Monday, October 16th: Brinkley Heads Five-Way Chop Of Event #7, Seniors Championship And $25,000 GTD Headline Schedule

ICMYI: Event #7 ($360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD) of the 2017 Isle Open saw (127) players return for Day 2 on Sunday, with action scheduled to play down to a winner.  James Brinkley (Tampa, FL) ended up "bookending" the tournament's live coverage, cracking Charlemagne Benjamin's pocket aces to start the day, and holding up the winner's trophy to end it.  Brinkley headed a five-way deal that ended the tournament, earning the largest cash of his tournament career.  The official payouts from the deal are listed below, with the full results available by clicking here.

1. James Brinkley (Tampa, FL) $30,343
2. Reynel Hernandez (Miami, FL) $29,000
3. Vlad Mezheritsky (Aventura, FL) $29,000
4. Ray Nalbandian (Boynton Beach, FL) $28,652
5. Steve McKoy (Coral Springs, FL) $25,000

The was another Isle Open event on yesterdays schedule, which began at 6:00pm (Event #8 | $100 No Limit Hold'em "Deepstack Turbo Bounty" | $5,000 GTD).  The tournament attracted a total of (101) entries, and after the optional add-ons were included in the number, the official prize pool would close at $6,335.  There were no chops in this event though, as action played down to an outright winner.  Salvatore Accord (Pompano Beach, FL) bested Hyndi Khomutetsky (Orlando, FL) during heads-up play, earning himself the first ever tournament win of his career (recorded).

1. Salvatore Accardi (Pompano Beach, FL) $1,936
2. Hyndi Khomutetsky (Orlando, FL) $1,192
3. Alejandro Bristol (Davie, FL) $731
4. Marco Oliveira (Boca Raton, FL) $477
5. Pattarapom Vorbeck (Pompano Beach, FL) $372
6. Robert Kuznietz (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $297
7. Patricia Conrad (Delray Beach, FL) $253
8. Donald Gibbs (Hollywood, FL) $219
9. Diane Linke (Boynton Beach, FL) $194
10. Ian Pearson (Oveido, FL) $175

Tournaments: The 2017 Isle Open schedule continues today with two events, the first of which begins at 11:00am (Event #9).  The $175 No Limit Hold'em Seniors' Championship ($8,000 GTD) is an event that many players had circled on their calendar, from the moment the schedule for this series was announced.  The tournament offers a very generous structure, with players sitting down to starting stacks of 15,000 units, and playing levels that last (25) minutes over the course of the tournament.

That tournament is followed at 6:00pm by Event #10, a $150 No Limit Hold'em tournament, with a $25,000 guaranteed prize pool.  The event offers a structure with 16,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (20) minutes throughout the tournament.  There was a similar event run last Monday  (Event #4), which ended up attracting (278) total entries, and closed with a prize pool over $27,000.  This tournament should attract a similar sized crowd, and a prize pool that ends up somewhere in the $30,000 range.

Promotions: From (9:00am-10:00am), the high hand will award $150 every (30) minutes.  The high hands will then transition from 10:00am-12:00am (midnight), with the opportunity to win $400 every (30) minutes.  During that period, the promotion sees tournament players eligible (Isle Open events not eligible for high hand) each half-hour for $100 high hands, 2/2 limit hold'em players eligible for $200 high hands, 2/4 limit hold'em players eligible for $300 high hands, and all other raked games (1/2-5/10 NLH, 4/8 Omaha 8B, 6/12 O.E., etc.) eligible for $400 high hands.  From 12:00am-3:00am (Friday morning), players are eligible for $100 high hands every hour.

11:00am - 2017 Isle Open  Event #9 | $175 No Limit Hold'em Seniors' Championship 50+ | $8,000 GTD

- Players start with 15,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Level will last (25) minutes throughout the event

6:00pm - 2017 Isle Open  Event #10 | $130 No Limit Hold'em | $20,000 GTD

- Players 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

- Level will last (20) minutes throughout the event

Isle Open Event 7 (Day 2): Event #7 Ends In Five-Way Deal, Brinkley Declared Winner

2017 Isle Open | Event #7
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 32 (Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 941
Players Remaining: 5

The five players to chop Event #7 of the 2017 Isle Open (from left to right), Reynel Hernandez, Vlad Mezheritsky, Steve McKoy, Ray Nalbandian, James Brinkley

After the ICM were run for a second time, the remaining players did some quick negotiating...and the deal was agreed to.  Listed below are the official payouts from the chop:

1. James Brinkley (Tampa, FL) $30,343
2. Reynel Hernandez (Miami, FL) $29,000
3. Vlad Mezheritsky (Aventura, FL) $29,000
4. Ray Nalbandian (Boynton Beach, FL) $28,652
5. Steve McKoy (Coral Springs, FL) $25,000

2017 Isle Open Event #7 Winner | James Brinkley (Tampa, FL) | $30,343

Isle Open Event 7 (Day 2): Salmon Runs Into Aces, Out In Sixth Place ($10,480)

2017 Isle Open | Event #7
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 32 (Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 941
Players Remaining: 5

James Salmon (Davie, FL) had gotten a few all-ins through, but even though he held a strong hand on his final shove, he'd be up against the pocket aces of Ray Nalbandian.

James Salmon (Davie, FL) was left as the shortest stack at the final table, but he was able to get three all-ins through, chipping up to ten big blinds.  The fourth time he shoved, Ray Nalabandian re-shoved behind (having Salmon covered), will players behind folding around.  "Do you have a pair," Salmon asked Nalbandian, with Ray answering by turning over A♦ A♣.  Salmon then tabled his 9♥ 9♣, and would need some help from the runout.  The board ran out 2♦ 4♠ 7♥ 6♠ K♣, and James would be eliminated from the final table in sixth place ($10,480).

Isle Open Event 7 (Day 2): Six-Handed Counts As Level Goes Up

2017 Isle Open | Event #7
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 32 (Blinds 80,000/160,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 941
Players Remaining: 6

The blinds continue to climb, as Level 32 began moments ago, with players now posting blinds of 80,000/160,000/20,000 (3,100,000 chip average).  Listed below are the updated six-handed counts from the final table:

1. Steve McKoy - 3,200,000
2. Reynel Hernandez - 6,100,000
3. Vlad Mezheritsky - 2,000,000
4. James Brinkley - 5,400,000
5. James Salmon - 800,000
6. Ray Nalbandian - 1,350,000

Isle Open Event 7 (Day 2): McDonough Eliminated In 7th Place By Brinkley ($8,685)

2017 Isle Open | Event #7
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 31 (Blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 941
Players Remaining: 6

Skip McDonough (Jupiter, FL) had a roller coaster final table, with his stack cut down to less than half of what he started with when Level 31 started.

James Brinkley opened the action under-the-gun for a raise, with players folding around to Skip McDonough, who was in the big blind.  After peering down at his cards, Skip announced that he was all-in, with Brinkley making the call.  Skip was in the lead when the cards were tabled, holding A♠ Q♣ agains the K♥ J♥ of Brinkley.  James hit a jack on the flop though, which was good enough for the win, after McDonough couldn't recapture the lead on the turn or river.

Isle Open Event 7 (Day 2): Michael Amato Exits In 8th Place ($6,915)

2017 Isle Open | Event #7
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 31 (Blinds 60,000/120,000/20,000)
Total Entries: 941
Players Remaining: 7

Michael Amato (Boca Raton, FL) managed to grind out the short stack through two player eliminations, but was unable to get the key double he needed to get back into things.

After Frank Lerczak's elimination, Michael Amato (Boca Raton, FL) was left the shortest stack at the table, and he'd shove for 1,300,000 from middle position.  Steve McKoy would call (next to act), as the rest of the players behind released their hands.  Amato was in rough shape against Steve, holding A♠ 10♥ against McKoy's A♥ K♦.  The board would run out 7♦ 4♥ 2♥ J♣ A♣, and the winner of this same event from the 2017 Battles At The Beach would be eliminated.