$2,200 High Roller
Day 2 Completed
2019 World Series of Poker Circuit Planet Hollywood
$2,200 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
At the end of a final table and heads-up match that went into the early hours of Wednesday morning, Bruce Russell came out on top in the World Series of Poker Circuit Planet Hollywood $2,200 High Roller.
Russell took the championship, outlasting a field of 115 entries to come away with the WSOP Circuit ring and $63,580 grand prize. The Denver, Colorado resident bested Ireland's Marc MacDonnell (2nd - $39,295), coming away with the win after a heads up match that finished at 4 a.m. local time.
The win is the biggest cash of Russell's career, and he accomplished the feat by coming out ahead against a final table that included tournament crushers like Darren Rabinowitz (7th - $8,038), Tim McDermott (6th - $10,384), Upeshka De Silva (5th - 13,846) and Calvin Anderson (4th - $19,035).
"This is my first big win," Russell said. "This is the first bracelet or ring for me, and it's exciting because I'm old and I'm getting better. These guys, when they play me, they're accomplished, but I've gotten so much better in my tournaments."
| Place | Winner | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruce Russell | United States | $63,580 |
| 2 | Marc MacDonnell | Ireland | $39,295 |
| 3 | Dan Colpoys | United States | $26,958 |
| 4 | Calvin Anderson | United States | $19,035 |
| 5 | Upeshka De Silva | United States | $13,846 |
| 6 | Tim McDermott | United States | $10,384 |
| 7 | Darren Rabinowitz | United States | $8,038 |
| 8 | Z Stein | United States | $6,428 |
| 9 | Eric Worre | United States | $5,317 |
Fast and Wild Early Action
Late registration was open until the beginning of today's Day 2 flight, and after 30 players bagged Day 1, Tuesday's action began with 46 players in the field.
That number rapidly dwindled back down to 30, and just over three hours into the day the money bubble burst, with 18 players getting paid.
Early cashouts in the tournaments included Ankush Mandavia (18th - $3,574), Bob Shao (16th - $3,729), and Arkadiy Tsinis (15th - $3,729). The play began to slow down after that, with the stacks getting bigger and the larger paydays looming.
Mike Del Vecchio (11th - $4,554) looked poised to finish in the final nine, but was on the losing end of a huge hand against Anderson and finished two spots short of the final table.
Sean Perry, who came into Day 2 as the tournament chip leader, went out in 10th, getting eliminated by McDermott and sending the final nine on their way to the final table.
The Final Table
The frenetic pace of the first 18 levels of play began to slow down when the tournament reached nine players. Eric Worre was the first to go out (9th - $5,317), followed by Z Stein (8th - $6,428), who held on to an extremely short stack for as long as he possibly could to get all the way up to eighth place.
After Stein's elimination, it took another three hours before another player hit the rail, with Rabinonwitz going out shortly after losing most of his stack to Russell in a pocket nines versus pocket tens setup.
McDermott, De Silva and Anderson all went out over the course of the following two hours, setting up a final three of Dan Colpoys (3rd - $26,958), MacDonnell, and Russell.
Coploys went out against MacDonnell, with his jack-high straight falling to MacDonnell's full boat.
The heads-up battle between MacDonnell and Russell saw several lead changes, lasting three hours before Russell finally put MacDonnell away just before 4 a.m. local time.
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Bruce Russell limped, Marc MacDonnell raised to 260,000, Russell three-bet all in for 1,800,000, and MacDonnell called.
Marc MacDonnell: 
Bruce Russell: 
Board: 
Russell's ace-king got the best of MacDonnell's ace-queen, with the clinching the win for Russell.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,450,000
1,750,000
|
1,750,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Bruce Russell opened to 195,000, and Marc MacDonnell called.
Both players checked the 
flop, and the 
turn.
MacDonnell bet 205,000 on the 
river, and Russell folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,750,000
370,000
|
370,000 |
|
|
1,700,000
-370,000
|
-370,000 |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Marc MacDonnell went all in for his last 630,000 preflop, and Bruce Russell made the call.
Marc MacDonnell: 
Bruce Russell: 
Board: 
MacDonnell hit top pair on the flop and trips on the river, and he's still in the hunt as heads-up play rolls on.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,070,000
-300,000
|
-300,000 |
|
|
1,380,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Marc MacDonnell limped, Bruce Russell raised to 185,000, MacDonnell rerasied all in for 1,140,000, and MacDonnell called.
Bruce Russell: 
Marc MacDonnell: 
Board: 
MacDonnell pulled ahead on the flop, but a set of queens came in for Russell on the river, and he's back in the lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,370,000
1,340,000
|
1,340,000 |
|
|
1,080,000
-1,340,000
|
-1,340,000 |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Bruce Russell limped, and Marc MacDonnell checked back.
Russell bet 75,000 on the flop, and 225,000 on the turn, with MacDonnell calling both.
The river checked through, and MacDonnell took down the pot with
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,420,000
710,000
|
710,000 |
|
|
1,030,000
-710,000
|
-710,000 |
Level 28
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Bruce Russell bet 220,000 from out of position on the river of a 
board, and Marc MacDonnell made the call.
MacDonnell showed for the winner, and after going down to 400,000 chips at one point, MacDonnell is back to even as Level 28 begins.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,740,000
-490,000
|
-490,000 |
|
|
1,710,000
490,000
|
490,000 |
Level: 28
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 60,000
Level 27
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Players are now on a 15-minute break.