On the Floor with Jess and BJ

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

On this episode of the Jess and BJ Show, Jessica Welman and BJ Nemeth recap Day 2 of the Hollywood Poker Open on the floor in an empty room and they answer the question "What is you favorite subscription service?"

Photo Recap: Day 2 of WPT Hollywood Poker Open

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

By BJ Nemeth

When late registration closed at the start of Day 2, the total field size for the WPT Hollywood Poker Open had grown to 97 players. The top 12 will finish in the money, with $273,664 going to the winner.

The field played down to the final three tables (27 players) before stopping for the day. For a full list of chip counts in table-and-seat order, click here. These are the top five players from the leaderboard:

1. Andy Whetstone - 334,400 (278 BBs)
2. Shannon Shorr - 250,900 (209 BBs)
3. Steven Kelly - 233,000 (194 BBs)
4. David Anthony - 207,000 (172 BBs)
5. Steve Barshak - 193,600 (161 BBs)

And now, a photographic look back at Day 2 of the WPT Hollywood Poker Open:



Day 1 chipleader Ali Eslami was still stacking his massive pile of chips as action was underway on Day 2.



Bellagio Tournament Director Jack McClelland and WPT Commentator Mike Sexton didn't have a lot of chips, but they were having a lot of fun in the early levels. Unfortunately, neither player survived the day.



Late registration remained open until the start of play on Day 2, and Andy Frankenberger was one of the six players who took advantage, creating a total field size of 97. Frankenberger is the points leader in the WPT Player of the Year race, and anyone who wants to catch him is running out of time, as this is the third-to-last tournament of the season. If Frankenberger reaches the money (final 12 players), he'll be able to increase his lead even further, and he survived Day 2 with a healthy stack of 61,100.



Speaking of the WPT Player of the Year race, there was one player still in the field on Day 2 who could have taken the lead from Frankenberger -- Gregory Brooks (left). But Brooks was eliminated halfway through Day 2, all in preflop with 87 against the QQ of Chris Bell (right). Bell, who final tabled this event last year, survived the day with a short stack of 40,700.



The Royal Flush Girls used some of their downtime today to do some impromptu hairstyling for one of their own, Katrina Topacio, while Ali Eslami (foreground, right) took a cellphone picture from his nearby table. The "stylists," from left to right: Melanie Iglesias, Jennifer Haley, and Michelle Banzer.



Mike Sexton smiles after doubling his short stack with AK all in preflop against the KQ of Jason Koon (right). Both players were fairly short, and both were eliminated later in the day.



After a flop of 987, William Johnson (right) moved all in, and Jonathan Little asked for an exact count before he called with JJ. Johnson turned over 77 for a set of sevens, and went on to double up. Little was eliminated about an hour later, while Johnson survived the day with a healthy stack of 61,700.



Shannon Shorr had a strong day and finished second in chips with 250,900. Shorr has been on a hot streak in recent WPT events, final tabling the WPT Southern Poker Championship back in January (finishing fourth), and nearly final tabling the WPT L.A. Poker Classic in February (finishing 11th).



ClubWPT.com qualifier Andy Whetstone (left) seemed to be unstoppable after the dinner break, as he eliminated three players in less than 15 minutes. Hoyt Corkins was the first to go when he check-raised a flush draw and found himself up against Whetstone's AA. Dean Churches was the next victim when he flopped top pair, top kicker against Whetstone's set of eights. Luke Staudenmaier (far right) was all in preflop with a short stack, watching helplessly as Whetstone and Larry Ormson (center right) bet back-and-forth on a board of J6295. Ormson turned over QJ for top pair, and cringed when he saw Whetstone's 55 -- Whetstone caught a set of fives on the river to win the pot.

As Whetstone stacked his chips, Terry Jacobs (not pictured) said, "If I start to play a hand against this guy, somebody stop me."



Andy Whetstone's post-dinner rush catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard, where he finished the day with 334,400 and was named the RISE Player of the Day. You can see Whetstone discuss his improbable day and what he likes best about playing at ClubWPT.com by watching his end-of-day interview with Jess & BJ -- click here.


Day 3 begins tomorrow (Monday) at 1:00 pm ET. Return to WorldPokerTour.com for continuing live coverage, including hand updates, frequent chip counts, and another episode of the Jess & BJ Show.

RISE Player of the Day - ClubWPT.com Qualifer Andy Whetstone

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Day 3 Seating Assignments

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Table 1
1: William Johnson - 61,700
2: Terry Jacobs - 90,600
3: Michael Rocco - 137,700
4: Andrew Whetstone - 334,400
5: Chris Bell - 40,700
6: Richard Pflum - 14.600
7: Michael Miller - 90,700
8: Ben Tollerene - 95,200
9: Michael Scarbough - 170,500

Table 2
1: Hassan Beydoun - 58,200
2: William Reynolds - 70,900
3: Ali Eslami - 153,300
4: Amanda Musumec - 57,900
5: Shannon Shorr - 250,900
6: Larry Ormson - 66,200
7: Steve Russell - 37,200
8: Thomas Marchese - 29,800
9: Steven Kelly - 233, 000

Table 3
1: Erik Seidel - 133,000
2: Karec Terrell - 29,900
3: David Anthony - 207,000
4: Allen Kessler - 72,400
5: Shawn Cunix - 38,000
6: Neal Vansuan - 96,400
7: James Hensley - 132,800
8: Steve Barcheck - 193,600
9: Andrew Frankenberger - 61,100

Andy Whetstone Ends Day 2 on Top

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

ClubWPT.com qualifier Andy Whetstone said his run at the Hollywood Poker Open would be a success if he finished in the top thirty.  Now he has his eyes on a WPT final table.

Thanks to a trio of big eliminations that came in a matter of minutes, Whetstone ended the day with 334,400 chips.  That is nearly 80,000 more than his next closest competitor, Shannon Shorr.  Steven Kelly rounds out the top three with 233,000 chips.  He is looking to follow in the footsteps of Vivek Rajkumar and pick up back-to-back final tables of his own.

The 27 players still alive in this event will return tomorrow and play down to the final ten. 

Here are the top five chip counts from the end of Day 2:

1. Andy Whetstone - 334,400
2. Shannon Shorr - 250,900
3. Steven Kelly - 233,000
4. David Anthony - 207,000
5. Steve Barshak - 193,600

Jonathan Depa Eliminated By Hassan Beydoun

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

An extremely short-stacked Jonathan Depa gets it all-in preflop against Hassan Beydoun holding 46 to Beydoun's AQ.  The board runs out J98Q6 and Beydoun's pair of queens take the pot and send Depa home in 28th place.

With his elimination, Day 2 officially comes to a close and players get an early night to rest up before heading back for Day 3 at 1PM ET tomorrow.

Day 2 Ends With 27 Players

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Details on the final elimination of the day will be posted in a few minutes, but Day 2 has come to an end with 27 players remaining. The chip count page has been updated with all the official counts, and a photo recap will be posted later tonight.

Richard Pflum Doubles Thru Steve Barshak

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Steve Barshak raises to 2,100 from middle position and Richard Pflum moves all-in for 6,000 out of the small blind.  Barshak calls with 710 and Pflum shows AQ.

The board runs out KKJ35 and Pflum makes a flush to double up.

Richard Pflum - 14,000
Steve Barshak - 170,000 

Chris Bell Makes a Tough Laydown, Shannon Shorr Breaks 200k

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

On a flop of KJ10, Chris Bell checks, Shannon Shorr bets 5,500 and Bell calls.

The turn is the 10, Bell checks, Shorr bets 12,500 and Bell calls.

The river is the A, and this time Bell leads out with a 20,000 bet. Shorr raises to 66,500 (enough to put Bell all in), and Bell goes into the tank for several minutes before making an agonizing laydown. Bell is left with just 40,000 after the hand while Shorr breaks the 200,000 mark.

Shannon Shorr - 200,000
Chris Bell - 40,000

Andy Whetstone Steamrolls As He Busts Luke Staudenmaier & Dean Churches

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Photo: All eyes are on Andy Whetstone as he bets the river against Larry Ormson (center right) and Luke Staudenmaier (right).


ClubWPT.com qualifier Andy Whetstone is on an incredible rush right now, and has eliminated three players nearly back-to-back-to-back.

He eliminated Hoyt Corkins a few minutes before these two hands came back-to-back.

After a flop of Q108 with about 14,000 in the pot, Andy Whetstone checks the small blind, Brady "Dean" Churches bets 12,000 from late position, and Whetstone check-raises to 25,000. Churches tanks for a while before he moves all in for about 40,000, and Whetstone quickly calls with 88 for a set of eights. Churches reluctantly turns over AQ, and he'll need to catch something runner-runner to stay alive. 

The turn is the 9, the river is the 7, and Whetstone wins the pot with his set of eights to eliminate Dean Churches. 

As Whetstone stacks his chips, Terry Jacobs references Whetstone's hot streak and says, "If I start to play a hand against this guy, somebody stop me."

Andy Whetstone  -  Still stacking his chips
Dean Churches  -  Eliminated

The next hand, Luke Staudenmaier raises under the gun to 14,200, though with a single 100 chip still on his cards, he technically isn't all in yet. In the course of stacking his chips from the previous pot, Whetstone misunderstood the action and put out 2,000, thinking it was a call.

A floorperson is called over, and rules that Whetstone can fold his hand and forfeit the 2,000, or call the full 14,200. Whetstone calls. Larry Ormson studies Whetstone for a while from the big blind before he calls as well. 

The flop comes J62, Ormson bets 6,000, and Staudenmaier calls all in for his last 100. Whetstone raises to 20,000, and Ormson thinks for a bit before he calls. The turn card is the 9, and Ormson and Whetstone both check the side pot. 

The river card is the 5, Ormson bets 9,000, and Whetstone calls. Ormson shows QJ for a pair of jacks, but Whetstone turns over 55 for a set of five on the river to win the side pot. Ormson slaps the table when he sees that he was ahead until the river. 

Luke Staudenmaier flips over his unimproved A10, and he is eliminated from the tournament as Whetstone scoops the main pot as well.

Andy Whetstone  -  326,500
Luke Staudenmaier  -  Eliminated