Qualifier Update: Zynga Poker, ClubWPT Players Continue Running Deep

By Sean Chaffin

As the action moved into the evening at ARIA with play down to 18 players, both a ClubWPT qualifier and a Zynga VIP player were all still in the mix and hoping for a final table appearance.

After finishing eighth in 2018 for $26,310, Hugh Grant is again making a deep run. One of the highest-ranked Zynga Poker players in the world, he previously told WPT.com he had limited experience playing in casinos but seems to have made a successful transition from social poker to the live experience.

“The main difference is playing in person,” says Grant, who’s originally from North Carolina and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. “On Zynga, it’s prompted and a quick pace. Here people take time to read things, make actions, maneuver. So I guess the length of in-person play, having to look your opponents in the eye, and not being able to leave the room if you embarrass yourself are probably the biggest differences.”

Also running deep were ClubWPT qualifiers Gayle Knorr and Jeff Center. Both won online qualifying tournaments on the tour’s sweepstakes poker site. While Center exited in 46th place for $3,000, Knorr was still in the field as play approached two tables.

A native of Dillon, Colorado, about 70 miles west of Denver, Knorr has been playing poker since about 2000. She works as a bookkeeper but is now semi-retired. She told WPT.com that this is the first live event she’s ever played, and was now in line for minimum cash of at least $5,700.

Even Knorr was surprised at how things have been going but was determined to keep the momentum going and keep fighting. Her phone has been blowing up with friends and family checking on her progress.

“It feels amazing,” she said with 19 players remaining. “I didn’t even think I’d get to play today. I’m just being patient. My kids tell me that I have tells when we play – but I think they’re wrong.”

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.