Sunday, August 19, 2018

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Field In The Money, Day 2 Starting Time Reminder

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,ooo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 220
Flight 1F Players Remaining: 28


The Flight 1F field just entered the money, with the remaining (28) players all guaranteed a cash in this opening event of the Card Player Poker Tour.

There have been a lot of inquiries about tomorrow's Day 2 starting time.  Action for the players that bag chips (or have bagged chips) will resume:

Monday, August 20th at 2:00pm

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Big Stacks From The Field, As Play Creeps Towards The Money

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/2,ooo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 220
Flight 1F Players Remaining: 56



Play has just entered Level 12, with the field shrinking down towards the money, as (28) players will get paid from this flight.  Steve Zuwowski and Marc Duquette sit with just above 200,000, which currently paces the field, while a handful of other players have amassed well above average stacks.  Players will take a ten minute break at the end of this level, returning to new blinds of 1,500/2,500/2,500.

With play scheduled to go deep into the night, and Day 2 starting back up at 2:00pm tomorrow, this will conclude the live updates from the flight (hand histories and chip counts).  We will be posting the "in the money" results as they occur, as well as end of flight chip counts once the 5% mark is reached.


CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Checking Out The Full Card Player Poker Tour Schedule, With Event #2 Already An Hour Old

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/1,2oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 220
Flight 1F Players Remaining: 74


While the Flight 1D field continues to take shape, we have the opportunity to take a look at the full schedule for this series.  The headlining event of the series begins next Thursday (August 23rd), and is an $1,100 No Limit Hold'em ($250,000 GTD).  There are numerous satellites for many of the events, as well as standard one-day tournaments for players to choose from.

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Final Flight End Up Being The Largest, As Flight 1F Attracts A Total Of (220) Entries

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/1,0oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 220
Flight 1F Players Remaining: 90



Cards are back in the air for Level 9, with the registration for Flight 1F of the CPPT Event #1 now official closed.  The final of six flights attracted a total of (220) entries, which equates to a prize pool of $66,000.  When you combine that with the numbers from completed flights, the Event #1 overall prize pool now sits at $227,400.  Listed below, are the Day 1 payouts for this flight, with action for the night stopping when (11) players remain:

12-16. $700
17-22. $600
23-28. $500

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Michael Wetcher Looking To Head To Registration Break With Chip Lead

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/8oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 204

Michael Wetcher (Weston, FL) is off to the fastest start of anyone in the Flight 1F field, and looks to head to the registration break with the chip lead.

Play just entered Level 8, which is the final level of open registration for the tournament.  With over (200) entries in this field, and an overall prize pool well over the $200,000 guarantee, it's likely that we'll see a lot of action over the next (30) minutes.  A lap around the field to eye chip counts saw Michael Wetter (Weston, FL) as the current chip leader, sitting with 130,000 to start the level.  Wetcher has just under $50,000 in lifetime earnings, a majority of which was earned in events hosted at the Isle Poker Room.  His last cash was in December of last year, finishing second in a $250 No Limit Hold'em Single-Ante ($30,000 GTD) event (worth $4,443).

Michael Wetcher - 133,000 (166bb)

Players will head on their second break of the day at the end of this level, and once play resumes (in Level 9), we will bring you all of the numbers pertinent to this flight.

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Keith Saunders Looking To Roll (Tide), As He Joins The Flight 1F Field

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/6oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 192

From the football field to the felt, Keith Saunders (Miami, FL) is looking for that "breakthrough" tournament score.

Athletes playing poker is nothing new, as it's one of the more common ways to pass the time on trips from state to state...and game to game.  During the FSPC, we saw Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson in action, a former NFL player turned philanthropist.  Just moments ago, Keith Saunders (Miami, FL) took his seat at Table 5, a former Alabama (and Miami Dolphins) linebacker.  After a short career in Miami, Saunders finished off his career in the Canadian Football League, with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 

With his football career now behind him, Saunders has been playing more poker, recently seeing some nice success.  Keith cashed in three events during the most recent SHRPO, including a final table finish in the last tournament of the series ($300 No Limit Hold'em Turbo).  His tournament resume now has earnings just short of $10,000, but with the time he puts into the game (studying), that number will likely grow exponentially in the near future.

We wrap up the list of notables in the largest Event #1 field, which includes names like:

Rudy Miret
Walter Bravo
Matt Smith
Jonathan Beskin
Nicholas Visconti
Jose Parra
Yue-Jian Wang
Haim Tooregeman
Scott Zakheim
Change Cui
Andres Morales
Christopher Lawson
Andre Rakusa

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Heimiller Looking To Add Yet Another Accomplishment On His Resume

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 6 (Blinds 300/500/5oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 185

Dan Heimiller (Las Vegas, NV) may go unnoticed by his table mates, but anyone in the poker media would know about his impressive list of accolades. 

Dan Heimiller (Las Vegas, NV) may not be a player that those in the field recognize off first glance, but he likely holds one of the more impressive tournament resumes of anyone in the room (tournament or cash).  Heimiller, the 2014 WSOP Seniors bracelet winner (worth over $627,000), has over $6,208,000 in lifetime tournament earnings.  He is the picture of consistency, towards the top of the "money list" each and every year, as well as the "numbers of cashes"list.  If you ever want to gauge a player's tournament success, those are two of the first places one should look.  Heimiller is currently 12th in recorded cashes for 2018 (across the world), and will crack the top ten with his next result.  Dan just cashed in eight tournaments at the WSOP, as well as one result during the MSPT series, held at the Venetian.

Heimiller has been unsuccessful in bagging chip with his first few entries (he's played the past few days), but knows that this the last chance to try and pack away a bag for tomorrow's Day 2.  Regardless of how Heimiller does this evening, it's likely we will see him around for the full series, as the $1,100 Card Player Poker Tour Main Event is now less than one week away.

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): When They're Bypassing Cash, It's Officially A Solid Tournament

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/4oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 

Keith Nassetta (Boca Raton, FL) would normally be playing in the PLO game that's currently running, but found himself in Flight 1F instead.

Keith Nassetta (Boca Raton, FL) can usually be found playing some of the highest limit cash games the Isle Poker Room has to offer, and while one of those games just happens to be running, he's looking to bag chips in this final Event #1 flight.  It should be mentioned that the game wasn't running when Keith entered today's flight, but tournaments have peaked Nassetta's interest of late.  After cashing in this year's $10,000 No Limit Hold'em PCA Main Event (34th place for $25,400), he got a little bit of the tournament bug, and has been playing more events since then.  

Keith's schedule isn't definitely more conducive to one-day events, but the idea of a $40,000+ first place score will help, when deciding to take a day off from his business.  Nassetta is still looking for his first cash here at the Isle, and will have to deal with the likes of the following Flight 1F players, on his trek towards a title:

Anthony Abdo
Brian Eisenberg
Evan Teitelbaum
Carlos Vazquez
Blaine McRae
Bruce Warren
James Hamburger
Raymond Rickard
Henry Billete
Frederico Dabus
Andre Bryan
Julia Bindelglass
Theo Lawson
Michael Bonsignore

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Event #1 Eclipses The $200,000 Guarantee, And Continues To Grow

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 4 (Blinds 200/300/3oo)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 144

Nancy Birnbaum (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) didn't feel like she was shown "blog love" the last time she was in a multi, so she wound up the first player to be featured during Flight 1F.

Early in Level 3, Flight 1F of Event #1 had it's (129th) entry join the field, which helped the prize pool eclipse the $200,000 guarantee.  The pace of entry hasn't slowed down at all, as players that currently enter are in an alternate line (which is a PSA for not showing up late to the final flights).  Nancy Birnbaum (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) was one of the first notables we spotted in the field, coming off a SHRPO series in which she had three cashes.  Birnbaum now has (24) cashes in 2018, which is a very impressive number, considering that poker is not her primary career.  Her career tournament earnings are just over $787,000, as she sets her sights on the $1,000,000 mark...a number that not many players are able to reach.

The list of notables in this Flight 1F field is about as long as we've seen all tournament, as players know this is their last chance to try and bag chips for tomorrow's Day 2.  Some names on the growing list include: 

Nagui Yassa
Marc Duquette
Preecha Taepakdee
Ory Hen
Erik Christensen
Willie Wiggins
Irwin Block
Al Gomez
Paulius Bikus
David Coughlin
Michael Graffeo
Chad Millward
Thomas Millward
Ido Ashkenazi
Stanton Drazen
Hugh Hardy
Richard Kirsch
Robert Kessler
Jason Prest

Players will be heading on their first break of the day at the end of this level, returning to new blinds of 200/400/400.  Once play resumes, we will continues with a list of notables in the field.

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Official Chip Counts (Flight 1A-Flight 1E)

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/200)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 137




CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Added Seats To Event #1 Final Table...And More Added Seats Later This Month

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 2 (Blinds 100/200)
Total Flight 1F Entries: 90




If the potential of healthy final table payouts weren't enough for this tournament, there have been "added seats" to this tournament, for those that finish in tenth place or better.  The final ten players of CPPT Event #1 will receive entry into the $175 No Limit Hold'em ($25,000 GTD), which is scheduled for August 28th (6:00pm).

The final three players of that tournament ($175 NLH $25,000 GTD) will also entry a free seat, this time into September's opening multi ($360 No Limit Hold'em running from September 6th through September 9th). 

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1F): Cards In The Air For Final Starting Flight Of Event #1

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 1 (Blinds 100/100)
Total Flight 1F Entries: N/A


Five starting flights are now in the books for Event #1 of the Card Player Poker Tour ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD), with today's Flight 1F the final chance for players to bag chips for tomorrow's Day 2.  The combined totals to this point have seen (538) entries, of which (70) players have earned Day 1 cashes, and (29) bagged chips.  The five players to win the chip lead bonus are Michael Garavuso (Flight 1A), Thomas Puccio (Flight 1B), Matthew Brown (Flight 1C), David Poces (Flight 1D), and Michael Newman (Flight 1E)...all of which we will see in Event #8 of this series ($1,100 No Limit Hold'em).

The overall prize pool sits at $161,400, with (129) entries needed in today's flight to reach the $200,000 posted guarantee. The structure for the day mirrors that of yesterday's flight, with players sitting down to starting stacks of 20,000 units, and playing levels that last (30) minutes.  Once registration is closed (after Level 8), players will learn how many will reach the money (12.5%), and how many will bag for Monday (5%).

The full list of Day 2 chip counts will be posted shortly into coverage, with sporadic updates published throughout the afternoon/evening.  Tomorrow's Day 2 coverage will offer detailed updates through the event's conclusion, as we crown the first Card Player Poker Tour champion.

Sunday, August 19th: Final Event #1 Flight On Tap (With Early Satellite), As The CPPT Continues On

ICYMI: Yesterday's tournament schedule hosted a pair of Card Player Poker Tour Event #1 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD) starting flights, beginning with flight 1D at 11:00am.  The fourth of sixth opening flights attracted the largest field to have been played, with the tournament clock showing (132) entries at registration's close.  From that number, (17) players would reach the "money," with (7) players bagging for Day 2.  Chad Kastel (who was mentioned in coverage as Christopher Kastler...sorry Chad) eliminated Adel Arbuckle on the bubble, sending the field into the money.  Names like Marc Duquette, Thomas Millward, and Matthew Zarcadoolas, all earned "Day 1" cashes, and will likely return today to try and bag chips.  When the bagging process started, it was David Poces packing away the chip lead, which earned him a seat into Event #8 (chip lead bonus).  Official counts from Flight 1D are posted below:

David Poces - 558,000
Chad Kastel - 540,000
Tom Gity - 395,000
Marc Freund - 352,000
Truyen Nguyen - 337,000
Kenneth Borkuff - 335,000
Marek Madro - 124,000

As the fourth flight of Event #1 was winding down, players were just getting settled for Flight 1E of the tournament, which began at 6:00pm.  Registration would close with (92) entries, of which (12) players reached the money, and (5) would bag for Day 2.  The pace of play was a slight bit quicker than it's afternoon counterpart, with the money reached around Level 16, and play concluding with 2:15 minutes remaining in Level 20.  Official chip counts from Flight 1E are listed below:

Michael Newman - 739,000
Michael Kopjanski - 632,000
Kevin Chan - 270,000
Roy Cohen - 142,000
Yaron Burstein - 78,000

With five Event #1 opening flights now completed, the combined totals have seen (538) entries, of which (70) players have gotten paid, and (29) have bagged chips for Day 2.  The currently prize pool sits at $161,400, with another (129) entries needed to reach the posted $200,000 guarantee.

Tournaments: The day's schedule begins at 10:00am, with a $90 No Limit Hold'em "Turbo" Satellite Into Event #1.  The satellite is structured with 8,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (15) minutes.  Registration for the satellite is open through Level 8, so players the are interested in trying to win an Event #1 seat, should take note of the shortened registration period.

A short while after the satellite concludes, the final flight of Event #1 gets underway, with Flight 1F beginning at 2:00pm. The flight is structured with 20,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (30) minutes on Day 1 (transitioning to 40 minutes on Day 2).  Registration for each starting flight is open through Level 8 (and the break that follows), with play scheduled to conclude when the field reaches the 5% mark.  Day 1 payouts return, which was a wrinkle that we saw during the last major series (Florida State Poker Championship), as 12.5% make the money.  Players that bag chips in any of the opening flights will return on Monday for Day 2 (12:00pm).  Lets not forget about the "chip lead bonus," as the largest stack from each flight will earn entry into CPPT Event #8, which is the $1,100 No Limit Hold'em Main Event ($250,000 GTD).

As the registration window closes for Flight 1F, the second event of the Card Player Poker Tour gets underway (6:00pm).  Event #2 is a $130 No Limit Hold'em "Turbo Bounty," which boasts a $5,000 guaranteed prize pool.  The tournament is structured with 20,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (15) minutes.  Registration is open through Level 10, with the tournament scheduled as a one-day event.


Promotions: From (12:00am-10:00am), the high hand will award $100 every (60) minutes.  The high hands will then transition from 10:00am-12:00am, with the opportunity to win $400 every (30) minutes.  During that period, the promotion sees tournament players eligible each half-hour for $100 high hands, 2/2 limit hold'em players eligible for $200 high hands, 2/4 limit hold'em players eligible for $300 high hands, and all other raked games (1/2-5/10 NLH, 4/8 Omaha 8B, 6/12 O.E., etc.) eligible for $400 high hands.  

It should also be noted that players are able to win the high hand using only one card in their hand.  The payouts for those that use one card are different than the standard numbers listed above, and can be found (full listing of one-card payouts on flyers in the poker room).

10:00am - $90 No Limit Hold'em "Turbo" Satellite Into CPPT Event #1 ($360 NLH $200,000 GTD) 5 Seats GTD

- Players start with 8,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels will last (15) minutes

2:00pm -Card Player Poker Tour Event #1 (Flight 1F) | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)

- Players start with 20,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Day 1 levels will last (30) minutes , transitioning to (40) minutes on Day 2
Payouts: On each Day 1, 12.5% (1 in 8) of the field will be paid $500-$700 (depending on order of finish) down to 5% Day 2 field.

6:00pm - Card Player Poker Tour Event #2 | $130 No Limit Hold'em "Turbo Bounty" ($5,000 GTD)

- Players start with 20,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (10) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels will last (15) minutes

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1E): Official End Of Flight 1E Chip Counts

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 20 (Blinds 6,000/12,000/12,000)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 92
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 5


MichaelNewman 739,000
MichaelKopjanski632,000
KevinChan270,000
RoyCohen142,000
YaronBurstein78,000

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1E): 6th-7th Places ($700)

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 20 (Blinds 6,000/12,000/12,000)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 92
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 5

The following players have been eliminated from Flight 1E of the Card Player Poker Tour Event #1 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD), and have cashed for $700:

6. Evan Dollinger (Coral Springs, FL) 
7. Mitchell Tabasky (Pembroke Pines, FL) 

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1E): 8th-9th Places ($600)

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 20 (Blinds 6,000/12,000/12,000)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 92
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 5

The following players have been eliminated from Flight 1E of the Card Player Poker Tour Event #1 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD), and have cashed for $600:

8. Russell Fox (Boynton Beach, FL) 
9. Jose Parra (Hialeah Gardens, FL)

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1E): 10th-12th Places ($500)

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 20 (Blinds 6,000/12,000/12,000)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 92
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 5

The following players have been eliminated from Flight 1E of the Card Player Poker Tour Event #1 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD), and have cashed for $500:

10. Amer Ibrahim (Coral Springs, FL) 
11. Eric Christensen (Hallandale, FL) 
12. Euclid Zurbaran (Miami, FL)

CPPT Event #1 (Flight 1D): Official End Of Flight 1D Chip Counts

2018 Card Player Poker Tour (Isle Casino Pompano Park)
Event #1 | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)
Level 18 (Blinds 4,000/8,000/8,000)
Total Flight 1D Entries: 132
Flight 1D Players Remaining: 7

DavidPoces 558,000
ChadKastel540,000
TomGity395,000
MarcFreund352,000
TruyenNguyen337,000
KennethBorkuff335,000
MarekMadro124,000