Tournament of Champions Day 1 | 2022 World Series of Poker

07-18-2022 22:08 UTC-7

Speranza Scores a Knockout

Christian Zetzsche

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With the of Gianluca Speranza already exposed on a completed board of , a short stack piled his chips into the middle and was about to head out of the tournament area. Speranza asked for the cards to be revealed and the for a dominated pair came to light before the pot was pushed to the Italian.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Zack	120,000 5,000	5,000

Gianluca Speranza	80,000

Tags: Gianluca Speranza

07-18-2022 22:10 UTC-7

Fortunate Double-Up for Loeser

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Ben Diebold opened to 2,400 from an early position to get called by Eric Smidinger from one seat over and Terry Giles in the cutoff. Manig Loeser then pushed for 18,600 in the big blind with Diebold jamming over the top for another 6,000 or so. Smidinger folded and Giles did the same as Loeser's dominated pocket pair was revealed.

Manig Loeser:
Ben Diebold:

The flop gave Diebold a set but Loeser had outs with a gutshot. Sure enough, the fell on the turn and the river ensured a fortunate double-up for Loeser while Diebold was left with fumes.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eric Smidinger	140,000 -3,000	-3,000

Terry Giles	62,000 -8,000	-8,000
Manig Loeser	42,000 20,000	20,000

Ben Diebold	5,500 -27,500	-27,500

Tags: Ben Diebold Eric Smidinger Manig Loeser Terry Giles

07-18-2022 22:13 UTC-7

Strelitz Takes a Pot

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Connor Richards

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The small blind raised and Daniel Strelitz defended in the big blind.

The small blind bet 3,000 on the flop of and Strelitz called. The opponent sized up to 7,000 on the turn and Strelitz again called.

The small blind checked on the river and Strelitz quickly bet 12,000. His opponent laid it down.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Strelitz	150,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Daniel Strelitz

07-18-2022 22:21 UTC-7

Assorted Counts Late in Level Nine

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Cowen	300,000 140,000	140,000

Nicholas Shock	185,000 40,000	40,000
Aleksejs Ponakovs	180,000 30,000	30,000

Abbas Alikhani	175,000 175,000	175,000
Gaetan Balleur	170,000 40,000	40,000
Erik Bauer	135,000 5,000	5,000
Antoine Vranken	135,000 -5,000	-5,000

Yuliyan Kolev	100,000 65,000	65,000

Ray Carter	75,000 15,000	15,000
Alex Dijkhoffz	62,000 12,000	12,000
Scott Roberts	58,000 4,000	4,000
Jonathan Cohen	53,000 31,000	31,000

Ethan Yau	50,000 2,000	2,000

Jeremy Ausmus	22,000 22,000	22,000

07-18-2022 22:26 UTC-7

Players On Last Break

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Connor Richards

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Players are on a 15-minute break as dealers color up the T-100 chips.

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

07-18-2022 22:44 UTC-7

Carter Chips Up Through Dijkhoffz

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

As recalled by Alex Dijkhoffz, the Saint Martin resident lost a chunk of his stack when he raised it up prior to the break with the and flopped the nut straight on . He bet and Ray Carter called for both to repeat the same procedure on the turn. The fell on the river and Dijkhoffz check-folded to a shove, to which Carter claimed he held for the runner runner nut flush without showing his cards.

Both earned their entry for the Tournament of Champions after winning a WSOP Circuit ring during the 2022 WSOPC Caribbean stop at the Casino Royale, currently sharing the same table with another qualifier from the same venue in Gaetan Balleur.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaetan Balleur	175,000 5,000	5,000
Ray Carter	87,000 12,000	12,000
Alex Dijkhoffz	47,000 -15,000	-15,000

Tags: Alex Dijkhoffz Gaetan Balleur Ray Carter

07-18-2022 22:49 UTC-7

Jozoff No More

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Christian Zetzsche

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Robert Lamanna won a WSOP Circuit ring during the online series in Pennsylvania in January and May. He has also been responsible for the elimination of Michael Jozoff and was spotted raking in the pot with for top pair on a board of .

"Our table lost the two biggest characters," another player at the table remarked. Jozoff had at least won the last longer against Patrick Leonard, who vanished previously from the nine seat that is now occupied by Lamanna.

Player	Chips	Progress
Robert Lamanna	80,000 80,000	80,000
Ari Engel	28,000

Michael Jozoff	Busted

Tags: Michael Jozoff Patrick Leonard Robert Lamanna

07-18-2022 22:49 UTC-7

McKeehen Eliminates Hui

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Connor Richards

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Joe McKeehen was in a heads-up pot against Phil Hui on a board of . McKeehen bet and said "you can't beat four-deuce" before Hui moved all in for around 15,000. McKeehen snap-called with a bigger stack.

Joe McKeehen:
Phil Hui:

McKeehen had the better overpair and his queens held up as the board finished out to send Hui to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joe McKeehen	135,000 60,000	60,000

Phil Hui	Busted

Tags: Joe McKeehen Phil Hui

07-18-2022 23:00 UTC-7

Gibson Hits Three-Outer to Triple; Maue Eliminated

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Connor Richards

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Leonard Maue was all in and at risk against James Brundige and Alan Gibson.

James Brundige:
Leonard Maue:
Alan Gibson:

The flop landed to give Gibson a commanding lead with a set of sixes put to give Brundige some outs with top two pair. The on the turn didn't change things but the on the river appeared from nowhere to give Brundige kings full of aces to scoop the main pot, while a side pot went to Gibson and Maue was eliminated.