Saturday, May 20th: Preakness Day At Isle Casino Pompano Means A Busy Poker Room

ICYMI: Friday night's $150 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament had a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool, and not only was that number reached, it was surpassed by almost $5,000!  A total of (209) entries made up the $24,035 prize pool, with a healthy $5,839 first place prize up top.  There were (27) spots paid in the event, and before play reached the final table, we saw a handful of recognizable names cash.  Players like Jeffrey Pardue, Gili Prizament, Albert Efremoff, Karen Duffy, and Mark Bernstein, all added to their tournament resumes, with the full results from the event posted on Tuesday's "Week In Review" feature.  

As the final table played out, with so much money at risk, it was only a matter of time before the discussion of a deal started.  It wouldn't be until the elimination of Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) in fifth place, that talks began, and an agreement was reached.  The four-way chop was headed by Albert Erenstoft  (Coconut Creek, FL), who received $4,678 for "first place," and saw his lifetime earnings eclipse $20,000.  Juan Rodriguez (Boca Raton, FL) notched himself another Isle Poker tournament score, getting second place money in the deal, which was worth $3,659.

1. Arnold Erenstoft (Coconut Creek, FL) $4,678
2. Juan Rodriguez (Boca Raton, FL) $3,659
3. Muneer Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $3,118
4. Jon Lane (Davie, FL) $2,400
5. Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) $1,157
6. Al Gomez (Miami Beach, FL) $959
7. Gilbert Bramwell (Plantation, FL) $817
8. Shelly Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $699
9. Ramon Gonzalez (Miami, FL) $584
10. Rita Balbirer (Coral Springs, FL) $505

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the schedule today, both of which should see a small rise in numbers because of the crowds from the Preakness Stakes.  The first tournament begins at 10:00am, a $100 buy-in No Limit Hold'em with $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD).  Players will sit down to starting stacks of 18,000 units, and will play a "turbo-ish"structure we (15) minute levels throughout the event.

For those players interested in a more "mid-major" feel tournament, $120 buy-in No Limit Hold'em ($8,000 GTD) would be your choice, beginning at 6:00pm.  Players in this event sit down to healthy starting stacks of 25,000 units, and begin the tournament with (20) minute levels.  Those levels will transition to (25) minutes later in the event, offering up deeper play, later in the tournament.

Promotions: The high hand promotions take another "breather" today, between yesterday's (11) hours worth of "turbo" high hands, tomorrow's (7) hours of $300 high hands (awarded every 15 minutes).  The "standard high hand" procedure is in place, awarded prizes to qualifying high hands every (30) minutes (with rollovers).

10:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD):

- Players will begin with a 18,000 starting stack

- Late and re-entries for the first (10) levels

- Option player "add-on" at the end of Level 10 ($25 for 10,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool 

- Levels are (15) minutes in length

6:00pm - $120 No Limit Hold'em ($8,000 GTD):

- Players will begin with a 15,000 starting stack

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

- Alternates and late entries will enter with full stacks

- Levels 1-8 are (20) minutes in length, transitioning to (25) minutes Levels 9+