Championship Day 1A: Joey Weissman Picks Up Aces, Sends One Home

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10: 600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante
Flight A Players Remaining: 171 of 417

Joey Weissman

After a couple raises preflop, the player in the small blind got all in for about 40,000 against Joey Weissman from under the gun. Weissman showed AcAh and was in great shape against the small blind’s AdKd.

The board ran out Ks7s6s8d4d and Weissman’s aces held up to scoop the pot and eliminate the small blind.

Joey Weissman – 158,000

Championship Day 1A: Nipun Java Loses a Flip, Hits the Rail

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9: 500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining: 189 of 417

Nipun Java got all in out of the small blind for about 25,000 against a player from early position.

It was a classic race situation with Java’s AsQd up against his opponent’s JhJs.

The flop was Qs9h7h, putting Java in the lead with a pair of queens. The turn was the 3h and the river was the Qh. Running hearts gave the early position player a flush, and he eliminated Java near the end of the level.

Nipun Java – Eliminated 

Championship Day 1A: Ajay Gnanasambantham Takes From Ray Qartomy

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 9: 500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Flight A Players Remaining: 205 of 417

Ajay Gnanasambantham

Ray Qartomy raised to 3,000 from middle position and was called by Paul Domb on the button and Ajay Gnanasambantham called out of the big blind.

All three players checked a flop of KsJh5c and the 9c came on the turn. Gnanasambantham bet 7,500, Qartomy called and Domb folded.

The river was the Ts and Gnanasambantham bet 20,000. Qartomy thought for about a minute before calling.

Gnanasambantham tabled QhTd, good for the straight, and Qartomy mucked his hand. Gnanasambantham takes the pot and is one of the bigger stacks in the field.

Ajay Gnanasambantham – 228,000
Ray Qartomy – 57,000

 

Championship Day 1A: Brock Wilson Scores a Knockout

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8: 400/800 with a 800 ante
Flight A Entries: 406

Brock Wilson

Brock Wilson raised to 1,800 from under the gun and the player on his direct left moved all in for about 17,000.

“He folded tens the last time he raised,” said the all in player. “I got to shove on him now.”

Action folded back to Wilson, who snap-called. Wilson showed AdKh and was in great shape against his opponent’s AcQh.

The board ran out Js5c4h9c4d and Wilson won the pot with a better ace-high.

Brock Wilson – 47,000

Championship Day 1A: Matt Wantman Wins at Showdown With No Showdown

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 8: 400/800 with a 800 ante
Flight A Entries: 400

Matthew Wantman

On a flop of Qs7d6c, the player in the big blind checked and Matthew Wantman bet 1,300 from the cutoff.

The big blind called and the turn was the 8h. The big blind led out for 3,600 and Wantman called. The river was the 3d and The big blind led out for 11,000.

Wantman called and the big blind immediately sent his hand into the muck, indicating he was bluffing and had no showdown value. Wantman collected the pot and mucked his hand as well.

“I had a set of queens,” said Wantman. “Would you believe that?”

Matthew Wantman – 80,000

Championship Day 1A: Eric Afriat vs. Kevin Eyster

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 7: 300/600 with a 600 ante
Flight A Entries: 395

There was about 30,000 in the middle on the river with a board reading KcQd4d5h7c with Eric Afriat heads-up against Kevin Eyster.

Afriat bet 10,000 from early position and Eyster called from the cutoff.

Afriat showed Kd7d, good for two pair, and Eyster mucked his hand.

Eric Afriat – 64,000
Kevin Eyster – 61,000

Championship Day 1A: Loni Harwood Eliminated by Natalya Panchenko

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 7: 300/600 with a 600 ante
Flight A Entries: 378

Natalya Panchenko

There was 8,500 in the pot on the turn with the board reading 8d4s2s9d.

Loni Harwood checked from under the gun and Natalya Panchenko bet 4,100 from the cutoff. Harwood check-raised to 15,500 and Panchenko moved all in for 62,300. Harwood snap-called.

Harwood was on the wrong end of a cold deck with her 4h4c against Panchenko’s 9h9s.

The river bricked off for Harwood and they broke down the stacks to verify that Panchenko had her just barely covered. Harwood was out and Panchenko dragged the huge pot.

Natalya Panchenko – 115,000
Loni Harwood – Eliminated 

Championship Day 1A: David Guay Leads at Dinner

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
End of Level 6: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Flight A Entries: 353

The players are in the midst of their 90-minute dinner break, with cards set to get back in the air around 8:00 p.m. Here’s a look at the top stacks in the tournament.

  1. David Guay – 207,000
  2. Brett Apter – 159,000
  3. Alan Schein – 153,000
  4. Marc MacDonnell – 150,000
  5. Edwards Foster – 133,000
  6. Chris Weber – 130,000
  7. Ido Ashkenazi – 131,800
  8. Anthony Diotte – 129,000
  9. Donald Flarcos – 113,800
  10. Lloyd Gunther – 111,000

Championship Day 1A: Another RRPO Champ

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Flight A Entries: 340

Jacob Bazeley

This is the sixth running of the RRPO Championship and it has continued to grow throughout the years. We’ve had six different champions with three of them in the field so far.

First it was defending champ Michael Newman and 2013 winner Matt Waxman took a seat a little later. Now we have Jacob Bazeley in his seat and the 2015 champ is a regular fixture in our games. Rounding out the list of winners, we still expect to see Victor Figueroa (2012), Chris Bolek (2014), and Patrick Mahoney (2016).