WSOP 2018: Team PokerStars Pro Aditya Agarwal Makes Day 3 With a Monster Stack in Event #48 – $1,500 NLHE Monster Stack

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  • PG News June 27, 2018
  • 8 mins Read

If there could be a defining moment at the ongoing 2018 World Series of Poker (WSOP) speaking volumes on the determination and sheer mettle of Indian poker pros, it is now!

Headlining Team India’s impressive run through the day and storming into Day 3 of the mammoth tournament, Event #48: $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em Monster Stack, Team India’s veteran player and PokerStars Team pro Aditya Agarwal (cover image) has revived India’s hopes for a third WSOP bracelet! Even as many heavyweights fell by the side along the play, Agarwal climbed up the leaderboard at this difficult and pro-saturated event. With a bag that carries a stack of 1,100,000, Agarwal stands fifth among 259 survivors coming back for Day 3.

Another Indian challenger to make it to Day 3 in the same event is two-time bracelet winner Nipun Java who has 101,000 in chips and is listed in 233rd place in chips at end of Day 2. Shyam Srinivasan (550,000), an Indian origin player will also be seen in action.

Paawan Bansal`s trailblazing run at the series shows no sign of slowing down as this promising poker star made Day 2 in Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty with a stack of 98,700.

Event #48: $1,500 NLHE Monster Stack has whittled down to the last 257 players, who will return to the third consecutive day of battle, and Steve Billirakis (1,399,000) is spearheading the stack holders.

Event #49: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship and Event #50: $1,500 Razz have both reached their final tables and will be declaring winners on Day 4 and Day 3 respectively. While Brandon Shack-Harris (7,730,000) leads the survivors in the former event, Kevin Iacofano (514,000) spearheads the remaining field in the latter.

Meanwhile, Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty concluded Day 1 play with 298 survivors, led by Alex Whitenstall (197,800).

Event #52: $10,000 Limit Hold ‘em Championship opened with 101 players of which 43 now remain, with Michael Moore (268,500) in the chip lead.

WSOP 2018 Coverage

Event #48: $1,500 No-Limit Hold ‘em Monster Stack

The event registered a massive field size with 6,260 runners entering through two different starting flights. The action can only be lightly described as intense, as rapid eliminations saw the event narrow down to 2,085 runners, including 723 from the flight 1A and 1,362 from 1B flight returning to Day 2. With the crowds jostling for space in the Amazon room of Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino, and only 257 players making it to Day 3, to call this event a grand gala tournament would simply be an understatement.

Riding on the back of his vast experience at the WSOP and maintaining a quiet cool through all his hands, top Indian pro and one of the most seasoned Indians on the WSOP felts, Aditya Agarwal has made a thundering run through the tournament’s second consecutive day to mark his space among the chip leaders. With an impressive 1.1 Million chips, Agarwal will be returning to the battleground in a high and dominant position. While he’s already in the money, this is Agarwal’s deepest run yet in the ongoing WSOP, and could well bring Agarwal his maiden gold bracelet!

Earlier in the day, Agarwal tweeted about his run. After entering Day 2 with 95,500, he added to his stack and took it to 110,000 by the first break, when 1476 players remained.

He then updated about his status with 996 survivors left in the field, and Agarwal holding a stack of 120,000 when the play was at the blinds of 1200-2400 at the ante of 400.

With 649 players still in play, Agarwal’s stack had grown to 300,000. In the subsequent hands, he got a big jump and took his stack to 500,000, and ended Day 2 with a massive 1.1 Million.

This is Agarwal’s fourth deep run in the current WSOP. Earlier in the Big Blind Ante $1,5000 NLHE he finished 77th to pocket $ 3,517 (~₹2.39 Lakhs), 133rd in $1,500 NLHE 6-Handed where he banked $2,615 (~₹1.77 Lakhs) and in the $1,500 NLHE he ended his run in 45th place for $6,482 (~₹4.42 Lakhs).

Overall his to-date WSOP earnings have reached $498,210 (~₹3.40 Crores). Last year, he cashed in 11 WSOP tournaments, including the $1,500 NLHE where he finished in ninth place for $30,773 (~₹21.02 Lakhs) and the $5,000 NLHE (30 minute levels) where he finished 24th for $14,277(~₹9.75 Lakhs).

Nipun Java who already has two WSOP bracelets to his name is the other Indian who will be coming back to the Monster Stack event on Day 3. Java had entered Day 2 with a short stack of 13,100 but he made a big leap to 104,000.

Nipun Java
Nipun Java

He also kept his Twitter fans updated on his moves and progress. After an eventful run he bagged his stack of 101,000 for Day 3.

Just after the first 20-minute break of the day, Java eliminated an opponent, improving his stack. Several hands into Level 16, Java doubled through Monicka Zukowicz. In the last hand of Level 17, Java sent a player out.

Apart from Agarwal and Java, there were a big group of Indian pros and newcomers through the different starting flights of the Monster Stack including Shyam Srinivasan (550,000), an Indian origin player who has also made his way into Day 3. Apoorva Goel finished his run in 473rd place while Vivek Rughani finished 436th, both banking $3,605 (~₹2.45 Lakhs). Bobbe Suri, Pranay Kapoor and Abhinav Iyer exited empty-handed.

As the evening drew to a close, it was two-time bracelet winner, Steve Billirakis who emerged as the chip leader with 1,399,000, followed by James Stewart (1,220,000), Raul Manzanares Lozano (1,176,000) and David Neiman (1,160,000).

Other notable stack holders are, bracelet winners Jackie Glazier (275,000) and Gaurav Raina (357,000), Aliaksei Boika (597,000), five-time ring winner Kurt Jewell (768,000) and Jimmy Guerrero (940,000).

After the bubble burst, the remaining 939 players made it in the money for $2,251. The list of prominent who made it in the money but were eliminated through the event is long and includes, Alexandru Papazian (930th) and Jack Duong (886th) for $2,251 each, Jared Hamby (837th), Benjamin Zamani (833rd) and Athanasios Polychronopoulos (789th) for $2,380 each, Peter Eichhardt (702nd), Will Givens (676th) and Phillip Hui (670th) for $2,540 each,Scott Davies (639th) and Blair Hinkle (626th) for $2,736 each, Mark Radoja (589th for $2,973), Loni Harwood (521st for $3,259), Ryan Riess (520th), Tuan Le (501st) and Ronnie Bardah (487th) for $3,259 each.

Aditya Agarwal
Aditya Agarwal

Top 5 Chip Counts At The End of Day 2

1. Steven Billirakis – 1,399,000

2. James Stewart- 1,220,000

3. Raul Manzanares Lozano – 1,176,000

4. David Neiman – 1,160,000

5. Aditya Agarwal – 1,100,000

Event #49: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship

Day 3 of Event #49: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Championship began with 47 players returning to the felts to fight for the top prize of $1,018,336 and the WSOP gold bracelet. Following 41 eliminations, including three final table eliminations, only six remain who made it to Day 4.

Ardit Kurshumi (37th for $21,028) was the first elimination of the day and was followed by several others including William Kopp (11th for $52,626), Anton Morgenstern (13th for $42,032), Joey Ingram (17th for $28,502), Ryan Laplante (27th for $24,219), and Scotty Nguyen (35th for $21,028).

Yan Shing Tsang (10th for $67,210) bubbled the final table.

The nine-handed final table was set up with Rep Porter (4,485,000) leading the chip counts, accompanied by Scott Bohlman, Loren Klein, Ryan Hughes, Brandon Shack-Harris, Jerry Wong, Mike Leah, Alexey Makarov and Richard Lyndaker.

Lyndaker (9th for $67,210), Makarov (8th for $87,522) and Leah (7th for $116,166) were all eliminated from the final table before the end of play today.

Brandon Shack-Harris
Brandon Shack-Harris

Final Table Chips Counts

1. Brandon Shack-Harris – 7,730,000

2. Ryan Hughes – 5,140,000

3. Loren Klein – 4,240,000

4. Rep Porter – 2,680,000

5. Jerry Wong – 2,150,000

6. Scott Bohlman – 1,855,000

Event #50: $1,500 Razz

Attracting a player pool of 389 on Day 1, the field for Event #50: $1,500 Razz was reduced to 45 by the end of the first day and further reduced to nine players by the end of Day 2. Boasting of several former bracelet winners, Day 2 witnessed 36 eliminations before the nine-handed final table was set up, with all nine players eyeing their first WSOP bracelet.

Out of the 36 eliminations, some of the notable ones started with Benny Glaser (44th for $2,471), Michael Noori (37th for $2,702), John Racener (33rd for $2,702), Harry Eisenberg (29th for $3,034), John Beringer (20th for $3,496), Julien Martini (16th for $4,131), Rodrigo Garrido Portaleoni (13th for $5,003) and Georgii Belianin (11th for $6,206).

Benoit Jean (10th for $7,881) was the last elimination for the day and resulted in the setting up of the final table.

With Kevin Iacofano (514,000) leading the chip counts, and Michael Mckenna (477,000) along with Thomas Taylor (410,000) taking up the top three ranks, the event will announce a first-time WSOP bracelet winner on Day 3.

Kevin Iacofano
Kevin Iacofano

Final Table Chip Counts

1. Kevin Iacofano – 514,000

2. Michael Mckenna – 477,000

3. Thomas Taylor – 410,000

4. Adam Owen – 340,000

5. Jay Kwon – 295,000

6. Kyle Montgomery – 261,000

7. Dzmitry Urbanovich – 248,000

8. Jeanne David – 194,000

9. Jeffrey Mitseff – 191,000

Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty

Opening with 1,982 participants, culminating into a prize pool of $2,675,700, Day 1 of Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty saw 1,684 eliminations. With Alex Whitenstall (197,800) commanding the chip lead, Quyen Hoang (178,000), Samuel Miller (177,400), Ranno Sootla (171,000) and Juan Vecino (156,300) took up the top five slots.

Paawan Bansal`s remarkable form continues to shine through the tournament series, as he keeps India’s WSOP bracelet hopes alive. Right off the back of his deep run in Event #43: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em where he finished in 30th place for $12,345 (~₹8.40 Lakhs), Bansal has made it to Day 2 of Event #51: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Bounty with a healthy stack of 98,700.

Other notables who also reached Day 2 include Justin Liberto (137,800), Justin Young (80,300), Patrick Clarke (78,500) and Aaron Massey (72,300).

Quite a few heavyweights were eliminated before the money bubble burst starting with Joel Hentrich who was the bubble boy, Eric Baldwin, Joey Weissman, Michael Mizrachi, Ihar Soika, Georgios Sotiropoulos, Bart Lybaert, Calvin Anderson, Heidi May, Barry Greenstein, Chris Ferguson and Kristen Bicknell.

With 298 places assured a payday, all players who return for Day 2 are guaranteed a min-cash of $1,415.

Alex Whitenstall
Alex Whitenstall

Top 10 Chip Counts At The End of Day 1

1. Alex Whitenstall – 197,800

2. Quyen Hoang – 178,000

3. Samuel Miller – 177,400

4. Ranno Sootla – 171,000

5. Juan Vecino – 156,300

6. Evan Lavallee – 143,700

7. Sean Getzwiller – 143,300

8. Justin Liberto – 137,800

9. DID NOT REPORT 3 – 129,800

10. Artem Metalidi – 127,400

Event #52: $10,000 Limit Hold ‘em Championship

Attracting 101 players to its fold and creating a prize pool of $949,400, Event #52: $10,000 Limit Hold ‘em Championship ran through its inaugural day, leaving 43 players in the fray.

Michael Moore is the chip leader amongst these survivors holding a stack of 268,500. Trailing him are Joao Vieira (211,000), Ofir Mor (205,000), Nick Schulman (202,000), Christopher Chung (171,500) and Jameson Painter (169,500).

Schulman was one of the last players to enter the event and climbed up the leaderboard rapidly towards the end of the day. Mike Leah (125,000) was the last player to register and has also made his way through to Day 2. Many players of repute hit the rail though, and these include Daniel Negreanu, Shaun Deeb, James Obst, Erik Seidel, Joe Mckeehen, Kevin Song and JC Tran.

Michael Moore
Michael Moore

Top 10 Chips Counts At The End of Day 1

1. Michael Moore – 260,500

2. Joao Vieira – 211,000

3. Ofir Mor – 205,000

4. Nick Schulman – 202,000

5. Christopher Chung – 171,500

6. Jameson Painter – 169,500

7. Philip Cordano – 165,000

8. Ken Deng – 163,000

9. Anthony Zinno – 159,000

10. Ray Henson – 154,500

WSOP 2018 Coverage
WSOP 2018 Coverage

Content & image courtesy WSOP.com

Keep following the latest updates from WSOP 2018 right here on PokerGuru!

Related Articles:

1. WSOP 2018: 9stacks Qualifier Vivek Rughani, Aditya Agarwal, Pranay Kapoor, Apoorva Goel, Nipun Java & Bobbe Suri Make Day 2 in Event #48 – $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Monster Stack

2. WSOP 2018: David Brookshire Wins 1st Bracelet in Event #46 – $2,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo 8 Or Better/ Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 Or Better

3. WSOP 2018: Timur Margolin Wins 1st Bracelet in Event #43 – $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em For $507,274

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