$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 14: 1,500/2,500 with a 2,500 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining: 43 of 185

Joel Wadsworth limped under the gun and Vitor Coelho bumped it up to 6,500 from early position. Sidi Taleb was in the cutoff and called. The button and blinds mucked while Wadsworth called. They were three ways to a flop. Wadsworth checked and Coelho C-bet 6,500. Taleb called as did Wadsworth.

The action took a big turn on the turn as Wadsworth switched gears leading with an all-in bet of just under 100,000.

Coelho and and Taleb mucked and Wadsworth took the pot without contest.

“I had an out,” he laughed turning over for a gutshot straight. “World class player, baby.”

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 13: 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining: 53 of 185

After busting his neighbor — Karl Manouchakian — on the last hand before break Richard Carr leads the field with only two hours left in the day. Carr picked up piles over the course of the day’s first 12 levels and begins Level 13 with just under 390,000.

Not only does that sum top Day 1B, it would be good for the overall chip lead through two start days were play to hault now.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 12: 800/1,600 with a 1,600 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining: 57 of 185

Tom Nguyen was all-in from the hijack for about 36,000 and Michael Turton had him at risk from the button.

Turton:
Nguyen:

Flop:

Nguyen spiked an ace to take the lead in the hand.

Turn:

Nguyen retained his lead.

River:

The river was one of Turton’s two outs and Nguyen stood abruptly from the table. Turton took the pot — putting him at just under 100,000 — while Nguyen was relegated to returning for tomorrow’s Day 1C.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 11: 600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Day 1B Players Remaining: 66 of 185

The field is dwindling with roughly one-third of the 185 starters still hanging around. Loads of chips have moved around the felt and it’s Michael Sims that’s found the most of them thus far. Sims holds roughly 225,000 and is best of the pack.

Others looking for big bags include Willie Wiggins, Alex Kimpel and Brian Reinert all right around 150,000.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 10: 500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Day 1B Entries: 185 (Total Entries: 340)

Cards are back in the air following the one-hour dinner break and registration is closed for Day 1B of the WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event. The Friday installment drew 185 total entries bringing the two-flight total to 340. That puts the prize pool at $329,800. That puts the tournament only 176 entries shy of the guarantee, a figure that should be easily surpassed during tomorrow’s Day 1C.

Here’s a breakdown of the tournament thus far:

Chip Counts through Day 1A

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
End of Level 9: 400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1B Entries: 182 (Total Entries: 337)

Level 9 expired and players in the WPTDeepStacks Main Event are on a one-hour dinner break. Cards go back in the air just after 6:30pm and registration closes at that time. With 182 Day 1B entries thus far, the combined field sits at 337 good for a prize pool of more than $325,000. Those unable to make today’s play can get in the game tomorrow at 11am for Day 1C.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 9: 400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1B Entries: 181 (Total Entries: 336)

There was an early-position raise and James Kerr called from the cutoff. The button and blinds folded and it was heads up to the flop.

The raiser C-bet 6,000 and Kerr calmly and quickly raised to 12,000. The raiser only had about 18,500 behind and after some time in the tank pushed it all in the middle. Kerr called and the hands were put face up.

Kerr: for a pair of aces
Raiser: for a pair of nines

Turn and river:

Kerr’s overpair was good and his opponent hit the rail. Kerr, meanwhile, picked up a few chips and stacked his pile to about 70,000.

Kerr experienced recent success her in Tampa winning the $350/$100K during December’s Winter Poker Open for $30,620.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 8: 300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries: 167 (Total Entries: 322)

The WPTDeepStacks field is filling in with some recognizable Florida grinders. Over at Table 6 is the 2016 champion of this event, Anthony Astarita. Back then, Astarita bested 538 entries earning $130,541. The fields have grown since then, and a 2019 win would come at the hands of a significantly larger player pool and a award a larger prize accordingly.

Over at Table 1 is a two-time runner-up of this tournament, Michael Cohen. In 2017, Cohen was second best to Rex Clinkscales. Fast forward a year to the 2018 installment and it was Quentin Jones that got the best of Cohen.

The finishes were one spot shy of the wins Cohen surely eyed, but they combined to earn him better than $172,000.

Both Astarita and Cohen are part of the Friday play their hopes of follow-up runs are still alive midway through the day.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 7: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries: 162 (Total Entries: 317)

Another break is done and players are back in their seats to Level 7 with blinds of 300/500 and a 500 ante. The clock shows 162 entries in the Friday play and it’s Alex Kimpel that tops them all.

Kimpel’s first 30,000 chips found the felt as he busted bullet one today. After a re-buy, all things have gone right and Kimpel finds himself just a bit shy of 200,000.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Main Event
$500,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 6: 200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries: 157 (Total Entries: 312)

The preflop action was unknown, but it resulted in Nashaat Antonious hitting the rail and Karl Manouchakian picking up a small pot.

Antonious was all-in for 2,400 and Manouchakian had him at risk. It was Manouchakian’s that was ahead versus Antonious’ .

Runout:

Manouchakian’s kicker played and his stack grew to about 50,000. Antonious re-entered just as fast as he busted and got back in the game with a fresh 30,000 starting chips.

For Manouchakian, he’s had a successful WPTDeepStacks series regardless of his outcome. He preceded this Main Event with a 14th place finish in the $570 re-entry and a runner-up in the $1,650 Mega Stack.