$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1B Entries:  721

Jason Klapman was all in for 12,300 with from late position, and Loni Hui had him covered holding pocket jacks under the gun.

The final board read , and Klapman doubled up to survive with 26,600 after collecting the pot.

Jason Klapman – 26,600 (33 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  694

John Sacha was all in short preflop with pocket sixes, and his opponent held with the final board reading . Sacha doubled up to survive with 15,500 after collecting the pot.

John Sacha – 15,500 (25 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  661

Here is a look at the top chip counts at the most recent break. There’s not really a bunch of runaway stacks just yet, but there is a group of three that have separated themselves from the pack.

Valreiy Pak – 293,800 (490 bb)
Noel Obreza Caballero – 196,000 (327 bb)
Daniel Aviles – 195,700 (326 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  600

Bryan Radigan was all in with pocket queens from late position, and UTG+1 had him covered holding pocket kings.

The board came to the rescue when it ran out , and Radigan doubled up to survive with 68,000 after collecting the pot.

Brian Radigan – 68,000 (136 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries:  504

The cutoff raised to 2,000 preflop, Lee Markholt called on the button, the small blind called, and Justin Young also called on the big blind. The flop was dealt , and all three players checked to the on the turn.

The small blind bet 6,000, Young and the cutoff called, and Markholt folded. The river then delivered the , the small blind bet 21,000. Young moved all in, the cutoff folded, and the big blind folded as well. Young collected the pot to stack up an even 100,000.

Justin Young – 100,000 (250 bb)

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries:  469

The first break ended, and players returned to their seats to play two more levels before the second break. The prize pool climbed over $4.5 million while they were gone, and it’s not far from creating a $5,000,000 prize pool.

WPT Champions Club member Matt Wantman is the early leader this afternoon with 134,200 and 2020 Tampa Winter Poker Open champ Maxwell Young is right on his heels with 130,200.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries:  420

The first break of the the flight is just about here with 420 entries and a ton more coming through the doors before registration closes at 9:15 pm.

We’ll take this chance to walk through the empty tables to find our early leaders.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$3,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries:  375

The entry count hit 375 once we rolled into the afternoon hours, the prize pool is over $4.2 million, and we have a steady parade of players through the doors and taking seats. Plus, we have another dozen making their way through the last-chance satellites.

We found a few of our Tampa friends in today’s field, all of them with success in our sister room on the other side of the state. Antuan Bunkley, Ashley Spring, Fred Paradis, Peter Walsworth, Jeremy Becker (via Vegas), and Manny Minaya are among the travelers here trying to add some Hollywood hardware.