Event 10 (Day 1C)
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
End Of Level 17: (6,000/12,000/2,000)
Total Entries: 1,880
Total Day 1C Entries: 688
Day 1C Players Remaining: 190
Vanna Nuon (Philadelphia, PA)
Day 1C of the Almighty Stack NLH Event is now in the books and it’s Vanna Nuon holding the chip lead with 1,590,000. It is still Andy Spears from Day 1A who will return with the overall chip lead of 1,795,000.
There will be plenty of storylines to follow from this flight on Day 2. Chris Limo who won this event in 2015 and final tabled in September 2016 finishing 8th is one of the big stacks. He will return tomorrow and look to make history with three Almighty Stack final table in as many years.
David Jackson impressive Winter Poker Open continues as he put over 800,000 in the bag. Six players from this flight managed to put over a million in the bag including Chris, Limo, Marsel Backa, Cathy Dever and Brian Neira. There will be approximately 425 combined survivors who will return Thursday January 26 at 12 P.M. noon to resume Day 2 play.
Below is a look at some of the big stack from this Day 1C flight. A full list of chip counts and Day 2 seating assignments will be posted as soon as they’re available.
Vanna Nuon- 1,590,000
Marsel Backa- 1,490,000
Heung Yoon- 1,150,000
Chris Limo- 1,100,000
Brian Neira- 1,030,000
Cathy Dever- 1,017,000
Chris Horter- 823,000
David Jackson- 811,000
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
Level 16: (5,000/10,000/2,000)
Total Event Day 1A+B Entries: 1,160
Total Day 1C Entries: 688
Day 1C Players Remaining: 250
Cecil “Long Time” Gabbidon
While taking a walk around the Event Center looking for a chip leader it appears we have found him. Cecil “Long Time” Gabbidon is not only over a million but he is playing a stack of 1,400,000. Gabbidon won a massive flip holding pocket queens against the ace king of his opponent.
There are now less than two levels of play remaining in the night. Gabbidon sits alone on the top of the chip counts and could be the one to catch up to the overall Almighty Stack chip leader Andy Spears with 1,795,000.
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
Level 16: (5,000/10,000/2,000)
Total Event Day 1A+B Entries: 1,160
Total Day 1C Entries: 688
Day 1C Players Remaining: 250
Jake Schwartz (New York, NY)
We catch up to the heads up action on the turn on a board of {7c}{6h}{4s}{7d}. Joseph Liberta takes him time before checking to Schwartz who checks it back.
The river is the {5h} and Liberta checks to Schwartz who tosses out a bet of 73,000. Liberta makes the call and Schwartz announces “straight” turning over {3d}{3h}. Liberta throws his hand into the muck and Schwartz drags in the pot.
Jake Schwartz- 590,000
Joseph Liberta- 700,000
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
Level 15: (4,000/8,000/1,000)
Total Event Day 1A+B Entries: 1,160
Total Day 1C Entries: 688
Day 1C Players Remaining: 280
David Jackson (Jacksonville, FL)
David Jackson has flown under the radar but that hasn’t stopped him from amassing chips. He is now over 700,000 and is nearing the top of the leaderboard with tournament registration and re-entry now closed.
Jackson is having a hot Winter Open already with multiple cashes including a runner up finish in Event 11 for over $11,000. There are less than three levels of play left in the night and the Florida pro will look to finish strong.
‘Almighty 500’
Level 14: 3,000/6,000/1,000
Total Event 10A & 10B Entries: 1,160 10C
Entries: 720
Players remaining: 280
Average stack: 257,143
Wooyang Lin is resting on a big stack- 830,000.
Jonas Wexler is nearing 750,000
Chris Horter just oversetted a helpless opponent for stacks. He’s got 730,000.
Meanwhile, Russell Crane continues to hold around 700,000.
We’ll be looking for other chip leaders as the stacks continue to merge.
On the other end of things, one fellow just got lucky to merely stay alive, making a running flush with sixes to crack aces.
The Aces Cracking face on Darren Eiermann, who now has 230,000.
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
Level 14: (3,000/56000/1,000)
Total Event Day 1A+B Entries: 1,160
Total Day 1C Entries: 688
Day 1C Players Remaining: 448
Paul Siegel (Rockaway, NJ)
We arrive at the table just in time to catch the heads up river action between Paul Siegel and Kevin Grabel. The board reads {8c}{js}{3h}{4d}{5d}.
Grabel moves all in for his last 60,000 and Siegel quickly calls turning over {5s}{5c} for a rivered set of fives. Grabel frustratingly fires his hand face down into the muck. Siegel rakes in the pot eliminating Grabel in the process.
Although we didn’t quite see Grabel’s cards there were a few players at the table that did. He had flopped top two pair holding {jx}{8x} and had Siegel right where he wanted him until the river.
Paul Siegel- 360,000
Kevin Grabel- Eliminated
‘Almighty 500’
Level 13: 2500/5000/500
Total Event 10A & 10B Entries: 1,160
10C Entries: 720
Players remaining: 448
Average stack: 160,714
At the end of 12, with still time to re-enter, we dropped by 38 to see how things at Chris Limo’s table had gone.
Dre Martin, still with chips. Did anyone take up Limo on his wager? Two to one, after all.
However, Limo still created other problems. In classic Chris Limo style, he began shoving blind.
In one hand, making a good range evaluation, Christian Soto made the call of Limo’s 100,000 shove with the
{kd} {td}. Unlike Marsel Backa’s call on the breaking table, the necessary gamble yielded a much more favorable matchup – Limo had picked up the {qd} {3d}.
When diamonds fell on the flop, Soto had Limo in horrible shape. However, a convenient straight ran out, and the previously big stacked Soto was now in mere mortal territory.
Poker’s all skill.
Soto picks up the last hand before break while the players disburse. He fires the ace on the river after the bettor gives up the lead.
Limo went on to gather as much as 300,000, but unfortunately the entertaining player busted – will he use the break to find one more shell?
Better times in Event 10 for Chris Limo. Greg Maynard, on his right, is still in.
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
Level 13: (2,500/5,000/500)
Total Event Day 1A+B Entries: 1,160
Total Day 1C Entries: 688
Day 1C Players Remaining: 448
The players have returned from their break and tournament registration and re-entry are now closed. Day 1C drew a total of 720 entries bringing the Almighty Stack to 1,880 total entries.
There is $752,000 now in the prize pool so this should make for a great payday for one lucky winner. The final tournament payouts will be posted as soon as they’re available.
Event 10 ‘Almighty 500’
End Of Level 12: (2,000/4,000/500)
Total Event Day 1A+B Entries: 1,160
Total Day 1C Entries: 709
The players are now on a 15 minute color up break as Level 12 has come to and end. This means it’s the last chance to register or re-enter as tournament registration will be closing when the players return.
There are currently 709 total Day 1C entries bringing the total number of Almighty Stack entries to 1,869. Don’t miss your last chance to get in on all the Almighty Stack action which now has nearly $750,000 in the prize pool.
‘Almighty 500’
Level 12: 2000/4000/500
Total Event 10A & 10B Entries: 1,160
10C Entries: 699
On distant table 40, far from the center of the action, the scattering of the players was imminent.
That doesn’t keep players from getting involved. We witnessed nearly the entire table getting involved in one pot, only for the talented Marsel Backa to try to pick up the pot with a squeeze.
Patur, left, gets the good news, while the folder to his left regrets the missed chance to double with a pocket pair.
However, he wouldn’t take it down so easily, as Bala Patur decide to ship his remaining thirty bigs over the raise.
Groans, and multiple players folded out their pot share. Marsel, perhaps unhappily, knew the math all too well.
“I don’t want to call, but I have to.”
It got worse.
Batur turned over {9x} {9x}. Marsel had made the move with {ax} {9x}
Reverse dominated.
“Bad shape,” Marsel lamented.
The board ran out low blanks for Backa, and Patur secured a swing into chip health. Marsel is forced to plod along near the average- for now.
The low board caused frustration for some of the shorter stacked players who had folded to the heavy preflop action. Two would have made straights, apparently, just when they needed more chips.
“Bad fold,” one berated himself.
Meanwhile, the floor came around with table assignments and racks. One player wasn’t in the mood.
His complained about the strategy of his opponents, along with the pain of a new table. “They think they have to do something special cause of the blinds going up. They don’t understand the structure…. You can’t win without making a hand against these guys.”
Perhaps so. Nevertheless, the tournament clock waits for no one to make a hand, and the re-entry period for Event 10 is winding down quickly.