$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 1: 25/50

Five flights are locked down with only one more chance for players to get in Event 1. Flight F is set to roll at 6pm with the $150,000 guaranteed prize pool already met and more than $175,000 up for grabs already.

The first five flights have combined for 586 entries and the evening session will push the number much higher. They will have more than four hours to run it up and we should easily hit $200,000 before they close down registration.

Flight F players will start with 20,000 stacks out front and grind 30-minute levels throughout the day. Late registration is open until the start of Level 9 at 10:30pm with unlimited re-entries available during that time. Action will shut down at the end of Level 14 when survivors will bag up their chips for a return tomorrow for Day 2.

Cards go in the air at the top of the hour and we’ll watch to see how high they can push the money.

• $150,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 14 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 1 Structure Sheet

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 12: 800/1,600 with a 200 ante
Flight E Players Remaining: 60 of 184

Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Mike Laake and Cheri Beatty are among those to have hit the rail since registration closed nearly two hours ago.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 12: 800/1,600 with a 200 ante
Flight E Players Remaining: 60 of 184

Richard Higgins opened from middle position only to see the button and small blinds jam. Higgins called giving himself the opportunity to triple up. The button was at risk while the small blind could eliminate both players.

Small blind:
Higgins:
Button:

Runout:

Higgins went from second to first and earned the pot with his pair of aces. The dealer counted down Higgins’ all-in call to 24,400. The button was left eliminated while the small blind took a tiny side pot. Higgins rake a healthy pot putting his stack at just over 75,000.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 10: 500/1,000 with a 100 ante
Flight E Players Remaining: 76 of 184

Leif Oskarsson of Poker Life Gear has caught a hot streak of cards, and by his own estimation, eliminated six players in the last 20 minutes. The run has seen him turn his 20,000 starting chips into 165,000 and he now contends for the chip lead late in Flight E.

Knocked out 6 players in 20 min unreal. 165k now @SHRTPoker #pokerlifegear

— PokerLifeGear (@pokerlifestkr) December 3, 2016

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Flight E Players Remaining: 105 of 184

Registration is closed and the final attendance figure for Flight E is in. The most recent of six total starting flights drew 184 entries bringing the five-flight sum to 586. As is, the prize pool stands at an unofficial $175,800 — comfortably over the $150,000 guarantee.

Tournament breakdown:

The sixth and final starting flight begins at 6pm and is all but guaranteed to push the prize pool over the $200,000 mark.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600 with a 75 ante
Entries: 181

Cheri Beatty recorded her first-ever cash in a Ladies Event yesterday finishing fourth good for a $528 score. The event drew 40 entries and Beatty took to Twitter saying she “never does well” in Ladies Events. A few hours later she burst the money bubble then rode her good play to a fourth-place finish.

She’s back on the felt and has chipped up slightly over the first few levels of Flight E.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 7: 200/500 with a 50 ante
Entries: 176

Jeff Essink was in middle position and opened the action for a raise only to see the opponent on his direct left three-bet. It folded around and Essink called.

Flop:

Essink checked and the opponent bet. Essink called.

Turn:

Essink checked and the opponent bet 5,000. Essink called.

River:

The players checked it down and Essink turned over for two pair. The opponent mucked and Essink rake a pot that grew his holdings to 73,000.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 6: 200/500 with a 50 ante
Entries: 167

One past Winter Poker Open champion taking a shot in Flight E of the $150,000 guaranteed opener is Anthony Pellegrini. Pellegrini earned his title in last year’s $250 Pot Limit Omaha event following a three-way chop that saw him pocket $3,729 and a $1,650 WPO Championship seat.

He’s experienced some modest success since then, but is in search of another victory here in 2016.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 5: 150/300 with a 50 ante
Entries: 152

The first break came and went and cards are back in the air for Flight E of the $350 Winter Poker Open Event 1. The Ladies Event was  yesterday, but that hasn’t stopped the fairer sex from making their presence known here in the opener.

Following the first four levels of play, Vicki Holmes has assumed the top spot with a stack of 75,000. Close on her heels is Len Nhoung with 54,000.

Both players have experienced success on the poker felt, Holmes with over $36,000 in career earnings and Nhoung with a runner-up finish in WPT regional event nearby.

$350 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 2: 50/100
Entries: 107

The Flight E entry count ticked up over the 98 threshold early in Level 2 and that officially renders the $150,000 guarantee a thing of the past. The field now tops 500 combined entries ensuring a prize pool in excess of the six-figure guarantee.