Do you know who sits No. 1 on South Carolina’s all-time poker money list? Here’s a hint: he’s playing Day 1b of the 2017 PokerStars Bahamas Championship today.
Hank Sitton’s first poker cash came back in 2006 when he finished 127th in a $1,000 no-limit hold’em event at the World Series of Poker, good for $3,157. Since then, he has amassed $720,394 in career earnings including a career-best $216,768 for finishing third in the 2007 World Poker Tour Gulf Coast Poker Championship (Bill Edler won that event) in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Sitton also has four cashes here in the Bahamas. Two came at the 2013 PCA (the best being a fifth-place finish in Event #7: $5,000 NLH Turbo for $19,360), one in 2015 PCA (10th in Event #9: $4,850 NLH Turbo 8-Handed for $10,600), and once in last year’s PCA (4th in Event #99:$600 NLH Turbo Main Event Edition for $9,520).
More recently, Sitton finished runner-up in the 2016 WSOP Circuit Horseshoe Southern Indiana Main Event for $88,096. Sitton told us today he has his sights set on crossing the $1 million mark in career earnings, which he has a shot to do if he goes deep in this event.
Aaron Paul opened early to 300 and got three callers before the big blind made it 1,500. Paul called, as did everyone else. The flop came and the big blind bet 2,500. Paul called, and everyone else quickly mucked. The big blind wasted little time before firing 5,200 more on the turn, and Paul mucked face-up.
"Nice hand," he said, patting the table.
Despite the setback, Paul is significantly above the starting stack.
After a middle-position raise, and EPT Grand Final champion Mohsin Charania called from the hijack before Boyuan Qu over called from the big blind. Qu checked on and the initial-raiser followed with a bet of 400. Charania and Qu both called.
The hit the turn and Qu checked again. The initial raiser bet 700 and again Charania called. Qu now check-raised to 3,500 and the initial raiser gave up. Charania called in position.
With the completing the board, Qu checked. Charania bet 8,500 and Qu tanked for a bit before he tossed in a single 1,000 chip to call. Charania showed for quads and Qu added the other 7,500 before he silently mucked.
It's Level 1 of a major tournament with a great structure. As such, big pots are few and far between. While we capture our fair share of them here in the blog, most hands we see are like the one below.
In the hand, the under-the-gun player opened for 300 and action folded to Norway's Rasmus Glæsel in the small blind. He called, as did Australia's Corey Cawdell-Howland from the big, and three players saw a flop of .
All three players checked, and then action repeated itself on the turn. When the completed the board on the river Glæsel led out for 1,000 and both his opponents folded.
Nothing too exciting, but indicative of what you often see in Level 1 of tournament poker.
Kou Vang, a poker pro and family man from Maplewood, Minnesota, has just entered the field.
Vang has been playing poker full time for the better part of a decade, and in that time he’s developed a reputation as one of the Midwest’s most feared players. He even won an award for “Most Intimidating” at the Minnesota Poker Awards a few years back.
All told, Vang has $1,152,038 in live tournament earnings including first in the 2010 Fall Poker Classic $1,000 Championship Event for $78,421; a win in the 2008 World Series of Poker Circuit Council Bluffs $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em for $51,383; runner-up in the 2013 Running Aces Tournament of Champions $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em for $50,846; and first in the Midwest Poker Classic $2,500 High Roller for $32,500.
PokerNews previously did a feature interview with Vang, which you can read by clicking here.
On a board reading , with about 2,000 in the pot already, Christopher George checked from the big blind. His opponent on the button bet 1,300 and George check-raised to 3,400. The button went into the tank and eventually called.
The river was the . George thought for a minute and fired out a bet of 11,000.
The button thought about it and eventually had a pained look on his face. He moved around in his chair and counted out his chips. Eventually, he called.
George tabled for a straight flush and his opponent said, "You got me."
Action folded around to the player in the hijack who raised to 400. Mohsin Charania was in the big blind and decided to defend.
The flop came . Charania checked, and his opponent bet 300. Charania called.
The turn was the and Charania checked again. The hijack bet 1,300 and Charania called for a second time.
The river was the . Charania checked for a third time, and the hijack bet 3,600. Charania wasted no time and put in a check-raise to 12,500. The hijack went into the tank for well over a minute, constantly looking back at his cards. He eventually folded and said, "That was a good river for me, but I think you have a flush. I folded a set of jacks."
Charania now has two and a half times the starting stack at the beginning of the second level of the day.
and the big blind bet 2,500. Paul called, and everyone else quickly mucked. The big blind wasted little time before firing 5,200 more on the 
turn, and Paul mucked 
face-up.
and the initial-raiser followed with a bet of 400. Charania and Qu both called.
hit the turn and Qu checked again. The initial raiser bet 700 and again Charania called. Qu now check-raised to 3,500 and the initial raiser gave up. Charania called in position.
completing the board, Qu checked. Charania bet 8,500 and Qu tanked for a bit before he tossed in a single 1,000 chip to call. Charania showed 
for quads and Qu added the other 7,500 before he silently mucked.
.
completed the board on the river Glæsel led out for 1,000 and both his opponents folded.
, with about 2,000 in the pot already, Christopher George checked from the big blind. His opponent on the button bet 1,300 and George check-raised to 3,400. The button went into the tank and eventually called. 
. George thought for a minute and fired out a bet of 11,000. 
for a straight flush and his opponent said, "You got me."
and Charania checked again. The hijack bet 1,300 and Charania called for a second time.