SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship End of Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante Players: 739
The first two levels are complete, and the field has been sent on their first 15-minute break of the day. The board shows 739 players so far, with late registration available until 10:00 p.m.
A list of big and notable chip counts will be posted shortly.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante Players: 734
On the turn of an board, Ray Qartomy got himself all in for 7,050 against Nader Bahhur.
Qartomy: (tens full) Bahhur: (aces full)
Despite turning a full house, Qartomy was drawing dead to the case ten. The river was the blank , though, sending him to the rail just before the first break.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante Players: 724
Two players were all in on a flop, including Seminole Hard Rock Poker Team member Chance Kornuth, and Josh Gibson had both opponents covered.
Gibson: Kornuth: Player 3:
Gibson had the lead with two pair, but that advantage was quickly erased as the hit the turn to fill the third player’s flush. Kornuth was drawing dead, while Gibson needed to fill up to win the pot. He did just that; the river was the , and Gibson earned the double knockout with fours full of aces.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante Players: 717
Every single available table is in use at the moment, and that includes those in the smaller meeting room across the hall. A quick walk through the area found Asher Conniff, Nenad Medic, Steve Buckner, Mike Leah, and Seminole Hard Rock Poker team members Cate Hall and Stewart Newman.
They’ll keep piling in and filling seats until registration closes on the Championship at 10pm.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 2: 100/200 with a 25 ante Players: 680
Former SHRP champion Steven McKoy found out the hard truth about freeze-outs, a cooler can quickly end a day.
He took his early seat then promptly ran pocket queens into the aces of three-time WSOP Circuit champ Nancy Birnbaum. There was no bad beat and McKoy was another afternoon casualty while Birnbaum picked up a nice double.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 1: 75/150 with a 25 ante Players: 596
While most of the tables are getting close to full, a few are still playing short-handed. One of those is in the center of the room, where Adam Geyer and Ari Engel are part of a three-handed table that’s been full of action so far.
In the most recent pot, Geyer (cutoff) and Engel (button) were tangled up on the river of a board. There was about 5,000 in the pot already, and Geyer checked first to act. Engel bet 2,150, Geyer check-raised to 9,000, and Engel moved all in for 27,050 total. That was just enough to cover Geyer, who slipped deep into the tank. Maybe six or seven minutes passed before he called all in for 26,475, putting himself at risk.
Engel grimaced and showed for top two pair. Geyer waited to see it, then tabled to win the pot with a queen-high straight.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 1: 75/150 with a 25 ante Players: 583
With a field this size and prize this big, you’ll see some big names come to town to play the game. A quick walk around the room found a few of our Seminole Hard Rock Poker team members in early action including Natasha Barbour and Dan O’Brien, WSOP Main Event champ Jonathan Duhamel, and former NFL star Richard Seymour.
We also found poker legend Erik Seidel in the back of the ballroom grinding away. The eight-time WSOP winner is making his first appearance this series and trying to move from his #2 spot on the all-time poker money list. Only Daniel Negreanu has earned more live tournament cash and Siedel is one nice score away from crossing the $30 million mark.
SHRPO $5 Million GTD Championship Level 1: 75/150 with a 25 ante Players: 583
The field is filling in quickly, with the board showing nearly 600 players registered so far. While the flow of players is mostly into the room, a couple players have been forced to swim upstream through the double doors, as they make early exits from this Championship.
Olivier Busquet was the first player to hit the rail, and he’s been followed by at least one more player during the last few minutes.
This is a freeze-out event, so there is no re-entry, but registration remains available until 10:00.