The World Poker Tour Legends of Poker Main Event got underway this weekend at the famed Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens, California (you thought I was going to double-dip and call it legendary, didn’t you?). Two Day 1 flights are in the books and leading the charge into Day 2 is Reuben Hoang with 232,300 chips, the only player to finish Day 1 above the 200,000 chip mark.
Day 1A saw 248 entries with another 383 on Day 1B, bringing the unofficial total field to 631 players. We say “unofficial” because registration is open until the start of Day 2, which just began as this is being written. We also call them “entries” rather than “players,” because of the way the tournament is structured. Players are permitted to enter each starting flight twice (one original entries plus a do-over for another buy-in if they bust out) and can still register one more time before Day 2 for the possibility of five entries per player. Should a player enter both starting flights and survive both, he or she will carry the largest stack over to Day 2. This is all to say that there aren’t really 631 (or more) players in the event, just 631 (or more) entries.
The chip leader, Reuben Hoang, is a local Los Angeles poker player whose live tournament cash results are almost exclusively from tournaments at area card rooms. He does have one World Series of Poker cash, 579th place finish in last year’s WSOP Main Event. All told, he has about $100,000 in live tournament winnings.
Hoang made a big move near the end of last night when he eliminated two players in one hand. The WPT.com live coverage picked up on the flop of J♣-7♠-5♠ with Hoang and two other players already all-in. Actor and poker aficionado James Woods thought about joining them, but backed out, saying he had J-T. When the three other players revealed their cards, it was Hoang with A♠-J♠, the small blind with K♦-J♦, and the cutoff with K♠-8♠. Hoang with in command, out-kicking the other paired Jack and having the nut-flush draw.
The turn was the T♦ and the river was the 6♦, giving Hoang the large pot. As it turned out, Woods would have won the hand with two pair, Jacks and Tens. In poker, sometimes the right move is the wrong one.
Before late entrants, there are about 275 survivors sitting down to Day 2 of the WPT Legends of Poker Main Event. The chip leaders from both starting flights are below, though keep in mind that it appears that the Day 1B leader board is unofficial; there may be some names filling in the gaps.
2016 World Poker Tour Legends of Poker Main Event – Day 1A Chip Leaders
1. Jeremy Ausmus – 198,300
2. Paul Lee – 186,300
3. Owen Crowe – 160,000
4. Ray Qartomy – 154,900
5. JC Tran – 153,700
6. Gary Lent – 153,300
7. Olivier Busquet – 147,700
8. Eddy Sabat – 142,200
9. Alex Rocha – 141,500
10. Samantha Abernathy – 135,900
2016 World Poker Tour Legends of Poker Main Event – Day 1B Chip Leaders
1. Reuben Hoang – 232,300
2. Danny Geyser – 190,100
3. Shantha Ruwanpura – 180,800
4. Mike Shariati – 145,000
5. James Mackey – 128,900
6. Andy Philachack – 120,000
7. Jeremy Kottler – 117,100
8. Esther Taylor-Brady – 115,000
9. Andy Frankenberger – 102,800
10. John Dibella – 100,200