$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  100/200 with a 200 ante
Flight B Entries:  78

The first break is coming up soon and the 78 entries so far outpaces yesterday’s opening flight. It will continue to build throughout the day as players make their weekend plans.

Jacob Naumann returned to the Poker Room a few days after picking up his first Tampa Guitar Trophy. He won the $570 Eight-Handed tournament on Tuesday and took home $14,505 after a heads-up deal with fellow regular Karl Manouchakian.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  100/100 with a 100 ante
Flight B Entries:  50

The entry count surpassed the half-century mark in the first level and we are starting to see some friends from outside our immediate area. We expect to see more travelers hitting the Main Event with the weekend beginning in earnest.

At Table 1, we found a couple of SHR Poker regulars making their way into the headliner. Michael Tait comes to us from Fort Lauderdale with some nice results on the east coast including a sixth-place finish out of 1,258 entries in Hollywood’s RRPO Event 21 last week.

David Moses joins us from North Carolina and he picked up his first career WSOP Circuit ring at another sister property, a win last February in Coconut Creek.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/100
Flight B Entries:  32

Players are in their seats and cards are in the air for Flight B of the Winter Poker Open Main Event. We have 32 entries for a similar start yesterday and it will grow as we move further into Friday.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/100

The first flight of the 2019 Winter Poker Open Main Event wrapped up yesterday with 106 entries towards the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Only 14 survived the day with Austin Buchanan holding a huge lead at the moment.

Flight B gets underway at 11 am with a $1,650 buy-in and the final flight goes on Sunday at 11 am as well.

Main Event players will sit down to 30,000 stacks and the levels will last for 40 minutes each on Day 1, increasing to 60 on Day 2. Late registration is available until the start of Level 10 after the dinner break at ~6:30 pm. They will complete for 15 full levels and survivers will bag up and return for Day 2 on Sunday at 11 am.

We are rolling into the final weekend of the series and it is getting exciting in the Poker Room

• $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Day 1 levels last 40 minutes; Day 2 levels last 60 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 10
• Day 1 will end after Level 15 or Tournament Director discretion
• Main Event Structure Sheet

Primary Event Schedule

11AM: Day 1B – $1,650 WPO Main Event (Re-Entry)

• $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Day 1 levels last 40 minutes; Day 2 levels last 60 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 10
• Day 1 will end after Level 15 or Tournament Director discretion
• Main Event Structure Sheet

Secondary Event Schedule

9AM: $200 WPO Main Event Turbo Satellite (Re-Entry)

• 2 WPO Main Event seats guaranteed
• Players begin with 10,000 in chips and 15-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• This a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Structure Sheet

4PM: $200 WPO Main Event Satellite (Re-Entry)

• 5 WPO Main Event seats guaranteed
• Players begin with 10,000 in chips and 20-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 7
• This a one-day tournament and plays until completion
• Structure Sheet

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
End of Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  14 of 107

Flight A of the Main Event came to an end with 14 players of 106 entries advancing to Day 2 on Sunday. Austin Buchanan was an early chip leader and swapped it with Haitham Kaki during the day. The important part for him, he is the leader at the end of the day with 639,000.

Ken O’Donnell bagged the second biggest with 452,000 followed by Haitham Kaki’s 407,000.

Flight A counts (return to 3,000/5,000/5,000):

1. Austin Buchanan – 639,000 (128 bb)
2. Ken O’Donnell – 452,000 (90 bb)
3. Haitham Kaki – 407,000 (81 bb)
4. Ryan Hogan – 247,000 (49 bb)
5. John O’Neal – 203,000 (41 bb)
6. Jason Goldman – 183,000 (37 bb)
7. John Dolan – 182,000 (36 bb)
8. Harry Binda – 164,000 (33 bb)
9. Marcus Araujo – 157,000 (31 bb)
10. A.J. Kelsall – 153,000 (31 bb)
11. Bryce McVay – 152,000 (30 bb)
12. Sara Hall – 100,000 (20 bb)
13. Douglas Marro – 91,000 (18 bb)
14. Reggie Bautista – 81,000 (16 bb)

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  16 of 107

Flight A has reached the final level of the evening and the end-of-day chip leader is still in question with several players nearing 400K. Only 16 players remain and the clock is ticking.

Table 12
Seat 1: Reggie Bautista
Seat 2: John O’Neal
Seat 3: John Dolan
Seat 4: Michael Cohen
Seat 5: Harry Binda
Seat 6: — Empty —
Seat 7: Jason Goldman
Seat 8: Haitham Kaki
Seat 9: Ken O’Donnell

Table 13
Seat 1: Ryan Hogan
Seat 2: Douglas Marro
Seat 3: Bryce McVay
Seat 4: A.J. Kelsall
Seat 5: Joseph Orsino
Seat 6: — Empty —
Seat 7: Austin Buchanan
Seat 8: Marcus Araujo
Seat 9: Sara Hall

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 14:  2,000/3,000 with a 2,000 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  18 of 107

Table 12
Seat 1: Reggie Bautista
Seat 2: John O’Neal
Seat 3: John Dolan
Seat 4: Michael Cohen
Seat 5: Harry Binda
Seat 6: Armando Figueroa
Seat 7: Jason Goldman
Seat 8: Haitham Kaki
Seat 9: Ken O’Donnell

Table 13
Seat 1: Ryan Hogan
Seat 2: Gregory White
Seat 3: Bryce McVay
Seat 4: A.J. Kelsall
Seat 5: Joseph Orsino
Seat 6: David Meagher
Seat 7: Austin Buchanan
Seat 8: Marcus Araujo
Seat 9: Sara Hall

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 13:  1,000/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  21 of 107

In a battle of the blinds and the board reading , Armando Figueroa checked from the small blind and John Dolan bet 17,000. Figueroa check-raised to 38,000 and Dolan called after thinking for a minute.

The river was and Figueroa tossed out 20,000 with another 34,000 behind. Dolan took his time to think it through, looked a Figueroa a couple of times, and tossed in a call.

Figueroa immediately rapped on the table, Dolan showed for a pair of nines, and Figueroa mucked.

John Dolan – 390,000 (130 bb)
Armando Figuroa – 38,000 (13 bb)

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 13:  1,000/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  24 of 107

The last break is upon us and the 24 remaining players were sent on the final 15-minute break.

They will return and play three more levels. Those will chips will be them in a bag for Day 2 on Sunday.