2023 PokerNews Cup

$1,100 Mystery Bounty ($1,000,000 GTD)
Day: 1b
Event Info

2023 PokerNews Cup

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a2
Prize
$176,540
Event Info
Buy-in
$1,100
Prize Pool
$2,261,070
Entries
2,331
Level Info
Level
37
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Players Info - Day 1b
Entries
812
Players Left
102

Guarantee Smashed As Kollar Leads Day 1b In the PokerNews Cup; Himmelbrand Bags Big

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Greg Himmelbrand
Greg Himmelbrand

The $1,100 PokerNews Cup Mystery Bounty saw the second of three flights conclude today. A total of 812 players came out to play this event which saw only 102 players make it to the end of the day. Last year��s flight got 455 entrants and with this near doubling the entrants, the $1,000,000 guarantee has been passed with one flight to go.

The total number of entries is already at 1,316 which beats the number from last year already when 1,245 players showed up to the Golden Nugget. There's a full flight to go in this already record-breaking tournament.

Forrest Kollar
Forrest Kollar

Leading the way is Forrest Kollar who ended the night with 695,000. Kollar put in a deep run last summer in the PokerNews Cup, finishing in third place for his best tournament score of $92,095.

Just behind him Norman Michalek, who ended their day with 682,000. The New Jersey resident has amassed over $500,000 in earnings with his best score coming from a runner-up finish in a WSOP online bracelet event for $192,073. With this stack built for the second day, he could easily find himself winning many grand prizes in this mystery bounty tournament.

Also bagging a big stack is New York grinder Greg Himmelbrand (574,000). With $2,300,060 in live earnings, Himmelbrand sees a wealth of experience that will go with him into the second day of this mystery bounty. With two MSPT titles under his belt and many other titles to his name, Himmelbrand looks to get his first major Golden Nugget title.

Other notables who made their way through the day included Samuel Bifarella (644,000), Viet Vo (544,000), Tim Garles (449,000), Donny Rubinstein (336,000), Josh Prager (271,000), Xuan Liu (144,000), and Will ��The Thrill�� Failla (103,000), each looking for a chance to knock out players to get unknown prizes, as well as a shot at the PokerNews cup.

Play ended with 3:15 left on the clock in Level 17 with blinds at 4,000/8,000. The 102 players will come back to this level along with the other two flights unless the following flight ends earlier.

Tags: Donny RubinsteinGreg HimmelbrandJosh PragerNorman MichalekSamuel BifarellaTim GarlesViet VoXuan Liu

Harrison Gimbel Bubbles Day 1b of PokerNews Cup

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Harrison Gimbel
Harrison Gimbel

Harrison Gimbel opened to 16,000 in middle position which saw another player three bet to 45,000 in the cutoff. In the small blind Agustin Naranja moved all in for 500,000 effective and Gimbel called for his last 130,000 while the other player folded.

Harrison Gimbel: K?K?
Agustin Naranja: A?Q?

The board ran out A?Q?7?4?4? and Naranja ascended the chip counts as Gimbel exited the tournament one shy of the money.

The remaining 102 players put their chips in the bag to return on Sunday at noon. Stay tuned for a full recap.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Agustin Naranja ar
Agustin Naranja
679,000
Profile photo of Harrison Gimbel us
Harrison Gimbel
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Agustin NaranjaHarrison Gimbel

Prager Survives The Bubble

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Josh Prager
Josh Prager

The small blind moved all in for 127,000 effective and in the big blind, Josh Prager called to put himself at risk.

Small blind: J?6?
Josh Prager: 7?7?

The board ran out 7?2?A?7?K? and Prager made quads to double up on the stone bubble.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Josh Prager us
Josh Prager
266,000
215,000
215,000

Tags: Josh Prager

Garles Shows The Bluff

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Tim Garles
Tim Garles

A player raised to 16,000 in the hijack which saw Tim Garles three bet to 45,000 from the small blind and the initial raiser called.

The flop peeled off 8?8?Q? and Garles continued for 30,000 which his opponent called.

On the K? turn, Garles fired once more, this time to the tune of 75,000 and his opponent quickly folded, prompting Garles to show 5?4? for just five-high as the pot was pushed his way.

At another table, Brian Hastings was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Tim Garles
Tim Garles
449,000
55,000
55,000
Profile photo of Brian Hastings us
Brian Hastings
Busted
WSOP 6X Winner
Run It Once

Tags: Tim Garles

Ladies For Evans

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Lena Evans
Lena Evans

A player raised to 12,000 in middle position which saw Lena Evans move all in for 100,000 in late position and only the initial raiser called.

Lena Evans: Q?Q?
Opponent: 10?10?

The board ran out J?9?6?6?4? and the queens held up for Evans to secure a double as the night crept closer to the money.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Lena Evans us
Lena Evans
215,000
160,000
160,000

Tags: Lena Evans

Laplante Growing

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
Ryan Laplante
Ryan Laplante

Ryan Laplante raised to 7,000 and in the big blind another player called.

The flop of K?9?9? saw action check through to the J? turn where the big blind checked. Laplante bet 12,000 and his opponent called.

On the 9? river, the big blind bet 16,000 and Laplante quickly called.

The big blind tabled J?8? for nines full of jacks, while Laplante tabled A?K? for nines full of kings for the best hand.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ryan Laplante us
Ryan Laplante
121,000
31,500
31,500
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Ryan Laplante

Melert Jams The End

Level 11 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Shane Melert
Shane Melert

Action was picked up on the river.

The board read 2?2?9?J?J? and a player in the big blind checked over to Shane Melert in the hijack, with 39,000 in the middle already.

Melert moved all in for 65,000 which was enough to put his opponent all in and his opponent went into the tank. After over a minute of thought he tossed his hand into the muck, ceding the pot to Melert.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Shane Melert us
Shane Melert
98,000
17,000
17,000

Tags: Shane Melert

Ferraro Speeding Up

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

Cole Ferraro raised to 2,500 in the hijack and another player called in the big blind.

The flop came out 10?8?8? and the big blind check called a bet of 2,000 from Ferraro.

On the J? turn, the big blind checked once more to Ferraro who sized up to 6,000 and once more his opponent called.

A 9? river came and the big blind checked a third time while Ferraro bet 20,000. The big blind moved all in for 24,700 total and Ferraro called.

Opponent: A?Q?
Cole Ferraro: A?J?

The big blind had made a straight on the end while Ferraro had made a flush to scoop up the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Cole Ferraro us
Cole Ferraro
132,000
100,000
100,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Cole Ferraro

Kollar Gets a Double

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Forrest Kollar
Forrest Kollar

The middle position player opened to 1,500 before Forrest Kollar made it 4,000 from the cutoff. His opponent called.

The K?2?2? flop checked through to the 5? turn. Kollar bet 3,800 and was called.

Kollar then jammed for 13,000 on the K? river and his opponent called.

Kollar tabled Q?Q? to best his opponent's 7x7x.

In last year's PokerNews Cup, Kollar finished in 3rd place for $92,095. Can the American put in another deep run this time around?

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Forrest Kollar us
Forrest Kollar
43,000
26,000
26,000
Day 1B Chip Leader

Tags: Forrest KollarPokerNews Cup

Flopped Boats are Cursed in PokerNews Cup

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Harrison Ashdown
Harrison Ashdown

Gloria Vallejo opened to 1,100 from middle position and was called by Harrison Ashdown from the big blind.

The A?4?4? flop checked through to the 8? turn. Ashdown bet 1,400 and was called.

Sparks then began to ignite on the 9? river. Ashdown checked and Vallejo fired out 3,500. Ashdown made it 20,000 and then faced a jam for 32,900.

Ashdown went deep into the tank, listing the hands that beat him as well as the hands that he beat.

He began counting out his stack and called.

Vallejo tabled 9?9? for a rivered full house of nines full of fours. Ashdown looked sickened as he had the A?4? for fours full of aces, and sent his hand into the muck.

The hand is similar to a pot played between Spencer Hudson and Oliver Bunting yesterday. Hudson's flopped jacks full of kings against Bunting's aces. However, a third king on the river gave Bunting a superior full house.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Gloria Vallejo co
Gloria Vallejo
71,000
71,000
71,000
Profile photo of Harrison Ashdown us
Harrison Ashdown
20,000
20,000
20,000

Tags: Gloria VallejoHarrison Ashdown