$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800/100 Ante

Our two celebrities in the tournament are hanging in there about 80 minutes of play remaining.

Rob Mariano, otherwise known as “Boston Rob” from “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” is struggling but still alive with around 25,000 chips.  Former NFL star and New England Patriot Richard Seymour has Boston Rob doubled up sitting at 50,000.

Day 2 could bring some star power if these two can hang on tonight here at Seminole Hard Rock-Hollywood.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800/100 Ante

It’s been a rough night for Mike Dentale and David Inselberg.  Both are short-stacked and have been seen shaking their heads at the table from being in some mind-bending spots while trying to stay alive in this tournament.

Inselberg lost a rough hand with 6-7 as a player with 7’s held tough against him despite three cards higher than a 7 on the board.  Inselberg did pick up some chips shortly afterward in a hand against Matt Affleck to get some traction back.

Mike Dentale managed to survive an all-in as a pair of flopped aces held in against another 6-7 this time with the player holding the bottom two cards on a straight draw and no pair.

Both continue to feel the strain as 90 mintues stand between both of them and Day 2.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800/100 Ante

Cards are back in the air and we’re ready to close out the last flight of Day 1.  We’re still a long way from the money but with the prize pool announced and nearly three-quarters of a million dollars awaiting the winner, it should be an exciting finish in the last chance for everyone trying to reach Day 2.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600/75 Ante

We’ve reached the final break of Day 1C.  It’s the final Day 1 flight for our championship event and it is now two levels from being over.  207 players remain as we head into the stretch run tonight.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600/75 Ante

Ben Tarzia and his opponent each contributed 1,500 to a pot preflop and the first three cards fell . Tarzia then bet 2,200 and his opponent called. The turn fell and Tarzia bet 6,000. His opponent called again and the river delivered the . This time it was the big blind who took the initiative when he raised all in after Tarzia bet 10,000. Tarzia tanked for a few minutes then folded Q-J faceup on the table. Tarzia was left with 80,000 after the hand.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600/75 Ante

So far 200,000 chips has been the benchmark to be among the chipleaders so far in the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship Event.  And one player has already reached that mark with two levels to go.

Angel Wagner has chipped to around 205,000 and is still going strong here in Day 1C.  If Wagner can maintain or build on that stack, it will land him among the top Day 1 finishers so far.  We’ll see if he can do it in the final two levels coming up.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 7: 250/500/75 Ante

For the lucky small percentage of players who among the chip leaders tonight, there a ton of players who are fighting to stay alive. One of them is Kenneth Watts who just survived an all-in hitting his jack-high flush draw on the turn.

Watts was shaking his head after the hand and as he was raking in his chips he said he made the call because the table “talked him into it.”  One of his tablemates replied “What, you’re not happy?”  Watts looked up and simply said “Oh, I’m happy!” and finished pulling in the pot.

That’s the way many of the players will be feeling tonight as they continue to duke it out tonight here in Day 1C.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 7: 300/600/75 Ante

The flop read when Darryll Fish bet 1,400 from the cutoff. The button called and the turn fell . Both players checked and the river delivered the . Fish checked and the button bet 4,000. Fish tanked for a minute or two and then called. The button showed but Fish held to win the hand. Fish stacked up 38,500 after he added the pot to his stack.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600/75 Ante

We’re now three levels away from the completion of Day 2.  234 players remain here in Day 1C as we advance to Level 8.  Over the past two days, 219 players have made Day 2 already and tonight’s participants will hope to join them.

Overall, the tournament received 1,027 entrants easily shattering the $3,000,000 guarantee.  Now the race is on for the title and etching of someone’s name on the WPT Champions Cup.