Day 3 of the Season XVIII WPT Lucky Hearts Poker has concluded from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, with the 843-entrant field reduced down to the final 13 players.
The day began with 54 players remaining, and a guaranteed $9,374 payday in their pockets. After five 90-minute levels of play, just 13 players would survive heading into the penultimate day of play. Those remaining players are all ensured of $30,091 in prize money, while a further seven eliminations are needed until the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open final table of six players is reached.
Leading the final 13 players is John Dollinger (pictured) who finished with 4,900,000 in chips. Currently based locally here in Florida, Dollinger has over $711,000 in lifetime tournament earnings with his best result being a victory at the 2016 Battle at the Beach in a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Deepstack event. On the WPT, Dollinger made a run in the Season XI WPT bestbet Open at bestbet Jacksonville where he made a run at reaching the televised final table before falling in eighth-place for a $25,808 payday.
“I won some serious flips,” Dollinger said about his day. “My Jacks held against Ace-Queen, and my Queens held against Ace-King. I got lucky in that regard.”
Dollinger has been at the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the last two days of play constantly putting opponents in tough spots. Dollinger won a huge flip to eliminate Joey Couden in 15th place when his pocket jacks held against Couden’s ace-king to send him into second overall on the leaderboard before inevitably finishing on top when play concluded.
“I think people are terrified to play me post flop,” Dollinger said. “I still need, what 28 million more [in chips]. I’d like to get five-six handed and abuse people. I hope everyone I’m playing against hears that.”
“I’m not so much about the trophies. The money is fun. I like winning. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.’
Sitting behind Dollinger is WPT Champions Club member and Day 2 chip leader Brian Altman with 4,390,000 in chips. Altman was holding onto a big chip throughout the last few levels, but on the penultimate hand of play, he ran a semi-bluff with a straight draw against Peter Walsworth‘s overpair. On the river, Altman shoved, and Walsworth burned through three time extensions before calling all in to double through. Walsworth ended the day third in chips with 4,050,000, while the only other player above four-million is Nadya Magnus.
Also still in contention are WPT Champions Club members Chanracy Khun (3,570,000) and James Calderaro (1,805,000), along with 2019 High Roller of the Year Sam Soverel (1,765,000).
Table 30
Seat 1: Peter Walsworth – 4,050,000 (81 bb)
Seat 2: Nadya Magnus – 4,015,000 (80 bb)
Seat 3: Brian Altman – 4,390,000 (88 bb)
Seat 4: Billy Pilossoph – 1,295,000 (26 bb)
Seat 5: Chanracy Khun – 3,570,000 (71 bb)
Seat 6: — empty —
Seat 7: Nadeem Hirani – 1,460,000 (29 bb)
Seat 8: Aaron Rosenthal – 585,000 (12 bb)
Table 40
Seat 1: John Dollinger – 4,900,000 (98 bb)
Seat 2: Sam Soverel – 1,765,000 (35 bb)
Seat 3: — empty —
Seat 4: Ian Gillespie – 1,890,000 (38 bb)
Seat 5: — empty —
Seat 6: Scott Drobes – 1,950,000 (39 bb)
Seat 7: Hiroaki Harada – 2,425,000 (49 bb)
Seat 8: James Calderaro – 1,805,000 (36 bb)
Some of the players finishing in-the-money on Day 3 included Jason Young (53rd), Joe McKeehen (50th), Lee Markholt (48th), Mike Vela (43rd), Anthony Zinno (38th), Darren Elias (32nd), Aaron Massey (29th), Vitor Coelho (28th), and Mukul Pahuja (21st).
Day 4 of WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open begins on Tuesday, January 20, at 12 p.m. (ET) with continuous live updates being provided by the World Poker Tour. Stay tuned right here to WPT.com for the exclusive live coverage of the tournament from start to finish to see who becomes the WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open champion, and wins his or her way to the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.
Photography by Melissa Haereiti / PokerPhotoArchive
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