Event 13 (Day 1B): Final Level Of The Night

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)

Total Day 1B Entries: 132

Play is now entering the final level of the night, which means the clock will be paused with 10:00 remaining on the clock in Level 12.  There will then be a determined amount of hands played by each table, before the bagging process begins.  Once the bags are verified, we will be posting the official chip counts for the flight.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Updated Counts At Final Break

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)

Total Day 1B Entries: 130

David Harmon (Advance, NC)

Day 1B players are taking their final break of the night, and will be returning to Level 11 and blinds of 800/1,600/200.  Alex Nguyen (Coral Springs, FL) is running away with the chiplead at the moment, sitting with over 440,000 in front of him.  Climbing up the leaderboard is cash game professional David Harmon (Advance, NC).  While Harmon fancies himself a cash-game pro, his tournament resume isn't too shabby at all.  Harmon has over $150,000 in career earnings, including a $99,000 score in 2014 during the "Colossus Jr." event run at Planet Hollywood (Las Vegas).

Alex Nguyen - 444,000

David Harmon - 210,000

Carey Pickus - 170,000

Ira Silverman - 140,000

Ronald Levy - 140,000

Bill Pilossoph - 135,000

Loni Harwood - 100,000

James Hamburger - 90,000

Ryan Van Sanford - 75,000

Steven McKoy - 70,000

Event 13 (Day 1B): Satellite Heating Up As Registration Closes

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)

Total Day 1B Entries: 130

(10) Seats were guaranteed, and the field is closing in on a 12th seat being given away

We've mentioned (in nauseum) the popularity of the satellites, and tonight's final opportunity has been no different.  The $175 buy-in tournament still has over a full level of registration remaining, and the prize pool has already eclipsed the number needed to make the guaranteed amount of seats.  By the time registration closes, we should see (12) seats being given away for the event, with a large numbers of recognizable names looking to get into the championship event for a fraction of the price.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Pickus Leading The Ladies

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)

Total Day 1B Entries: 129

Carey Pickus (Atherton, CA)

There are a handful of ladies remaining in the field, of the (57) active players left heading to Level 10, with Carey Pickus (Atherton, CA) leading the group.  With over 240,000 in front of her, she only trails Alex Nguyen and Brian Harmon, and is making a push for the flight chip lead.  Pickus has cashes from numerous spots across the country, but is looking for her first cash in the state of Florida.  With over $61,000 in career earnings, Carey is no stranger to the players/play that comes along with an event carrying a buy-in over $1,000.  The highlighting score on her poker resume came in 2014, when she final tabled the $1,100 MSPT Mid-Season Championship (5th Place - $42,017), held in Las Vegas during the WSOP.

Some other ladies remaining in the flight include Loni Harwood, Marsha Wolak, Kim Den, and Lisa Teebagy.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Who'd We Miss?

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 129

The Day 1B field continues to grow, as players that are busting out are re-entering, and a few new faces are joining for the first time.  Play has just entered Level 9, with blinds now 500/1,000/100, and a chip average across the floor of 56,000 (56 big blinds).  The shouts of "seat open" from the dealer can be heard every few minutes, as short stacks (or those below starting stack) are working with around (20) bigs.  

Notable players that are currently active in the field (and haven't been mentioned on the blog) include:

Ricardo Eyzaguirre

Rafael Ramos

Nader Bahhur

Riley Fuller

Daniel Cruz

Claude Ferland

Brandon Miller

Dolphus Powers

Sheldon Gross

Ryan Gianquitti

Antoine Bahi

Event 13 (Day 1B): Alex Nyugen Emerges With Lead Post-Dinner

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 121

Alex Nguyen (Coral Springs, FL)

Players have returned from dinner break, and will play through the conclusion of Level 12.  The blinds coming back are 400/800/100, with the chip average currently sitting at 53,000.  A scan of the room yielded a new chip leader, as Alex Nguyen (Coral Springs, FL) becomes the first player to eclipse the 200,000 mark.  Nguyen is coming off of his best year of tournament poker (2015), highlighted by a WSOP circuit win at Palm Beach Kennel Club, in the $365 NLH Six-Max event ($15,925).

Alex Nguyen - 225,000

Carey Pickus - 175,000

Ron Levy - 130,000

Hugh Hardy - 120,000

Loni Harwood - 120,000

Michael Foley - 110,000

Event 13 (Day 1B): Hastings Arrives Just Before Dinner

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/75)

Total Day 1B Entries: 114

Brian Hastings (Florida)

Filed in the "needs no introduction" category, Brian Hastings entered the Day 1B field moments ago.  Hastings has three WSOP bracelets to his name, and boasts a live tournament resume totaling just under $2,500,000.  Brian is coming off a WSOP summer where he cashed in (9) different events, including a final table in the $10,000 Razz Championship.  Hastings was originally seated at Table 3, but has since been moved, and now shares the felt with fellow Florida professional Ryan Van Sanford.

Players will be heading on their dinner break in (20) minutes, with play resuming at approximately 7:20pm.  For those interested in the final satellite of the series, that begins at 7:00pm, and will be played on the "outer" tournament tables that surround the poker room.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Harwood Makes First Isle Open Appearance

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/75)

Total Day 1B Entries: 109

Loni Harwood (Staten Island, NY)

Since moving to Florida, Loni Harwood has been a steady participant in the bigger events held here at the Isle Casino Poker Room.  Harwood is the owner of two WSOP bracelets, with her first coming in 2013 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Event #60 - $609,017), and the most recent from 2015 ($10,000 No Limit Hold'em National Championship - $341,599).  With over $1,888,000 in career tournament earnings, Harwood is definitely a name to look out for as the afternoon turns to evening.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Looking At Historical Data

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/75)

Total Day 1B Entries: 108

The numbers to start this event have been incredibly strong, with close to (140) entries expected once this flight finishes up.  In the past, the third (and final) starting flight has carried with it the highest number of entries, meaning we could potentially see this field soar well past the (500) number.  

Event 13 (Day 1B): Pilossoph Leads During Break

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/75)

Total Day 1B Entries: 105

William "Bill" Pilossoph (Presto, PA)

Day 1B players are now on their second break of the day, and will return to Level 6 and new blinds of 250/500/25.  The schedule will then see two more levels played before the next break, which is the hour long "dinner break."  A lap around the field uncovered some of the bigger stacks in the room, with the largest belonging to Bill Pilossoph (Presto, PA).  Pilossoph (sitting with 115,000) is making his first appearance of the series, and while the name might not be familiar, he is a tournament force to be reckoned with.  Pilossoph has over $730,000 in career tournament earnings, including a third place finish in the 2008 WPT World Championships ($209,530).

Bill happens to be seated at the same table as the second largest stack in the field, belonging to TK Miles (98,000).  The stacks sizes across the room seem to be pretty flat, with just the two players mentioned really separating themselves from the field at the moment.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Faces In The Crowd (Part III)

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/50)

Total Day 1B Entries: 100

Timothy "TK" Miles (Tallahassee, FL) was in attendance for yesterday's Day 1A flight, but was unable to find a bag at the end of the night.  Miles is seemingly on the precipice of something really big, falling just short of WPT "televised" final tables in back-to-back efforts (WPT Borgata Poker Open, WPT BestBet Bounty Jacksonville).

Steven McKoy (Birmingham, AL) has already locked up a profitable series, taking down the "winner's share" of the Event #5 chop from earlier in the series ($39,000).  McKoy has spent some of his time since then frequenting the higher limit cash games in the room (5/10 NLH and 10/25 NLH), but wasn't about to pass up this opportunity to win his third Isle Poker trophy.

Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) is playing this bullet "on the house," having earned entry into this event by bagging a chip lead bonus from Event #5.  The Massachusetts native now calls Florida home, and has really made a name for himself in the "Sunshine State" poker community.  Tom is coming off a summer where he had a $66,000 score (Event #1 SHRPO) and a $25,000 score (Event #22 SHRPO) just weeks apart.  What wasn't listed as well was the tournament he took down here at the Isle ($100,000 Guarantee) just days after his SHRPO Main Event deep run.

Ryan Van Sanford (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is on the list of "players who need no introduction," as the WPT title holder from Best Bet Jacksonville was one of the later arrivals this afternoon.  Van Sanford has played in two tournaments this series without cashing, but is considered a threat in most every event he plays.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Isle Casino Poker To Send All Results To Hendon Mob

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/50)

Total Day 1B Entries: 96

All tournament hosted here at the Isle will
now be submitted to HendonMob.com

We are proud to announce, that beginning November 1st, all tournament results will be submitted to Hendon Mob.  This has been a request from players for a very long time now, wanting the "daily tournament" results to be included and posted on Hendon Mob.

For those who may not know about the website, Hendon Mob is the premier destination for all statistical information, "tournament" related.  Those interested can go to the site by clicking here, and enter any name they want.  If that person has any major recorded results, the information will be listed.  Players are able to see where they rank in regards to other across the world, and can even break down statistical information by state or venue.  

To some, it may seem like "just another announcement," but this is another great step taken by the poker room management towards making the room even more "player friendly."  The daily tournament schedule offers some incredible options, and those that consistently cash in those events will be getting credit where credit is due.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Never Forgetting About The Roots

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)

Total Day 1B Entries: 68

Yves Fequiere (Miami, FL)

While it's great to see "big named" poker players circle this tournament on their schedule, these series wouldn't exist without the loyalty of the "regulars" that frequent the poker room.  Yves Fequiere (Miami, FL) would be one of those "regulars," a player who has earned a good fraction of his career earnings here at the Isle Casino Poker Room.  It should also be mentioned that a lot of these local players that have been featured on the blog, have extensive resumes beyond Hendon Mob ("daily tournament" results are not sent to Hendon Mob).  So while Yves shows over $98,000 in tournament earnings, it's likely that number would be well past the century mark had those results been included.

Fequiere headlines the list of "regulars" scattered across the current Day 1B field:

Taylor Dean-Lipson, David Albertson, Joseph Christman, TJ Shulman, Frederick Allenspach, Ronald Levy, Rachel Abut, Barry Price, Jose Chapui, Michael Newman

Event 13 (Day 1B): Looking To Parlay Peanuts To Piles

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)

Total Day 1B Entries: 61

James Quiles (Tampa, FL)

We've seen a total of (80) players satellite into this event over the course of the last month, with one satellite still remaining this evening.  That means that just under (100) players will have the opportunity to write the storyline...peanuts to piles.  The largest satellite run into this event was $340, meaning that someone could turn a few hundred dollars into a potential six-figure score.  James Quiles (Tampa, FL) was one of the players to earn entry in last nights satellite, but is only two of the ten to have taken their seat at the table (the other being Iftach Shimonovitc).

Here is a list of the other players to earn seats in last night's $175 No Limit Hold'em Satellite into this Championship Event:

Frank Lerczak
Gene Hochman
Aubry Borenstein
Ryan Gianquitti
Sean Anderson
Keith Morea
Derrick Cutler
Fredy Moreno
Rostant Ramlal

Event 13 (Day 1B): Official Day 1A Chip Counts w/ Day 2 Seating Assignments

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)

Total Day 1B Entries: 58

Yesterday's flight attracted a total of 113 entries, with (22) players bagging chips at night's end.  We saw a lot of players start strong yesterday, including Joe Couden and James Calderaro, but neither were able to reach the end of Level 12.  As mentioned earlier, AJ Gambino (Royerdford, PA) bagged the flight chip lead (443,900), with numerous other notables able to drop their chips in plastic to end the night.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Timing For Today (And Tomorrow)

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 56

With registration open for the entirety of play each of these starting flights, players choose all different times to show up.  While things were off to somewhat of a "slower" start in the early stages of Flight 1A play, we saw a very strong trend of players arriving "fashionably late."  Many players like to know exactly where the levels and blinds are when they're deciding to show up, so we give to you a breakdown of the structure with "real time:"

Level	Small Blind	Big Blind	Ante	"Real Time"
1	50	100		12:00-12:50pm
2	75	150	25	12:50-1:40pm
3	100	200	25	1:40-2:30pm
		Break		2:30-2:45pm
4	150	300	50	2:45-3:35pm
5	200	400	50	3:35-4:25pm
		Break		4:25-4:40pm
6	250	500	75	4:40-5:30pm
7	300	600	75	5:30-6:20pm
		Dinner		6:20-7:20pm
8	400	800	100	7:20-8:10pm
9	500	1,000	100	8:10-9:00pm
10	600	1,200	200	9:00-9:50pm
		Break		9:50-10:05pm
11	800	1,600	200	10:05-10:55pm
12	1,000	2,000	300	10:55-11:45pm

Event 13 (Day 1B): Faces In The Crowd (Part II)

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 55

We had a handful of players in yesterday's field that "needed no introduction," and Marsha Wolak (Pompano Beach, FL) is an addition to that list.  Taking her seat in the Day 1B field just moments ago, the 2011 WSOP Ladies Event champion is looking to build off of one of her strongest string of tournament months.  Wolak finished third in a $1,100 event at SHR ($52,900) in August, and followed that up with a deep run in the WPT Borgata Poker Open, and a final table finish in the $2,500 Coco Poker Open Main Event ($70,000).

Bernard Muhire (Pompano Beach, FL) may not be a recognizable name across the poker community, but he's made a name for himself this series.  The Pompano Beach resident reached the "richest" final table of this series so far, finishing in 7th place in Event #9 ($350 NLH $300,000 Guarantee), earnings himself his second largest score ($11,025).

Event 13 (Day 1B): Face In The Crowd (Part I)

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 44

If it's DFS (daily fantasy sports) related, the likelihood is that Sheddy Siddiqui (Pembroke Pines, FL) knows about it, and has an educated opinion on the subject as well.  The Florida based poker pro is making an appearance in his third event of the series, and while he hasn't cashed in the prior two, his tournament resume ($1,234,000 in earnings) is reason to believe that a deep run in this event is never in question.

James Hamburger's (Hollywood, FL) has been a staple during most each event of this series, so it's really no surprise to see him in this Day 1B field.  With over $1,400,000 in recorded online earnings, and close to $50,000 in live tournament earnings, Hamburger would have to be considered a good candidate to get his second cash of the series (Event #6 - 27th Place $416).

Michael Tufaro (Fort Myers, FL) already had an Isle Open Poker title to his name, coming in last year's $350 No Limit Hold'em Event #7.  Tufaro already has a deep run to speak of from this series, reaching the final two tables in efforts to defend his title this year.  Tufaro finished in 17th place during this years installment of the $350 NLH, and earned himself $1,685.

Event 13 (Day 1B): Second Championship Starting Flight Underway

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)

Total Day 1B Entries: 32

The cards are already in the air for Day 1B of the 2016 Isle Poker Open Championship Event ($1,500), with (32) "early bird entries" looking to follow in the footsteps of the (22) players to bag chips at the end of yesterday's flight.  Day 1A of the event saw many of the "who's who" in terms of Florida tournament poker, as well as some well known pros from other parts of the country.

Some of the "bigger" names have already been spotted in the field today, sitting down to fresh starting stack of 30,000.  The levels will be (50) minutes in length throughout these opening flights, and will transition to an hour long once Day 2 starts on Sunday.  Registration is open for the entirety of each flight, and will stay open until the cards are in the air for Day 2 (Sunday).  At this moment, everyone is chasing AJ Gambino (Royerdford, PA), who bagged the Day 1A chip lead with 443,900.  

A full list of chip counts and correlating seating assignments will be posted shortly into today's coverage, with the first "Faces In The Crowd" feature following a lap around the Day 1B field.

Event 13 (Day 1A): Official End Of Day 1A Chip Counts

Event 13 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event)

$500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Level 12 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)

Total Day 1A Entries: 113

Day 1A Players Remaining: 22

AJ	Gambino	443,900
Sean	Munjal	291,600
Steven	Rosen	243,000
Steve	Edelson	230,800
Isaiah	Goldman	210,700
Michael	Jagroo	193,700
Chris	Bolek	169,800
Gunnar	Rabe	153,700
Greg	Lehn	145,500
Daniel	Swied	141,000
Stewart	Newman	137,600
Vladislav	Varlashin	136,800
Athanasios	Polychronopoulos	135,500
Dimitry	Agrachov	127,200
William	Jennings	106,000
Raminder	Singh	91,000
Paul	Balzano	71,100
Cory	Williams	71,100
Sebastian	Sanchez	59,900
David	Diaz	53,900
Evan	Teitelbaum	50,700
Mario	James	14,600