Level 14: (1,200/2,400/300)
Total Entries: 813
Cornel Cimpan (left) Thai Ha (right)
We catch up to the three handed action on a board of {kh}{5c}{2c}{qh}. Thai Ha slides out a bet of 12,000 and the player in middle position calls. Cornel Cimpan raises to 30,000 from the button.
Ha calls and the middle position player quickly folds. The {2s} completes the board and both players knuckle the felt. “You’re good” says Ha and Cimpan tables his {ad}{kc}.
Ha tosses his hand into the muck face down earning Cimpan the pot. Cimpan is now up to 420,000 and looks to be our chip leader with just two levels remaining in the night.
Level 14: (1,200/2,400/300)
Total Entries: 813
Frank Nera got his stack of 23,700 all in on a flop of {8s}{9s}{jc}. Nera was called by two players and the hands were shown.
Nera: {9h}{9c}
Cutoff: {ad}{jh}
Big Blind:{jd}{qh}
The turn brought the {qs} and Nera would just need to the fade the river to triple his stack.The {ks} completed the board and Nera’s set would hold up to earn him the pot.
Frank Nera-100,000
Level 13: (1,000/2,000/300)
Total Entries: 814
As we walk around the signature room we see a familiar sight, Cornel Cimpan with a mountain of chips. The WPT champion has nearly $3,600,000 in live tournament earnings and has been cruising here on Day 1B. Cimpan was just moved to Thai Ha’s table so there is definitely potentiall for some fireworks. Cimpan is playing a stack of 375,000 and looks to only be trailing Satish Surapaneni with less than two hours of play remaining in the night.
Level 12: (800/1,600/200)
Total Entries: 814
Thai Ha has been one of the more active players here on Day 1B. Ha seems to involved in most of the pots at his tables and it looks to be paying off. The Factoryville, PA pro has nearly $500,000 in career earnings and is off to a good start here today. Ha is now playing one of the largest stacks in the room with 225,000 and will surely be one to keep an eye on as the tournament progresses.
Level 12: (800/1,600/200)
Total Entries: 815
Simon Brooks (England)
Simon Brooks raises to 4,000 from early position and it folds to the hijack who calls. The player on the button makes the call. With the action on the player in the small blind he moves all in for 34,000. The big blind folds, Brooks snap calls and the hands are shown.
Brooks: {ks}{kh}
Small Blind: {9s}{9h}
The board runs out clean for Brooks {6c}{jc}{7s}{5d}{10c} earning him the pot. Brooks scores the elimination and adds to his stack which is now about 100,000.
Level 11: (600/1,200/200)
Total Entries: 813
Wen Zhang (Philadelphia, PA)
A player raises to 3,100 from early position and two players call. The action folds to Jose Montes in the cutoff and he moves all in for 24,000. Wen Zhang reshoves all in from the button for 85,000. The other players quickly fold and the hands are shown.
Montes: {4h}{4c}
Zhang: {jc}{jh}
The dealer spreads a flop of {qh}{5h}{3d} and it is no help to Montes. The turn brings the {ad} and Montes picks up a gutshot straight draw. The {3c} completes the board earning Zhang the pot and eliminating Montes who tells us he’ll be firing another bullet tomorrow in Day 1C.
Wen Zhang- 121,000
Level 10: (500/1,000/100)
Total Entries: 813
David Dawson (Afton, NY)
We catch up to the action on a flop of {jc}{3h}{10d}. The player in early position slides out a bet of 11,000 with 11,000 already in the main pot. David Dawson makes the call and the player in late position moves all in for 28,400.
The early position player thinks it over for a bit eventually releasing his hand. Dawson quickly makes the call and the hands are shown.
Dawson: {10h}{10c}
Opponent: {8h}{9d}
Dawson is in good shape to score the knockout holding a set of tens against his opponents open ended straight draw. The dealer burns and turns the {3c} improving Dawson to a full house. His opponent is left drawing dead as the meaningless {ks} hits the river. Dawson earns the pot and sends his opponent to the rail.
David Dawson- 115,000
Level 10: (500/1,000/100)
Total Entries: 813
Larry Gold
We catch up to the four handed action on a flop of {kc}{2d}{3d}. Larry Farah leads out with a bet of 5,500 from the small blind. The action folds to Kuganathan Vairavanathan in the cutoff who makes the call.
They go heads up to the {Jd} turn card and Gold checks. Vairavanathan bets 8,000 and Gold makes the call. Both players knuckle the felt when the {9d} hits the river. Gold shows {2h}{2c} for a flopped set and Vairavanathan tables {ks}{qc}. Neither player is holding a diamond and gold will scoop the pot.
Larry Gold- 60,000
Level 9: (400/800/75)
Total Entries: 825
Luke (@Slaymerica) Vrabel
We arrive at the table just as Luke Vrabel (pictured) is raking in a pot. He bet three streets with his {ks}{kh} on a board of {As}{8h}{3d}{Kc}{2d}. His opponent was a non believer calling with just middle pair. Vrabel earned the pot and is now up to 70,000, below is a list of some upgraded chip counts from the field.
Mike Hollengberg- 225,000
Kevin Grabel- 75,000
James Camby- 70,000
Mike Marder- 31,000
Mike Azzaro- 22,000
Alex Jim- 19,000
Chris Leong- 15,000