MIchael Lin Closes out @WPTDeepStacks Turlock TItle

Michael Lin ...
That's all there is to say about the final three tables of the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Turlock Main Event. Lin began chipping up fast, eliminating players, running over table after table and by the time it was down to 6 players, Lin had more than 60 percent of all the chips in play.

The other five players made an offer to basically divide the final five places, with Lin taking the top prize (minus $3,000) and also get the WPTDS Season Championships $3k package. Everyone eventually agreed after a bit of bouncing the numbers around, and here's how everything balanced out.

Here are the overall final results, including the agreement between the final six players.

5/12-14/17
$1100 Main Event
181 Entries
$175,570 Prize Pool
21 Places Paid

* = First Place includes $3,000 WPTDS Championship Package

Place			Cash	Points
1	Michael	Lin	$40,664	130
2	Victor	Paredes	$18,018	91
3	Paul	Saso	$18,018	65
4	Kyle	Kitagawa	$17,500	57.2
5	Kathy	Stahl	$17,000	49.4
6	Travis	Fujisaka	$17,000	42.9
7	Tristan	Wade	$7,269	36.4
8	Loren	Cloninger	$5,829	31.2
9	Mario	Lopez	$4,354	26
10	Nathan	Mirza	$3,178	22.1
11	Jasthi	Kumar	$3,178	22.1
12	Tuan	Mai	$3,178	22.1
13	Damion	Underwood	$2,616	18.2
14	Babe	Prescott	$2,616	18.2
15	Billy	Drake	$2,616	18.2
16	Brent	Bixby	$2,230	15.6
17	Armando	Perez	$2,230	15.6
18	Nabil	Zumout	$2,230	15.6
19	Ernesto	Logan	$1,949	13
20	Randy	Gil	$1,949	13
21	Darrel	Dier	$1,949	13

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Paredes Pulls it Off

The final 6 players in the WPTDeepStacks Main Event have come to an agreement to close it out, with Michael Lin taking the top prize money of $37,664 plus the $3,000 WPTDS Season Championship package to get him in the $1 Million Guarantee hosted at Thunder Valley this December.

Second in chips at the time of the agreement is Victor Paredes, his 101 total points earned (including 10 Bonus Points) leaves him with 140.6 points, just 2 ahead of the 138.6 of Rick Peterson in second place and 132.8 of David Champeny. who finishes third.

Paredes takes the WPTDS Player of the Series title on the final day, at the final table, in the final chop.

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It is @DarthV1ctor over @TristanCre8ive

The two short stacks - Tristan Wade and Victor Paredes - get their chips in the middle preflop. Wade (below) has 88 and is barely covered by Paredes who shows K9. The flop has BOTH a King and a Nine, no 8 shows on the turn or river and Wade is out in 7th place, a $7,269 cash.

Players are on a 15-minute break as the 1k's are colored up and staff tries to see is Michael Lin has topped 3,000,000 chips yet ... there's a total of 4,525,000 in play, so yeah, Lin has a MASSIVE amount.

When play resumes, action is at

Level - 26
Blinds - 15k/30k
Antes - 5k
Remaining - 6/181

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Lin Sends Another to the Rail

Looks like nothing nor no one is going to stop Michael Lin today, as he now has almost 60 percent of all the chips in play with his knockout of Loren Cloninger.

Cloninger cashes for $5,829 in 7th place.

Level - 25
Blinds - 12k/24k
Antes - 3k
Remaining - 7/181

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Lin Keeps Crushing, KO's Mario

@RaiderMario707 is the latest player to fall to the serious #RunGood of Michael Lin. Lopez, who final tabled WPTDS Reno a few weeks ago, cashes out in 9th place for $4,354. Lopez was 38/42 to start the day and rarely made it to more than 15 BB all day long.

Michael Lin - 1,400,000

Level - 25
Blinds - 12k/24k
Antes - 3k
Remaining - 8/181

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Lin Leads With 9 Left

Michael Lin leads the 9-handed @WPTDeepStacks Turlock Main Event final table with a bit more than a milly in chips. Here are the current chipcounts courtesy of teh WPTDS media team.

Michael	Lin	1,100,000
Kyle	Kitagawa	800,000
Victor	Paredes	530,000
Paul	Saso	410,000
Tristan	Wade	400,000
Mario	Lopez	365,000
Kathy	Stahl	360,000
Loren	Cloninger	335,000
Travis	Fujisaka	200,000

Level - 24
Blinds - 10k/20k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 9/181

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Stacks Level Some

Kings all-in preflop for @KyleK_Poker Kitagawa, AK for onetime chipleader Travis Fujisaka, the Kings hold and Kitagawa is up to 800k, while Fujisaka slips to 10BB.

Michael Lin is up to a milly now, the only 7-figure-player at the Final table.

Level - 24
Blinds - 10k/20k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 9/181

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Peterson, or @DarthV1ctor?

Can Victor Paredes snag the @WPTDeepStacks Player of the Series title?

Rick Peterson is sitting with 138.6 points - more than the winner of today's Main Event (130) receives. Paredes, however, already has one cash during the series, and can overtake Peterson with a first OR a second place finish.

9 remain
stay tuned ..

Level - 24
Blinds - 10k/20k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 9/181

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9 for Dinner

The final nine players are taking an extended 25-minute break, not really for dinner but a getaway before trying to run over each other at the WPTDeepStacks Turlock Main Event Final Table.

Updated chipcounts coming before cards go back in the air.

When play resumes, action is going to be at

Level - 24
Blinds - 10k/20k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 9/181

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Payouts 10-18

Here are the players who cashed in 10-18th place in the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Turlock $100,000 Guaranteed Main Event.

10	Nathan	Mirza	$3,178
11	Jasthi	Kumar	$3,178
12	Tuan	Mai	$3,178
13	Damion	Underwood	$2,616
14	Babe	Prescott	$2,616
15	Billy	Drake	$2,616
16	Brent	Bixby	$2,230
17	Armando	Perez	$2,230
18	Nabil	Zumout	$2,230

Level - 23
Blinds - 8k/16k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 9/181

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Your @WPTDeepStacks @TurlockPoker Final Table

Travis Fujisaka is the chipleader with 760,000 as the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Turlock Main Event moves of the 10-handed final table. Here is the rest of the final table, including.

Mario Lopez - seat 3 - 189,000 and Tristan Wade - seat 2 - 452,000

Paul Saso - seat 4 - 450,000

Kathy Stahl - seat 5 - 440,000

Loren Cloninger - seat 6 - 274,000

Kyle Kitagawa - seat 7 - 214,000

Victor Paredes - seat 8 - 473,000

Nathan Mirza - seat 9 - 288,000

Michael Lin - seat 10 - 606,000

Level - 22
Blinds - 6k/12k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 10/181

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Official Level 22 Chipcoutns

The dealers broke down the stacks and here are the official chipcounts for the final 12 players in the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Main Event.

Name		Chips
Travis	Fujisaka	760,000
Michael	Lin	606,000
Victor	Paredes	473,000
Jasthi	Kumar	462,000
Tristan	Wade	452,000
Kathy	Stahl	440,000
Nathan	Mirza	288,000
Loren	Cloninger	274,000
Paul	Saso	248,000
Kyle	Kitagawa	214,000
Mario	Lopez	189,000
Tuan	Mai	102,000

Level - 22
Blinds - 6k/12k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 12/181

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Brutal End for @DizDamion

First he runs Kings in to 5-6, now Damion Underwood runs Aces in to the AQ of chipleader Michael Lin.

Lin catches two Queens to score the knockout, just a hand after knocking Babe Prescott out in 14th place.

12 remain as players get ready for their second break of the day. Both Prescott and Underwood cash for $2,616.

Lin, meanwhile, is up to 600,000.

Level - 22
Blinds - 6k/12k
Antes - 2k
Remaining - 13/181

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5 Bigs Mario Gets There

KQ for @RaiderMario707 and AQ for Paul Saso, not just one, but two Kings and Lopez gets a bit healthier.

Level - 21
Blinds - 5k/10k
Antes - 1k
Remaining - 15/181

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We've Said it Before

You're a bad man, @KyleK_Poker.

Kitagawa calls the All-in preflop of Brent Bixby.

Kitagawa has QQ, Bixby AJ, and what a flop. Q-K-T ...  a set for Kitagawa, Broadway for Bixby.

Turn ... King ... Kitagawa goes Boat Don't Lie ....

Brent Bixby - 16th Place, - $2,230

Kyle Kitagawa - 500,000

Level - 21
Blinds - 5k/10k
Antes - 1k
Remaining - 15/181

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Early Payouts

Down to 15 players in the Main Event. Here are the first payouts of the day.

16	Brent	Bixby	$2,230
17	Armando	Perez	$2,230
18	Nabil	Zumout	$2,230
19	Ernesto	Logan	$1,949
20	Randy	Gil	$1,949
21	Darrel	Dier	$1,949

Level - 21
Blinds - 5k/10k
Antes - 1k
Remaining - 15/181

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One Hand Later ....

About Half of @DizDamion's stack went to @Jasthi_Kumar the very next hand as Kumar calls with 56 and Underwood has Kings. The flop? 2-3-4 ... yep ...

Darrel Dier is the first player to cash for today, finishing 21st for $1,949

Level - 19
Blinds - 3k/6k
Antes - 1k
Remaining - 20/181

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Bubble Burst by @DizDamion

88 for Kelsey Ul, KQ for Kathy Stahl, but it is QQ for Damion Underwood on the money bubble. The queens hold, Ul is out and Underwood is up to 265,0000 while Stahl is at 240k.

Everyone is now in the money in the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Main Event.

Level - 19
Blinds - 3k/6k
Antes - 1k
Remaining - 21/181

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Loren KO's Mercy, Starts Bubble Play

We interrupt the Warriors/Spurs game to tell you that Loren Cloninger eliminated Mercy Hernandez in 23rd place, moving the WPTDeepStacks Main Event to the money bubble.

22 left, 21 cash.

Level - 19
Blinds - 3k/6k
Antes - 1k
Remaining - 22/181

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Serious Short Stack Ninja's

Billy Drake started today as THE shortstack out of 42 players, having just 10BB. Darrel Dier was not far ahead, with 18BB.

Drake (above, from Day 1A) has moved to 144,000 on the redraw, and Dier just doubled AQ>77 against Wilton Broad to move to 155,000.

Johnny Vargas and Jaime Haletky have been eliminated since redraw, the field is 3 from the money.

Level - 18
Blinds - 2500/5k
Antes - 500
Remaining - 25/181

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With 3 You Get Redraw

Travis Fujisaka, Nathan Mirza and Kathy Stahl are closing in on the chiplead still held by Kyle Kitagawa as the 3-table redraw takes place. 21 cash today with more than $40k up top. Here is teh full redraw with chipcounts.

Table	Seat	Name		Chips
6	1	Johnny	Vargas	29,000
6	2	Jaime	Haletky	79,500
6	3	Babe	Prescott	170,000
6	4	Armando	Perez	246,000
6	5	Scott	Nguyen	215,000
6	6	Loren	Cloninger	91,500
6	7	Mercy	Hernandez	71,500
6	8	Travis	Fujisaka	361,000
6	9	Billy	Drake	144,000
8	1	Darrel	Dier	84,500
8	2	Kyle	Kitagawa	403,000
8	3	Victor	Paredes	218,000
8	4	Wilton	Broad	56,000
8	5	Ernesto	Logan	65,000
8	6	Tuan	Mai	120,000
8	7	Brent	Bixy	57,500
8	8	Paul	Saso	212,500
8	9	Randy	Gil	142,000
10	1	Michael	Lin	257,000
10	2	Damion	Underwood	189,500
10	3	Kathy	Stahl	336,000
10	4	Jasthi	Kumar	126,500
10	5	Mario	Lopez	53,500
10	6	Nathan	Mirza	322,000
10	7	Kelsey	Ul	87,500
10	8	Nabil	Zumout	65,000
10	9	Tristan	Wade	318,000

Level - 17
Blinds - 2k/4k
Antes - 500
Remaining - 27/181

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Flopped Set, Meet Turned Set

@Stahly44 turns a set against the flopped set of Nabil Esho. Not only is Kathy's set bigger, but her chipstack is as well. Stahl scores the elimination of Esho in 32nd place today.

Level - 17
Blinds - 2k/4k
Antes - 500
Remaining -

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Peterson, Rogers out Before $$

John Rogers and Rick Peterson are gone as Level 17 gets started, 11 from the money and 5 from the redraw. Peterson's elimination means Armando Perez, Johnny Vargas or Victor Paredes can take the Player of the Series title by winning today. Nabil Esho can take the title with a 1st or 2nd place finish. Those are the only players who can unseat Peterson.

Level - 17
Blinds - 2k/4k
Antes - 500
Remaining - 32/181

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The Flip Goes Armando's Way

A raise to 8,000 by former HPT Thunder Valley champ Allan Fernando, a 3-bet by reigning Turlock Poker Players Series Champ Armando Perez, a 4-bet all-in from Fernando for his tournament life and a snap-call by Perez.

Fernando -  
Perez -  

There's a less-than-quiet celebration from Perez on the    flop, add the  turn and Boat Don't Lie, Perez scores the elimination of Fernando.

Armando Perez - 2650,000

Level - 16
Blinds - 1500/3k
Antes - 500
Remaining - 35/181

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Bad Darrel, BAD @DarrelDier

All in for his tournament life on a 4-7-8 flop, Darrel Dier is up against the T-T of John Rogers.

Dier, though, flopped it with his 5-6 from the BB.

Dier, one of the shortest stacks to starts the day, is now at 25BB.

Level - 16
Blinds - 1500/3k
Antes - 500
Remaining - 36/181

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Early Eliminations

Paul Saso knocks out Monte Gilley (above) 99 > AKdd to score one of the day's first eliminations.

Makara Nuon, JJ Hernandez and Jason Chung as also gone. Tourney staff is doing a color-up, pulling the black 100s from the table as Level 16 kicks off.

Level - 16
Blinds - 1500/3k
Antes - 500
Remaining - 38/181

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If You Have Kings, an Ace Comes on Flop

Kathy Stahl has Kings and she sure doesn't like the Q-A-A flop, nor the 20,000 bet on the river from Jasthi Kumar.

"You called me with a weak Ace, eh?" Stahl says as she folds.

Kumar shows AThh, not exactly weak, but you know how it goes. If you are dealt Kings, an Ace comes out on the flop ...

Level - 15
Blinds - 1200/2400
Antes - 300
Remaining - 40/181

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Peterson Trying to Close of Player of Series

Rick Peterson is as close as possible to winning the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Turlock Player of the Series title. Victor Paredes, Armando Perez and Johnny Vargas all need to win today's Main Event AND have Peterson not cash. Nabil Esho needs a first or second place AND no cash from Peterson, or the title and trophy go to Peterson.

We'll do updates throughout the day. Meanwhile here are the point totals for the four still in the running, and what the points are for today's Main Event.

Rick	Peterson	136.8
Nabil	Esho	66.3
Victor	Paredes	39.6
Armando	Perez	30.8
Johnny	Vargas	30.8

Place	Points
1	130
2	91
3	65
4	57.2
5	49.4
6	42.9
7	36.4
8	31.2
9	26
10	22.1
11	22.1
12	22.1
13	18.2
14	18.2
15	18.2
16	15.6
17	15.6
18	15.6
19	13
20	13
21	13

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Get Your @WPTDeepStacks Turlock Final Day On

So, you'd be feeling pretty good going in to the final day of a tourney and starting with 65BB, right?

How about going in to the final day and being 65BB clear of the field?

Welcome to Kyle Kitagawa's world today as the WPTDeepStacks Main Event closes out today here in Turlock.

It is not very often someone has such a dominating first day of play. Kitagawa bagged more than double the biggest stack from last night's Day 1B (Travis Fujisaka - 180,000). He's not clear, though, and Day 2 is just getting started here in 30 minutes. He has the likes of Tristan Wade looming in the shadows. Wade has 238k, the second-biggest stack out there.

Kathy Stahl knows how to close out big tourneys, just as Wade does. Stahl has 235k and sits 3/42 to start Day 2. Former HPT Thunder Valley champ Allan Fernando has a 6-figure stack, while WPTDS Thunder Valley 2016 champ Jasthi Kumar is slightly below the 100k mark.

All the action kicks off at noon, and we're expecting the final table to be going by 6pm. Follow all the (no LiveStream today, KevMath) play-by-play right here.

Play begins today at
Level - 15
Blinds - 1200/2400
Antes - 300
Remaining - 42/181

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Your Day 2 @WPTDeepStacks Players

Here are the 42 players returning at noon Sunday for the final day of the WPTDeepStacks Turlock Main Event, listed by chipcount, with their table and seat assignment included.

Find the entire field sorted by table draw here

Table	Seat	Name		Chips
6	1	Kyle	Kitagawa	392,900
8	8	Tristan	Wade	238,000
9	7	Kathy	Stahl	235,600
8	9	Scott	Nguyen	208,600
7	4	Travis	Fujisaka	180,500
6	3	Victor	Paredes	174,600
10	8	Babe	Prescott	170,000
9	1	Michael	Lin	168,500
8	3	Nathan	Mirza	159,400
8	5	Mark	Johnson	148,300
8	1	Allan	Fernando	141,400
8	7	Eric	Matulis	140,900
7	6	Armando	Perez	129,400
10	1	Paul	Saso	129,100
7	3	Damion	Underwood	120,200
6	8	Nabil	Esho	114,600
9	9	John	Rogers	102,500
7	9	Randy	Gil	98,900
9	2	Jasthi	Kumar	96,900
7	7	Makara	Nuon	85,900
7	5	Johnny	Vargas	83,100
10	4	Mercy	Hernandez	81,900
6	7	Erland	Logan	80,700
10	9	Jaime	Haletky	75,600
9	5	Weston	Broad	74,900
6	5	Ernesto	Cortez	72,800
8	4	Kelsey	Ul	71,400
8	2	Brent	Bixby	70,700
9	8	Dee	Timmons	70,000
7	1	Gary	Smith	65,300
10	5	Rick	Peterson	63,800
10	2	Tuan	Mai	63,500
6	4	Tony	Yalda	62,400
7	8	Nabil	Zumout	61,500
9	6	Loren	Cloninger	57,400
9	3	Darrel	Dier	42,900
10	3	Monte	Gilley	38,100
9	4	Mario	Lopez	35,700
6	2	Jason	Chang	33,800
10	7	JJ	Hernandez	33,100
6	6	Pradip	Singh	32,000
8	6	Billy	Drake	24,300

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Travis Tops Day 1B

A BIG late move by @DarthV1ctor Paredes vaulted him from a 6BB stack all the way to second overall in chips as Day1B of the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Main Event comes to a close. Travis Fujisaka is the #TopStack at 180,500, well off the nearly 400k pace that Kyle Kitagawa set yesterday.

Monte Gilley and Mario Lopez managed to hang on to short stacks as the last levels closed out, both bagging about 15BB to try and #RunItUp tomorrow.

Among those who came out and did not find a Day 2 bag was Joe Nguyen, Kelly Douglas, Todd Machado, Mia Xiong, Tou Xiong, Tim Weimer, Frank Loera, Russ Coffee, Lisa Jacobs, Rafael Gonzalez, David Stanford, Tony Le, SHeila Pace, Rick Draper and Vincent Chung.

Here's the full chipcount list for the 27 players who advanced to Sunday's Day 2, from a Day 1B field of 100.

Travis	Fujisaka	180,500
Victor	Paredes	174,600
Babe	Prescott	170,000
Michael	Lin	168,500
Mark	Johnson	148,300
Allan	Fernando	141,400
Eric	Matulis	140,900
Armando	Perez	129,400
Paul	Saso	129,100
Jasthi	Kumar	96,900
Johnny	Vargas	83,100
Mercy	Hernandez	81,900
Erland	Logan	80,700
Jaime	Haletky	75,600
Weston	Broad	74,900
Brent	Bixby	70,700
Dee	Timmons	70,000
Gary	Smith	65,300
Rick	Peterson	63,800
Tuan	Mai	63,500
Tony	Yalda	62,400
Nabil	Zumout	61,500
Monte	Gilley	38,100
Mario	Lopez	35,700
Jason	Chang	33,800
JJ	Hernandez	33,100
Pradip	Singh	32,000

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That's a Wrap

There shall be no more Day 1 hands in the 2017 WPTDeepStacks Turlock Main Event. The final bag-n-tag is taking place, we'll have final results ASAP.

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