WSOP-C Atlantic City, Day 2: Skolnik Leads Marathon March to Final
118 players returned to Harrah's Atlantic City for a marathon Day 2 of the World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event. Over the course of an 18-hour day, those 118 players dwindled to the final nine who will return today for the WSOP Circuit Championship final table and a shot at the gold-and-diamond champion's ring. Among those still alive as Day 2 began were defending champ Richard Rosetti, WSOP Circuit regular Louie Esposito, Robert Williamson III and talk show host Montel Williams.
With such a large field, the pace of play was deliberate throughout the day. Montel Williams was eliminated in the middle of the day when he went all in over the top of Michael Esposito's preflop raise with A♠7♠. Esposito tabled pocket Jacks, and Williams departed when Esposito picked up a third Jack on the flop. Rosetti and Louie Esposito both busted near the money bubble, guaranteeing a new champion for the Atlantic City event.
The money bubble burst late into the night, with Heung 'Scott' Yoon pushing the last of his chips in preflop with 9♥9♣. John Racener quickly called with Q♣Q♠, and the the board of A♥8♣5♥J♥10♣ sent Yoon to the rail in 28th place. Mike Sica held the chip lead for much of the afternoon, but as the field narrowed to two tables, it was Sica who exited in 19th when he went all in with A-3 against Eric Buchman's K-10. Buchman hit a ten on the flop for the knockout.
Chad Furbay was first to bust after a redraw for the final two tables when he and Robert Seman got all their chips in preflop. Seman was ahead with A♦10♣, but Furbay's Q♦9♦ was live until the board ran out 6♠J♦A♠J♥7♥ to send him to the rail in 18th ($9,485). The pace of bustouts picked up as the night dragged into morning, and Avdo Djokovic and Eugene Jandris quickly followed Furbay to the cashier's cage in 17th and 16th, respectively.
James Nelson took out two players in one big hand to thin the field when he got in a three-way all in with James Lee and Seman. Lee pushed all in with J♠10♥, Nelson called with K♥Q♠, and Seman called as well with A♦10♦. When the board came down K♠8♦2♥9♣10♠, Nelson took down the entire pot and sent Seman and Lee to the rail in 15th and 14th, good for $11,856.
Jay Mensh was next to fall when his 10♠10♣ was outflopped by Adrian Velez' A♦K♠. The board ran out 2♠2♦K♣4♠K♦, giving Velez the unnecessary full house on the river. Next, Michael Russo called John Racener's all in with Q♦10♥, and was eliminated when Racener's A♠J♠ held up on a board of 8♣9♦7♦K♠7♠.
Soon after, Nelson was involved in another three-way pot, this time with David Zhu all in and Joey Brooks making the call as well. Nelson and Brooks checked it down on a board of 3♦9♥8♣6♠8♠. Zhu tabled 5♥4♣, Brooks revealed 4♥2♠, and Nelson's 7♠4♦ was good to take down the whole pot and bust Zhu in 11th place ($14,625).
Vincent Procopio rode a roller coaster of chips most of the evening before he finally busted out not long before sunrise. After Feming Chan raised preflop, Procopio called for a little less than the raise with K♣J♠. Chan held A♠8♣, and hit an eight on the turn to bust Procopio. Procopio picked up $14,625 for his tenth-place finish, and the final table was set.
Samuel Skolnik took the chip lead as the day drew to a close, with tentative final-table chip counts as follows:
Samuel Skolnik – 572,000
Feming Chan – 371,000
Eric Buchman – 340,000
Adrian Velez – 320,000
James Nelson – 210,000
John Racener – 210,000
David Fox – 200,000
Joseph Brooks – 160,000
Thomas Fee – 160,000
