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The first of two starting flights in the 2024 World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Rock ‘n’ Roll Open in South Florida wrapped up with 238 players remaining and Frank Stepuchin leading the way as “Frank the Tank” looks for a second WPT title.
Day 1a of the $3 million guaranteed event at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood drew 696 players and no shortage of local and nationwide crushers. PokerNews wrote about some of the early opening flight action, which you can read about here.
A later highlight in the event was 2022 WPT Choctaw champion Chance Kornuth pulling off an epic four-bet, triple-barrel bluff and punishing his opponent by showing king-high after securing the fold.
Kornuth Bluffing Way to Second Title
The hand, captured by the WPT live reporting team, took place on Level 8 with blinds of 600/1,200/1,200 and saw Kornuth four-betting to 20,800 in early position against an opponent in middle position, who called.
Kornuth bet 7,000 on the A♠A♥Q♠ flop and sized up to 20,000 on the 10♥ turn. The opponent called both bets and Kornuth pulled the trigger by moving all in for 55,900 on the 6♣ river. The opponent folded and Kornuth let them have it by showing K♦9♦ for just king-high.
It’s bold plays like this that have earned the Chip Leader Coaching founder $9.4 million, four WSOP bracelets and a WPT title. In 2022, Kornuth defeated Steven “Cuz” Buckner in the WPT Choctaw Main Event for $486,600 after navigating a powerhouse final table that included Kristen Foxen, Ray Qartomy and eventual 2024 Choctaw champion James Mackey.
Stepuchin Leads Into Day 2
If you go looking for the Day 1a chip leader when Day 2 starts up on Dec. 1, look for a plastic chicken wing, or possibly a football. The two items are Stepuchin’s trademarks and were close by when he won the 2019 $10,000 WPT Gardens Poker Championship for $548,825, which helped him get to second place on the Utah all-time money list.
PokerNews caught up with Stepuchin at last year’s Bell Gardens festival as he chased a second title and he gave some insight into his poker strategy. “I’ve read one beginner poker book ever. I don’t study anything. I’ve been saying I’m going to go get coaching (with Alex) Foxen or Kristen (Foxen) or with Chance (Kornuth), because obviously there’s tons of knowledge I could absorb and learn. But I kind of just play by the seat of my pants.”
Here in South Florida, Stepuchin, who with the Day 1a chip lead earned a free passport to the $5 million ClubWPT Gold Invitational Freeroll, bagged a 150-plus big blind stack ahead of fellow big stacks William Lamar-Boone, Kevin Schulz, Gregory Back and current GPI leader Jesse Lonis, who earlier this year finished third in the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Championship for $410,000 as he was denied by Josh Reichard.
Other players who bagged the first starting flight include Raminder Singh, Kristen Foxen, Ryan Riess, Shannon Shorr, Adam Hendrix, Matt Glantz and Joe McKeehen. Those who weren’t so fortunate include Jeremy Becker, Martin Zamani, Francis Anderson and Alex Foxen.
The second of two starting flights will kick off at 11 a.m. local time inside the Seminole Hard Rock ballroom. Stay tuned as PokerNews will be back on-site for continued coverage of the RRPO championship.
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*Photos courtesy WPT
Editor & Live Reporter U.S.
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