Day 2 Official Counts and Seating

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

WPT Jacksonville bestbet Open, Day 1B Recap

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

By BJ Nemeth



The Royal Flush Girls (Tugba Ercan, Angelique Velez, Jeannie Duffy, and Brittany Bell) record a WPT promo for the TV show with the customized WPT surfboard that will be awarded to the 18-20 year old who finishes deepest in the tournament.



No player in history has ever won as much in a single tournament as Jamie Gold, who earned $12 million for winning the 2006 WSOP Main Event -- a few months before the industry-altering UIGEA was passed. Gold was entertaining his table and having a good time early, but he ran into some tough luck, and was eliminated late in the day.



Early in the day, Jamie Gold was in a hand against a player with a Phil Laak card protector (pictured above). Gold asked about the card protector, and the player told him it was on loan from his son. "It's lucky. If you're all in, you should borrow it."

Gold asked, "Can I borrow it now?" His opponent laughed and said, "No, I can't loan it to you in a hand against me." The card protector was on the winning side of this hand, as Gold folded when his opponent three-bet the turn on a board of A7610.



David Jackson (left) watches as Gigi Gagne celebrates eliminating a player early on Day 1B. Her opponent moved all in on the turn with the board showing KJ55, and Gagne called with 87 for a flush draw. Her opponent had AK for two pair, kings and fives.

The river was the 10, and Gagne shouted her name in triumph and pointed at her opponent and said, "Boom. You're out."

Gagne is one of three women who have final tabled WPT events in Florida the past year or so -- she finished second at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open back in February.



During a hand, Danny Shiff requested that a photo be taken of his holecards and posted in the WPT Live Updates. Why? He told the table that he is bluffing, but didn't want his opponent to see his cards right away. Shiff told him to check the updates -- and now he can.

As you can see, Shiff had a gutshot straight draw with a flush draw on the turn, and hit them both on the river.



Matt Marafioti was part of the craziest hand on Day 1A as he quintupled his short-stack in a multi-way all-in situation, but didn't survive the day. Marafioti re-entered on Day 1B and had a much better result, taking the chip lead by the dinner break and finishing the day with 113,200.



When the World Poker Tour was in Jacksonville for the first time last November, dealer Brian Woods had "WPT" shaved into the side of his head. Now that the WPT is back in town, Woods has done it again, going a little further by adding the ace of spades near his neck.



Abbey Daniels finished fourth in the first televised WPT event in the state of Florida, earning $286,819 in last season's WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown. Daniels was doing well here on Day 1B until she ran into aces full to lose a 100K pot late in the day. Daniels is still alive, heading into Day 2 with 22,900.



After a flop of A63, Matt Juttelstad (far left) moved all in, and John Dolan (third from left) moved all in over the top. The big blind (foreground, right) tanked for several minutes before calling with A10 (pair of aces). Dolan turned over AK for a better pair of aces, but they were both drawing thin against Juttelstad's 98 (club flush).

No miracles came, and Juttelstad nearly tripled up, eliminating Dolan in the process.



Sharon Levin (center) made the last two WPT Final Tables in the state of Florita, finishing 4th at the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open in February and 5th at the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Showdown earlier this month.



By the last level of the day, David Jackson of Atlanta (left) had moved into the chip lead, and he watched as Gigi Gagne (right) was crippled down to five big blinds after a flop of 1082, getting it all in with Q10 (top pair) against another player's KK (overpair). The turn was the 5, the river was the 6, and Gagne was left with just a handful of chips. Gagne was eliminated a short while later.



While there was only one 18-20 year old who played yesterday on Day 1A (Robert Gorodetsky), there were five players under the age of 21 in today's field -- including Brandon Barnes (pictured), who finished the day third in chips with 145,600. Barnes just turned 19 years old about a month ago.



Day 1B began with 195 additional entrants, and 98 survived the day. The total field size for both starting days is 320 entrants. Here's a look at the unofficial chipleaders from Day 1B:

1.  Amine Chabaney  -  193,500
2.  David Jackson  -  150,000
3.  Brandon Barnes  -  145,600
4.  Ralph Robinson  -  138,000

A total of 160 players will return for Day 2, which begins tomorrow (Sunday) at 2:00 pm. Please note that it is NOT a noon start, so players can sleep in a little longer if they'd like. The field will play five 90-minute levels, with a one-hour dinner break after the third level of the day.

Return to WPT.com for continuing live coverage as the field gets closer and closer to Wednesday's televised WPT Final Table.

ClubWPT Player of the Day - Brandon Barnes

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Day 1B Comes to an End

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Day 1B comes to an end with about 100 players remaining from today's field of 195. The combined totals for both starting days are about 162 survivors from a field of 320.

The official chip counts will be released later tonight by the tournament staff. With the average chip count around 59,000, here are the unofficial chipleaders from Day 1B:

1.  Amine Chabaney  -  193,500
2.  David Jackson  -  150,000
3.  Brandon Barnes  -  145,600
4.  Ralph Robinson  -  138,000

Other players near the top include Brian Haas (119,200), WPT Champions Club member Mike Scarborough (114,400), Matt Marafioti (113,200), and WPT Champions Club member Matt Giannetti (111,200).

Stay tuned for official chip counts and a photo recap to be posted later tonight.

Day 2 begins tomorrow (Sunday) at 2:00 pm ET. That's right, it is not a noon start tomorrow, so players can sleep in a little longer if they'd like.

Gigi Gagne Eliminated by David Diaz

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Gigi Gagne is all in once again with a chance to triple up. Unfortunately for Gagne, it doesn't work out this time, as her A-7 fails to improve, and David Diaz wins the pot with K-Q for two pair, kings and queens.

David Diaz  -  110,000
Gigi Gagne  -  Eliminated

As she gets up from the table, Gagne looks into the WPT TV camera and says, "Gigi out."

"Gigi Triples Up!"

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Two hands after she is left with just 4,000 chips, Gigi Gagne is in the small blind when Hoyt Corkins raises to 1,600 from middle position. Gagne moves all-in for 3,000 total and the player in the big blind calls. Corkins calls as well.

The flop comes Q109 and both the player in the big blind and Corkins check. The turn brings the Q and the player in the big blind checks a second time. Cokrins bets and his opponent quickly folds.

Without seeing Corkins' holdings, Gagne confidently turns over her Q9 for a full house and proclaims, "Gigi triples up!"

Corkins lifts his cards up in front of his face so only he can see him and nods that, yes, Gagne is going to triple up. He sets down his A10 for two pair on the table.

The river is the K and Gagne takes the pot to triple up.

Gigi Gagne - 10,000 

Gigi Gagne Crippled

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Photo: After the hand, chipleader David Jackson (left) listens as Gigi Gagne describes the hand.

Gigi Gagne raises to 2,500 from under the gun and a player in middle position reraises to 7,500. Action folds back around to Gagne, who is unsure of what to do.

"You did that last time," she tells her opponent. "Is this the time to see what you have?" She thinks a little longer, adding, "This is the third or fourth time."

After another minute or two of thought, Gagne quickly tosses out the 5,000 chip to call. The flop comes 1082 and Gagne bets 20,000, leaving a little over 30,000 behind. The other player doesn't think for too long before moving all-in for an additional 48,500 chips.

Gagne starts to think and takes twenty to thirty seconds before she says, "Okay, let's do it." She turns over Q10 for top pair. She is up against KK for an overpair of kings.

The 5 on the turn and the 6 on the river are no help to Gagne and she loses the pot, leaving her with just 4,000 chips.

Gigi Gagne - 4,000 

Amnon Filippi Eliminated

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Amnon Filippi raises to 2,000 from middle position, the player in the cutoff calls, and the playe rin the big blind reraises to 6,800. Filippi eyes the player in the big blind's stack, then reraises to 13,000. The player in the cutoff folds and the player in the big blind quickly announces he is all-in, having Filippi's remaining 25,000 or so covered.

"Wow," Filippi explains. "You have aces here? This is unbelievable!" Filippi take around thirty seconds to figure out that he is going to call even if his opponent may have aces.

"You got it," the player in the big blind says as he turns over AQ.  Filippi is ahead with KK.

The 1088 flop keeps Filippi out front, but the 2 on the turn does give his opponent the nut flush draw. The river 9 completes his flush and Filippi is eliminated.

On the way out the door, Filippi comments, "Once again, they try to give me the chips and I can't beat them."

Amnon Filippi - eliminated 

Abbey Daniels Loses a 100K Pot

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Abbey Daniels just lost a 100K pot on a board of AQ454 -- her opponent held AA for aces full of fours. Daniels has been knocked down below the starting stack.

Abbey Daniels  -  23,000

Level 9 Begins

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

The players return from break to begin Level 9, with increased blinds of 400-800 and a 100 ante. The tournament clock shows 114 players remaining from a Day 1B starting field of 195. 

This will be the last level of the night, and action should end around 10:50 pm.