$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10: 600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Day 1B Entries: 208 (Total Entries: 323)

Dinner break expired and that’s it for registration on Day 1B of the Winter Poker Open Main Event. The second of two start days drew 208 entries bringing the two-flight total to 323. That’s good for $484,500 toward the $500,000 guarantee and all but guarantees the targeted prize pool will be bested.

Here’s a breakdown:

Day 1B is set to log six more hours of play before action wraps around 10:30pm local time. Complete chip counts will be posted around midnight local time.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Heading to Level 10: 600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Day 1B Entries: 202 (Total Entries: 317)

Main Event players are on a 45-minute dinner break. The clock currently shows 202 in the game with a combined field of 317 generating $475,500 toward the $500,000 guarantee. When the action resumes at roughly 6:15pm local time, registration will close and we’ll provide the final attendance figure.

At present, William Isbell leads the Day 1B field with about 260,000 chips.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9: 500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Day 1B Entries: 199 (Total Entries: 314)

Last year’s runner-up Witold Wassik raised to 6,500 from late position. It was on Event 1 runner-up Tony Tran in the big blind and he three-bet to 17,000. Wassik called and they saw a flop. Tran lead for 9,000 and that was good enough for the win. Wassik mucked and Tran grew his holdings.

With the pot, his stack sits at just under six figures.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8: 400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1B Entries: 195 (Total Entries: 310)

The under the gun player limped and AJ Kelsall raised to 3,200 from middle position. Michael Cohen called from late position while the button and blinds folded. The under the gun player got out of the way too and Kelsall was heads up with Cohen.

Flop: – Kelsall checked and Cohen bet 2,800. Kelsall called.

Turn: – Kelsall checked again and Cohen bet again, this time 6,000. Kelsall thought for a few moments then shoved about 20,000. Cohen quickly folded and Kelsall took the pot.

The hand got him up to a little over 40,000.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8: 400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1B Entries: 192 (Total Entries: 307)

Tampa’s Tony March play his poker not for himself, but for his foundation — The Pay it Backward Foundation.

March is the founder of the Tampa-based charitable organization which “invests itself in the lives of the underprivileged broken, abused, homeless and forgotten.” March came from an impoverished background, and after finding professional success, was compelled to combat poverty in the communities in which he lives. Thus began the Pay it Backward Foundation.

According to the foundation’s website:

“[The][Pay][it][Backward][Foundation] has been created to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, assist the poor and encourage the broken hearted while, at the same time, seeking to enrich their spirits and raise their hopes for a better future.”

March has a passion for poker and uses his skills to provide for his foundation donating all of his winnings to charity. Last year’s Winter Poker Open boasted a prize pool in excess of $1,000,000, so there’s plenty of opportunity for a charitable score here in the Main Event.

Midway through Level 8, March is look good with about 70,000.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries: 185 (Total Entries: 300)

Karl Manouchakian was out of position in a three-way pot. The flop was . The trio each got 1,800 and then checked down the turn and river. Manouchakian announced he had a nine — . Turns out it was good and he took a small one.

Manouchakian’s Tampa resume is an impressive one that includes three tournament wins, numerous final tables and Player of the Series honors during the 2016 WPTDeepStacks. His 2018 has been solid and he hopes to end it in a big way with another deep run here in the Winter Poker Open Main Event.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5: 200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries: 182 (Total Entries: 297)

In yesterday’s Day 1A, Jeff Trudeau held one of the biggest stacks late. With nearly 250,000, he was tops or at least close to it in Level 11. He couldn’t fade the four more levels of play and ended up going bust shy of a Day 2 berth.

He’s back here on Day 1B and recently took a small pot after a late position opponent raised and he defended his big blind. The flop fell and Trudeau checked. The raiser bet 2,000 and Trudeau check-raised to 5,300. The opponent folded and Trudeau stacks some chips.

While he’s a long way from the nearly 250,000 chips he had yesterday, he is above starting stack here in Level 5.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5: 200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries: 177 (Total Entries: 292)

2003 WSOP Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker was here in Tampa early last week playing cash. 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer is here today playing Day 1B of the Winter Poker Open Main Event. The WSOP Main Event presence keeps coming with former November Niners John Dolan and Neil Blumenfield also in the game.

The pair are Seminole regulars, Dolan residing here in Tampa and Blumenfield in South Florida. Dolan’s deep run came back in 2010 when he finished 6th for $1,772,959. Blumenfield’s fame came a few years later in 2015 when he finished 3rd for $3,398,298.

Both are among a growing field here on Day 1B and look to build some stacks early.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4: 200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries: 165 (Total Entries: 280)

Friday’s strong turnout continues here on Day 1B of the Winter Poker Open Main Event. Following two hours of play, three levels and a 15-minute break, the clock shows 165 players in the $1,650 buy-in action. That puts the combined field at 280 entries ahead of pace of last year’s huge 671-entry field that boasts a $1,006,500 prize pool.

Registration and re-entry are available until about 6:15pm.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3: 100/200 with a 100 ante
Day 1B Entries: 152 (Total Entries: 267)

Greg Raymer and Anthony Dianaty went head-to-head again, this time with Raymer getting a little back from the Tampa regular.

Dianaty kicked off the hand with a raise to 1,700 from late position. Raymer was in the big blind and three-bet to 5,200. Dianaty called and the duo saw a flop of . Raymer C-bet 3,500 and Dianaty called.

The turn was the . Raymer kept the pressure on, leading for 7,000. Dianaty thought for a moment, then let it go.

With that, Raymer, the 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event champion, got a few back from Dianaty and also sits above starting stack.