ClubWPT.com End of Day 2 Update

Level 10: 1,000-2,000, 300 ante

Both Jesse Lopez and Dean Meyer came into the second day of play here at the Foxwoods World Poker Finals with high hopes but low expectations since both of them started the day with some of the smallest stacks in the field.

The two ClubWPT.com qualifiers had big days courtesy of some timely double ups, big calls and a lot of patience.  Neither player played many pots during this last level of the day, so they ended slightly down from where they were to end Level 9.  Lopez took a couple of hits after his big hand against Kathy Liebert to end the day with 61,700.  However, considering he started the day with just 9,000 chips, his chip stack has to feel massive compared to where he started the day.

Meyer ended the day with just 30,500, but the ever-optimistic North Dakotan put his end of day results in a positive light.  "Yesterday I ended with 25,000," Meyer explained.  "So, the way I see it, I am up 5,000 chips on the day and that is fine with me."

The third ClubWPT.com qualifier, Alan Sasser, made his exit from the event earlier in the day, but he will be able to look back on Foxwoods with fond memories of ending Day 1 with a top ten chip stack, making a big call with ace high against known pro Theo Tran and holding his own against poker pros like Christian Harder and Victor Ramdin.

Stay tuned tomorrow to see if our two remaining ClubWPT.com qualifiers can continue their wild Foxwoods ride into the money alongside the other 71 players still in the field here in Connecticut.

If you would like to win your way to a WPT Main Event on ClubWPT.com click on the link below for all the details.

ClubWPT.com Level 8 Update

Level 9: 800-1,600, 200 ante

After starting the day as one of the chip leaders, ClubWPT.com qualifier Alan Sasser saw his tournament come to an end earlier today.  Sasser had to contend with the aggressive Christian Harder on his right for the duration of the afternoon and then lost a sizeable portion of his stack when he got it all-in during a blind vs. blind confrontation holding AQ to his opponent's AK.  The A8693 board was no help to Sasser and he was left with just 25,000 chips after the hand.

It didn't take long for Sasser to get the rest of those chips in the middle.  Two hands later, he opened for a raise from the button and Harder reraised from the small blind.  Sasser moved all-in and Harder quickly called, tabling AA.  Sasser's A7 failed to catch up with the aces and he hit the rail shortly into Level 8.

As Sasser was shipping the last of his chips to Harder, Jesse Lopez was one table over tangling with several player in a big pot worth 65,000.  Lopez moved all-in with pocket tens, got one caller who held pocket eights and his hand held to propel him up to an average chip stack.

When we last checked in with ClubWPT.com qualifier Dean Meyer, he had chipped up to nearly 60,000 chips, but he has fallen off a bit since then.  One hand where he dropped some chips came in a blind versus blind confrontation with one of the tournament chip leaders, Curt Kohlberg.  Meyer bet out 5,000 on a flop of Q87 and Kohlberg raised to 15,000 total.  Meyer contemplated a call, but cut his losses and tossed his hand instead.  At the conclusion of Level 8 Meyer was sitting on 46,000.

If you would like to win your way to a WPT Main Event on ClubWPT.com click on the link below for all the details.

Alan Sasser Eliminated by Christian Harder

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

After losing the bulk of his chips in a blind versus blind confrontation, ClubWPT.com qualifier Alan Sasser gets his last 25,000 chips all-in with A7 against Christian Harder's AA.  The aces hold as the board runs out JT556 and Sasser is eliminated while Harder builds his chip stack up over 200,000.

Christian Harder - 200,000
Alan Sasser - eliminated

ClubWPT.com Level 7 Update

Level 8: 600-1,200, 200 ante

Remember ClubWPT.com qualifier Dean Meyer's plan to only play premium hands in the hopes of doubling his short stack up? It worked well for him in Level 6 and worked even better in Level 7 as Meyer both staved off elimination and doubled up over the course of the past 90-minutes.

Meyer filled us in on his brush with elimination on break.  He raised all-in over the top of another player's opening raise for 17,000 holding A-Q and the initial raiser called with A-K.  The 2-3-5 flop looked dire for Meyer and the card on the turn was no help to him either.  The river brought a four to give both players the wheel though and Meyer was able to dodge elimination on the river.

The very next hand Meyer moved all-in with TT and another player called him with AQ.  The board ran out K939T to give Meyer a full house, the pot, and a double up to almost 50,000 chips.  He picked up a few additional pots to end the level with almost 60,000 and is nearing closer and closer to the average stack.

Jesse Lopez picked up a few pots of his own this level to maintain his chips at 25,000.  We caught up with Lopez in a hand where Matt "All In At 420" Stout opened for a raise from under the gun to 2,650, a player called in middle position and Lopez called from the big blind.  The flop came Q54, Lopez shoved all-in for around 14,000 and Stout and the other player quickly folded their hands.

Alan Sasser proved he could tangle with the pros this level when he picked off a big bluff from Theo Tran to collect most of Tran's stack.  Sasser check-called bets from his aggressive opponent on every street with ace high, despite both flush and full house possibilities on the board. 

The expert call helped to pad Sasser's stack back up over 100,000.  Early in the level, Sasser dropped a sizeable pot to Christian Harder.  Sasser picked up A-K and tangled with Harder as the board ran out K-Q-J-9-X.  Harder moved all-in on the river and Sasser was forced to fold, leaving himself with 90,000. 

Thanks to the hand with Tran and a couple of other pots, Sasser worked his way back up to 115,000 heading into the second break of the day.

If you would like to win your way to a WPT Main Event on ClubWPT.com click on the link below for all the details.

Chip Count Update

Level 7: 500-1,000, 150 ante

All of the chip counts have just been updated in the Chip Count Tab.

With 136 players remaining, here is a look at the top five...

Terrence Chan - 253,000
Curt Kohlberg - 250,000
Frank Calo - 210,000
Todd Terry - 190,000
Christian Harder - 180,000

ClubWPT.com Chip Counts

Alan Sasser - 96,500
Dean Meyer - 56,500
Jesse Lopez - 25,500

Recent Eliminations:

Wall Failla
Billy Kopp
Tommy Vedes
Brock Parker
Jonathan Aguiar

Chip Count Update

Level 7: 500-1,000, 150 ante

All of the chip counts have just been updated in the Chip Count Tab.

With 160 players remaining, here is a look at the top five...

Frank Calo - 263,000
Todd Terry - 200,000
Michael Mizrachi - 185,000
Jason Mercier - 160,000
Nenad Medic - 160,000

ClubWPT.com Chip Counts

Alan Sasser  - 125,000
Dean Meyer - 28,000
Jesse Lopez - 20,000

Recent Eliminations:

Donnie D'Auria
Isaac Baron

ClubWPT.com Level 6 Update

Level 7: 500-1,000, 150 ante

Once all the chips were tallied at the end of day one, ClubWPT.com qualifier Jesse Lopez was the shortest stack of the players left in the event with a little over 9,000 chips.  He went to bed last night, dreaming he would find an opportune spot early on to double up.

The first hand of the day was a dream come true for Lopez, as he picked up pocket tens against another player's pocket sixes to double up.  If that wasn't enough, Lopez doubled up a second time before the level was over when he picked up pocket kings.  He ended the level with 23,000 chips, which is less than the 30,000 starting stack, but more than twenty big blinds heading into Level 7.

Lopez was not the only player to get a double up early on.  Dean Meyer also doubled his chip stack this past level thanks to a flopped flush.  Meyer told us that his gameplan at the start of the day was to lay low until he picked up a monster hand to double up with.  After an hour of folding, Meyer didn't pick up a monster, but he did decide to play a hand with KQ.

Meyer tossed a 5,000 chip into the pot intending to raise, but since he did not verbally declare his action, it was ruled a call.  Another player obliged Meyer by raising to 5,000 and Meyer called.  The flop fell T76 and the raiser checked to Meyer, who decided to pause for a minute for dramatic effect before moving all-in.

The other player thought briefly, counted out his chips and said to Meyer, "You checked your cards so I am hoping you have A-K."  He called and showed QQ, which were drawing to a runner runner full house in order to best Meyer's flush.  The 3 on the turn left the other player drawing dead and Meyer doubled up to 35,000.

ClubWPT.com qualifier Alan Sasser came into today as one of the top ten chip stacks and he continued to maintain his stack in spite of a tough table draw that included Christian Harder and Victor Ramdin.  He picked up a few pots during the first level to end with 116,000 chips.

If you would like to win your way to a WPT Main Event on ClubWPT.com click on the link below for all the details.

Theo Tran's Rough Day

Level 7: 500-1,000, 150 ante

It has been a rough afternoon for Theo Tran.  First ,he overslept this morning and had his stack blinded off for over an hour and when he did arrive to the tournament area, things just aren't going his way.

First, Tran tangles in a pot with ClubWPT.com qualifier Alan Sasser, who check calls bets from Tran on every street as the board runs out 85398, including a 16,500 river bet.  As soon as Sasser's chips hit the felt, Tran announces, "I have ten high."  Sasser turns over AQ for just ace high, which is enough to rake the substantial pot.

"Nice call," Tran says, impressed by Sasser's play.

A few hands later, Tran moves all-in for his last 8,200 and the player in the cutoff reraises all-in for 20,100 total.  The big blind elects to call and the three hands are turned face up:

Tran: 22
Player in cutoff: AA
Player in big blind: TT

The flop falls Q92, giving Tran his set, but the turn brings the A to give the cutoff the superior hand.  The river is the 7 and the player in the cutoff wins the pot while Theo Tran is eliminated.

Chip Count Update

Level 6: 400-800, 100 ante

All of the chip counts have just been updated in the Chip Count Tab.

Here is a look at the top five...

Todd Terry - 185,000
Adam Lippert - 175,000
Jonathan Jaffe - 154,000
Jack  Schanbacher - 148,775
Danny Shiff - 145,000

ClubWPT.com Chip Counts

Alan Sasser - 125,000
Dean Meyer - 34,000
Jesse Lopez - 20,000

Recent Eliminations:

Eric Cajelais
Chad Batista
Victor Ramdin
John Racener
Steve O'Dwyer

ClubWPT.com Level 5 Update

Level 6: 400-800, 100 ante

Day 1 of the Foxwoods World Poker Finals is in the books and one of the players towards the top of the leaderboard is ClubWPT.com qualifier Alan Sasser.  Sasser spent the entire day above average thanks to a fast start and some big hands. 

Early in the level, Sasser avoided disaster when he raised to 2,000 with A-K and another player made it 20,000 to go.  After the hand, Sasser told us he was about to ship his whole stack all-in, but he ultimately decided to fold his hand and find a better spot.  It was a good read from Sasser, as his opponent did him the courtesy of showing their pocket aces.

Sasser's card rush continued in Level 5 when a player in early position raised to 2,050, several players called and Sasser made it 10,600 from the small blind.  The initial raiser elected to call, while everyone else folded.  The flop came 643 and Sasser moved all-in for over 60,000 chips.  His opponent counted his chips, mulled over his options and eventually called with JJ.  Sasser showed AA and stood up, bracing himself for the turn and river.  The turn brought the 7 and the river the 9, meaning that Sasser's aces held to give him the nearly 120,000 chip pot and eliminate his opponent from the tournament.

Even after spending a few minutes away from the table to calm his nerves, Sasser was still able to end the day with an impressive 121,600, which should put him in the top twenty chip counts headed into Day 2.

The other two ClubWPT.com qualifiers will also be back at the felt tomorrow.  Dean Meyer said he really tightened up during the last level of play since his table included top pros like Jason Mercier, Kathy Liebert and Nick Schulman and that strategy resulted in him ending the day with 24,525 chips--roughly 30 big blinds once play resumes tomorrow at the 400/800 ante 100 level.

Jesse Lopez continued to struggle to find spots to pick up chips and his stack eroded a bit during Level 5 as well.  He ended the day with 9,050, but told us he certainly isn't giving up any time soon. 

If you would like to win your way to a WPT Main Event on ClubWPT.com click on the link below for all the details.