Event 1 (Day 1A)
Level 18 (Blinds 3,000/6,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 53
Chip Average: 170,000
Event 1 (Day 1A) Chip Leaders Gordon Hardy, David Dawson and Dan Buzgon.
After close to 10 hours of play, 53 players have advanced to Day 2 of the $1,000,000 Guaranteed Event 1 of the Fall Poker Open.
Day 1A only played 17 levels as the tournament staff did not want to risk going below the “10% mark” of the original 361 entrants into this Day 1 session.
Because of that, all remaining Day 1’s will follow the same structure and play 17 levels before bagging and tagging.
The players in this flight were all chasing Gordon Hardy (Pensacola, FL) for most of the day, and he ended the Day 1A session as the chip leader, bagging up an impressive 432,500.
Hardy had an “up and down, up and down” day according to his mother, Lorelei Stallings, who also bagged up chips and will be returning for Day 2.
Alls well that ends well, as Hardy ended the day “up”, behind him are David Dawson, 414,000 and Daniel Buzgon 384,500, who were both leaders at given points in today’s action.
Rounding out the “over 300K” club are Joe Wertz and Michael Marder, with Norm Michalek bagging just under that mark with 297,500.
The current chip average is just over 170,000, and we will need to wait and see how Hardy’s final count holds up after the next few Day 1 sessions.
Players who did not bag up chips during Day 1A are still able to enter into tonight’s Day 1B flight, as late registration is still available.
There are also two more flights tomorrow, starting at 10 AM and 4 PM respectfully, so there are still plenty of opportunities to get a piece of the $1,000,000 GTD prize pool that Event 1 boasts, don’t miss out.
Live updates of Day 1B will continue throughout the night and a full list of players bagging from both flights will be posted once that becomes official.
Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 60
Chip Average: 150,000
It seems that every time we check in with Norm Michalek (Westfield, NJ) we are reporting that he is “peaking” with his highest chip count of the day.
Well, it’s more of the same as Norm is now up and over the 250,000 chip mark, and again peaking, after taking two big pots off of the unknown player to his right, in back to back hands.
Norm made a hero call in the last hand, after his opponent fired out a sizable river bet on a board of {2c}{Qh}{4h}{Jc}{8h}.
Norm was obviously undeterred by the boards texture and instantly called, tabling {Qc}{8c}, and saw his opponent turn over Ace high, for a mistimed bluff.
With just over 15 minutes in the final level of the day, Michalek seems to be setting himself up for a day off and a run at the money, when Day 2 picks up on Thursday.
Tournament staff is currently making their rounds and collecting the player information in preparation for the bagging and tagging of chips.
An updated count of the chip leaders from Day 1A will be posted when play concludes, along with some other notables stack sizes.
Level 17 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 70
Chip Average: 130,000
Daniel Buzgon (Marlton, NJ)
Players are heading on their final (15) minute break of the night, and will be returning to Level 17 and blinds of 2,500/5,000/500. Daniel Buzgon (Marlton, NJ) is exiting the room as the chip leader, and the only player above the 400,000 mark. Buzgon has had a super solid 2014, cashing eight times during the WSOP, and three more during the Borgata Poker Open. The online/live professional has over $1,137,000 in live earnings, and is looking for his first recorded outright win in (82) career results.
Here are some of the top counts as players exit the Signature Room one last time:
Daniel Buzgon – 455,000
David Dawson – 345,000
Kang Sun – 310,000
Michael Marder – 305,000
Joseph Wertz – 280,000
Thomas McGary – 240,000
Vinny Perrotta – 230,000
Ido Ashkenazi – 210,000
Brian Mooney – 180,000
Terrance Hunter – 180,000
Norman Michalek – 160,000
Ching Poon – 150,000
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 70
Chip Average: 130,000
“Diamond Jim” (Saddle River, NJ)
It has been confirmed that Day 1A, and all subsequent Day 1’s for that matter, will only play 17 levels, as opposed to the originally scheduled 18.
Players will be on a color up break shortly and return to play the final level of the night.
That means that there is just over a half hour left in this Day 1 flight, and a player who has quietly amassed an above average stack so far, is “Diamond Jim” (Saddle River, NJ).
Jim, who coined his nickname after a “hot run with some diamonds at a home game” nearly 10 years ago, is currently sitting with just under 200,000 chips and says his friends will certainly get a kick out of seeing him make a deep run here today.
Jim, along with the remaining 70 or so players, will all try to make it through that final half hour of the session, and bag and tag their chips for Day 2, which will be held on Thursday.
Chip counts of the remaining big stacks and notable players will be posted during the break.
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 70
Chip Average: 130,000
Thomas McGarry (Hazlet, NJ)
The last time we checked in with Gordon Hardy, he was the one make a big river bluff and taking down a pot, but this time, he was on the other end of the spectrum, as Thomas McGarry (Hazlet, NJ) was making a raise on the river, that forced Hardy to lay down the best hand.
Hardy would lead out on a board of {Ks}{4c}{3d}{Qc}{5d} for 20,000 and McGarry would raise to 50,000.
Hardy seemed stuck in a very awkward spot, as the pot was laying him a good price to call, but the raise looked so strong and Hardy folded, flipping over the {Kh} in the process.
McGarry asked if he wanted to see, and Hardy nodded his head, and then started shaking it in disbelief as McGarry turned over {2h}{2c} for a well timed value bet sized bluff.
The shoe was now on the other foot, but the hand did not cripple Hardy in the slightest, as he is still well above the chip average, while McGarry is peaking for the day, now sitting with just over 200,000.
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 80
Norman Michalek (Westfield, NJ)
After Travis Greenawalt and one other player limped for 3,000 (this was late in Level 15), Norman Michalek raised the action to 12,000 from late position. The blinds folded, and action was back on Greenawalt, who made the call. After the other limper folded, the two would be heads up going to a flop of {qs} {3h} {kd}. Travis quickly tapped the table, and would call after Norman put out a bet of 14,000.
The dealer then placed the {kc} on the turn, and Greenawalt once again tapped the table, with Norman continuing his aggression (firing out 26,000). Travis gave the board another look before throwing in the chips for a call, and the two watched as the {ac} came out on the river. Things stayed the same as Travis checked once again, with Michalek looking up at the dealer and saying, “I’m all-in.” Greenawalt quickly pushed his cards towards the muck, and Norman was awarded the pot.
Michalek is up to 170,000 and is now peaking for the day.
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 80
The 80 remaining players in Day 1A of Event 1 were supposed to be going on a 15 minute color up break, but the tournament staff is planning ahead as the day may end sooner than originally expected.
To make sure there isn’t a problem with the numbers and money bubble moving forward into Day 2, tournaments with Day 1’s will very rarely ever play down to less than 15% of the original number of entrants in that starting flight.
That 15% of the 361 entrants in Day 1A, would put the cap on the field at 55 players, and with three levels left in the original structure until the end of the day, the tournament staff is preparing to meet that number sooner than the end of Level 18.
Because of that fact, play will continue without a break for the time being.
Updates will be provided as we get them in regards to the end of Day 1A, as that will have a direct effect on the rest of the Day 1 starting flights.
Level 15 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 90
Cathy Dever (Ephrata, PA)
The action was picked up with Cathy Dever (Ephrata, PA) leading into Ido Ashkenazi on a board of {Jh}{3h}{Qd}.
Ido would then take his entire stack of blue 5,000 value chips and put it across the betting line, meaning Cathy would be all-in if she called, as Ido had her well covered.
She would instantly do just that, turning over {Kh}{Qh} for top pair, good kicker, with a strong flush draw to boot.
Ido would sheepishly turn over {Jd}{9c} and needed a lot of help.
He wouldn’t get it as the board would brick out {2c} {5d} and Dever would be scoring a much needed double up, moving her close to the 150,000 chip mark.
Dever is currently one of the only remaining women left in the Day 1A field, as their are just under 90 players left in the field, with 5 minutes remaining in Level 15.
Level 15 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 88
Vinny Perrotta (Manahawkin, NJ)
The action at Table 2 would be picked up pre-flop, just after Tom Dobrilovic three-bet an open from Vinny Perrotta (Manahawkin, NJ). Action folded back around to Perrotta (who had over 170,000 behind), and after looking at the short stack of Dobrilovic, Vinny would announce himself all-in. Dobrilovic quickly verbalized a call, and the hands would be turned over:
Perrotta: {ac} {ad}
Dobrilovic: {qd} {qs}
Flop: {jc} {7c} {8d}
Turn: {9c}
River: {jd}
Things looked pretty bleak for Dobrilovic on the flop, but he would turn more outs to a straight. The river pairing the board would be the end of the flight for Tom, who walked out of the Signature Room and toward the Poker Room. Perrotta is over 200,000 with just over three levels remaining in the night, sitting top ten of those left.
Level 14 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 361
Players Remaining: 100
There are (10) tables still in the action in the Signature Room, with a long list of notables still alive and looking to bag chips for Thursday’s Day 2 (12:00pm). The live updates can’t always be about just the players with a lot of chips, with family, friends, and investors looking for updates on their interests. Here is a list of players still alive, regardless of where they stand on the day’s leaderboard:
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