The rapper Nelly was spotted buying into the Day 1B field a short time ago. He will be performing at Passion Nightclub on property on tonight at 12:30 a.m. so why not play a little more poker in the meantime.
Level 5 Begins (590 Entrants)
Level 4 comes to an end, and Level 5 begins with increased blinds of 100-200 and a 25 ante. Play continues without a break.
The tournament clock shows 590 entrants in today’s Day 1B field, though that number continues to grow as registration remains open until the end of the 90-minute dinner break (about 8:00 pm). Action is scheduled to continue today until about 12:15 am.
TONIGHT’S ACTIVITIES
9:00-11:00 pm: Free Screening of “Bet Raise Fold”
There will be a free screening of the critically-acclaimed documentary “Bet Raise Fold: The Story of Online Poker” tonight in the pool area here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The film starts at 9:00 pm, and there will be a Q&A afterward with Tony Dunst (one of three players profiled in the film) and Executive Consultant Marc Brody. There will be poolside cocktails and movie snacks, so if you aren’t playing in the tournament tonight (whether you’re a player or just a fan), be sure to check it out!
12:30 am-close: Nelly Hosts the Passion Nightclub
The rapper Nelly will be hosting tonight at the Passion Nightclub out in the Hard Rock Live area, starting at approximately 12:30 am. Pick up a VIP wristband from the tournament staff at the main desk to receive complimentary entry to a special VIP area for players. The Nelly party starts at about 12:30 am, but it won’t stop until the nightclub closes!
A Few Chip Counts From Around the Room
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
| Steven Silverman | 54,000 |
| Sam Barnhart | 48,000 |
| Jake Schindler | 46,000 |
| Trevor Pope | 42,000 |
| Paul Volpe | 40,000 |
| Ryan Julius | 39,000 |
| Terrence Chan | 37,000 |
| Hiren Patel | 33,000 |
| Allen Kessler | 33,000 |
| Joseph Cheong | 33,000 |
| Cliff Josephy | 32,000 |
| Andy Hwang | 32,000 |
| Shawn Cunix | 32,000 |
| Kyle Julius | 31,000 |
| Layne Flack | 30,000 |
| Jean-Robert Bellande | 26,000 |
| David Tuthill | 26,000 |
| Jared Hamby | 26,000 |
| Amir Babakhani | 25,000 |
| Justin Bonomo | 25,000 |
| Lily Kiletto | 23,000 |
| Mike Dentale | 20,000 |
| Jesse Martin | 19,000 |
| Darren Elias | 17,000 |
| Victor Ramdin | 17,000 |
| JJ Liu | 14,000 |
Notable Chip Counts: Tables 1-8
With nearly 600 players in the field and counting, we will be taking chip counts in waves, a section at a time, so they are posted when they are still fresh. The blinds are at 75-150 with a 25 ante.
Francis Margaglione – 95,000
Ronnie Bardah – 55,000
Kevin Spires – 51,000
Fred Goldberg – 37,000
John Gordon – 37,000
Stuart Patterson – 36,000
Bob Bounahra – 35,000
Kevin O’Donnell – 32,000
Tony Dunst – 29,000
Tony Gregg – 29,000
Russell Thomas – 29,000
Kenny Nguyen – 28,000
Corey Burbick – 24,000
James Carroll – 23,000
Marsha Wolak – 22,000
Andy Philachack – 20,000
Tony Ruberto – 14,000
Bernard Lee Grabs Some Early Pots
Bernard Lee raised to 375 on the button and the small blind folded. The big blind called and the flop was dealt 
. The big blind bet 425 and Bernard called. The turn fell 
and the big blind bet 625. Bernard called and the river delivered the 
. The big blind bet 1,000 and Bernard raised to 2,800. The big blind called with 
and Bernard flipped over pocket tens to win the pot with a full house and grow his stack to 35,000.
A few hands later a player UTG+1 raised to 325 and two players called. The small blind then reraised to 675 and Bernard reraised to 1,275 on the big blind. Everyone but the small blind folded and the flop fell Q-6-3. The small blind bet 2,000 and Bernard called. The turn brought a ten and the small blind fired out 2,500. Bernard raised to 6,800 and the small blind called. The river brought another ten and the small blind bet 6,000. Bernard reraised all in and the small blind tanked before calling with A-Q. Bernard flipped over pocket sixes for another full house and he won the hand to grow his stack to 68,000.
Will the Third Time Be the Charm for WPT POY Matt Salsberg?
And bust my second bullet’s last 7k flopping bottom 2 vs the top set @JDPC27. I’m a 3rd bullet specialist anyhow.
— matt salsberg (@msalsberg) August 23, 2013
Level 4 Begins (560 Entrants)
The players return from their first break to begin Level 4, with blinds at 75-150 with a 25 ante.
The tournament clock shows 560 entrants in today’s Day 1B field, and that number continues to grow throughout the day. Registration remains open until the end of the 90-minute dinner break, which will be about 8:00 pm.
Action should continue tonight until about 12:15 am.
Tough Tables
There are a handful of stacked tables in the room. The diamonds in the rough in a packed conference room here at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open.
Table 3: Kenny Nguyen, Ronnie Bardah, Tony Ruberto, John Gordon, Corey Burbick
Table 19: Chance Kornuth, David Diaz, Joe Serock, Mukul Pahuja
Table 20: Bill Mullins, Tom McCormick, Justin Young, Mike Linster
Table 30: Joseph Cheong, Brandon Stevens, Dan Kelly, David Peters, David Fox, Tyler Reiman
Level 3 Begins with 524 Entrants
Level 2 comes to an end, and Level 3 begins with increased blinds of 75-150. Play continues without a break.
The tournament clock shows 524 entrants in today’s Day 1B field, though registration remains open until the end of the dinner break, which will be about 8:00 pm.
Another Field Packed With Notables
For a tournament that looks to attract a field of more than 2,000 players, this field is surprisingly packed with notable players.
Here is a partial list: Matt Affleck, Corey Burbick, Ronnie Bardah, Matt Salsberg, Darryll Fish, Joe Serock, David Diaz, Justin Young, Erick Lindgren, Erica Schoenberg-Lindgren, Eric Baldwin, Mike Matusow, Ben Hamnett, Joseph Cheong, Brandon Steven, Dan Kelly, Ylon Schwartz, Russell Thomas, Allen Bari, Matt Glantz, Dermot Blain, James Mackey, Dan Shak, Doc Sands, Chad Holloway, Christina Lindley, Leo Wolpert, Bernard Lee, Aaron Massey, Shawn Cunix, Justin Bonomo, Owais Ahmed, Allen Kessler, Paul Volpe, David Tuthill, Cliff “JohnnyBax” Josephy, and Victor Ramdin.
Again, this is just a partial list, and more players continue to enter the field as registration remains open here on Day 1B until 8:00 pm.