2023 bestbet Winter Open

Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2023 bestbet Winter Open

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j9
Prize
$122,017
Event Info
Prize Pool
$580,425
Entries
327
Level Info
Level
25
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
48
Players Left
9

Macella Takes Big Chip Lead to bestbet Winter Open Main Event Final Table

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Justin Macella
Justin Macella

After making the most of a wacky Day 1b flight to take the second-largest stack into Day 2, Justin Macella thrived on Sunday to take a huge chip lead to Monday’s final table of the $2,000 bestbet Winter Open Main Event.

With the help of some big hands and a bit of day 1b-esque fortune, Macella will take 2,635,000 chips onto the bestbetLIVE stage Monday, almost 800,000 more than his next closest competitor, Russell Quick (1,800,000). Michael Frierson is the only other player to take a seven-figure bag to the final table with 1,425,000.

bestbet Winter Open Main Event Final Table Seat Draw

SeatNameHometownChip CountBig Blinds
1Michael FriersonJacksonville, FL1,425,00071
2Bryce McVayTampa, FL365,00018
3Russell QuickJacksonville, FL1,800,00090
4Toby BoasSylva, NC630,00031
5Thomas CarrollN. Augusta, SC690,00034
6Aftab PatniOrlando, FL700,00035
7Justin MacellaMcRae, GA2,635,000131
8Maxwell YoungPortland, OR920,00046
9David TuthillSt. Petersburg, FL620,00031

The Day’s Action

It took just eight hours to thin the 48 remaining players down to the final nine. It was an even quicker sprint into the money, as in less than an hour, seven players were eliminated, with a dramatic double elimination of Hunter Cichy and Dane Cass bursting the bubble with no hand-for-hand play needed.

From there the final 41 players did their best to climb the ladders toward that final table, but only that final nine will return, with the likes of Jacob Ferro (28th - $4,081), the chip leader entering the day, Brett Feder (24th - $4,725), and a pair of 2022 Winter Open final tablists, David Dibernardi (34th - $3,577) and Adam Wells (13th - $8,002) falling by the wayside.

Adam Wells
Adam Wells

Macella’s Road to the Chip Lead

Macella was in the upper portion of the chip counts most of the day, but it was an “uh oh” moment similar to much of what happened Saturday that vaulted him over a million chips and really got him going.

Macella three-bet all-in for 36 big blinds with a dominated ace, then needed not one, but two of his kicker to hit to avoid elimination and score a massive double-up. From there, he built his stack further by taking chunks from the other big stacks around him to solidify his spot atop the counts by night’s end.

bestbetLIVE stage
bestbetLIVE stage

The Final Table Awaits

The final nine players will return to bestbet Jacksonville at 2 p.m. Monday to play under the lights of the bestbetLIVE streaming stage. Play will resume with 30:21 remaining in level 21 with blinds of 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante.

PokerNews will cover the action on the same 30-minute delay as the stream so as to avoid spoilers. Keep your browsers locked here for all the excitement Monday when the champion will be crowned.

Tags: Adam WellsAftab PatniBrett FederBryce McVayDane CassDavid DibernardiDavid TuthillHunter CichyJacob FerroJustin MacellaMaxwell YoungMichael FriersonRussell QuickThomas CarrollToby Boas