WPT Seminole Hard Rock Final Table Feels Like Homefield Advantage for Josh Reichard
When the six players were announced one-by-one at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown final table, they all received some applause from the sizable crowd at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas. But one player — Josh Reichard — is clearly the fan favorite.
Reichard, a Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) champion and 15-time World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) winner is attempting to join the WPT Champions Club on Wednesday, and also claim the $839,300 first place prize. It won't be an easy task to pull that off, not at this final table, one of the most stacked in recent WPT history.
The path to victory is a difficult one with high stakes crusher Jesse Lonis, and mid-major beasts such as Landon Tice and Dylan Smith, the chip leader heading into the final table, battling. Aaron Kupin, the smallest stack, is the only player at the final table with fewer than $1 million in lifetime live tournament cashes, according to The Hendon Mob, but he busted within the first hour of play (sixth place for $176,000).
Rowdy Crowd Favors Reichard
At 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Luxor in Las Vegas, the WPT crew, including Vince Van Patten and Tony Dunst, spoke to the packed crowd just before player introductions. And immediately after Reichard's name was called, a cheer loud enough to wake up sleeping tourists inside their hotel rooms could be heard.
Reichard entered play second in chips behind Smith. But there wasn't much separation between the top two chip stacks. Alex Queen, who began the session with less than half the stack of the chip leader, would quickly make his way up the leaderboard, while Reichard mostly hovered around his 20 million beginning-of-day stack the first two levels of play. But every time he's won a pot — even a small one — the crowd has made sure to let everyone nearby know they liked what they saw.
"It's incredible, the whole building is different, the atmosphere, the environment is more fun," Reichard told PokerNews during the first break at the final table. "For them to travel and spend money to support me and be here."
Reichard, an MSPT Hall of Famer with an extensive history of tournament success, like his five opponents, had over a month off after the tournament played down to the final table at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. And he made the most of that time off.
"It would be silly not to do some things when you have a month off," Reichard said when asked if he studied up on his opponents the past month.
Reichard's friends and family in attendance at the HyperX Arena came from all over the country. The Wisconsin native with over $3.3 million in live tournament cashes — for now — is hoping to join the WPT Champions Club, and he'll be a tough out as the evening progresses. PokerNews will have a full recap of the final table action after it concludes.
Find Out How Much Reichard Sold for in the WSOP 25k Fantasy Draft
*Images courtesy of World Poker Tour/Enrique Malfavon.
