Robert James Leads the Final Nine After Day 2 of the 2019 WSOPC Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event
Day 2 of the 2019 World Series of Poker Horseshoe Southern Indiana $1,700 Main Event saw 67 players return to the felt from a starting field of 357. After ten levels of play, just nine players remained with Robert James and his 3,080,000 chip stack leading the way. James, who also bagged the overall chip lead after the starting Day 1 flights, will be looking to improve on last year's ninth-place finish in this very event, With a healthy stack of 77 big blinds to work with, he looks poised to contend for his second career WSOPC ring.
The other Day 1 chip leader, Arizona poker pro Nick Pupillo, is second in chips after a roller-coaster day on the felt saw him end up with 2,200,000 in chips. Pupillo, who is currently ranked 10th on the GPI, is seeking his fourth WSOPC ring with a win in this event. Rounding out the top three is Thomas Alcorn with 1,415,000.
Three-time gold ring winner John Gallaher (1,380,000) is the only other player over a million, as the rest of the field will be looking to chip up in a hurry at the start of Day 3. Jesse Carter (840,000) and David Winrich (610,000) have a little breathing room, while Kenneth Ware (415,000), along with WSOP Bracelet winners Brett Apter (390,000) and Alan Percal (375,000) will have their work cut out for them, as they all three will start with under eleven big blinds.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Name | Hometown | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Nick Pupillo | Gilbert, Arizona | 2,200,000 | 55 |
| 2 | 2 | Thomas Alcorn | Peewee Valley, Kentucky | 1,415,000 | 35 |
| 2 | 3 | Jesse Carter | Knoxville, Tennesee | 840,000 | 21 |
| 2 | 4 | David Winrich | New Albany, Indiana | 610,000 | 15 |
| 2 | 5 | Kenneth Ware | Frankfort, Kentucky | 415,000 | 10 |
| 2 | 6 | Brett Apter | St. Petersburg, Florida | 390,000 | 10 |
| 2 | 7 | Alan Percal | Miami, Florida | 375,000 | 9 |
| 2 | 8 | John Gallaher | Lebanon, Tennesee | 1,380,000 | 35 |
| 2 | 9 | Robert James | Louisville, Kentucky | 3,080,000 | 77 |
Day 2 Action
Thirteen players left the tournament empty-handed during Day 2, including William Watson, Jeremy Brown, and Robert Gray. Benjamin Grise was sent home as the bubble boy when his kings ran into Alcorn's aces, leaving the remaining 54 players a minimum of $2,550 richer.
Once the bubble burst, Carter ran with the chip lead for a few levels, before the final levels saw Pupillo, Alcorn, and James jostle for the chip lead. James was able to catch a set on Pupillo's top-top in one pivotal hand, and James road the momentum of that hand to take the chip lead for good in Level 23 (10,000/20,000/20,000), putting nearly a million chips distance between himself and Pupillo by night's end.
Some of those who went home with a share of the prize pool include final table bubble boy David Cali (10th - $8,140), Brian Powell (23rd - $4,087), WSOP Bracelet winners Jessica Dawley (27th - $3,600) and Kyle Cartwright (31st - $2,956), Jake Bazeley (36th - $2,758), Jerod Smith (49th - $2,550), and Ravi Raghavan (54th - $2,550).
Day 3 will kick off at Noon local time on Monday at the start of Level 26 (20,000/40,000/40,000). Play will continue until a winner is crowned. Be sure to stay tuned right here to PokerNews as we determine which of the nine remaining players will walk out of Horseshoe Southern Indiana with $117,322, a coveted WSOPC ring, and a seat at the 2020 WSOPC Global Championship!