamin Rehm – $640
66th: Plamen Stoyanov – $640
67th: Carlos Loving – $640
68th: Jeremy Costa – $640
69th: Dariel Polanco – $640
70th: Michael Traficante – $640
71st: Walid Maddah – $640
72nd: Ross Monteleone – $640

Event 1: Start-of-Day Leader Dianaty Takes a Hit, Shah Surrenders, Too

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 4,000/8,000/1,000 Ante

Anthony Dianaty has had a quiet Day 2 since starting with the chip lead. Still holding basically the stack he started with, Dianaty faced an early-position raise to 21,000 and called in late position. The flop came AsJd7c. The early-position player bet 25,000 and Dianaty called. The turn brought the 5s and the early position player checked. Dianaty bet 60,000 and the early position player promptly moved all in for 144,000. Dianaty folded and now sits with 500,000.

On a neighboring table, Sean Shah holds AdKd and has a lone opponent at risk with TcTh. The board runs out dry and Shah sends a double-up across the table.

Anthony Dianaty – 500,000 (62 bb)
Sean Shah – 319,000 (39 bb)

Players are now on their first break of the day. They’ll return to Level 18 and blinds of 5,000/10,000 with a 1,000 ante. The clock reads 54 remaining.

Event 3: For the Turbo Lovers

$150 Deep Stack Turbo No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 1: 25/50

The next new event on the 2015 Winter Poker Open is ready to go and set for some fast-paced poker on a Sunday afternoon. Event 3 is a $150 buy-in tournament with a turbo structure, no one needs to worry about a late evening for this one.

The 15-minute levels will be balanced by the deep 25,000 starting stacks but things will still move quickly. The tournament also features a $15,000 guaranteed prizepool to put some nice money on the line.

Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 13 at 5:30pm and they will play down to a champion this evening.

Players are taking their seats and cards will soon be flying.

Event 1: A Milly for Chip Leader Daniel Ramirez

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 17: 4,000/8,000/1,000 Ante

Daniel Ramirez (Miami Beach, FL)
Daniel Ramirez (Miami Beach, FL) snaps a picture of his 1,550,000-chip stack

Chip leader Daniel Ramirez’s good run is continuing as his pocket jacks busted the AxJx of an opponent who held a few hundred thousand chips. The pot was the most recent in a hot string of hands and Ramirez now holds better than 1,500,000 chips with 60,000 players remaining.

Daniel Ramirez -1,550,000 (193 bb)

Event 1: Praveen Challagundla Bursts the Bubble

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 16: 3,000/6,000/500 Ante

Praveen Challagundla (top, middle) puts Event 1 in the money
Praveen Challagundla (top, middle) puts Event 1 in the money

Following just over an hour of Day 2 play, the 115-player restart field is down to the final 72 and all are assured a payday of at least $640. It was Dunedin, Fla.’s Praveen Challagundla who did the dirty work busting an unknown player 73rd and bursting the money bubble.

On the first hand of hand-for-hand play, the player shoved under the gun for 42,000 and it folded all the way around to Challagundla in the big blind. He quickly called flipping over AhKc. The UTG player was in a world of hurt as he exposed KdJd.

The flop and turn came 7h4h3c9h and by the time the Ks fell on the river the UTG player was already halfway out the door.

All remaining players have locked up $640 with a top prize of $51,197 and a $1,650 WPO Championship seat heading to first.

Praveen Challagundla – 190,000 (31 bb)

Praveen Challagundla (Dunedin, FL)
Praveen Challagundla (Dunedin, FL)