"Structure Beast:" 13th-15th Places ($295)

The following players have been eliminated from the "Structure Beast," and have cashed for $295:

13. Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL)
14. Andres Ramirez (Lauderhill, FL)
15. Neil Plotkin (Melbourne, FL)

"Structure Beast:" 16th-18th Places ($261)

The following players have been eliminated from the "Structure Beast," and have cashed for $261:

16. Steven Abramowitz (Boulder, CO)
17. Vendel Johnson (Pembroke Pines, FL)
18. Norman Boothe (Oakland Park, FL)

"Structure Beast:" Field ITM, All Eyes On The Prize

With the elimination of John "O," the "Structure Beast" field is now in the money. Everyone remaining in the tournament is guaranteed at least $261. There are still a lot of "heroes" left, which means that we shouldn't be without some dramatic storylines. This is scheduled to be a one-day event, so we will be crowning a winner in the "wee" hours of the morning.  As we reach each pay jump, a list of players eliminated will be posted, with updated chip counts and photos once we reach the final table.

"Structure Beast:" Final Two Tables On The Money Bubble

The "Final Two" 

Once returning from dinner, the action in the "Structure Beast" slowed down to a crawl, as it took close to two hours to lose (15) players.  We are now two eliminations away from the money bubble, with those remaining playing Level 18 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500).  The chip average at the moment is just under 120,000, meaning that the average stack is hovering around (30) big blinds.  Here are the lineups for the two tables that remain:

Table 1:

1. Eddie Do
2. Bryce McVay
3. Neil Plotkin
4. Paulius Bikus
5. Edgard Mendes
6. Raminder Singh
7. Norman Booth
8. Jon "O"
9. Vendel Johnson
10. Jean Chery

Table 2:

1. Gregg Weiss
2. Michael Guardino
3. Andres Ramirez
4. Steve Avo
5. John Palace
6. Jeram Caninpin
7. Scott Jaffa
8. Alex Shafran
9. Tom Gity
10. Gunnar Rabe

"Structure Beast:" Still Alive And Creeping Towards The Money

The "Structure Beast" field is only (17) eliminations from the money, and we have a handful of notable names still remaining.  Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) jumped into the event late, and immediately made his presence felt, having chipped up to 80,000 from the original 12,000 starting stack.  Some other names still left in the field include Tom Gity, Angela Julian, Patty Conrad, Edgard Mendes, and Andres Ramirez.

Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) is really a name that needs no introduction here at the Isle.  He seemingly chips up quickly in every event he plays, which could be the reason behind his 2016 tournament cashes ranking.  Singh is 12th in the world currently on Hendon Mob for the year, with (36) recorded results (many of which came in this poker room).

Jeff Burdeen (Delray Beach, FL) is a name that has been mentioned numerous times on the blog, with many of those mentions coming during the Isle Poker Open last month.  Burdeen ended up cashing in one event during the series, falling a few spots short of the Event #9 final table (15th Place - $2,520).

Bryce McVay (Tampa, FL) is a Florida tournament professional with over $150,000 in career earnings, but he calls Tampa home, so most of his results have come in poker rooms north of here.  He's currently sitting with over 100,000 and is looking to score his first tournament cash here at the Isle. 

"Structure Beast:" Official Event Payouts

The dinner break has come and gone, and registration is now closed for the "Structure Beast."  The tournament ended up with (197) total entries, giving us a final prize pool of $22,655.  There are currently (38) players remaining, from which (18) will end up making the money.  Here are the official payouts for the tournament:

$150 No Limit Hold'em "Structure Beast" ($20,000 GTD)
Total Entries: 197
Total Prize Pool: $22,655

Payouts:

1. $7,021
2. $4,078
3. $2,605
4. $1,835
5. $1,416
6. $1,076
7. $838
8. $623
9. $442

10-12. $351

13-15. $295

16-18. $261

"Structure Beast:" Dinner Break, Registration Window Closing

The remaining (54) players are currently on their (30) minute dinner break, and will be returning to Level 13 9600/1,200/2000.  Once play resumes, registration for the event will be closed, and we will then bring you the official numbers for today's event. Live coverage will follow with official results as we reach the money, with players that cash posted after each pay jump.  The tournament will resume at approximately 7:00pm.

"Structure Beast:" Service With A Smile

The remaining players in the field are taking a quick five minute break, while the tournament staff colors off the green (25) chips from play.  There will be another two levels played afterwards, followed by the (30) minute scheduled dinner break.  The field is up to (185) total entries, giving us a current prize pool of $21,275 (first place is over $6,500!!!).

You may think that I'd be slightly bias, having spent countless hours working in this poker room, but the dealers here at the Isle Casino Pompano Beach are some of the best you'll find.  They are always smiling, personable, but most importantly...they run a good game.  Yes...they may throw down a bad beat here and there, but we certainly can't blame them...it's the cards.  It's always nice to recognize the staff for their hard work, so don't forget to thank them when you have a chance.

Marco Chan (Coral Springs, FL) has over $12,000 in recorded tournament earnings, including a deep run in the recent $2,500 Championship Event at Coconut Creek (34th Place - $6,000).  That was Marco's largest career cash to date, so don't be surprised if you see him sitting next to you at one of the many tournament venues in the Florida.

A search of Nick Tally's name didn't yield any recorded tournament results, but he's another dealer that is always smiling, and has a great rapport with the players.

Karl Heine is another dealer without a tournament resume, but that could be because of the time he spends working here in the poker room.  Don't let the lack of results fool you though, a lot of the dealers you see here at the Isle are very adept at poker, having seen hundreds of thousands of hands play out in front of their eyes.

We will have to confirm with Trung Le, but we weren't able to find any results on Hendon Mob, when it comes to tournament poker recorded cashes.  While he may not have a tournament resume, his "dealer" resume is super strong, as he embodies a lot of what a poker room would like to see out of their staff.

"Structure Beast:" Earlier Leaders Across The Room, Guarantee Reached

The first "Structure Beast" tournament of the month attracted a total of (206) entries, and it looks as if we are on the same pace for today's event.  The prize pool was just over $20,000 as players headed on their second break of the day, so everything that arrives before registration closes is just going to "pad the pool."  One of the notables to show up just before break was Raminder Singh, the vocal piece of Slum Donkey Poker.  We are seeing some players separate themselves from the field in terms of chip counts, while the rest of stacks seem pretty flat across the room.

Sahadeo Seenarraine (Tamarac, FL) has (13) recorded cashes for over $6,380 that make up his tournament resume, with all of those cashes coming here at the Isle Poker Room.  Seenarraine is looking to add another score to that list, as he currently sits with over 80,000, and is in the top five in current chip counts.

Greg Barker (Delray Beach, FL) is currently doing something that many poker players seem to have trouble with, continuing an upward trend after a very early "fast start."  You may remember that Barker hit a two-outer earlier in the afternoon to take a immediate chip lead in the field, but he has since continued to accumulate chips, and is just under 90,000 at the moment.

Jean Chery (West Palm Beach, FL) is another player with a small amount of cashes on his tournament resume (three), but is focusing on a deep run today.  Anything better than 6th place this evening would eclipse his total earnings coming into the day, and with his propensity for activity today, it wouldn't surprise anyone to see him spin his 80,000 stack up more than he has to this point.

"Structure Beast:" Making "Pairs" In The Field

Players are going to be heading on their second break of the day at the end of this level (Level 8), meaning there are four levels (and through dinner break) of registration left for the tournament.  The $20,000 guaranteed prize pool will be eclipsed during that period, solid proof that this event has become a "fan favorite."  We mentioned the Lipkins in our most recent post (husband and wife combo in the field), and have come across another couple in the tournament together...Angela Julian (Pinellas Park, FL) and Garrett Topping (Atlanta, GA).

Angela Julian (Pinellas Park, FL) only has one recorded cash on her resume, coming during the 2014 Spring Poker Open at Hard Rock Tampa, but she's currently on pace to add another to the list.  Julian is one of the chip leaders in the field, sitting with over 70,000 in front of her, a comfortable stack of (140) big blinds.

Only a few tables over from Angela is her boyfriend Garrett Topping (Atlanta, GA), another player with only one recorded cash on his resume.  His singular cash also came at Hard Rock Tampa, but it was during the 2014 Winter Poker Open.  Topping has to do some work to catch up to his girlfriend's chip stack at the moment, but this structure allows for deep play and movement in these early stages.

John Palace (Jupiter, FL) is coming off an Isle Poker Open in which he cashed in two events, finishing third in Event #8 ($75 NLH) for $1,378 and then 74th the following day in Event #9 ($350 NLH) for $677.  Palace was one of our later arrivals, and sits with just over the starting stack.

"Structure Beast:" "Through The Lens"

"Structure Beast" play has just entered Level 7, with blinds going up to 200/400/50.  The field (and prize pool) continues to grow, as we currently sit with (146) total entries, and current prize pool of $16,790.  Since the blog's inception last month, we have come across many different (and interesting) pairings in the tournament fields.  We have the Caraballo twins (Hector and Nestor) who play tons of tournaments each month, and there was also the Shah siblings (Michelle and Sean), who made deep runs in respective events during the Isle Poker Open.  Today we have a husband and wife pairing in the field, and Linda and Stephen Lipkins sit only a few tables away from each other.

Isle Poker notable Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) took a hand off to smile for a photo with Patty Conrad and Linda Lipkins.  Linda is one half of the husband/wife combo we just mentioned, and currently has the better of the two tournament resumes between husband and wife.  Linda has over $83,000 in career earnings (with $45,000 coming during a  2015 Venetian Deepstack event).

Stephen Lipkins (Boca Raton, FL) has a little catching up to do if he wants to surpass his wife's career earnings, but he sits with a very respectable $46,000 in recorded tournament earnings.  Stephen's last recorded cash here at the Isle came earlier this year, during May's $100,000 GTD "Bankroll Maker," where he finished 40th for $420.

Stephen Moreno (Miami, FL) is another familiar face in the crowd, and a name you may remember from the Isle Poker Open.  Moreno was part of the nine-way chop of Event #5 ($570 No Limit Hold'em).  Moreno would earn his career best cash that night, taking some $22,000 for his efforts.

While Michael Hefley's tournament resume only has three recorded cashes on it, they are all over $1,000, with his last cash earning him over $7,000.  Healey reached the final table of Event #1 ($150 No Limit Hold'em) during the Isle Poker Open, eventually finishing in 4th place and taking home $7,641.

"Structure Beast:" Faces In The Crowd

The "Structure Beast" field continues to grow, as we are now over (130) entries.  While there are more notables faces in the tournament crowd, there is one "notable" that's in the room that deserves mention (who is playing cash).  Jerry Wong (Plattsburgh, NY) may be originally from New York, but he now calls Florida home, and is back in action here at the Isle.  Jerry's name should be familiar to anyone who follows poker, coming off his final table finish at the WSOP Main Event.  There were throngs of players watching the ESPN coverage here on the big screens, including numerous players that were remaining in the Isle Poker Open Championship Event (Day 2).  Jerry ended up finishing in 8th place for a career highlighting score of $1,100,076.  It's great to have Jerry back in the room, and we can now send our formal "Isle Poker" congratulations his way.

Back to the tournament at hand, players are currently on their first break of the day, and will be returning to Level 6 and blinds of 150/300/25.

Albert Barney (Pompano Beach, FL) is primarily a cash game player, but that hasn't stopped him from amassing a recorded tournament resume over $11,000 in earnings.  Three of Barney's largest cashes have come at Coconut Creek, with his last Isle tournament cash coming this past June (Isle June "Monster Stack").

We mentioned Albert Barney's tournament cashes coming at Coconut Creek, and if you've ever played in their poker room, then you will recognize our next notable, Andres Ramirez.  Ramirez is a dealer at the casino's poker room, but is using his day off today to "flip the tables" on the players he usually pitches cards to.

Dave Albertson is a mainstay in most every tournament that is run here at the Isle, and has a pretty solid track record to show for it.  Albertson has just under $180,000 in career recorded earnings, but we can only estimate how much more that number would be, have the "daily" tournament results been posted to Hendon Mob years earlier.

"Structure Beast:" The Price Is Right For Barker, Century Mark Eclipsed

Players at Table 6 eagerly await the outcome of the 
four-way all-in.

Things might have started of slowly on this Monday (35 entries to begin tournament), but we have just crossed the (100) entry mark, and have a prize pool that is over half the way to the guarantee (currently $13,110).  We've seen the arrival of many notables, including the likes of Tom Gity, Stephen Lipkins, Linda Lipkins, Zachary Epstein, Rafael Ramos, Francois Gagne, and Sabas Ferrer.

There aren't usually notable hands to mention when blinds are only 75/150, but we just had a four-way all-in after the flop at Table 6, with Greg Barker scooping a massive pot and assuming the early chip lead.  We walked by the table just as the dealer was figuring out all of the stacks and side-pots, with a flop on the table of Q♦ 10♣ 3♣.  Greg Barker (Delray Beach, FL) would have everyone covered, but was well behind and searching for help.

Once everything was sorted out with the pot, the four hands were turned over, with three players at risk:

Flop: Q♦ 10♣ 3♣

Barker: K♣ 9♣ (combo draw)
Player X: J♦ 9♦ (straight draw)
Player Y: A♣ 2♣ (nut flush draw)
Player Z: Q♠ 10♦ (flopped two pair)

Turn: 5♥
River: J♥

Barker was in pretty rough shape when the hands were tabled, as the table discussed what cards each player needed to potentially win the hand.  Once the turn hit, Barker was hoping to find one of his two outs on the river...which he did with the J♥.  Greg would eliminate his three opponents from the tournament, and chip up to 50,000.

ICYMI: November 14th-21st "Week In Review"

Monday November 14th saw two tournaments on the schedule, with the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties event ending in a six-way chop, and the $40 No Limit Hold'em event ending in a four-way chop.  Isle Poker notable Paula Holder (Pompano Beach, FL) took down the winning share of the afternoon tournament ($659), pushing her career earnings close to $90,000.

11:00am - $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD):

1. Paula Holder ($659)
2. Francois Gagne ($573)
3. James Tremko ($553)
4. Arlene Vazquez ($458)
5. Darryl Smith ($195)

7:00pm - $40 No Limit Hold'em ($3,000 Guarantee):

1. Bruno Fortin ($539)
2. Jesse Hatfield ($538)
3. Barry Tucker ($524)
4. Diane Linke ($513)
5. Rafael Santoni ($441)
6. Francis Adams ($339)
7. William Rouzeau Jr. ($137)
8. Gatien Dumoulin ($102)
9. Craig Caffro ($70)
10. Zachary Epstein ($58)
11. Emery Hunt ($58)
12. Jeffrey Baisley ($58)
13. John Vidal ($49)
14. David Wicinski ($49)
15. Sabas Ferrer ($49)

There were two more tournaments on the slate for Tuesday November 15, including the ever-popular $40 No Limit Hold'em with a $10,000 guarantee.  The evening event attracted over (401) total entries, and crushed the guarantee with a prize pool of over $14,300.

11:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($3,000 GTD):

1. Robert Valentine ($1,023)
2. Christina Cadbury-Feldman ($860)
3. Martin Kaplan ($820)
4. Jordan Shamah ($756)
5. Michael Goldberg ($472)
6. Sheila Masterson ($458)

6:00pm - $40 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 Guarantee):

1. Glen Canelstein ($1,635)
2. Kenneth Arnaez ($1,514)
3. Antonio Pinto ($1,386)
4. Lance Tomassi ($1,251)
5. Stephen Bromfield ($1,206)
6. Matthew Lansdon ($1,133)
7. Michelle Milker ($887)
8. Teresa Cutty ($658)
9. Vassili Koval ($630)
10. Jesse Hatfield ($592)
11. Robert Saunders ($172)
12. Ruy Da Silva ($172)
13. Michael Dotson ($136)
14. Leonard Feldman ($136)
15. Brian Brennan ($136)
16. Miguel Cueto ($114)
17. Nestor Caraballo ($114)
18. Jack Searcy ($114)
19. Christopher Spencer ($100)
20. Sabas Ferrer ($100)
21. Joe Verrastor ($100)
22. Woody Bernardo ($100)
23. Oktay Altinbas ($100)
24. William Napier ($100)
25. Frank Leistner ($100)
26. Dmitri Dejean ($100)
27. Landon Sauter ($100)
28. Favian Ruiz ($86)
29. Luis Guarda ($86)
30. Rafael Santoni ($86)
31. Jonathan Ounjian ($86)
32. Evan Bruanstein ($86)
33. Luke Rosenberg ($86)
34. Yves Fequiere ($86)
35. Billy Michel ($86)
36. Carlos Ramos ($86)
37. Neil Zonenashvilli ($72)
38. Ruth Comeau ($72)
39. Robert Warren ($72)
40. Russel Stempler ($72)
41. Jorge Soto ($72)
42. Benjamin Leahy ($72)
43. Michael Valdez ($72)
44. Gili Prizament ($72)
45. Brad Hughes ($72)

With much of the focus on Wednesday November 16th on the "Spin To Win" promotion, there was only one tournament on the schedule, a $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($5,000 GTD).

7:00pm - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($5,000 GTD):

1. Andrew Silvey ($652)
2. Rico Cox ($640)
3. Brian Dunn ($598)
4. Michael Gutterman ($564)
5. Joseph Hudson ($495)
6. Pat Bsilio ($450)
7. Ali Khalil ($450)
8. Kenneth Loeper ($373)
9. Leah Silvey ($301)

The first "Free Roll" of the week was on Thursday November 17th, guaranteeing a prize pool of $2,000.  The evening event saw the return of the "Monster Stack," but this time it boasted a guaranteed prize pool of $7,000.  We saw Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) add another Isle Poker tournament win to his resume, taking down the event outright, and earning himself $3,205.

10:00am - $2,000 Guaranteed No Limit Hold'em Freezeout "Free Roll:"

1. Randall Bennett ($200)
2. Michael Fraidin ($200)
3. Jorge Soto ($200)
4. Adam Shlomi ($200)
5. Rick Kalgstein ($200)
6. Fernando Alfredo ($200)
7. Vincent Laino ($200)
8. Michael Gellar ($200)
9. Carlos Burke ($200)
10. Dennis Adams ($200)

6:00pm - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($7,000 GTD):

1. Tom Gity ($3,025)
2. Thomas Roth ($1,741)
3. Lisa Teabaggy ($1,145)
4. Henry Behr ($779)
5. Horney Boutros ($619)
6. Dave Albertson ($481)
7. Julio Lopez ($389)
8. Michael Spadafore ($298)
9. Vincent Gelormine ($206)
10. Kenneth Loeper ($160)
11. Barry Chazen ($160)
12. Mohamed Mbaied ($160)

The weekend started strong this past week (Friday November 18th), as it usually does with just one event on the schedule.  The $150 buy-in tournament with a $10,000 guarantee attracted a nice sized field, and boasted a prize pool of $13,800.  The event ended in a six-way chop, with Andrey Kolchov taking down the winner's share of $2,680.

6:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 Guaranteed)

1. Andrey Kolchov ($2,680)
2. Robert Transue ($2,147)
3. Roman Gonzalez ($1,922)
4. Margo Costa ($1,882)
5. Hosney Boutros ($1,756)
6. Patrick Carnakie ($1,247)
7. Sergio Alves ($538)
8. Aubrey Borenstein ($400)
9. Mati Rom ($331)
10. Willy Ramos ($304)
11. William Smith ($290)
12. Chrissy Pham ($276)

Saturday November 19th returned to the "two-tournament slate," and also saw Bruno Fortin (Lauderhill, FL) return to the final table, this after winning Monday's $40 No Limit Hold'em event for $539.

11:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD):

1. Luis Pena Rivera ($436)
2. Sergio Amato ($436)
3. Joshua Rothlein ($436)
4. Troy Douglas ($436)
5. Willy Ramos ($436)

7:00pm - $75 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 Guaranteed):

1. Angelo Ingham ($1,187)
2. Lev Binik ($1,040)
3. Patricia Conrad ($757)
4. Michael Mundy ($753)
5. Bruno Fortin ($745)
6. Michael Gutterman ($289)
7. Hunter Colby ($223)
8. Reggie Bautista ($178)
9. Michael Spadafore ($150)
10. Gregg Bloom ($128)
11. Nicolas Marzelli ($117)

With everything that was going on Sunday November 20th (High Hand Promotion, NFL Football, west coast Dolphins game), the attendance for both tournaments on the schedule was very solid.  Both events ended in a chop, which is a common theme we are seeing here during these "daily" events.

11:00am - $70 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD):

1. Peter Coloyan ($423)
2. Linzell Borders ($414)
3. Bernie Boudle ($408)
4. Paul Berenson ($316)
5. William Ameral ($136)

6:00pm - $135 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties ($2,500 GTD):

1. Thelma Shuman ($960)
2. Lawrence Paden ($702)
3. Patricia Basilio ($664)
4. Luzviminda Dauz ($600)

"Structure Beast" Getting Underway Momentarily

Tournament Director Ralph Brandt is currently finishing up with the rules announcement for the "early bird" entries, and card are about to get in the air for the "Structure Beast."  Players in this event will be sitting down to starting stack of 12,000 in chips, and have through Level 12 to enter...which means registration is open until after 6:00pm (with 30 minute levels throughout the event).  There are scheduled breaks of (10) minutes about every four levels, and a (30) minute dinner break scheduled after Level 12.

The last time we ran this event, it was November 7th of this month.  The attendance was solid, with a total of (206) entries, and a prize pool over $23,000.  Today's tournament started with (35) entries, but don't let that number fool you...the long "open registration period" allows for this field to continue to grow.

We've spotted a few Isle Poker notables, including Alfonso Perez and Edgard Mendez, but the rest of the field are some new faces (which is always a welcome sight).  There will be sporadic updates throughout the tournament here on the blog, including official payouts, all numbers relating to the event, photos, official results, and final table features.  You can also look forward to the "Week In Review" feature, as well as an "ICYMI" in regards to last weeks "Spin To Win" promotion.

Monday, November 21st: The "Structure Beast" Is Back

Thanksgiving week is finally upon us, and "Mother Nature" seems to be sending a "chilly" reminder that there is still winter in Florida.  That "Mother Nature" can be a beast, but she's no match for today's "Structure Beast," which kicks off at noon.  This is the second of two "runs" for this tournament, with the first playing out earlier this month on November 7th.  The tournament attracted over (200) entries, and soared past the $20,000 guarantee that was posted on the event.  The first place prize was schedule to be over $7,300, but things ended in a three-way chop between Ian Cohen, Rick Kalgstein, and Jack Sumner (all taking home over $4,000).  The "blogger" will be in attendance for today's event, offering up a "look through the lens," occasional tournament updates, as well as the ever popular "Week In Review" feature.

While much of the focus will be on the "Structure Beast," there is another tournament on today's schedule, with the $40 No Limit Hold'em ($3,000 GTD) getting underway at 7:00pm.

11:00am - $150 No Limit Hold'em "Structure Beast" ($20,000 GTD):

- Players will start with 12,000 in tournament chips

- Late and re-entries for the first (12) levels

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (30) minutes in length throughout the event

7:00pm - $40 No Limit Hold'em ($3,000 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 10,000 starting stack

- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels

- Optional player "add-on" at the end of Level 8 ($20 for 8,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool

-  Levels are (20) minutes in length