Sunday, June 4, 2017

Sunday, June 4th: Schedule Headlined By "Hard Stop, ICM Chop," And Turbo High Hands

ICYMI: Yesterday's tournament action started at 10:00am, with the $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($3,000 GTD).  A total of (40) entries made up the $3,230 prize pool ($1,000 bounty pool), with $747 awaiting the tournament's winner.  There would be no deal making at that final table though, as action played down to a winner, with Debra Nesser (Boynton Beach, FL) earning the win.

  1. Debra Nesser (Boynton Beach, FL) $747
  2. Frank Risi (Lauderhill, FL) $530
  3. David Miller (Davie, FL) $530
  4. Sara Azmi (Aventura, FL) $245
  5. Shamir Patel (Boca Raton, FL) $178
A chop would be the main storyline for the 6:00pm event ($120 No Limit Hold'em $8,000 GTD), as eight players made up the deal that would end the event.  The tournament's guarantee would be eclipsed, as (109) entries made up the $9,265 prize pool.  The difference between first and eight place in the deal was only $1, with a handful of notables earning "first place money" (Atanael Thomas, Thelma Schuman, Barry Cohen, Anthony Casas, and Edgard Mendes).
  1. Jared Carter (Pompano Beach, FL) $977
  2. Jorge Castaneda (Hialeah, FL) $977
  3. Mark Press (Miami, FL) $977
  4. Atanael Thomas (Palm Springs, FL) $977
  5. Anthony Casas (Miami, FL) $977
  6. Thelma Schuman (Delray Beach, FL) $976
  7. Barry Cohen (Boca Raton, FL) $976
  8. Edgard Mendes (Deerfield Beach, FL) $976
  9. Endong Zhao (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $278
  10. Kenneth Kuhl (Margate, FL) $246

Tournaments: For the first time in over a month, there are two tournaments on the Sunday "daily schedule."  The afternoon event is one that has been on the schedule before, at the $150 No Limit Hold'em event begins at 12:00pm.  The structure offers players a starting stack of 20,000 units, and (25) minute levels throughout the tournament.

At 6:00pm, we see the first installment of the "Hard Stop, ICM Chop" event, a tournament format that introduces a dynamic not yet seen in our "Florida poker community."  The $100 No Limit Hold'em event has players sitting down to starting stacks of 16,000 units, and playing (16) levels that are (20) minutes in length.  At the conclusion of Level 16 (8,000/16,000/2,000), those still remaining in the tournament will enter a "hand-for-hand" phase that will last for (10) hands.  Once those ten hands are played, the tournament "concludes," and players left will earn payouts based on their chip stacks (ICM chop).  This tournament appeals to all different players, especially those who have a limited window of time to play.  The event will last just over six hours, meaning players will be on their way just after midnight.  Those who are interested in tournament dynamic/strategy will also find this evening's event attractive, as many different wrinkles are added to the later stages of the tournament.

Promotions: For a number of months, Sunday's high hand promotion has been of the "turbo" format, with $300 awarded every (15) minutes from 2:00pm-9:00pm (rollovers apply).  While that promotion is still in place this afternoon, there will be an extra six hours of "turbo" high hands, with $100 awarded every (10) minutes, from 8:00am-2:00pm (rollovers apply).  However you break it down, it's $600 worth of high hands up for grabs over the span of (13) hours.  Both tournaments are high hand eligible, adding even more appeal to the events.

12:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em

- Players will 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
- Levels are (25) minutes

6:00pm - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Hard Stop, ICM Chop" ($2,500 GTD)

- Players will start with 16,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels are (20) minutes
- At the end of Level 16, tables will be balanced and tournament will play (10) more hands, in hard-for-hand format.  Tables will be re-balanced after (5) hands.
- At the end of (10) hands, tournament play will end, and all remaining players will chop the prize pool using an ICM calculation.