Lior Orel Leads, Bubble Nears at WPT Gardens Poker Festival

47 players get paid at the WPT Gardens Poker Festival and only 54 return for Tuesday’s Day 3 at The Gardens Casino. Lior Orel (pictured) is the first player to crack one-million chips and as a result, is the chip leader heading into moving day with $368,475 reserved for the winner.

“It feels good. I ran kind of bad and then I ran really hot,” Orel said. “It was just sporadic big hands and then it just happened to be me and another big stack at the table, and somehow we got in big pots and I had the better hand.”

If Orel continues to pick up big hands, he is a favorite to advance to Day 4 and create havoc on the bubble. A cash game player from Los Angeles, this tournament is proving to be quality game selection thus far.

Right behind Orel is start of Day 2 chip leader Cord Garcia, who brings 945,000 to play with into Day 3. Garcia might be feeling some added motivation from his Hublot WPT Player of the Year bets. Assuming he makes the money, Garcia earns at least 50 points with 1,000 points sitting up top.

James Calderaro leads the contending WPT Champions Club members with 572,000. Next on the list for that group is 7 Days to Vegas producer Adam Weinraub (pictured). Entering Day 3, Weinraub finds himself seven spots away from his first WPT cash since Season VII. Weinraub has been plenty busy this week promoting the film at The Gardens Casino and wouldn’t mind a five-day journey to the WPT winner’s circle for the second time.

Daniel Strelitz (187,000), Viny Lima (171,000), Jared Jaffee (137,000), and Ryan Tosoc (76,000) round out the remaining champions.

Maria Ho (377,000), Jack Salter (287,000), Will Givens (255,000), Elio Fox (237,000), and Max Pescatori (77,000) are a few players looking for their breakthrough on the WPT Main Tour stage. Ho is the final WPTDeepStacks champion left in the field.

The full list of chip counts and the seat draw can be found here.

Play is scheduled for five 90-minute levels on Day 3 starting at 12 p.m. local time and the Action Clock will be in play from the start. All remaining players have four time chips and will be reset to six upon reaching the final three tables.

As always, stay tuned to WPT.com for complete coverage of the World Poker Tour.

Photography by Joe Giron / PokerPhotoArchive.com

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