2012-13 WSOP Circuit Bicycle Casino Day 1: Yamada Leads Into Day 2
It was an action-packed Day 1 of the 2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit Bicycle Casino Main Event, and after 13 hours of play, the day was done. A field of 422 entered for the first flight, and 274 entered the second flight, making for 696 entries. This isn’t a final number, though. Players will have the option to buy-in on Sunday, as well. After 12 levels of play, Derrick Yamada had bagged the most chips and will take 211,300 into Day 2.
Yamada finished runner-up in Lake Tahoe earlier this season and is primed to make another deep run in this event. He is followed by Toan Nguyen, who bagged up 203,300. Both Yamada and Nguyen played in the Day 1a session.
Plenty of familiar faces joined for Day 1a on Saturday, although most fell by the wayside, including Matt Affleck, Allan Le, David Singontiko, Chad Batista, Kathy Lievbert and Allen Cunningham. The tournament also lost Ray Henson, who was fresh off his win in the $1,000 prelim event just the day before. All those players had the option to come back for Day 1b, and several took that option.
Despite those players being gone, others advanced, including Joe Tehan (148,300), AJ Jejelowo (112,000), Nam Le (81,900) and Christina Lindley (41,200). Also remaining are final-table members from the last stop in Harrah's Rincon: Erik Roussakis (127,500), Soi Nguyen (60,400) and David Randall (20,500).
The remaining 140 players from the first field will join players from the second half of the day for Day 2.
Let's switch our focus to Day 1b when after 12 levels in the latter part of the day, Jason Bundy led with 160,600 in chips but isn't the only one with chips. Following close behind after a re-entry is Eric Baldwin, who bagged up 146,000. Baldwin was stuck between 60,000 and 80,000 for most of play but during the last level played a huge pot to see a huge boost to his stack.
Preflop, one player limped in and the player under the gun plus one raised to 2,400. Baldwin called, the player next to Baldwin called, the player next to him called, and then the player on the button moved all in for 11,200 chips. Kyle Cartwright tanked for a bit before folding, and action folded back to the player under the gun plus one. That player tanked for a bit before calling, and action was back on Baldwin, who responded by moving all in for around 90,000.
Everyone else folded, and after a long while in the tank, the player under the gun plus one folded the 8♥8♦ face up. "Good fold," Baldwin said as he turned up the J♦J♠. The player on the button held the A♥Q♣, and it was off to the races. The board ran out 9♣9♠4♠4♥J♣ giving Baldwin a full house and a huge stack.
There were a handful of well-known players who either busted for the first time late in the night or fired through two bullets, including Jeff Madsen and Alex Masek, who just won his record-setting sixth WSOP Circuit Ring earlier this week.
Also still alive going into tomorrow is Doug Lee, who was able to build a big stack after stealing mints and chips from Bundy. Lee will enter the day tomorrow as one of his flight's big stacks with 116,000. Other notables include Kyle Cartwright (79,000), Robert Cheong (51,400), Susie Zhao (31,500) and actor James Woods, who bagged up an impressive 109,100 chips.
Busting out at the end of the day were Tom McCormick and Matt Weber, who both went out with only one level left of play.
Action will begin tomorrow at 12 p.m. PT with both fields combining, and you can check out PokerNews Live Reporting Page for all the action.
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