Saturday, April 29, 2017

"April $100,000 GTD:" Official Flight 1E Chip Counts

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 28


Domenic Pizziferri 266,000
Gil Guadalpi 256,000
David Inselber 256,000
Michael Sklar 237,500
Anthony Ocampo 221,000
Paula Alibrandi 208,000
Jorge Gomez 203,500
Walter Pietrzaki 195,500
Alan Munoz 195,500
Terry Siele 183,000
Michael Tufaro 175,000
Rob Kessler 172,500
Jason Buff 158,000
Steven Caplan 156,500
Rafael Ramos 153,500
Peter Fellows 147,500
Fernando Pages 136,000
Angelo Miele, Jr 129,500
Juan Rodriguez 114,000
Joseph Durso 111,000
Martin Markov 105,500
Alfonso Perez 102,000
Marcin Plewinski 101,500
Vince Francavilla 100,500
Zakarya Wolgamott 91,500
Ken Bruno 63,500
Erik Silevitch 39,000
Nigel Murray  

"April $100,000 GTD:" Trying To Navigate Through This Last Level

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 34

The final level of the flight started about five minutes ago, with the players remaining on the four active tables trying to make it another 20-30 minutes.  When 10:00 minutes remain on the clock, it will be paused, and a predetermined amount of hands will be played.  Once those hands are finished at each table, the bagging process will begin.  It will take some time for the tournament staff to verify all of the bags (with the largest remaining field to date to end this flight), but the official chip counts will follow just a few hours later.  

The same scenario will take place in the early morning hours of Sunday, as Flight 1F ends up bagging sometime around 2:30am.  The official counts from those flights, along with seating assignments for Day 2 will be posted between as soon as the information is available.

"April $100,000 GTD:" Jo Flies Under The Radar, And Under The Hood

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 15 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/500)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 42


Adel Jo (Miami, FL)

Adel Jo (Miami, FL), one of the more successful "daily" tournament players here at the Isle, somehow went under the radar for most of Flight 1E.  His cover has been blown though, as he just won a pot from one of the chip leaders (Terry Siele) to vault up the leaderboard.  The action between Adel and Siele was caught on the flop of K♠ 9♣ 8♣, as Jo check-called a 20,000 bet (about pot sized bet).  The action went check-check after the 7on the turn, followed by the dealer tabling the 10♠ on the river.  Adel then chose to bet 20,000, which was called by Siele after a few seconds of thought.  Jo tabled 6 7 (flopped open-ended, turned pair, and rivered straight), with Siele pushing his hand towards the muck after one last look.

That pot would bring Jo over 170,000, which is well over the 105,000 chip average at the moment.

Adel Jo - 170,000
Terry Siele - 166,000

"April $100,000 GTD:" Final Flight Of April $100,000 GTD Underway

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 14 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/400)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 46

Maurice Hawkins (Plantation, FL)

The final flight of this $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD got underway about an hour ago, and we are seeing a bunch a faces for the first time.  WSOP-Circuit beast Maurice Hawkins (Plantation, FL) brings his incredibly impressive resume to the felt, with circuit rings for all of his fingers, and over $2,200,000 in career live tournament earnings.  It's not just WSOP-circuit success he sees, as Hawkins has three Isle Poker titles to his name, the most recent coming during the 2017 Battles At The Beach series ($250 No Limit Hold'em Event #12 - $6,800).  Maurice is joined in the early field by numerous other notables:

Kimberly Jones
Thomas Millward
Larry Stoddard
Maury Halperin
Alik Sitnyakovsky
Luminita Petric
John Palace
Taylor Dean-Lipson
David Albertson
Perry Shiao

"April $100,000 GTD:" Updated Chip Counts Post-Break

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 13 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 50

Players are seated and the cards are in the air once again, with four full levels scheduled before the bagging process begins.  Posted below are updated chip counts tallied during the break:

Dominic Piziferri - 250,000
Terry Siele - 180,000
Jeffrey Trudeau - 175,000
Charlemagne Benjamin - 160,000
David Inselberg - 160,000
Rafael Ramos - 130,000
Joseph Gurso - 120,000
Nigel Murray - 110,000
Michael Tufaro - 110,000
Rafiki Brown - 100,000

"April $100,000 GTD:" Notables Eliminated From The Field

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 12 (Blinds 800/1,600/300)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 57

Players are halfway through Level 12, and will take their final break of the day (10 minutes) at it's conclusion, returning to Level 13 and blinds of 1,000/2,000/300.  The list of player below denotes those that have been eliminated since the registration window closed, some of which will take a shot at Flight 1F, and others that have thrown in the towel for the tournament.

Brian Hastings
Joseph Mancuso
Robert Urspruch
Hugh Hardy
TJ Shulman
Luis Santoni
Ty Akbasli

"April $100,000 GTD:" Gross's Agression Helps Him Climb Leaderboard

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 11 (Blinds 00/1,200/200)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 69


Sheldon Gross (Hillsboro Beach, FL) 

After three players limped to Dominic Piziferri on the button at Table 5, he would three-bet to 7,000.  The blinds then folded, and action was on Sheldon Gross, who had limped UTG.  Gross called the 7,000, and watched as the two other players in the hand released their holdings.  The dealer fanned out a flop of K♣ 8♠ 7♠, with Gross check-calling Piziferri's 10,000 flop bet.  Gross immediately went into action at the 9♣ on the turn, shoving for close to 98,000.  Piziferri would ask for an exact count, but it would only be a few seconds after he got the reply, that he would fold his hand.  Gross chipped up to 143,000 with the pot, and is now one of the larger stacks remaining in the field.

Sheldon Gross - 143,000
Dominic Piziferri - 135,000

"April $100,000 GTD:" Tufaro Gets A Fortuitous Flop

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 10 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 80


Michael Tufaro (Ft. Myers, FL)

Michael Tufaro (Ft. Myers, FL) returned from the break before Level 9 only to find himself moving to another table.  After acclimating himself to the new surroundings, Tufaro (still in Level 9) opened to 2,200 from UTG.  The early open was followed by four calls, with the dealer then placing out a flop of A♥ K 10♣.  Tufaro led for 5,000, with his opponent next to act three-bet shoving for just over 18,000, clearing out the rest of the players behind.  Tufaro quickly place forward the chips for a call, and would be ahead with that flop, holding K♠ 10♠ against A♣ J.  His opponent could not find one of his numerous outs on the turn and river, and Tufaro would hold for the win.

Tufaro would go on to three-bet a button open from the button the very next hand, and scoop another small pot after action checked down each street.  He's now close to 100,000, and just sitting down to his third table of the day.

Michael Tufaro - 96,000

"April $100,000 GTD:" Updated Chip Counts From The Field

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 9 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 168
Flight 1E Players Remaining: 89


Dominic Piziferri (Florida)

Flight 1E was the largest of the five flights to date, with a total of (168) entries, over (60) more than the four before.  Over half of the field still remains, but it should shrink significantly over the course of the next nine levels.  Players return from break with Dominic Piziferri leading the way, sitting with just over 145,000.  Research was not able to yield any recorded results under Dominic's name, so it will be interesting to see how he fares as the flight plays down.

Domonic Piziferri - 145,000
Alan Munoz - 132,000
Charlemagne Benjamin - 121,000
Rafiki Brown - 118,000
Joseph Durso - 102,000
Peter Fellows - 100,000
Jeffrey Trudeau - 95,000

"April $100,000 GTD:" Registration Window Closing, One More Flight Scheduled

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 153

There is currently (15) minutes remaining in Level 8, which is the last level of open registration for this flight.  Players have through the break after this level to enter, or can wait until the evening flight (Flight 1F) begins at 6:00pm.  Once players return to Level 9 (Blinds 400/800/100), the first updated list of chip counts will be posted, followed by live action from the tables.

"April $100,000 GTD:" Fellows Part Of A Late Arriving Group

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 146

Peter Fellows (Pembroke Pines, FL) 

There has been a surge of entries during the last level, with registration closing the moment the cards are in the air for Level 9 (leaving players about 80 minutes to get in).  One of those entries was that of  Peter Fellows (Pembroke Pines, FL), who is coming off of the third largest score of his tournament career.  Fellows took first place in a seven-way deal that ended last Thursday's $130 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD) event.  Fellow earned $6,776 as his share of the chop, along with the trophy that is awarded to player that ships the "special" tournaments each month (those "special" tournaments are noted on the tournament calendar, along with the Bravo Live App).  Posted below is a list of other players to grab a seat in this flight over the last level:

Charlemange Benjamin
Ariel Williams
Vendel Johnson
Hector Pacheco
Erik Nomberg
Morris Heider
Sheldon Gross
Alfonso Perez

"April $100,000 GTD:" Best Part Of Tournament Poker...There's Always Tomorrow

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 6 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 139

Joseph Durso (Brooklyn, NY)

The comparison between poker and athletic sports is a debatable one...but in professional sports, when you lose the championship game, sometimes it's close to a year before you can get back in action.  Players who lose the Super Bowl in February have to wait sevens months to return to play, which can really drive some people mad.  In poker though, whether you're playing a tournament or cash game...there is always tomorrow.  There is always another cash game to play, or another tournament on the schedule somewhere, to help "get back on the horse."

Two days ago, Joseph Durso (Brooklyn, NY) was featured early in Flight 1A, after losing a sizable pot to David Wolff.  The hand would send Durso to the rail, but only for a short time, as he's back in action today.  His Flight 1D start has been much better, as he was the first player to eclipse the century mark, and currently leads the field with just under 120,000.

Joseph is another player whose results are primarily for properties in the Northeast, but he's not a resident of Florida, and is looking to build up his resume with some results here at the Isle.

"April $100,000 GTD:" Familiar Face In A Different Place

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/25)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 123

David "Coldstone" Inselberg (New York, NY)

Before launching the blog here at the Isle Poker Room, this media personality was covering tournaments all over the Northeast (Borgata, Parx, Maryland Live!, Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun).  So when a player is at the table that is from up north, they rarely go unnoticed.  David Inselberg (New York, NY) is a tournament poker veteran with over $1,000,000 in recorded earnings, breaking onto the scene in 2010.  Inselberg finished runner-up in the $10,000 WPT World Poker Finals at Foxwoods (2010) for $325,608, and has since recorded (81) more cashes.  David has titles from Borgata, Parx, and Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, and is now looking to add and Isle Poker trophy to his mantle.  

Inselberg is one of the most genuine players you'll find at the poker table, always chatting it up with his table mates, and really enjoying what has become his career.  When he's not sitting at the felt, he's talking about it, as one of the recurring commentators on Borgata's tournament live streams.

"April $100,000 GTD:" Daily Tournament Regulars Out In Force

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 102


Rafael Ramos (Cape Coral, FL) 

Rafael Ramos (Cape Coral, FL) is pretty quiet and unassuming at the table, most likely because he allows his play at the table to do the talking.  Ramos is a player who frequents the "daily" events each week, building himself a pretty impressive resume along the way.  Rafael's live tournament earnings are above $45,000, and that's not including the innumerable cashes he's earned in smaller events that properties don't report.  Of Rafael's (48) recorded cashes on Hendon Mob, (16) are final table finishes, including three outright wins (including one here at the Isle Poker Room).

Ramos is joined in the field by numerous players that would be considered "daily tournament grinders," including:

Frank Traino
Michelle Roth
Willie Wiggins
Michael Tufaro
Jeffrey Trudeau
Gil Aboodi
Marc Duquette
Joseph Durso

Players are about to take their first (10) minute break of the day, and will be returning to Level 5 and blinds of 150/300/25.


"April $100,000 GTD:" Hastings Decides To Splash Around

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 3 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 94

Brian Hastings (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

Players tournament resumes have been highlighted each day to begin coverage, but there hasn't been a player that was focused on with a resume like Brian Hastings (Ft. Lauderdale, FL).  Hastings is a poker professional known all over the world, with just under $2,500,000 in live tournament earnings, in addition to millions of dollars in earnings online.  Brian has been in and out of "retirement" recently, so even though he's coming off a year with (9) cashes during the 2016 WSOP, he only has one tournament cash this year...which happened to come here at the Isle Poker Room during the Isle Poker Classic.  Hastings has (7) live cashes over six-figures, with his largest coming in 2012, when he won the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Heads Up event at the WSOP ($371,498 and a bracelet).  Hastings is just one of many notables in this Flight 1D field, including the likes of:

David Miller
Thelma Schuman
Robert Urspruch
Joseph Mancuso
Kenneth Bruno
TJ Shulman
Nikolla Sinishtaj
Rafiki Brown
Evan Teitelbaum

"April $100,000 GTD:" Official Chip Counts (Flights 1A-1D)

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 81




"April $100,000 GTD:" Last Chance(s) To Dance

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight 1E Entries: 57



Tournament Director Ralph Brandt made his final opening flight rules announcement moments ago, and the cards are in the air for Flight 1E of the $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD.  The tournament area is filling up quickly, adding to the already (388) entries since the event started on Thursday.  There have been (63) players to bag chips to this point, with an updated list of the combined Day 2 chip counts to be posted shortly.  The prize pool is already over the $100,000 guaranteed number, with the potential to reach $200,000 a very realistic thing.  


Saturday, April 29th: Final Flights For The $100,000 GTD

ICYMI: There were two more flights for the $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD yesterday, with the first beginning at 12:00pm (Flight 1C).  With (105) total entries, it was the largest flight of the three that had been played, with (19) players eventually bagging chips for Sunday's Day 2.  Al Gomez bagged the flight's chip lead with 245,000, which has him sitting in tenth overall (of the 63 players that have bagged from Flights 1A-D).  Some others to bag from Flight 1C included Thomas Gari (179,000), Nancy Birnbaum (145,500), Sean Shah (108,500), and Stephen Smith (62,000).

Flight 1D would begin at 6:00pm, and one registration closed, there would be a total of (89) entries (which was actually the smallest flight to date).  Once the bagging process had concluded, it would be Tom Gity taking home the top spot, with 281,500.  The month of April has been a strong one for Tom, who has reached (7) final tables in different "daily events" over the last (30) days.  Gity will return on Sunday with what should be a top ten stack, but that can potential change with some big fields expected today.  Some others to bag chips in Flight 1D included Scott Wyler (245,000), Greg Spinder (180,000), and Sandy Sanchez (116,000).

Tournaments: To this point (over the course of four flights) there has been a total of (388) entries into this "April $100,000 GTD," bringing the updated prize pool to $118,340.  With two more flights on the schedule today (Flight 1E at 12:00pm, and Flight 1F at 6:00pm), the prize pool could potentially surpass $200,000.  These are the last chances for anyone interesting in joining the action, as there is no "Day 2 buy-in" option.  Live blogged coverage of Flight 1E will begin the moment the cards get in the air, and will continue through the bagging process.

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).


12:00pm - $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD (Flight 1E)

- Players will begin with a 25,000 unit starting stack
- Late registration and re-entry for the first (8) levels
- Levels 1-16 will be (30) minutes, transitioning to (50) minutes from Level 17+
- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack
- All Day 1's will play 16 complete levels, or until 13% of the field remains (whichever comes first)

6:00pm - $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD (Flight 1F)

- Players will begin with a 25,000 unit starting stack
- Late registration and re-entry for the first (8) levels
- Levels 1-16 will be (30) minutes, transitioning to (50) minutes from Level 17+
- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack
- All Day 1's will play 16 complete levels, or until 13% of the field remains (whichever comes first)

"April $100,000 GTD:" Official End Of Flight 1D Chip Counts


"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Flight 1D Entries: 89
Flight 1D Players Remaining: 17

Tom Gity 281,500
Scott Wyler 245,000
Greg Spinder 180,000
Cesar Fuentes 177,500
Carlos Torres Vazquez 155,500
Steven Bennett 147,000
Paul Davis 138,000
Corey Brysman 135,500
Matthew Yorra 133,000
Sandy Sanchez 116,000
Anthony Albano 101,000
David LeVine 94,000
Ghassan Toubif 84,500
Josue Garcia 84,500
David Mass 72,000
Yousef Nassar 53,000
Victor Nassif 11,000