$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 11: 500/1,000 with a 100 ante
Flight B Players Remaining: 75 of 156

With the board reading , AJ Crotty bet 2,100 from the small blind position and Jennifer Haselton three-bet all in for 19,200 from the cutoff. EJ McVetty thought for a minute on the button and moved all in for 43,000. Crotty didn’t wait long and called all in for less to the create the big three-way pot.

Crotty:
Haselton:
McVetty:

Crotty was ahead with the turned set of three, McVetty was looking for one of eight diamonds to fill his flush, and Haselton was drawing dead. The river finished the board and Crotty had his triple up while Haselton was sent out.

AJ Crotty – 51,000
EJ McVetty – 41,5000
Jennifer Haselton – Eliminated

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Flight B Players Remaining: 86 of 156

The books are closed for Flight B of the WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event and the second of three starting sessions drew 156 entries to push the combined total up to 345. We expect in the neighborhood of 300 entries on a busy Saturday so we’ll likely double up on the $300,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Chip counts from Flight A

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 10: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Flight B Entries: 156 (Total Entries: 345)

Players are back from their dinner break with an unofficial 156 entries in Flight B. We will wait for the official word and then add up some numbers.

There were no massive stacks at the table while they were gone and looks like Denavol Wilson is the current leader with 116,000. He has six levels to work with that stack and duplicate his deep run in Event 1.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 9: 300/600 with a 75 ante
Flight B Entries: 150 (Total Entries: 339)

Level 9 has come to an end and Flight B players are now on a one-hour dinner break. Tournament staff will color and race off the green quarter chips while they are gone and black chip antes will kick in.

This is also the last chance to register, the desk will close down when cards go back in the air.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 9: 300/600 with a 75 ante
Flight B Entries: 147 (Total Entries: 336)

Kevin Pahl open-shoved from early position for 5,850 and Brandon Byars three-bet to 13,000 from the cutoff. Vitor Coelho thought for a few minutes in the big blind but decided not to come along.

Byars:
Pahl:

Pahl was ahead in the race and he stayed that way on the board to double.

Kevin Pahl – 12,975
Brandon Byars – 74,000

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 8: 250/500 with a 75 ante
Flight B Entries: 145 (Total Entries: 335)

We are midway through Level 8 which also puts us at the midpoint of the day. The entry count is moving up towards 150 and players still have nearly two hours to come down to the poker room to join the action.

Steve Trizis doesn’t have to wait for his shot. He was here early and playing often. He was a member of last year’s final table but dropped out in ninth place in front of the WPTDeepStacks live-stream cameras in the Hard Rock Cafe.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 7: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Flight B Entries: 140 (Total Entries: 330)

The second break is complete and we are back underway in the poker room with a prize pool creeping up on $325,000.

There were a few stacks of similar sizes on the tables but one stood out. Sean Hampson is sitting with 95,000 and the closest player to triple digits with a few others hovering in the 80K territory. Hampson came close to winning his first title back in December but had to settle for the runner-up payout in the Winter Poker Open Pot Limit Omaha event.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 6: 150/300 with a 50 ante
Flight B Entries: 139 (Total Entries: 329)

It’s time for another break from the action as Level 6 comes to an end. We’ll take another walk around the tables to see who ran up a castle.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 5: 100/200 with a 25 ante
Flight B Entries: 135 (Total Entries: 325)

We weren’t sure if Rex Clinkscales would make it this year but he took time out of his busy summer poker schedule to fly into Tampa to defend his title.

Clinkscales outlasted all 704 entries last June to take the title along with more than $162,000. It was the first step to winning the WPTDeepStacks Player of the Year honors which he solidified with another win in the tour’s Edmonton stop.

There are only two former champions of this event and the other, Anthony Astarita, booked his Day 2 spot in yesterday’s flight.

$1,100 WPTDeepStacks Tampa Main Event
$300,000 Guarantee | Structure
Level 5: 100/200 with a 25 ante
Flight B Entries: 131 (Total Entries: 320)

Deborah Farmer is a familiar face in all of our events and she is in today’s field trying to push through to Day 2. She is also responsible for getting the field one player shorter.

Farmer had an opponent all in and at risk in a pretty standard race. She was ahead with against and they both hit the flop. Farmer’s middle set was better than top/top but she had a small sweat after the turn. She faded the river and sent a player packing.