WSOP-C Thunder Valley Main Event Day 1A chip leader Andrew Ostapchenko

ALICIA SKILLMAN

What appeared to be a speedy opening flight of the WSOP Circuit Thunder Valley Main Event, ground to a halt with the final three players eliminated only over the last 100 minutes of play.

Once Francis Nguyen eliminated Hamed Valizadegan with 4:23 remaining in Level 16, the final 23 players had finally made it to Day 2 with Andrew Ostapchenko bagging the chip lead with Travis Egbert not far behind.

Both players scored huge double-ups on the bubble to boost their stacks with Ostapchenko's coming through Scott Stewart and Egbert's through Benjamin Primus.

Stewart's stack at the time was sizable enough that he was still left with a top ten stack by night's end, but Primus finished with the shortest advancing stack.

End of Day 1A Top five chip counts:

1. Andrew Ostapchenko - 732,000
2. Travis Egbert - 688,000
3. Hung Vo - 558,000
4. Francis Nguyen - 544,000
5. Colton Blomberg - 387,000

Complete chip counts are available here .

Next up is Day 1B Friday at 11 a.m. when that field will add significantly to the $222,705 prizepool that was started by Thursday's 147 entries.

Keep your browsers locked on PokerOrg Instant for continuing coverage until a champion is crowned on Monday.

The final 23 players have bagged up and left for the night after a long-awaited bubble-bursting elimination.

Hamed Valizadegan was all in from the big blind for just under 150,000 against Francis Nguyen in late position.

Hamed Valizadegan:
Francis Nguyen:

The flop came , bringing Valizadegan a flush draw and gutshot, threatening to score the latest in an hour-long string of short stacks doubling up with the worst hand preflop.

But the board completed as Nguyen scored the elimination to end the lengthy bubble and send the final 23 players home and on to Day 2 on Sunday.

Stay tuned for end-of-night chip counts.

After Scott Stewart opened, Andrew Ostapchenko three-bet to 65,000 from the small blind. Stewart then moved all in, covering Ostapchnko's 349,000.

Ostapchenko called and a huge pot that would likely determine the end of day chip leader was at hand.

Andrew Ostapchenko:
Scott Stewart:

The flop came flopping Ostapchenko the nuts. The rest of the board completed and Ostapchenko scored a massive double-up.

Andrew Ostapchenko - 700,000
Scott Stewart - 200,000

Michael Rossitto has just been eliminated two off the Day 2 bubble, setting up hand-for-hand play.

The next elimination will send the final 23 players on to day 2 with a min-cash in their pocket.