Championship Day 1A: Nadeem Hirani Doubles Thru Asher Conniff on the River

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1 Entries:  392

Nadeem Hirani

With the final board showing AsJs8s6d9s on the river and about 40K already in the pot, Asher Conniff moved all in from the small blind for about 80,000, easily covering Nadeem Hirani, who was tanking from under the gun.

Eventually, Hirani calls all in for 26,100, and Conniff shows AcKd for a pair of aces.

But Hirani turns over Ad8d for two pair, aces and eights, to win the pot and double up in chips.

Nadeem Hirani  –  92,000  (184 bb)
Asher Conniff  –  53,000  (106 bb)

The field is up to 392 entries, and registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until the start of Level 9, around 9:15 pm.

Championship Day 1A: Mitch Gashofsky Cracks Aces to Knock Out a Player

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1 Entries:  391

Mitch Garshofsky

The UTG+1 player was all in for 41,300 with AdAc, and needed his hand to hold in a cooler situation against the KdKc of Mitch Garshofsky in the small blind.

The board came Ks10s2d7h9h, and Garshofsky flopped a set of kings to win the pot and eliminate his opponent.

Mitch Garshofsky  –  124,000  (248 bb)

The field is up to 391 entries, and registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until the start of Level 9, around 9:15 pm.

Championship Day 1A: Dave Berman Doubles Up with a Set of Fours

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6: 300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1 Entries:  369

Dave Berman
Dave Berman

A player raised from middle position to 1,000, another player called, the cutoff called, the button called, and Dave Berman moved all in from the small blind for 14,000.

The original raiser moved all in over the top for 22,200, and the next player to act tanked for a very long time before he folded. The cutoff and the button both quickly folded.

Berman turned over 4h4d, and he needed to improve to stay alive against his opponent’s 7s7d. Several players grumbled that they wish they hadn’t folded.

The board came AdKd8h4s5s, and Berman turned a set of fours to win the pot and double up in chips.

Dave Berman  –  31,800  (64 bb)

After that hand, Level 5 came to an end, and Level 6 began with increased blinds of 300-500 with a 500 ante. There are now 369 entries in the field, with registration open until about 9:15 pm.

Championship Day 1A: Lily Kiletto Makes a Higher Straight than Michael Newman

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5: 200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1 Entries:  351

Lily Kiletto
Lily Kiletto

After a flop of 8c4s3c, the UTG+1 player checked, Michael Newman checked from middle position, and Lily Kiletto bet 2,000 from the button. Both players called.

The turn card was the 5d, and all three players checked.

The river card was the 2d, and it checked to Kiletto, who bet 10,000. The UTG+1 player folded, and Newman called with AsKh for a five-high straight.

But Kiletto turned over Ad6s to win the pot with a six-high straight.

Lily Kiletto  –  67,000  (168 bb)
Michael Newman  –  81,000  (203 bb)

Championship Day 1A: Marcus El-Huaick Leads with 248K, Twice as Much as Anyone Else

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5: 200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1 Entries:  340

Marcus El-Huaick
Chipleader Marcus El-Huaick

A scan of the field during the break turned up five players with at least 100K in chips, and one player with more than twice as many as anyone else.

1.  Marcus El-Huaick  –  248,500  (621 bb)
2.  A.J. Gambino  –  122,200  (306 bb)
3.  Jason Wandling  –  116,500  (291 bb)
4.  Jorge Gomez  –  113,600  (284 bb)
5.  Thomas Gari  –  100,500  (251 bb)

The field is up to 340 entries so far, and registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until the start of Level 9 (around 9:15 pm). There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6 (around 5:30 pm), and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10 (around 11:15 pm).

A.J. Gambino
A.J. Gambino

Championship Day 1A: More Arrivals

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4: 200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1 Entries:  301

Steve Moreno

Championship Day 1A hit 300 entries at the start of Level 4 and continued to climb as we near the second break. The fields is only 100 and change away from matching the Day 1A count from last year, a good chance we push over that mark by the time registration closes at 9:15 pm.

Recent arrivals include Steve Moreno, Joe Cheong, Ronit Chamani, Marvin Rettenmaier, Aaron Massey, and TK Miles.

Joseph Cheong
Marvin Rettenmaier
Ronit Chamani

Championship Day 1A: More Champs

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3: 100/200 with a 200 ante
Day 1 Entries:  283

Scott Margereson

The field is filling in as the Championship moves along and couple WPT Champions Club members grabbed a seat this afternoon.

Scott Margereson is not only a WPT Champion, he is a Seminole Hard Rock Poker WPT Champion. He won the WPT SHR Poker Showdown in 2018 over a tough final table the included Faraz Jaka, Matt Stout, Brian Hastings, Joey Couden, and Jeff Fielder.

Anthony Zinno is a three-time WPT Champion (LAPC, Fallsview, and Borgata) and four other WPT final tables. And one run that was so good he was awarded WPT Player of the Year honors for Season XIII.

Anthony Zinno

Championship Day 1A: Craig Chait Leads After Break

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3: 100/200 with a 200 ante
Day 1 Entries:  263

Craig Chait

Flight A players returned from the first break and everyone is chasing Craig Chait at the top of the counts.

The WSOP Circuit winner took his 40K starting stack up to 107,300 to lead the field in early action. Evan Swanagin sits in second with 95,000 and a bunch of tough players trying to chase them down.

Notable big stacks:

Craig Chait – 107,300 (537 bb)
Evan Swanagin – 95,000 (475 bb)
Tony Sinishtaj – 80,100 (401 bb)
Michael Newman – 75,000 (375 bb)
Cord Garcia – 75,000 (375 bb)
Lachezar Petkov – 72,200 (361 bb)
Willie Wiggins – 70,000 (350 bb)

Evan Swanagin

Championship Day 1A: Lily Kiletto Doubles Before Break

$3,500 WPT RRPO Championship (Re-Entry)
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2: 100/200
Day 1 Entries:  235

Lily Kiletto

Shortly before the first break, Lily Kiletto was heads up in a pot with the board reading Jh7h7c2h and facing an all-in bet. Her opponent had her remaining 15,400 stack covered and she talked her way through the hand.

“I think you have the ace of hearts,” Kiletto said to him. She called and she was correct.

Kiletto: 6d6s
Opponent: AhKd

Kiletto was ahead with two pair and needed to dodge 16 outs (all the hearts, aces, kings, and jacks). The 2d hit the river and she had her double up.

Lily Kiletto – 56,000 (280 bb)