$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3: 100/200 with a 100 ante
Day 1B Entries: 137 (Total Entries: 252)

You may not recognize him, but that’s Tampa regular Anthony Dianaty. He earned his entry in this $1,650 Main Event via Wednesday’s $200 satellite and is putting that entry to use here in Day 1B.

He drew a tough table with the aforementioned Quentin Jones and Witold Wassik as well as 2004 WSOP Main Event champion Greg Raymer. Dianaty recently clashed with the former champ and came out on the good end of a river raise.

The board laid and Dianaty lead for 1,600. The action was heads-up and Raymer raised to 5,200. Dianaty sat still thinking for a few moments, then called the raise. Raymer mucked his cards conceding the pot to Dianaty who flipped over for fours full. Dianaty took the pot and grew to comfortably above starting stack.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2: 100/200 with a 100 ante
Day 1B Entries: 112 (Total Entries: 227)

At present, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa holds two major poker events per year — WPTDeepStacks in June and the Winter Poker Open in December. Each of the last two Main Events are represented here in the 2018 installment of the Winter Poker Open Day 1B.

First, the reigning WPTDeepStacks Tampa champion Quentin Jones was in his seat at shuffle up and deal. Jones defeated 620 entries just six months ago earning $116,435 and a WPTDeepStacks title.

Second, the reigning Winter Poker Open Main Event runner-up Witold Wassik was also in his seat at shuffle up and deal today — it just so happens that seat was right next to Jones. Last year, Wassik fell one spot shy of a title busting second to the eventual champion in this event Farid Jattin.

With that, 1st place and 2nd place from the last two majors having a showing here and are looking to either defend or improve on their previous performances.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1: 100/100
Day 1B Entries: 80 (Total Entries: 195)

It’s the 11 o’clock morning hour and that means it’s Main Event at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open. This Friday Day 1B marks the second of three starting flights in the $500,000 guaranteed headliner and it’s looking to be a big weekend kickoff with 80 entries already in the game at shuffle up and deal.

As they did yesterday, Day 1B participants begin with 30,000 chips and log 40-minute levels on Day 1. A 45-minute dinner break occurs at about 5:30pm while registration closes at about 6:15pm. from there, play will go until about 10:30pm before the action concludes.

Here are the details:

11am: $1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event – Day 1B

• $1,650 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed
• 30,000 chips and 40-/60-minute levels
• Registration and unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 10 (~6:15pm)
• Play concludes following Level 15 (~10:30pm)
• Day 2 takes place Sunday, December 16 at noon
• Structure sheet

Updates will be available throughout the day right here at SHRTPoker.com. Good luck, Main Event players!

11am: $1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event – Day 1B

• $1,650 buy-in, $500,000 guaranteed
• 30,000 chips and 40-/60-minute levels
• Registration and unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 10 (~6:15pm)
• Play concludes following Level 15 (~10:30pm)
• Day 2 takes place Sunday, December 16 at noon
• Structure sheet

4pm: $200 Satellite into Winter Poker Open Main Event

• $200 buy-in, five seats guaranteed
• 15,000 chips and 20-minute levels
• Registration and unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 10 (~9:20pm)
• This is a one-day event structured to play to completion
• Structure sheet

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Day 2 Blinds: 2,500/5,000 with a 5,000 ante
Player Remaining: 18 of 115

Day 1A: 115 Entries, 18 Advanced
Day 1B: Friday at 11am
Day 1C: Saturday at 11am
Day 2: Sunday at 12pm

Day 1A chip counts:

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
End of Level 15: 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Player Remaining: 18 of 115

Day 1A of the $1,650 buy-in Winter Poker Open Main Event kicked off at 11am. With registration and re-entry open until just after 6:15pm local time, the field topped out at 115 entries. That accounts for $172,500 of the tournament’s $500,000 guaranteed prize pool and has it well on pace to best the six-figure target.

Following 14 levels, only 18 remain and it’s Michael Turton that claims the chip lead. There’s a log jam at the top, but Turton’s 356,000 were best after all was said and done.

Here’s a look at some of the big stacks:

• Michael Turton – 356,000
• Dan Sepiol – 348,000
• Kharlin Sued – 347,000
• Huicun Qiao – 324,000
• Jason Goldman – 302,000

Full official chip counts will be posted around midnight.

All those advancing from today’s action will return Sunday at noon for Day 2. Those unable to make it to the Seminole Hard Rock today are encouraged to come out for tomorrow’s Day 1B or Saturday’s Day 1C.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15: 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Player Remaining: 18 of 115

A short stack was all in for about 40,000 and 2016 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event champion Anthony Astarita had him at risk.

Astarita:
Short stack:

Runout:

It was a back-and-forth battle with Astarita beginning with the lead, the opponent pairing up on the flop and tripping up on the turn, then Astarita hitting the flush on the river.

Astarita took a nice pot while another one hit the rail late in the day.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15: 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Player Remaining: 19 of 115

The last level of the day is underway and it appears Farhad Madhani and Dan Sepiol are making their case as the stacks to be contended with. The pair is each over 300,000 and battling it out in a neck-and-neck race for the Day 1A chip lead.

We will provide the chip counts from the advancing players after the action concludes.

$1,650 Main Event (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 14: 1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Player Remaining: 24 of 115

The flop was and Dan Sepiol got 208,100 in the pot versus Ofer Peleg. The hands were up and it was a tough draw for Peleg.

Sepiol: for top set
Peleg: for top top

Turn and river:

Peleg stood thinking he was covered. It took the dealer a good couple minutes to count down the stacks, but in the end Peleg was left with a few chips. Sepiol, meanwhile, doubled big.