When the six gamers have been introduced one-by-one on the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Laborious Rock Poker Showdown closing desk, all of them obtained some applause from the sizable crowd on the HyperX Enviornment in Las Vegas. However one participant — Josh Reichard — is clearly the fan favourite.
Reichard, a Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) champion and 15-time World Sequence of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) winner is making an attempt to hitch the WPT Champions Membership on Wednesday, and in addition declare the $839,300 first place prize. It will not be a simple activity to drag that off, not at this closing desk, one of the crucial stacked in current WPT historical past.
The trail to victory is a tough one with excessive stakes crusher Jesse Lonis, and mid-major beasts similar to Landon Tice and Dylan Smith, the chip chief heading into the ultimate desk, battling. Aaron Kupin, the smallest stack, is the one participant on the closing desk with fewer than $1 million in lifetime dwell event cashes, based on The Hendon Mob, however he busted inside the first hour of play (sixth place for $176,000).
Rowdy Crowd Favors Reichard
At 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday at Luxor in Las Vegas, the WPT crew, together with Vince Van Patten and Tony Dunst, spoke to the packed crowd simply earlier than participant introductions. And instantly after Reichard’s title was known as, a cheer loud sufficient to get up sleeping vacationers inside their resort rooms could possibly be heard.
Reichard entered play second in chips behind Smith. However there wasn’t a lot separation between the highest two chip stacks. Alex Queen, who started the session with lower than half the stack of the chip chief, would rapidly make his method up the leaderboard, whereas Reichard principally hovered round his 20 million beginning-of-day stack the primary two ranges of play. However each time he is received a pot — even a small one — the gang has made certain to let everybody close by know they appreciated what they noticed.
“It is unimaginable, the entire constructing is completely different, the ambiance, the setting is extra enjoyable,” Reichard instructed PokerNews through the first break on the closing desk. “For them to journey and spend cash to assist me and be right here.”
Reichard, an MSPT Corridor of Famer with an intensive historical past of event success, like his 5 opponents, had over a month off after the event performed all the way down to the ultimate desk at Seminole Laborious Rock Resort & On line casino in Hollywood, Florida. And he made essentially the most of that point off.
“It might be foolish to not do some issues when you may have a month off,” Reichard stated when requested if he studied up on his opponents the previous month.
Reichard’s family and friends in attendance on the HyperX Enviornment got here from all around the nation. The Wisconsin native with over $3.3 million in dwell event cashes — for now — is hoping to hitch the WPT Champions Membership, and he’ll be a tricky out because the night progresses. PokerNews could have a full recap of the ultimate desk motion after it concludes.
Discover Out How A lot Reichard Offered for within the WSOP 25k Fantasy Draft
*Pictures courtesy of World Poker Tour/Enrique Malfavon.
