Ashraf Chehata Leads Day 1A of WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble; 50 Survive into Day 2

By Tim Duckworth

Season XVIII of the World Poker made it’s way into Jacksonville Florida for the WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble from bestbet Jacksonville. Day 1A attracted a field of 154 entries, and after ten levels of play, just 50 players remained and ensured themselves a seat on Day 2 as Ashraf Chehata (pictured above) finished as the chip leader with 359,500.

The 53-year-old recreational player from St. Augustine, Florida, catapulted up the leaderboard in the latter stages of the day to finish with the overwhelming chip lead of nearly 90,000 more then his nearest rival Tan Nguyen. Just prior to the dinner break, a short-stacked Chehata eliminated an even shorter-stacked Ray Qartomy to claim his first bestbet bounty of $2,500. Once play resumed, Chehata’s stack was up and down before a rush in the penultimate level saw him claim his second bestbet bounty with the elimination of Kitty Kuo.

On finishing the day as chip leader, Chehata said, “It feels good. I was down to 15,000 about two hours ago. Then the cards just started coming. I got good cards but it was also good flops. I was flopping everything. I couldn’t miss for a while there.”

Chehata has just over $5,000 in lifetime tournament earnings, but two of his four cashes have come during this WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble festival where he finished 16th in Event #5 and sixth in Event #6. With his hot start in the Main Event, and the fact that he is now free-rolling the entry courtesy of his two bestbet bounties, Chehata is in prime position to make a run at collecting his first WPT Main Tour cash.

Sitting second overall is Tan Nguyen with 270,000 in chips, followed by Jarrett Hlavaty (266,500), WPT Champions Club member Brian Altman (234,500), Carlos Guerrero (227,000), and Jake Schwartz (205,500).

Altman is fresh off a third-place finish at WPT Maryland at Live! Casino, while Jake Schwartz will be looking to improve on his second-place finish in this event last year. For Guerrero (pictured above), he soared to the top of the leaderboard in the first level with a double knockout of Heather Warde and bestbet bounty Matt Affleck. Guerrero then became the first player to claim a second bestbet bounty when he eliminated John Racener.

Players still in contention include WPT Champions Club members Aaron Van Blarcum (182,000), Mike Sexton (136,500), Anthony Zinno (91,000), Frank Stepuchin (70,000), Marvin Rettenmaier (46,500), and defending champion Tony Tran (31,500).

Also still in the mix are bestbet bounties Sexton, Zinno, Stepuchin, and Rettenmaier, along with Loni Harwood, Ari Engel, Byron Kaverman, and Schwartz.

Everyone eliminated throughout the course of Day 1A will all have the chance to return to try their luck on Day 1B on Saturday, October 12. Day 1B will follow the same structure of Day 1A which will see players begin with 40,000 in starting chips and play ten 60-minute levels. Registration is open until the start of Level 7, and there are unlimited re-entries.

Day 1B of WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble begins on Saturday, October 12, at 12 p.m. (ET) with continuous live updates being provided by the World Poker Tour. Stay tuned right here to WPT.com for the exclusive live coverage of the tournament from start to finish to see who becomes the WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble champion, and wins his or her way to the season-ending WPT Tournament of Champions.

Photography by Joe Giron / PokerPhotoArchive

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