When the six gamers had been introduced one-by-one on the World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Exhausting Rock Poker Showdown last 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 trying to hitch the WPT Champions Membership on Wednesday, and likewise declare the $839,300 first place prize. It will not be a simple job to drag that off, not at this last desk, one of the vital stacked in current WPT historical past.
The trail to victory is a tough one with excessive stakes crusher Jesse Lonis, and mid-major beasts resembling 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 last desk with fewer than $1 million in lifetime dwell match cashes, in response to The Hendon Mob, however he busted throughout 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 lodge 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 approach up the leaderboard, whereas Reichard largely hovered round his 20 million beginning-of-day stack the primary two ranges of play. However each time he is gained a pot — even a small one — the gang has made certain to let everybody close by know they preferred what they noticed.
“It is unbelievable, the entire constructing is completely different, the environment, the setting is extra enjoyable,” Reichard advised PokerNews through the first break on the last desk. “For them to journey and spend cash to help me and be right here.”
Reichard, an MSPT Corridor of Famer with an intensive historical past of match success, like his 5 opponents, had over a month off after the match performed right down to the ultimate desk at Seminole Exhausting Rock Lodge & On line casino in Hollywood, Florida. And he made essentially the most of that point off.
“It will be foolish to not do some issues when you might have a month off,” Reichard mentioned 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 match cashes — for now — is hoping to hitch the WPT Champions Membership, and he’ll be a troublesome 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 Bought for within the WSOP 25k Fantasy Draft
*Photographs courtesy of World Poker Tour/Enrique Malfavon.
