Niall Farrell Leads WPT Rolling Thunder

Day 2 of the World Poker Rolling Thunder Main Event saw 197 players return from the first two flights, plus 45 additional late entrants, for a total field of 421 entrants and 243 at the felt for the start of play. Following a full day of action, 57 players remain with Niall Farrell bagging up a huge lead with 893,000.

Chuck Nguyen is closest with 644,000 – over a 40 big blind deficit. Three former WPT champions landed in the top ten with Brian Altman, Mohsin Charania and Kevin Eyster. 

Farrell chipped up in a massive against Chris Moorman. They went to a four-bet flop of king jack three, with two diamonds, and piled in more chips. The turn was a black queen, more chips went in and the river came a meaningless deuce. Farrell checked, Moorman stall-shoved and Farrell snap-called with ace ten for the nut straight.

Ankush Mandavia, Kevin MacPhee and Ari Engel survived the day but on the bottom half of the chip counts.

The field combined for a $1.3 million prize pool to award the top 53 finishers, which means, four unlucky players return for Day 3 without a payout. The min-cash comes in at $5,862, a TV final table run locks up $52,222 and the winner earns $284,638.

Registration closed early on Day 2 and so did the list of eligible players for the California Swing points title. The contest is open to players that played the LAPC, Bay 101 and Rolling Thunder Main Event and 2016 Super High Roller Bowl Winner Rainer Kempe leads with 212 points.

Seven players could pass Kempe – Brian Altman, Kevin MacPhee, Dean Baranowski, Charile Carrel, Derek Wolters, Pratyush Buddiga and Mohsin Charania. The winner receives hotel packages from all three locations for the 2018 Swing and locks up Shooting Star status at Bay 101.

Top Ten Chip Counts

1. Niall Farrell – 893,000
2. Chuck Nguyen – 644,000
3. Alex Foxen – 568,000
4. John Hadley – 471,000
5. Sorel Mizzi – 466,000
6. Steven Tabb – 462,000
7. Brian Altman – 358,000
8. Dan Harmetz – 332,000
9. Mohsin Charania – 321,000
10. Kevin Eyster – 314,000