$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Return to Level 16: 4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  88 of 857

Flight A: 156 Entries; 16 Advanced
Flight B: 123 Entries; 13 Advanced
Flight C: 135 Entries; 14 Advanced
Flight D: 178 Entries; 18 Advanced
Flight E: 265 Entries; 27 Advanced
Flight F: Saturday at 10 am
Day 2: Sunday at 11 am

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 18:  6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  27 of 265

It took them a little while to get there, a big number of hands on the bubble, but they got there when Tom Nguyen sent out a short stack in 28th place to send 27 players on to Day 2.

Nathan Lee stormed ahead late and bagged the overall lead with 722,000. He was followed by Andrew Johnson (614,000), Anthony Midthun (585,000), Igor Tretyakov (508,000), and Manny Minaya 475,000.

We will post the full chip count list as soon as it is available later this evening.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 17:  5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  33 of 265

Action is back underway after the final break of the day and everyone is chasing Craig Grainger at the top of the counts. He leads the field with 584,000 and second place George Babalis is right next to him with 558,000. John Bellotte is still doing fine with 514,000 as we head to the end of the day.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 16:  4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  33 of 265

Flight E players are taking their last break of the night with 33 players remaining. They will continue until 27 are left in the game so it’s unlikely that will take four more levels.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 16:  4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  35 of 265

Flight E players can see the end of their day on the horizon; 35 players remain, and 21 will advance. They are starting to get chips or hitting the rail.

Tampa regular Manny Minaya is in the first group, building his stack up to 341,000 and among the leaders late in the day.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 14:  3,000/5,000 with a 5,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  48 of 265

Flight E had a run to the rail and quickly dropped down to the last six tables of the day with 48 players remaining. Only 27 of them will book a seat for Day 2 on Sunday so they’ll have to make some moves.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 13:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  65 of 265

The third break is complete, the purple chips are out of play, the 24K chips are out there now, and we have a new chip leader.

John Bellotte began gathering a big stack after the second break and finished Level 12 with the biggest in the room. He sits with 338,000 as the clear lead as we head into the late stages of the day.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 12:  1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  72 of 265

Players are taking their time this afternoon, waiting for the right spot, and we still have 72 around as they prepare for the next break of the day.

With 27 advancing to Day 2, they still have a lot of work ahead of them to get there.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Flight E Players Remaining:  89 of 265

Flight E is taking its time playing down towards the money bubble and end-of-day play. There are still 89 players in contention, including Andra Zachow and Kevin Blewitt taking a lot of chips from the same table.

Zachow is up to 146,000 in the middle of the day and Blewitt cracked 100K with his 107,000. Other players still in the game include Wally Maddah, Cheri Beatty, Igor Tretyakov, Jeremy Becker, Manny Minaya, and Ok Haselton.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Flight E Entries:  265

Registration closed for Flight E of Winter Poker Open Event 1 with 265 entries. The combined count for the tournament is up to 857 and the prize pool sits at $287,095 with a huge turnout expected tomorrow for the last flight.

Flight E will play down to 27 players and they will return on Sunday at 11 am for Day 2 in the money.

Chip counts through Flight D