Cards In the Air
The final table of Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em is underway. There is one minute remaining in level 20.
Defending U.S. Poker Open Champion Stephen Chidwick Final Tables Event #1
Stephen Chidwick, the reigning US Poker Open champion, has final tabled Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em and will enter the day in third behind three-time WSOP circuit ring winner Joseph Cheong and Lazaro Hernandez, both making their first USPO final table appearance.
Watch today’s final table live and exclusively on PokerGO starting at 5:00 pm ET. Subscribe to PokerGO right now to watch nine straight nights of U.S. Poker Open final table action.
Cheong sent everyone home late last night when he busted seventh-place finisher Jerry Robinson with pocket aces. Robinson had queens and was eliminated.
Here is the seating chart and the chip counts for all six finalists:
Event #1 Final Table
Seat 1: Stephen Chidwick – 1,965,000 (39 bbs)
Seat 2: Sean Winter – 1,190,000 (23 bbs)
Seat 3: Joseph Cheong – 2,885,000 (57 bbs)
Seat 4: Joseph Cappello – 1,380,000 (27 bbs)
Seat 5: Lazaro Hernandez – 2,195,000 (43 bbs)
Seat 6: Joseph Orsino – 1,635,000 (32 bbs)
Play will resume at 20,000/50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante.
The first USPO title will be claimed today with the overall winner of the USPO taking home an extra $100,000. The final table action and all the updates and photos from the event will start at 5 p.m EST or watch it all unfold live on PokerGO.
Joseph Cheong Leads Event #1 Final Table; Stephen Chidwick Sits Third
Day 1 of Event #1: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em has come to a conclusion at the U.S. Poker Open with Joseph Cheong the chip leader. A late push at the final table thrust Cheong to the top of the leaderboard with six players left to finish on Thursday.
Cheong leads the final six players with 2,885,000 chips. Second behind him is Lazaro Hernandez with 2,195,000. Those two are followed by Stephen Chidwick (1,965,000), Joseph Orsino (1,635,000), Joseph Cappello (1,380,000), and Sean Winter (1,190,000).
Event #1 Final Table
Seat 1: Stephen Chidwick – 1,965,000
Seat 2: Sean Winter – 1,190,000
Seat 3: Joseph Cheong – 2,885,000
Seat 4: Joseph Cappello – 1,380,000
Seat 5: Lazaro Hernandez – 2,195,000
Seat 6: Joseph Orsino – 1,635,000
“Everyone is so short,” Cheong said, noting that the tournament was still wide open after playing until 3 a.m. to reach six players.
Cheong made a late push as the final table to claim the chip lead. He eliminated Jake Schindler with pocket kings and then did the same to Jerry Robinson with pocket aces. In between those two hands he spiked a straight against chip leader Lazaro Hernandez to chip up to the top of the leaderboard.
Though Cheong is the leader at the moment, this year’s installment of the U.S. Poker Open might feel familiar to last year’s at least after the first day. Chidwick, who led all players in earning last year, finds himself back again with a chance for the $216,000 top prize.
“I was very excited to come play,” Chidwick told PokerCentral. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while, so it’s nice to get off to a good start.”
Hernandez began his rise early in the tournament with a three way hand that he raised before the flop from the big blind. Hernandez found calls from under the gun, the button, and small blind. He eventually took the hand down with a 15,000 turn bet on a board that read [4c3sQsQc]. The pot gave Hernandez some early cushion that he wouldn’t give back. Later, Hernandez padded his stack with a knockout of Dylan Wilkerson, who shoved with his last 27,500 chips. His pocket kings dominated Wilkerson’s pocket deuces and he won another large pot in the early stages of the tournament.
Chidwick burst the pay bubble in the series’ first event by eliminating Sam Soverel in a dramatic hand.
When Chidwick opened to 40,000 before the flop, Soverel made it 175,000. Chidwick came along and then called Soverel’s continuation bet of 70,000 on the flop. Both players checked the turn and Soverel bet 190,000 into Chidwick on the river. Using his time extension, Chidwick went into the tank before betting enough to put Soverel’s tournament at risk. Like Chidwick, Soverel also needed some extra time to ponder the call, but finally did so only to discover Chidwick had pocket nines for a set.
Lazaro got there with some well-timed aggression late in Day 1. He opened to 50,000 on the button and got the big blind to call. After Jake Schindler checked [Qs4hTc] from the BB, Hernandez continued for 75,000 and received a quick call, but that didn’t stop Schindler from committing more of his stack. Again on the turn, after the [4d] came, Hernandez bet, this time making it 125,000. Schindler obliged again and the river was the [9s]. When Hernandez committed his entire stack on the river, putting Schindler at risk, Schindler didn’t take long to muck his cards.
The final six players will return on Thursday at 4 p.m. (EST) to play down until the Event #1 winner is crowned. Each player is currently guaranteed $54,000, but it is the $216,000 first-place prize that they will all be eyeing.
Cards will be in the air at 4 p.m. (EST) with the PokerGO live stream starting at 5 p.m. (EST). Stay tuned to PokerCentral.com for the continued coverage of Event #1, along with all the remaining U.S. Poker Open coverage.
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Event #1 Final Table Set
Seat 1: Stephen Chidwick – 1,965,000
Seat 2: Sean Winter – 1,190,000
Seat 3: Joseph Cheong – 2,885,000
Seat 4: Joseph Cappello – 1,380,000
Seat 5: Lazaro Hernandez – 2,195,000
Seat 6: Joseph Orsino – 1,635,000
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Cheong | 2,885,000 |
-5,000  |
| Lazaro Hernandez | 2,195,000 |
-305,000 |
| Stephen Chidwick | 1,965,000 |
-335,000 |
| Joseph Orsino | 1,635,000 |
-45,000 |
| Joseph Cappello | 1,380,000 |
-640,000 |
| Sean Winter | 1,190,000 |
-210,000 |
Jerry Robinson Eliminated in 7th Place ($45,000)
Sean Winter raised to 105,000 from early position and Joseph Cheong three-bet next to act to 325,000. Jerry Robinson shoved next to speak for 770,000, and after the blinds and Winter folded, Cheong called.
Robinson: [QcQh]
Cheong: [AsAh]
The board ran out [2d6s6d7c8d] and Robinson was eliminated in seventh-place for a $45,000 payday.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Cheong | 2,890,000 |
1,580,000  |
| Jerry Robinson | Busted |
-1,180,000 |
Lazaro Hernandez Takes Chip Lead From Stephen Chidwick
Lazaro Hernandez is the new chip leader eight-handed at the final of Event #1. Hernandez won a pot off of Stephen Chidwick to give him a narrow 200,000 lead over Chidwick.
Hernandez opened the action with a 100,000 raise from UTG+2 and got a call from Chidwick in the cutoff as well as Joseph Cheong from the small blind and Jerry Robinson in the big blind.
With 400,000 in the pot the flop came [Qh5h6d] and everyone checked around to Chidwick, who bet 125,000. Cheong and Robinson folded to Hernandez, who called.
Both remaining players checked the [Qd] on the turn and the [Kh] fell on the river. First to act, Hernandez led out on the river with 200,000 and Chidwick mucked his hand to give the chip lead to Hernandez.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Lazaro Hernandez | 2,500,000 |
900,000 |
| Stephen Chidwick | 2,300,000 |
-100,000 |
Maxx Coleman Eliminated in 8th Place ($36,000)
Maxx Coleman shoved his last 570,000 in from under the gun, and Sean Winter pushed over the top for 720,000.
Coleman: [QhJh]
Winter: [AcAh]
The board ran out [7hTh7s3d9s] and Coleman was eliminated in eighth-place for a $36,000 payday.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Winter | 1,400,000 |
750,000 |
| Maxx Coleman | Busted |
-703,000 |
Straight for Joseph Cheong
Joseph Cheong raised to 100,000 in the cutoff and Lazaro Hernandez called from the big blind.
The flop landed [Qs8d2s] and Hernandez checked to Cheong who continued for 85,000. Hernandez called, and then both players checked the [Js] on the turn.
The river fell the [8s] and Hernandez bet out 165,000 and Cheong called.
Hernandez showed the [Kc], but Cheong tabled his [Th9h] for a straight to collect the pot.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Lazaro Hernandez | 1,600,000 |
-500,000 |
| Joseph Cheong | 1,310,000 |
460,000 |
Jake Schindler Eliminated in 9th Place ($27,000)
Jake Schindler has been eliminated in 9th place in Event #1 of the U.S. Poker Open.
Schindler was eliminated by Joseph Cheong who held pocket kings. Cheong moved all in and Schindler called for his remaining 200,000. The two players showed their hands:
Cheong: [KdKs]
Schindler: [Qc6c]
A harmless runout eliminated Schindler from the tournament and sent him home with $27,000.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Cheong | 850,000 |
250,000 |
| Jake Schindler | Busted |
-305,000 |
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