partypoker Presents: WPT500 Day 1D

Day 1D Summary: Field Sizes Nearly Double

 

Day 1D of the partypoker Presents: WPT500 at ARIA Resort & Casino attracted 780 entrants, creating a four-day total of 2,036 entrants with two more Day 1s to come.

That was the big story of the day, as the first two starting fields averaged 400 entrants each, and Day 1D attracted nearly twice as many. It was a day of long lines, and alternates waiting around to take their seats. Late registration closes at the beginning of Level 9, and the last alternate wasn’t seated until the middle of that level.

Play was scheduled to continue until the field was down to 5% of the field — in this case, the final 39 players. But since four players effectively busted at the same time at the end of the night, Day 1D will only be advancing 36 players to Day 2.

Here’s a look at the overall tournament to this point:

Friday, July 4th, 12:00 noon:  Day 1A  (433 entrants; 22 survivors)
Saturday, July 5th, 12:00 noon:  Day 1B  (366 entrants; 18 survivors)
Sunday, July 6th, 12:00 noon:  Day 1C  (457 entrants; 22 survivors)
Monday, July 7th, 12:00 noon:  Day 1D  (780 entrants; 36 survivors)
Tuesday, July 8th, 12:00 noon:  Day 1E

Wednesday, July 9th, 8:30 am:  Day 1F  (TURBO, 15-min levels)
Wednesday, July 9th, 1:00 pm:  Day 2  (Play to a Winner)

Here are the survivors from Day 1D:

1.  Christian Harder  –  961,000
2.  Mark Darner  –  895,000
3.  Michael Conners  –  755,000
4.  Kevin Saul  –  715,000
5.  Chris Baud  –  540,000
6.  Adam Foster  –  510,000
7.  Andy Hwang  –  504,000
8.  Luke Marlar  –  502,000
9.  Jamie Kerstetter  –  482,000
10.  Antonio Karman  –  464,000
11.  Dan O’Brien  –  379,000
12.  Zarah Whimper  –  369,000
13.  Jay Hong  –  356,000
14.  Ole Schemion  –  341,000
15.  James Rone  –  291,000
16.  Mike Christiansen  –  288,000
17.  Nagi Abdo  –  282,000
18.  Alan Levin  –  280,000
19.  Ronny Barak  –  275,000
20.  Joseph Stegeman  –  253,000
21.  Laury Vanlerborghe  –  247,000
22.  Halli Pinson  –  221,000
23.  P.J. Grace  –  201,000
24.  Johannes Mueller  –  190,000
25.  Claudio Pollin  –  190,000
26.  Eric Holtz  –  186,000
27.  David Sidler  –  185,000
28.  Guillaume Marechal  –  170,000
29.  Yongshuo Zheng  –  163,000
30.  Carlos Hurtado  –  153,000
31.  Daniel Fusco  –  147,000
32.  Gerald Dunn  –  143,000
33.  Jason Murai  –  128,000
34.  Logan Trindade  –  97,000
35.  Vernon Bludson  –  88,000
36.  Erik Nielsen  –  85,000

Of the 98 players who have survived to Day 2 so far, the overall chipleader is Messadek Soufiane, who finished with 1,143,000 on Day 1B. That is a massive amount of chips at this stage, and it is unlikely that anyone will pass him in the final two starting fields.

Here is the list of players who finished in the money on Day 1D, but didn’t survive to Day 2:

37th:  Jeff Bell  –  $1,250
38th:  Tanya Kirk  –  $1,250
39th:  Chris Ragavanis  –  $1,250
40th:  Ronit Chamani  –  $1,250
41st:  Parveen Kapoor  –  $1,250
42nd:  Michael Sloan  –  $1,250
43rd:  Louis Bonnecaze  –  $1,250
44th:  Claudio Cha  –  $1,250
45th:  Rob Davis  –  $1,250
46th:  Joao Luis Peres  –  $1,250

47th:  Paul North  –  $1,000
48th:  Samuel Murphy  –  $1,000
49th:  Eric Afriat  –  $1,000
50th:  Robert Russell  –  $1,000
51st:  Andrey Lobzhanidze  –  $1,000
52nd:  Brian Nadell  –  $1,000
53rd:  Nissar Quraishi  –  $1,000
54th:  Alexander Debelle  –  $1,000
55th:  Craig Montalbano  –  $1,000
56th:  Michael Esposito  –  $1,000
57th:  Randal Sklar  –  $1,000
58th:  Raymond Bonavida  –  $1,000
59th:  Kevin Smith  –  $1,000
60th:  Raymond Stuwe  –  $1,000
61st:  Gift Kuzuwan  –  $1,000
62nd:  Eric Davis  –  $1,000
63rd:  Cody Shedd  –  $1,000
64th:  Chad Power  –  $1,000
65th:  Slade Crooks  –  $1,000
66th:  Joshua Gurfein  –  $1,000
67th:  Mark Surdyka  –  $1,000
68th:  Franck Yenigotchian  –  $1,000
69th:  Karl Irvin  –  $1,000
70th:  Keton Pandya  –  $1,000

71st:  Chris Bond  –  $750
72nd:  Mark Adev  –  $750
73rd:  Christopher Nugent  –  $750
74th:  Sebastian Clot  –  $750
75th:  Fabian Strehl  –  $750
76th:  Rafael Herrera  –  $750
77th:  Orez Mokedi  –  $750
78th:  Brendan Keenan  –  $750
79th:  Gabrielle Costade Souza  –  $750
80th:  Thomas Heinrich  –  $750
81st:  Harrison Gimbel  –  $750
82nd:  Mario Walkner  –  $750
83rd:  Ray Foley  –  $750
84th:  Daniel McAuliffe  –  $750
85th:  Alexander Markey  –  $750
86th:  Sebastian Tejada  –  $750
87th:  Jessica McLaughlin  –  $750
88th:  James Lambert  –  $750
89th:  Kirk Drickman  –  $750
90th:  Reginald Caymol  –  $750
91st:  Amar Anand  –  $750
92nd:  Garrett Gruener  –  $750
93rd:  Timothy Jurkiewicz  –  $750
94th:  Wade Poynter  –  $750

Day 1E begins at 12:00 noon today, with late registration open until about 4:30 pm PT. It is already well past the sellout point, with over 300 alternates.

If you’re interested in playing the last-chance Day 1F Turbo (with 15-minute levels) at 8:30 am on Wednesday, it’s recommended that you register early before it fills up as well.

 

Four Players Bust on the End-of-Day 1D Bubble

Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

The goal was to play down to 39 players tonight, but when the field got down to that number and action was called to a halt, there were several other all-in situations, and they resulted in eliminations.

Effectively, there were four players eliminated simultaneously at the end of the night.

So 36 players will advance from today’s field, meaning there are now 98 players who have reached Day 2. With two more starting fields and tremendous demand, that number will increase by a lot.

Recent Money Finishers: 37th-46th

Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

Here are the most recent money finishers, who have earned $1,250 each:

46th:  Joao Luis Peres  –  $1,250
45th:  Rob Davis  –  $1,250
44th:  Claudio Cha  –  $1,250
43rd:  Louis Bonnecaze  –  $1,250
42nd:  Michael Sloan  –  $1,250
41st:  Parveen Kapoor  –  $1,250
40th:  Ronit Chamani  –  $1,250
39th:  Chris Ragavanis  –  $1,250
38th:  Tanya Kirk  –  $1,250
37th:  Jeff Bell  –  $1,250

Ronit Chamani Out in 40th Place ($1,250)

Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

After a flop of Q84, Ronit Chamani (pictured) is all in from the small blind with K-Q (pair of queens) against the big blind’s Q8 (two pair, queens and eights). Chamani needs to improve to stay alive.

The turn is the 9, the river is the 6, and the big blind wins the pot with his two pair to eliminate Chamani in 40th place to officially end Day 1D with 39 players.

Ronit Chamani  –  Out in 40th Place  ($1,250)

 

End-of-Day Bubble Nears

Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

There are currently 41 players remaining in today’s Day 1D field, and action will stop as soon as they are down to 39. It should happen relatively soon …

Level 20 Begins (46 Day 1D Players Left)

Level 20: 5,000-10,000, 1,000 ante

Level 19 comes to an end, and Level 20 begins with increased blinds of 5,000-10,000 and a 1,000 ante. Play continues without a break.

There were 780 entrants here on Day 1D, creating a four-day total of 2,036 entrants. There will be two more starting fields over the next two days, and players can enter once per day, even if they have already cashed.

There are currently 46 players remaining from the Day 1D field. Action will continue tonight until the field is down to the final 39 players (which is 5% of the field).

The field is already in the money, and here is a look at the remaining prizepool to be awarded here on Day 1D:

40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

Recent Money Finishers: 47th-59th

Level 19: 4,000-8,000, 1,000 ante

Here’s a list of the most recent money finishers, who have earned $1,000 each:

59th:  Kevin Smith  –  $1,000
58th:  Raymond Bonavida  –  $1,000
57th:  Randal Sklar  –  $1,000
56th:  Michael Esposito  –  $1,000
55th:  Craig Montalbano  –  $1,000
54th:  Alexander Debelle  –  $1,000
53rd:  Nissar Quraishi  –  $1,000
52nd:  Brian Nadell  –  $1,000
51st:  Andrey Lobzhanidze  –  $1,000
50th:  Robert Russell  –  $1,000
49th:  Eric Afriat  –  $1,000
48th:  Samuel Murphy  –  $1,000
47th:  Paul North  –  $1,000

Bonus Prizes for the Nine Final Tablists and the Winner

Level 19: 4,000-8,000, 1,000 ante

In addition to the guaranteed prizepool of $1 million (which will wind up being considerably higher), there is value added to the prizepool for the nine players that reach the final table.

The final nine players will receive one free entry ($565) into next year’s partypoker Presents: WPT500 at ARIA Resort & Casino, along with free accommodations at the ARIA Resort & Casino.

In addition to that, the winner of this event will also receive entry into the partypoker presents: WPT500 at Dusk Till Dawn that is scheduled for November 11-16, 2014 in Nottingham, United Kingdom. The total package for the winner is worth $2,000 to cover travel costs as well.

Recent Money Finishers: 54th-59th

Level 19: 4,000-8,000, 1,000 ante

Here’s a list of the most recent money finishers, who have earned $1,000 each:

59th:  Kevin Smith  –  $1,000
58th:  Raymond Bonavida  –  $1,000
57th:  Randal Sklar  –  $1,000
56th:  Michael Esposito  –  $1,000
55th:  Craig Montalbano  –  $1,000
54th:  Alexander Debelle  –  $1,000

Level 19 Begins (54 Left for Day 1D)

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

Level 18 comes to an end, and Level 19 begins with increased blinds of 4,000-8,000 and a 1,000 ante.

There were 780 entrants here on Day 1D, creating a four-day total of 2,036 entrants. There will be two more starting fields over the next two days, and players can enter once per day, even if they have already cashed.

There are currently 54 players remaining from the Day 1D field. Action will continue tonight until the field is down to the final 39 players (which is 5% of the field).

The field is already in the money, and here is a look at the remaining prizepool to be awarded here on Day 1D:

47th-54th Place:  $1,000
40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

Christian Harder Quadrupled His Stack This Level

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

In the course of this 40-minute level, Christian Harder has catapulted from 157,000 in chips to 660,000 — more than quadrupling his stack.

Christian Harder  –  660,000  (132 bb)

 

Recent Money Finishers: 60th-70th

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

Here’s a list of the most recent money finishers, who have earned $1,000 each.

70th:  Keton Pandya  –  $1,000
69th:  Karl Irvin  –  $1,000
68th:  Franck Yenigotchian  –  $1,000
67th:  Mark Surdyka  –  $1,000
66th:  Joshua Gurfein  –  $1,000
65th:  Slade Crooks  –  $1,000
64th:  Chad Power  –  $1,000
63rd:  Cody Shedd  –  $1,000
62nd:  Eric Davis  –  $1,000
61st:  Gift Kusuwan  –  $1,000
60th:  Raymond Stuwe  –  $1,000

Recent Money Finishers: 71st-94th

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

Here’s the list of players who have finished in the money so far, earning $750 each.

94th:  Wade Poynter  –  $750
93rd:  Timothy Jurkiewicz  –  $750
92nd:  Garrett Gruener  –  $750
91st:  Amar Anand  –  $750
90th:  Reginald Caymol  –  $750
89th:  Kirk Drickman  –  $750
88th:  James Lambert  –  $750
87th:  Jessica McLaughlin  –  $750
86th:  Sebastian Tejada  –  $750
85th:  Alexander Markey  –  $750
84th:  Daniel McAuliffe  –  $750
83rd:  Ray Foley  –  $750
82nd:  Mario Walkner  –  $750
81st:  Harrison Gimbel  –  $750
80th:  Thomas Heinrich  –  $750
79th:  Gabrielle Costade Souza  –  $750
78th:  Brendan Keenan  –  $750
77th:  Orez Mokedi  –  $750
76th:  Rafael Herrera  –  $750
75th:  Fabian Strehl  –  $750
74th:  Sebastian Clot  –  $750
73rd:  Christopher Nugent  –  $750
72nd:  Mark Adev  –  $750
71st:  Chris Bond  –  $750

Updated Chip Counts From the Break

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

The field is well within the money, and a list of money finishers will be posted soon.

Here’s a look at the two players with at least 400,000 in chips, followed by a long list of notables still in action:

1.  Antonio Kamran  –  524,000  (104 bb)
2.  James Rone  –  437,000  (87 bb)

Andy Hwang  –  390,000  (78 bb)
Kevin Saul  –  305,000  (61 bb)
Chris Baud  –  230,000  (46 bb)
Rob Davis  –  225,000  (45 bb)
Eric Holtz  –  220,000  (44 bb)
Zarah Whimper  –  210,000  (42 bb)
Nagi Abdo  –  198,000  (39 bb)
Eric Afriat  –  190,000  (38 bb)
Claudio Chao  –  180,000  (36 bb)
Christian Harder  –  157,000  (31 bb)
Michael Esposito  –  140,000  (28 bb)
Jamie Kerstetter  –  140,000  (28 bb)
Dan O’Brien  –  125,000  (25 bb)
Ronit Chamani  –  125,000  (25 bb)
Nick Quraishi  –  110,000  (22 bb)

Kevin Saul is the Lucky 13th WPT Champion in the Field

Level 16: 2,000-4,000, 500 ante

Earlier, we reported that there were at least a dozen members of the WPT Champions Club in the field. It turns out that Kevin Saul has been hiding in plain view all day.

Kevin Saul  –  200,000  (50 bb)

 

Having Fun Is Second Only to Winning

Level 16: 2,000-4,000, 500 ante

https://twitter.com/JamieKerstetter/status/486312688054571011/photo/1

Money Bubble Lasts For 1 Hand of Hand-for-Hand Play

Level 16: 2,000-4,000, 500 ante

For the first time this tournament, there was an actual Money Bubble with hand-for-hand play. But it only took one hand.

There are now 94 players remaining, and they are all guaranteed to earn at least $750. Here’s the prizepool for today’s Day 1D field:

71st-94th Place:  $750
47th-70th Place:  $1,000
40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

Money Bubble Approaches

Level 16: 2,000-4,000, 500 ante

There are fewer than 100 players left in the Day 1D field, and the final 94 players will finish in the money. That means the Money Bubble will begin soon.

The first three days of this tournament, there was no hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble. Each day, an extra player busted as play was halted, effectively ending the bubble period before it could begin.

Will today make it four in a row?

Chipleaders at the Break

Level 15: 1,500-3,000, 500 ante

A scan of the field during the break turned up six players with at least 200,000 in chips, creating our first semi-official leaderboard.

1.  Nick Quraishi  –  292,000  (97 bb)
2.  Ronit Chamani  –  286,000  (95 bb)
3.  Nagi Abdo  –  240,000  (80 bb)
4.  Unknown*  –  233,000  (77 bb)
5.  Joao Peres  –  220,000  (73 bb)
6.  Claudio Cha  –  219,000  (73 bb)

* Unfortunately for this player, he lost a lot of his chips shortly after play resumed.

Level 14 Begins (162 Left on Day 1D)

Level 14: 1,200-2,400, 400 ante

Level 13 comes to an end, and Level 14 begins with increased blinds of 1,200-2,400 and a 400 ante.

There were 780 entrants here on Day 1D, creating a four-day total of 2,036 entrants. There will be two more starting fields over the next two days, and players can enter once per day, even if they have already cashed.

There are currently 162 players remaining from the Day 1D field. Action will continue tonight until the field is down to the final 39 players (which is 5% of the field).

Here’s a look at today’s Day 1D prizepool:

71st-94th Place:  $750
47th-70th Place:  $1,000
40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

WPT Champions Club: Keven Stammen and Eric Afriat

Level 13: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante

As Eric Afriat (right) was playing the three-way pot described earlier, reigning WPT World Champion Keven Stammen (left) arrived to take the empty seat on Afriat’s right.

The two members of the WPT Champions Club spent some time playing together deep in last season’s WPT World Championship. Afriat was fresh off a victory in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, and was making a run to become the first player to win back-to-back WPT events within the same season.

But Afriat finished in 11th place, while Stammen went on to win the season-ending WPT World Championship.

Ronit Chamani Loves the WPT, and the WPT Loves Her

Level 13: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante

Eric Afriat Takes a Hit In a 3-Way Pot

Level 13: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante

WPT Champions Club member Eric Afriat raises from the cutoff to 3,200, the small blind calls, and the big blind moves all in for 23,700. Afriat flat-calls, and the small blind tanks for a while before he calls as well. Any further betting will create a side pot between the small blind and Afriat.

Afriat and the small blind check all the way down on a board of Q423A, and all three players reveal their cards.

Big Blind:  Q6  (pair of queens)
Small Blind:  KJ  (king high)
Eric Afriat:  96  (nine high)

The big blind pairs his queen on the flop to win the pot and triple up in chips, knocking Afriat down the leaderboard a bit in the process.

Eric Afriat  –  65,000  (40 bb)

Everyone Is Out of the Poker Room

Level 13: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante

Today’s Day 1D field is down to 200 players, which means everyone is out of the ARIA Poker Room and in the primary tournament area, playing 10-handed at the 20 tables. As players bust, action will shrink down to 9-handed play before breaking tables.

Level 12 Begins (240 Left on Day 1D)

Level 12: 800-1,600, 200 ante

The players return from dinner to begin Level 12, with increased blinds of 800-1,600 and a 200 ante.

There are about 240 players remaining from the Day 1D field of 780 entrants. The final 94 will finish in the money, while the final 39 will advance to Day 2.

Here’s today’s prizepool information:

71st-94th Place:  $750
47th-70th Place:  $1,000
40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

Dinner Break Until 7:30 pm PT (115 Left)

Level 12: 800-1,600, 200 ante

Level 11 comes to an end, and the players take a one-hour dinner break. Action will resume at 7:30 pm PT.

Here’s a look at today’s Day 1D prizepool:

71st-94th Place:  $750
47th-70th Place:  $1,000
40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

Official Prizepool for Day 1D (780 Entrants)

Level 11: 600-1,200, 200 ante

The official numbers are in for Day 1D and today’s prizepool information has been released. With 780 entrants, the four-day total field size has already surpassed the $1 million prizepool guarantee with 2,036 entrants.

Remember, players who play multiple starting days could potentially cash multiple times.

Here is the prizepool for today’s Day 1D field:

71st-94th Place:  $750
47th-70th Place:  $1,000
40th-46th Place:  $1,250

Final 39 Players:  Advance to Day 2 (guaranteed at least $1,250)

There will be a one-hour dinner break after this level (6:30 pm), and action will continue tonight until the field is down to 39 players.

Another Look At The Registration Insanity

 

Level 11 Begins (400 Day 1D Players Remain)

Level 11: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Level 10 comes to an end, and Level 11 begins with increased blinds of 600-1,200 and a 200 ante. Play continues without a break.

There were 780 entrants here on Day 1D, creating a four-day total of 2,036 entrants. Registration is now closed, but there are still two more starting fields, and players can re-enter on a future Day 1 if they’d like. Tomorrow’s Day 1 already has more than 500 people registered, and they are into alternates.

There will be a one-hour dinner break after this level, about 6:30 pm.

At Least 8 WPT Champions Club Members in the Field

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

There definitely seem to be a higher percentage of notable professional players in today’s field than previous Day 1s — it looks like a televised WPT field out there today.

There are also a surprising number of WPT Champions Club members in the field, including Joe Tehan, Keven Stammen, Eli Elezra, James Calderaro, Andy Hwang, Olivier Busquet, Will Failla, and Tony Dunst. There are possibly more out there, but it’ll take some time to thoroughly scan the field.

Players Already In Line Can Still Register

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

While registration was scheduled to close at the beginning of Level 9, the ARIA only closed access to the line of people waiting to register. All of the players who were in line before 4:30 pm will have the option of entering as an alternate.

Level 9 Begins (762 Day 1D Entrants)

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

The players return from break to begin Level 9, with increased blinds of 400-800 and a 100 ante.

Unofficially, there are 762 entrants here on Day 1D, creating a four-day total of 2,018 entrants. Registration is now closed, but there are still two more starting fields, and players can re-enter on a future Day 1 if they’d like.

Levels are now 40 minutes long. There will be a one-hour dinner break after Level 11, about 6:30 pm.

All 430 seats are currently filled, and there are alternates still waiting to be seated. Official numbers for today probably won’t be announced until all of the alternates are seated.

Action will continue tonight until the field is down to the final 5% of the field (unofficially, about 38 players).

Tomorrow’s Day 1E Is Already Into Alternates

Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

There are enough poker tables here at the ARIA to seat 430 players at one time. Today’s Day 1D field completely surpassed expectations with about 750 players and counting, as the first three starting days averaged about 419 players.

Tomorrow’s Day 1E looks like it won’t be much better than today, as they have already sold more than 430 entries, meaning they are already into alternates. If you’d like to play in one of the final two starting flights (tomorrow at 12:00 noon or Wednesday’s turbo at 8:30 am), you should try to register sooner rather than later.

You can register for this event at the ARIA Poker Room any time, 24 hours a day.

 

 

Chip Counts

Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

Player	Player Name	Sponsor	Chipcount
Average Chipcount: 61,097
	Ronit Chamani		29,000
	Tyler Patterson		27,000
	Bill Perkins		15,000
	Eli Elezra		15,000
	Abe Korotki		15,000
	Ben Lamb		15,000
	Ken Daneyko		15,000
	Matt Affleck		15,000
	Lacey Jones		15,000
	Warren Woodall		15,000
	Jon Turner		6,200

$1 Million Guarantee Reached — Two Days Early

Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante

The partypoker Presents: WPT500 at ARIA Resort & Casino featured a $1 million guaranteed prizepool, with at least $200,000 for first, and now that the total field has crossed the 2,000-player mark (2,004 entrants and counting), the guarantee has been reached.

There is still about half an hour left in registration today, and then Day 1E tomorrow at 12:00 noon and a Turbo Day 1F (with 15-minute levels) on Wednesday morning at 8:30 am.

If you’re in Vegas and want to play a low buy-in event that is a lot of fun, head on over to the Aria Resort & Casino!

Video: partypoker Qualifiers VIP Party at Haze

Level 7: 250-500, 75 ante

On Saturday night, the 100+ partypoker qualifiers were treated to an exclusive night out at Haze, including a Stars & Stripes bikini contest and music spun by DJ Paulie D.

Here’s what you missed if you didn’t qualify on partypoker.

Enter Stage Right

Level 6: 200-400, 50 ante

On the last pass through the room, Bill Perkins was spotted at one of the tournament tables in the poker room. He arrived at ARIA with Jeff Gross, so we assume “P.B.F.” is somewhere in this massive field, as well.

 

A Misstep For “PearlJammer”

Level 5: 150-300, 50 ante

Joining a heads-up, three-bet pot between Jon “PearlJammer” Turner (button) and the small blind, the flop comes 3J2. The gentleman in the small blind leads out with a bet of 3,500, and Turner calls.

The turn brings the 5 and a quick soak in the tank by the small blind. He has 9,500 chips remaining in front of him, and he eventually settles on a decision, sliding them all into the pot.

“Where are you from?” Turner quickly asks. The answer, mumbled quietly from his opponent, draws a quick head shake from Turner, then a look in the direction of your reporters. “Don’t report this,” he pleads, dropping the calling chips into the pot.

The small blind tables QQ, and Turner nods knowingly as he turns up an inferior AJ.

The river 5 does nothing to improve Turner’s plight, and he’s slipped down to less than half his starting stack.

(Sorry, Mr. Turner. Just doing our job.)

Jon Turner – 6,200 (21 bb)

100 Down

Level 5: 150-300, 50 ante

The first 100 alternates have been called from the list, meaning we’ve lost 100 players from this Day 1D field. The board still shows 430 players seated (which is the capacity), and 591 of 691 remaining.

Only 161 more alternates to get seated!

Level 5 Begins (640 Entries)

Level 5: 150-300, 50 ante

The players have returned from the break to increased blinds of 150/300 with a 50-chip ante. The board shows 640 entries with a small line of people still waiting to register.

The total field size now stands at an impressive 1,896, just 114 players shy of the $1 million guarantee. Registration is open until 4:30 p.m. today, and everyone who registers before then will be seated without fail.

Mike Sexton’s First WSOP

Level 4: 100-200, 25 ante

Given the date on the calendar, it seems a fitting time for the release of the second video in the “Roundtable with Mike Sexton” series from partypoker. In this one, Mike talks about what kept him from attending the WSOP until 1984, and what brought him out to Binion’s for the first time.

http://youtu.be/UuC2QlcLkMk

Spotted In The Field

Here are just some of the notables we’ve seen among the sea of faces here at #WPT500…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheer Madness

Reg line is anything but scarce here at Aria. Looks like there are no less than 300 alternates, and folks are just packed into every crevice they can find as they wait for their turn at the registration desk.

 

 

 

Late Arrivals

Level 3: 75-150, 25 ante

The first pass through the room turned up very little in the way of notable faces, but the second pass was more successful. Spotted at the tables so far are Jon Turner, Matt Affleck, Abe Korotki, Ken Daneyko, Lacey Jones, and Ronit Chamani.

Blake Purvis just walked up and joined the tail end of the registration line (which has finally begun to shrink a bit!), and both Guillaume Darcourt and Mel Judah were spotted along the rail, waiting for their numbers to be called.

Who’s in Line?

Level 2: 50-100, ante

There are over 600 players registered already, and the line at the registration desk is still growing. Two or three hundred more hopefuls snake through the walkway out past the coffee shop, down a row of slot machines, past the double doors, around the corner and down along another row of slots.

A quick run down the line finds Sean Jazayeri and David Peters among those near the tail of the snake.

Alternates #13 and #14 have just been called.

“Alternate #1?”

Level 1: 25-50, ante

The field for this Day 1D is a bit larger than anticipated as the number on the big board ticks up toward 550 entries. There are 43 tables in play at ARIA, so the remaining players are being seated as alternates.

The good news is that the line at the registration window is moving quickly, and everyone who registers before 4:30 p.m. will be seated today without fail.

More good news: The play is fairly frisky so far, and elimination hands are popping up all over the room. Nearly a full table of alternates has already been seated within the first level.

Shuffle Up and Deal

Level 1: 25-50, ante

The cards are in the air, and Day 1D is under way ith 25/50 blinds.

Day 1D Dawns at ARIA

Level 1: 25-50, ante

Welcome back to continuing coverage of the partypoker Presents: WPT500 at ARIA Resort & Casino. This event represents several firsts for the World Poker Tour!

This $565 buy-in event features a $1 million guarantee, and it’s already well on pace to exceed that number. More than 1,250 players have already registered through the first three starting days, and another full house is expected today at ARIA.

Play begins at 12:00 p.m., and registration remains open until 4:30 p.m. That’s the start of Level 9, and a starting stack of 15,000 chips is still good for almost 20 big blinds at that point.

If you’re within a stone’s throw of Las Vegas, get over to ARIA Resort & Casino and get yourself registered for this WPT500. More than $200,000 goes to the winner on Wednesday!

Live coverage of Day 1D will begin shortly.

Day 1C Summary: Field Size at 1,256 and Counting

Level 18: 3,000-6,000, 1,000 ante

Day 1C of the partypoker Presents: WPT500 at ARIA Resort & Casino attracted 457 players, creating a three-day total of 1,256 entrants with three more Day 1s to come.

Play was scheduled to continue until the field was down to 5% of the field — in this case, the final 23 players. But since two players busted at the same time at the end of the night, Day 1C will only be advancing 22 players to Day 2.

Here are the survivors from Day 1C:

1.  Terry Fleischer  –  897,000
2.  Pola Litsky  –  671,000
3.  Brian Hartner  –  520,000
4.  David Mehr  –  485,000
5.  Kazu Oshima  –  431,000
6.  Luis Eduardo Garla  –  407,000
7.  Steve Hiltz  –  373,000
8.  Brent Bibby  –  360,000
9.  Harris Schnall  –  307,000
10.  Terry Kelley  –  293,000
11.  Eric Sfez  –  288,000
12.  Pasi Heinanen  –  262,000
13.  Jason Dollinger  –  251,000
14.  Robert Garcia  –  226,000
15.  Daniel Chan  –  219,000
16.  Raymond Steiner  –  197,000
17.  Andrew Micali  –  192,000
18.  Andreas Krause  –  160,000
19.  Giuseppe Ruvolo  –  113,000
20.  Peter Cheng  –  112,000
21.  Todd Hoch  –  86,000
22.  Yaron El Kayam  –  25,000

Of the 62 players who have survived to Day 2 so far, only seven have more than 500,000 in chips, and Day 1B chipleader Messadek Soufiane (1,143,000) has more than twice as much as that. It’s a long shot for anyone to pass him on the upcoming Day 1s.

Day 1C concluded with 22:22 left in Level 19, with the blinds at 4,000-8,000 with a 1,000 ante. That was quicker than both Day 1A and Day 1B, so that is the highest the blinds will resume at for Day 2. If one of the upcoming starting fields finishes earlier in the blind structure, then the blinds will be rolled back to that point.

One of the unique aspects of this event is the fact that you can reach the money on Day 1 (the final 12% get paid), bust out before the end of the day, and then re-enter on another Day 1 to potentially cash again or hopefully advance to Day 2.

On Day 1C, that actually happened, courtesy of Jackie Saltzman.

Saltzman played Day 1A, and she not only cashed, but she survived to Day 2 with 187,000 in chips. She played again on Day 1C, and while she didn’t cash, she did make the money, finishing in 50th place to earn $750.

Any player who makes Day 2 more than once will retain their largest stack, forfeiting any shorter stacks to earn a Day 2 min-cash of $1,250, in addition to whatever they earn with their largest stack on Day 2.

Here is the list of players who finished in the money on Day 1C, but didn’t survive to Day 2:

23rd:  Unknown  –  $1,250
24th:  Unknown  –  $1,250
25th:  Unknown  –  $1,250
26th:  Glen Donelson  –  $1,250
27th:  Jedidiah Hoffman  –  $1,250

28th:  Thomas Scholze  –  $1,000
29th:  Michael Perrone  –  $1,000
30th:  Louis Lynch  –  $1,000
31st:  Robert Giordano  –  $1,000
32nd:  Jay Kim  –  $1,000
33rd:  Alexandru Fruze  –  $1,000
34th:  Praveen Lokam  –  $1,000
35th:  Lisa Vanageatigul  –  $1,000
36th:  Steven Lucia  –  $1,000
37th:  Joao Luis Peres  –  $1,000
38th:  Taurean Summers  –  $1,000
39th:  Laurence Grondin  –  $1,000
40th:  John Lyons  –  $1,000
41st:  Marvin Lim  –  $1,000

42nd:  Nicholas Rampone  –  $750
43rd:  Donald Jones  –  $750
44th:  Hussein Sajwani  –  $750
45th:  Mario Adinolfi  –  $750
46th:  Samuel Panzica  –  $750
47th:  Jerry Baer  –  $750
48th:  Barry Smith  –  $750
49th:  Joan Destino  –  $750
50th:  Jackie Saltzman  –  $750
51st:  Rachel Hollenberg  –  $750
52nd:  Douglas Brofman  –  $750
53rd:  Wesley Gregory  –  $750
54th:  Eric Davis  –  $750
55th:  Ariel Samuhi  –  $750

Day 1D begins at 12:00 noon today, with late registration open until about 4:30 pm PT. Day 1D will be followed by Day 1E (Tuesday), and the Turbo Day 1F (Wednesday morning at 8:30 am).

The brand new partypoker Sunday tournament schedule!

The all new partypoker has introduced a new Sunday tournament schedule. The key changes are the addition of an action-packed fun $10K Super Bounty and a wide range of new low buy-in tournaments featuring the best of the old but also new speed, rebuy, add-on and PLO tournaments – a great Sunday mix if you want to win top prizes and have fun playing tournament poker.

Keep up to date with the all new partypoker!

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