Mohammad Moeini leads with a $106K first prize and National Championship berth on the line.
Biloxi, Miss. (September 14, 2014) — On Sunday, the World Series of Poker Circuit continued with Day 2 of the IP Biloxi Main Event. After nine full levels of play, the field reached an official final table of nine with Mohammad Moeini bagging up the chip lead of 1.645 million. Moeini emerged as a force to be reckoned with roughly halfway through the day, building his stack quickly and assuming the chip lead. As the day progressed, Moeini remained active and, thanks to a few key confrontations, continued his dominance. In one such confrontation, Moeini flopped top pair and turned it into two pair on the fourth street. The last woman standing Antoinette Fiorenza shipped into him, he instantly called, and held through the river to bring his stack just under one million. This event marks Moeini’s fifth cash on the Circuit, all of which have occurred at IP Biloxi.While Moeini holds the lead coming into the final day, Circuit ring-winner and tournament regular Timothy Miles is hot on his heels. Miles, a ring winner, earned his trophy during the 2007/08 season in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold’em event. He bested a field of 260 players to take home a prize of over $80,000. His biggest WSOP-related cash, however, came later that series when he finished runner-up in the $5,000 Main Event for over $210,000. Miles will bring a stack of 1.107 million to the final table. Also appearing at the final table is tournament regular and ring winner Corrie Wunstel. Wunstel will have his work cut out for him on Day 3 with the shortest stack of the remaining nine. Wunstel bagged 385,000.The day began with 67 returning players taking their seats with the immediate goal of making the money. Registration closed after cards hit the air, and one new entrant brought the total number of players to 68. As the day progressed, notable players fell one by one while attempting to secure a spot among the top 33 and a guaranteed payday of $2,695. Some of the players to fall before the money was reached include WSOP bracelet winner Corey Harrison, Trishelle Cannatella, Ross Bybee, Sean Small, and Jessie Bryant. The money was reached in rapid fashion, with Daniel Smethurst assuming the role of bubble boy. Smethurst was on par to score his fifth cash of the series with this Main Event, but came up just short at the hands of Lance Jones.Some notable players to fall within the money include Daniel Lowery (33rd), 2011/12 IP Biloxi Main Event champion Jerry Monroe (32nd), Chirs Conrad (31st), Day 2’s only new entrant Charles Isham (27th) start-of-day chip leader Blake Barousse (23rd) and Tim Burt (18th).Play resumes Monday at 12 p.m. local time where the final nine return to play until a champion is reached. Each remaining player is assured $9,793 but all eye the $106,101 first prize, a Circuit gold ring and a berth in the season-ending National Championship.Here’s a look at the seating chart heading into Day 3:Seat 1: Mohammad Moeini - 1,645,000 (68 BBs)
Seat 2: Thomas Doussan - 516,000 (21 BBs)
Seat 3: Lance Jones - 500,000 (20 BBs)
Seat 4: Roger Morris - 454,000 (18 BBs)
Seat 5: Anthony Smith - 606,000 (25 BBs)
Seat 6: Brandon Newsome - 403,000 (16 BBs)
Seat 7: Larry Hirons - 416,000 (17 BBs)
Seat 8: Corrie Wunstel - 385,000 (16 BBs)
Seat 9: Timothy Miles - 1,107,000 (46 BBs)