$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 6:  400/800 with a 800 ante
Day 1B Entries:  900

With the board showing on the turn and about 7,000 already in the pot, Darin Thompson checked the small blind, Danny Suied bet 6,000 from the cutoff, and Thompson called.

The river card was the , Thompson checked, Suied moved all in for about 37,000, and Thompson snap-called all in for 23,100. Suied showed for a king-high bluff, and Thompson turned over for a rivered queen-high straight to win the pot and double up in chips.

Darin Thompson  –  62,000  (78 bb)
Danny Suied  –  14,000  (18 bb)

And here are a few more chip counts from around the room:

Shannon Shorr  –  97,000  (121 bb)
Ken “Teach” Aldridge  –  45,000  (56 bb)
Ray Qartomy  –  43,000  (54 bb)
Alex Foxen  –   39,000  (49 bb)
Nick Palma  –  15,000  (19 bb)

Registration remains open with a single re-entry per starting flight until the start of Level 9, around 9:20 pm. There were 1,048 entries on Day 1A, and the total field size is currently up to 1,947, with a prizepool worth more than $6.2 million.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after this level, around 5:35 pm, and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  841

The player in the small blind raised, Lexy Gavin reraised from the big blind to 2,600, and the small blind four-bet it to 5,000. Gavin called.

The flop came , the small blind bet 10,000, and Gavin called.

The turn card paired the board with the , the small blind checked, Gavin bet 6,000, and the small blind called.

The river card double-paired the board with the , the small blind checked, and Gavin moved all in for 15,600. The small blind quickly folded, and Gavin took the pot.

Lexy Gavin  –  58,200  (97 bb)

At a nearby table, the final board showed with about 21,000 already in the pot, and Darren Rabinowitz had moved all in from the button for 28,900.

The player in the small blind thought for a while before he folded, and Rabinowitz took the pot.

Darren Rabinowitz  –  50,000  (83 bb)

Registration remains open with a single re-entry per starting flight until the start of Level 9, around 9:20 pm. There were 1,048 entries on Day 1A, and the total field size is currently up to 1,888, with a prizepool worth more than $6.0 million.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 5:35 pm, and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  841

Robert Geith was all in preflop from the cutoff for 14,800, and he’s up against a player in middle position and the player in the hijack. Any further betting would create a side pot.

The flop came , the middle-position player checked, the hijack bet 7,000, and the middle-position player called.

The turn card was the , and both players checked.

The river card paired the board with the , the middle-position player bet 20,000, and the hijack folded.

The middle-position player showed for two pair, kings and tens, but Geith turned over to win the pot with a higher two pair, kings and jacks. Geith tripled up in chips.

Robert Geith  –  45,900  (77 bb)

Here are a few chip counts from around the room:

Donald Jackson  –  120,000  (200 bb)
Loni Harwood  –  50,000  (83 bb)
Ralph Massey  –  45,000  (75 bb)
Marle Cordeiro  –  26,000  (43 bb)
Phil Rigby  –  25,000  (42 bb)
Brock Wilson  –  22,000  (37 bb)
Jarod Einsohn  –  10,000  (17 bb)

Registration remains open with a single re-entry per starting flight until the start of Level 9, around 9:20 pm. There were 1,048 entries on Day 1A, and the total field size is currently up to 1,888, with a prizepool worth more than $6.0 million.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 5:35 pm, and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  822

A scan of the field during the break turned up 12 players with at least 120K, and six players with at least 150K, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Mike Chavez  –  210,800  (351 bb)
2.  Adrian Buckley  –  174,600  (291 bb)
3.  Lan Vo  –  167,700  (280 bb)
4.  Denys Shafikov  –  166,600  (278 bb)
5.  Justin Zagar  –  162,400  (271 bb)
6.  Jack Hirschman  –  150,500  (251 bb)

Registration remains open with a single re-entry per starting flight until the start of Level 9, around 9:20 pm. There were 1,048 entries on Day 1A, and the total field size is currently up to 1,869, with a prizepool worth more than $5.9 million.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 5:35 pm, and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  789

Here are a handful of chip counts from around the room, including massive chipleader Mike Chavez:

Mike Chavez  –  240,000  (480 bb)
Mike Chiappetta  –  67,000  (134 bb)
Dave Farah  –  65,000  (130 bb)
Lumni Zhuta  –  58,000  (116 bb)
Jesse Lonis  –  56,000  (112 bb)
Ebrahim Figueroa  –  54,000  (108 bb)
Matt Zarcadoolas  –  52,000  (104 bb)
Vinny Pahuja  –  48,000  (96 bb)
Curt Kohlberg  –  40,000  (80 bb)
Danny Suied  –  40,000  (80 bb)
Sean Shah  –  32,000  (64 bb)
Ryan Van Sanford  –  29,000  (58 bb)
Garrett Greer  –  21,000  (42 bb)
Amin Hosein  –  16,000  (32 bb)

Registration remains open with a single re-entry per starting flight until the start of Level 9, around 9:20 pm. There were 1,048 entries on Day 1A, and the total field size is currently up to 1,836, with a prizepool worth more than $5.8 million.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 5:35 pm, and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  790

The field continues to fill in seats as quickly as they are vacated and we are approaching 800 entries for the day. A $6,000,000 prize pool is also on the horizon with more to come.

New arrivals include Lily Kiletto, Dan Suied, Dylan Linde, Pat Lyons, and Mike Dentale.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  749

We anticipated the 2021 WPT Poker Showdown Championship might produce a record turnout. Numbers were predicted, guesses were made, but no one could be certain until players starting taking their seats. Now we know; with entry 749 in Flight B, the combined total of 1,796 entries make this tournament the biggest live poker field for any World Poker Tour event.

New top five live WPT events:

2021 Poker Showdown – 1,796 entries (reg open till ~9:20pm)
2014 Poker Showdown – 1,795 entries
2021 Lucky Hearts Poker Open – 1,573 entries
2015 Poker Showdown – 1,476 entries
2019 Borgata Winter Poker Open – 1,415 entries

Registration remains open until ~9:20 pm and that record will continue to climb until we lock it down later this evening.

We’ve had a tremendous turnout the entire series and we are capping it off with this huge headliner. Thank you to old friends and new for making history with us.

Poker pro Bob Mathers gathers his chips as entry 749 after defending champ James Carroll checked in at 748 to tie the record.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries:  740

Denys Shafikov raised under the gun to 1,000, Marle Cordeiro called UTG+1, and the player on the button reraised to 3,000. Shafikov four-bet it to 10,000, Cordeiro folded, and the button called.

The flop came , Shafikov checked, the button bet 6,000, and Shafikov thought for a while before he called. The turn card paired the board with the , Shafikov checked, the button bet 12,000, and Shafikov called.

The river card was the , and both players checked. Shafikov showed to win the pot with two pair, aces and tens, and the player on the button mucked.

Denys Shafikov  –  140,000  (350 bb)

And here are a handful of chip counts from around the world:

Lily Kiletto  –  48,000  (120 bb)
Jacquelyn Scott  –  44,000  (110 bb)
Steve Trizis  –  44,000  (110 bb)
Shankar Pillai  –  28,000  (70 bb)
Phil Rigby  –  24,000  (60 bb)

Registration remains open with a single re-entry per starting flight until the start of Level 9, around 9:20 pm. There were 1,048 entries on Day 1A, and the total field size is currently up to 1,787, with a prizepool worth more than $5.7 million.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 5:35 pm, and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries:  672

After a few words from WPT Executive Tour Director Matt Savage, cards are back in the air for Flight B with blinds at 200/400 with a 400 ante.

The entry count clicked up to 672 during the break to push the Championship prize pool over $5.5 million with registration open until ~9:20 pm.

$3,500 WPT Poker Showdown Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries:  630

As with the field yesterday, tournament staff are sending players on a staggered break to limit the number of players congregating in the halls. The field will be sent off in teams of three and all will start Level 5 at the same time.

We found more old friends in the building and a couple we haven’t seen in a while like Victor Figueroa and Luke Brereton. A few others in the field include Joseph Cheong, Craig Varnell, Nick Pupillo, Chris Limo, and Faraz Jaka.