$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 12:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  27 of 107

The last break of the day is in the near future and Flight A dropped down to three tables along the way. The pace and math say they should finish with somewhere around 14 people advancing to Day 2.

While players were going out, Haitham Kaki extended his lead and now has 410,000.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 11:  1,000/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  33 of 107

Flight A dropped down to three tables soon after the dinner break and more big stacks are appearing. Haitham Kaki is the new leader with 297,000 but Austin Buchanan is not far behind (or far away, sitting next to Kaki) with 292,000.

WSOPC ring winner Sara Hall is also working her way up the counts and sits with 134,000.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  500/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Day 1A Players Remaining:  36 of 107

Tournament staff went over the accounting and Flight A of the Winter Poker Open Main Event drew 107 for a great start to the tournament. The second flight runs on Friday at 11 am the final on Saturday at the same time.

Players will continue into the evening and bag up after Level 15 around 10:45 pm.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  500/1,500 with a 1,500 ante
Day 1A Entries:  106

Main Event players are retaking their seats as the final entries buy in. We will have the official numbers shortly after the restart.

Austin Buchanan was the leader at the second break and continued to build his stack before dinner. He returns with 187,000 to lead the pack followed Armando Figueroa (147,000) and Reggie Bautista.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Day 1A Entries:  104

Level 9 is complete and tournament staff sent the Main Event players on their 60-minute dinner break. Plenty of time to enjoy the various epicurean delights around the property.

Once they return, registration will close on the first of three starting flights with the next running tomorrow at 11 am.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1A Entries:  100

The entry count climbed to triple digits around the same time Level 8 rolled around. That’s a good start with bigger crowds expected as we head into the weekend.

Reggie Bautista is another big stack emerging and the SHR Tampa regular is up to 105,000 at a tough table that includes John O’Neal, Joseph Orsino, and Karl Manouchakian. Bautista picked up the biggest score of his career only a few weeks ago; he earned $23,369 for second place in the Pinktober Poker Open $360 Mega Stack tournament.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 7:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1A Entries:  94

We have a new chip leader in the Main Event and the only player with a six-digit stack. WSOP Circuit ring owner Austin Buchanan climbed up to 115,700 to lead the way with Ryan Luker sitting a little back in second with 98,500.

There’s still a long way to go but that is a great start for both of them.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1A Entries:  92

Another break is here and players are leaving the area to grab a snack or fresh air. They will return to play three more levels before going on a one-hour dinner break.

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1A Entries:  88

The Poker Room is filling up and the Main Event is nearing triple digits on the entry count. A busy Thursday afternoon.

One of the recent entries came from John-Christian Templeton, a former champion of this very tournament. He was part of the 453-entry Winter Poker Open Main Event field and took down the title after a three-way chop. Templeton earned the biggest score of the year and banked $134,731

$1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1A Entries:  81

Tony March is a well-known player in our Poker Room, talented and generous and friendly. On Monday, he picked up his first career SHR Tampa guitar trophy in the $360 Deep Stack tournament.

March runs a terrific charity organization called the Pay It Backward Foundation and he has been donating 100% of all his poker winnings to the organization. He took home the Guitar Trophy but Pay It Backward had another $44,851 added to its funds to help the underprivileged.