Ben Yu vs. Joshua Ladines
Jordan Cristos limped the cutoff for 4,000 and Joshua Ladines raised to 16,000 from the small blind. Ben Yu made it 52,000 from the big blind, and after Cristos folded, Ladines called.
The flop fell [8d5sQd] and Ladines checked to Yu who opted to bet 55,000. Ladines folded, and Yu collected the pot.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Yu | 395,000 |
68,000  |
| Joshua Ladines | 180,000 |
-45,000  |
Dan Shak Forces Phil Galfond to Fold Twice
Dan Shak has been pushing Phil Galfond around recently. In consecutive hands, he forced the aggressive Galfond to fold his hand.
In the first, on a flop of [7h8d9d], Galfond bet 10,000 and then Shak raised the pot and “OMGClayAiken” was forced to fold. The next hand, Galfond raised to 10,000 pre-flop on the button. Shak, in the big blind, again raised, this time up to 34,000 and Galfond laid it down a second time.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Shak | 170,000 |
38,000 |
| Phil Galfond | 115,000 |
-100,000 |
Adam Hendrix Eliminated by Alex Foxen
Ben Yu potted the button to 14,000 and Alex Foxen re-potted from the small blind to 50,000. Adam Hendrix committed his 64,000 total, and after Yu folded, Foxen called.
Foxen: [AhAs7s6h]
Hendrix: [AdKdJc9s]
The board ran out [5h6s9h3s4d] and Foxen rivered a seven-high straight to eliminate Hendrix.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Yu | 327,000 |
-58,000 |
| Alex Foxen | 265,000 |
30,000 |
| Joshua Ladines | 225,000 |
99,000 |
| Anthony Zinno | 125,000 |
-35,000 |
| Jordan Cristos | 85,000 |
46,000 |
| Adam Hendrix | Busted |
-31,000 |
Brandon Adams Moves in on Cary Katz
Cary Katz and Brandon Adams saw a flop of [KsAhJs] and both players checked. They checked again on the turn of [Kc]. Katz took a stab at it on the river, which was [Qh], betting 19,000 only to have his opponent move in. Katz decided to fold.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Cary Katz | 201,000 |
65,000 |
| Brandon Adams | 70,000 |
-138,000 |
Player Spotlight: Stephen Chidwick
Stephen Chidwick knows the grind of the U.S. Poker Open well. He is, after all, the first and reigning champion of the tournament. Chidwick won two events and made five final tables at last year’s event, totaling $1.2 million in cashes.
This year, he picked up right where he left off, winning the Event #1 of the 2019 U.S. Poker Open and putting himself in contention for back-to-back USPO titles.
Despite his unmatched success in the tournament, he doesn’t feel like there’s a bulls-eye on him.
“I wouldn’t say that. I was very excited to come play. I was looking forward to this for a while,” Chidwick said of coming into this year’s installment of the U.S. Poker Open at the PokerGO Studio inside ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas as a marked man.
His success at the felt during the grueling week of high-stakes action is no mistake. He knows what it takes to grind out twelve hour days on the felt.
Before this year’s USPO started, Chidwick told Poker Central that last year’s event was “one of the most intense weeks of poker I’ve ever played.”
“I’m not sure how much longer I could have lasted at that pace. When it was all over I slept for a really long time,” he said.
The format, Chidwick said, rewards players who can play a variety of different games and show stamina doing so.
“Anyone in the hunt for the overall title has undoubtedly played until the early hours of the morning several times, competing against some of the best players in the world for so many hours in a shorthanded, high-pressure, high-stakes arena definitely takes it out of you,” he said.
Egnland’s all-time money leader parlayed his impressive showing at the 2018 U.S. Poker Open into a year to remember. When it was all said and done Chidwick amassed over $10 million in tournament winnings last year.
Chidwick is applying the lessons he learned last year to this year’s USPO.
“It gets harder and harder as the week progresses so I’m just trying to be in the best frame of mind I can be,” he told Poker Central. “Eating well and getting rest, and doing whatever I can do to make sure I’m as focused as I can be when I’m playing.”
Along with his Event #1 win ($216,000), Chidwick has also cashed two other times (3rd place for $113,750 in Event #3, and 6th place for $25,200 in Event #4) through five events at this year’s U.S. Poker Open. As the year goes on, don’t be surprised to see Chidwick climb from his current fifth place spot among Global Poker Index’s player rankings.
Alex Foxen Takes from Jordan Cristos
Alex Foxen raised to 10,000 in middle position and Jordan Cristos re-raised to 36,000 on the button.
Foxen called, and then checked the [4cKh7c] flop to Cristos who continued for 13,000. Foxen dropped in a stack of chips amounting to roughly 140,000, and Cristos snap-folded.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Foxen | 235,000 |
235,000 |
| Jordan Cristos | 39,000 |
-111,000 |
Ben Lamb Chipping Up
Cary Katz limped in for 4,000 from middle position, as did Ben Lamb on the button. From the small blind, Matthew Wantman raised to 20,000, and both Katz and Lamb called.
The [7h7dTs] flop checked round to reveal the [Th] on the turn.
Wantman and Katz checked once more, and Lamb cut out a bet of 38,000.
Wantman and Katz folded, and Lamb scooped in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| John Riordan | 392,000 |
-558,000 |
| Ben Lamb | 390,000 |
110,000 |
| Brandon Adams | 208,000 |
-57,000 |
| Matthew Wantman | 152,000 |
-167,000 |
| Cary Katz | 136,000 |
-9,000 |
Sean Rafael Stays Alive With River Flush
Sean Rafael made it 25,000 from the cutoff and John Riordan re-popped to 85,000 from the small blind.
The flop came [Ks4h6s] and Riordan bet enough to put Rafael all-in for 121,000. Rafael obliged and turned over [AhTs9s8h].
Riordan had [AdKc5cQd].
The turn was a blank but Rafael’s flush got there with a [8s] on the river.
Riordan cursed the river as he slipped under one million chips.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| John Riordan | 950,000 |
565,000 |
| Sean Rafael | 420,000 |
122,000 |
Jared Bleznick Rivers Full House and Gets Paid
Sean Rafael opened to 10,000 from under the gun. Action folded to Jared Bleznick who three bet to 20,000.
The action folded back to Rafael who made the call.
The flop landed [Kd8sJd] and the action checked through.
The turn [5c] saw the action check through again.
The river was the [5d] and Rafael checked to Bleznick who bet 32,000.
Rafael called and Bleznick announced full house while tabling [Kc9c5s7s]. Rafael mucked without showing.
| Player | Chips | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jared Bleznick | 315,000 |
85,000 |
| Sean Rafael | 298,000 |
-47,000 |
| George Wolff | 245,000 |
7,000 |
| Phil Galfond | 215,000 |
7,000 |
| Dan Shak | 132,000 |
-18,000 |
| Tom Marchese | 128,000 |
23,000 |
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