Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Final Level Of Play, Trying To Find A Bag

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 92

The remaining (25) players still active in Day 1A of the Isle Open Championship are now entering the final level, with blinds going up to 1,000/2,000/300 (110,000 chip average).  Play will continue as scheduled, until there is 10:00 minutes remaining on the clock.  At that point, the tournament supervisor (Rick Mims) will announce how many hands remain in the night, with said number being completed at each table.  The bagging process will then begin, with official Day 1A chip counts posted once all bags have been verified (around 1:00am).

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Updated Chip Counts After Final Break

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 92

The long hours at the table, nor the long hours traveling, have seemed to have any effect on Sam Panzica.  He's gradually amassed chips since just before dinner, and now sits just below 200,000.

Players are now back from break, and are ready to finish off the final two levels of the flight.  There looks to be no WPT final table hangover for Sam Panzica (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), who finds himself in the top five in chips.

Marc Levy - 225,000
Jerry Wong - 195,000
Sam Panzica - 190,000
Jeremy Meacham - 145,000
Trent Smith - 140,000
Paul Balzano - 135,000
Joshua Lowing - 130,000
Jon Borenstein - 125,000
Joseph Couden - 115,000
Carey Pickus - 110,000

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Down To Four Tables, Heading To Final Break

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 92

The Day 1A field is now down to four tables, with a total of (32) active players remaining.  Listed below are the seating assignments for the tables in the tournament field:

Table 1

1. Joshua Lowing
2. Ian O'Hara
3. Jeremy Meacham
4. Barry Hutter
5. Antonio Campbell
6. Jerry Wong
7. Paul Balzano
8. Michael Aron

Table 3

1. Edward Novak
2. Joshua Hillock
3. Jamie Wiegroff
4. Ira Marcus
5. Greg Baird
6. Trent Smith
7. Sam Panzica
8. Jon Borenstein

Table 4

1. Rodney Assous
2. Dennis Zollo
3. Bryce McVay
4. Joseph Duchman
5. Marc Levy
6. David Shaw
7. Carey Pickus
8. Erik Christensen

Table 9

1. Joseph Couden
2. Daren Stabinski
3. Matt Smith
4. Matt Yorra
5. Francklin Michel
6. Kenneth Bruno
7. Austin Peck
8. Isaiah Goldman

Those remaining at the end of this level will be heading on the final break of the night, returning to Level 11, and new blinds of 800/1,600/200.  There will then be two more levels played, before the bagging process begins at the conclusion of Level 12.

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Marc Levy Looking To Call His Shot

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 92

Marc Levy (Boynton Beach, FL) has not been able to put in the same volume he's used to during this series, but he's making the most of his time at the table today.

Day 1A just entered Level 10, with the blinds going up to 600/1,200/200, and a current chip average of 72,000 (60bb).  Marc Levy's (Boynton Beach, FL) name is one that hasn't been featured much on the blog this series, as his focus has been on both his business, and personal life.  While he's not putting in the same hours at the table, you'd never know by looking at his statistics from this year, which are the best of his career.  

Levy has over $105,800 in tournament cashes this year, with a majority of that number won earlier in the year, when he took fourth place in the $1,100 No Limit Hold'em WPT DeepStacks Main Event at Hard Rock Hollywood ($93,049).  While using some of his free time to play cash earlier in this series, Marc stated that he would play...and win, one event during this series.  He did play in one event to this point, reaching the final table of the $175 No Limit Hold'em Seniors Championship (8th Place | $375)...but he's using this tournament as his "called shot."

Marc may be far away from even being able to discuss winning this event, but he's putting himself in solid position to start Day 2 as one of the chip leaders.

Marc Levy - 225,000 (187bb)

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Meacham Busts Joshua Kay, Continues To Climb

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 90

The action at Table 6 was picked up just as Joshua Kay was three-betting an open from Jeremy Meacham.  Jeremy had opened to 2,300, with Kay three-betting to 7,100, and Meacham then making the call.  The two would watch the dealer fan out a flop of J♦ 4♥ 3♣, with Kay leading for 5,500.  Jeremy then raised to 12,500, with Kay three-bet shoving for 33,300.  After getting an exact count, Meacham would make the call, and was ahead with A♣ J♣ against Kay's 10♦ 10♣.  The turn (5♥) and river (Q♠) were no help to Kay, who collected his things, and exited the table.  

Meacham's count climbs to 150,000 with that pot, and puts him second in chips, behind only Joshua Lowing.

Jeremy Meacham - 150,000 (150bb)

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): #TeamNoMercy Climbs The Counts

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 88

Jeremy Meacham (Oak Bluffs, MA) has helped put "Team No Mercy" on the map, with his exceptional play over the past two years.

Players are now (30) minutes removed from dinner, with the flight's chip leader taking an extended break from the tables.  Marc Levy (Boynton Beach, FL) grabbed the top spot just before dinner, exiting the tournament area with just over 135,000.  Also climbing the leaderboard is Jeremy Meacham (Oak Bluffs, MA), a tournament pro that's broken out in a big way, over the past two years.

Meacham started his tournament resume in 2013, and after three years of volume, had just over $100,000 in earnings.  Over the last two years though, Jeremy has taken "no mercy" on the tournament fields, amassing earnings over $600,000 in a span of (24) months.  While Jeremy earned his first six-figure score in June of 2016, it his WPT DeepStacks Jacksonville title win that helped him become a household name in tournament community.  Meacham won the $1,500 NLH event outright, earning $117,551 in the process, and followed that up with a WSOP Circuit $1,675 Main Event win at Foxwoods five months later ($156,735).  Jeremy currently sits with a top ten stack in the field, sitting behind a handful of other notables leading the pack:

Marc Levy - 134,000
Edward Novak - 130,000
Carey Pickus - 120,000
Jeremy Meacham - 115,000
Matt Smith - 105,000
Alan Saltzman - 100,000

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Remaining Field On Dinner Break

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 85

Listed below are the seating assignments for the remaining tables in the Day 1A field (during dinner):

Table 1

1. Joshua Lowing
2. Jennifer Parker
3. Alan Saltzman
4. Daniel Pearlman
5. Antonio Campbell
6. A. Nonymous
7. Paul Balzano
8. Michael Aron
9. Michael Maresca

Table 3

1. Sean Perry
2. Jordan Meltzer
3. Robert Kessler
4. Bryan Guzman
5. Ira Marcus
6. Brian Hastings
7. Trent Smith
8. Sam Panzica
9. Jon Borenstein

Table 4

1. Joshua Kay
2. Dennis Zollo
3. AJ Gambino
4. Sheldon Gross
5. Marc Levy
6. Marcus Obser
7. David Shaw
8. Carey Pickus
9. Erik Christensen

Table 5:

1. Luciano Larsen
2. Jamie Wiegroff
3. Daren Stabinski
4. Ian O'Hara
5. Edward Novak
6. Daryl Jace
7. Frederico Dabus
8. Nancy Thomas
9. Jerry Wong

Table 6

1. Yiroslav Nikometchnvy
2. Barry Hutter
3. Anthony Utnage
4. Greg Baird
5. Bryce McVay
6. Steve Rosen
7. Joshua Hillock
8. Jeremy Meachem
9. Austin Peck

Table 9

1. Joseph Couden
2. Joseph Duchman
3. Matt Smith
4. Matt Yorra
5. Francklin Michel
6. Chad Freedman
7. Kenneth Bruno
8. Moshe Wasser
9. Isaiah Goldman

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Dinner Break Sees Players Returning At 7:25pm

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 84

The Corned Beef sandwich from Myron's Delicatessen, located on the ground level of the casino, next to the escalators.

The remaining players in the Day 1A field are heading on their schedule dinner break, which will last from 6:25-7:25pm.  Action will resume in Level 8, with new blinds being posted of 400/800/100, and a chip average of close to (60) big blinds.  The Day 1A schedule has players returning for five more levels, with the bagging process beginning at the conclusion of Level 12.

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Lowing Leads The Field, As Dinner Break Approaches

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 82

Joshua Lowing (Pensacola, FL) was the first player to eclipse the century mark in the field, and looks to be the chip leader as Level 7 hits it's halfway mark.

Players are now halfway through Level 7, and will be heading on their scheduled dinner break at the level's conclusion.  Dinner break is an hour long, and will see players exit the tournament area from 6:25-7:25pm.  There are a number of larger stacks emerging across the field, but none bigger than that of Joshua Lowing (Pensacola, FL).  

Lowing became the first player to eclipse 100,0000, and with thirty minutes remaining in this level, is the only player currently above the century mark.  Joshua is a Florida-based poker professional, with over $389,000 in live tournament earnings.  He's already recorded (18) results this year, including a final table run in the Parx Big Stax 2500 ($2,500 No Limit Hold'em) in February, worth $20,223.  Lowing's career highlighting score came last December, when he finished third in the $1,650 Winter Poker Open Main Event at Hard Rock Tampa ($86,857).

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Aron Picks The Right Time To Look Up Hutter

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 81

Michael Aron (Palm Beach, FL) may have had a plan to bluff the river against Barry Hutter, but ended up making a good call to win a sizable pot.

Barry Hutter (Bradenton, FL) was one of the shortest stacks in the field when players headed to the most recent break, but ended up turning his 7,000 stack into over 38,000.  Barry opened the action at Table 1 with a raise to 1,300, and would subsequently get three-bet by Michael Aron (to 3,500), who was on the button.  The blinds would fold their hands, and Hutter would complete his bet, with the two players seeing a flop of J♠ 9♥ 6♠.

The action would go check-check, with Hutter then betting 4,500, after the 5♦ on the turn.  Aron made the call, followed by the dealer placing down the 3♦ on the river.  Hutter led out once again, this time tossing out a bet of 10,000.  Aron gave some thought, before eventually making the call, seeing Barry tabled 10♠ 7♠ (missed combo draw).  Michael then rolled over A♣ K♥, which was good enough to win the pot, worth close to 36,000.

Michael Aron - 50,000 (83bb)

Barry Hutter - 16,000 (26bb)

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Gross Begrudgingly Turns Over The Nuts

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 6 (Blinds 250/500/75)
Total Day 1A Entries: 80

Sheldon Gross (Hillsboro Beach, FL) looked as if he hated seeing Sean Perry's hand on the turn, but he surprisingly turned over what was the nuts on that street.

Action at Table 4 was picked up on the flop, in a hand between Sheldon Gross, Marc Levy, and Sean Perry.  After Gross checked the Q♠ 2♦ 4♠ flop, Marc Levy bet 2,300, with both Perry and Gross making the call.  The turn brought the 8♠, which was followed by checks from both Gross and Levy, with Perry taking opportunity to bet 5,200.

Sheldon Gross fiddled with his chips for a moment, before putting together a check-raise to 10,850, causing Levy to release his hand.  Perry, having just re-entered the field during break, collected the rest of his starting stack and shoved all-in.  Gross quickly made the call (holding less than Perry), and watched as Sean tabled 8♣ 8♦, having turned a set.  Gross's expression was one of someone who was beat, but surprisingly turned over A♠ 3♠.  Sheldon faded the board pairing, and would double up to 54,000.  

"I was just worried about the board pairing on the river," Gross said to a table mate, after being asked about his reaction to Perry's hand.

Sheldon Gross - 54,000 (108bb)

Sean Perry - 6,500 (13bb)

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Updated Chip Counts Before Second Break

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 76

Bryce McVay (Jupiter, FL) was unable to use his chip lead bonus won during Event #7 (which was for entry into Event #15), but was given the opportunity to use that "voucher" towards the $1,500 buy-in to this tournament.

Players in this Day 1A field are heading on their second break of the day, and will be returning to Level 6, with new blinds of 250/500/75 (36,000 chip average).  Play will continue for two more levels, with the (60) minute dinner break scheduled after Level 7.  

Posted below are updated chip counts from the field, tallied with (15) minutes remaining in Level 5:

Joshua Kay - 90,000
Matt Smith - 64,000
Bryce McVay - 62,000
Joshua Lowing - 60,000
Daniel Pearlman - 57,000
Alan Saltzman - 55,000
Jordan Meltzer - 50,000
Jerry Wong - 47,000
Sam Panzica - 43,000
Sean Perry - 35,000
Jon Borenstein - 33,000
Ian O'Hara - 30,000
Brian Hastings - 28,000
Barry Hutter - 10,000

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Quick Turnaround For Panzica, Joins Late Arriving Crowd

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/40)
Total Day 1A Entries: 76

Less than (24) hours ago, Sam "@bestindabiz51" Panzica was sitting at the final table of the $5,000 NLH WPT BestBet Bounty Scramble.

The likelihood that Sam Panzica (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) was going to be in this Isle Open Championship field was high, but nobody could have predicted that it was going to be in this Day 1A field.  Less than (24) hours ago, Panzica was in Jacksonville, trying to defend his title at the $5,000 NLH WPT BestBet Bounty Scramble Main Event.  Sam won the event last year, the first of his two WPT titles, and earned himself $354,335.  

In what's widely considered as one of the more "stacked" WPT fields (being that they choose some of the greatest players as bounties in the tournament), making back-to-back deep runs is impressive.  To win the event last year, and then reach the final table once again this year...that's unprecedented.  Sam not only made the live-streamed final table, but he came as close as possible to defending his title, finishing runner-up to Paul Petraglia.

The second place result ($210,783) is the fourth largest of Panzica's career, and helps bring his total earnings above $3,685,000.  Sam has great history in this poker room, with a Florida State Championships Main Event title from last year ($117,282), and a fourth place finish in last year's Isle Open Championship Event ($44,037).

Panzica was just one of a handful of players to arrive just after the first break of the day:

Jordan Meltzer

Jerry Wong

Justin Harvell

Sean Perry

Bryce McVay

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Call It Kay's "Home Court Advantage"

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 4 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Day 1A Entries: 62

Joshua Kay (Boca Raton, FL) didn't waste any time once he sat down at Table 4, almost immediately doubling his starting stack through Thomas Gari.

Joshua "@gostatego3" Kay (Boca Raton, FL) is a regular in the highest limit cash games run here at the Isle Poker Room, and must feel like the "home court advantage" is a real thing.  Kay bought into the tournament towards the middle of Level 3, but spent a good amount of time talking with friends in the 5/10 NLH game currently running.  When he finally decided to take his seat, Kay would join Table 4, and end up doubling up just a few hands into his day.

Kay would get it in on the turn of a board reading A♠ 4♥ 9♣ 9♥ 2♥, holding A♦ 9♦ against the 6♣ 9♠ of Thomas Gari.  You don't usually see to many (300+) big blind pots at this stage of a tournament, especially one structured with (50) minute levels, such as this championship event.  Kay was surely happy to see his stack get in though, with only one hand that could be beating him at that time.  Gari was one of the chip leaders at the time, but now watches Josh climb towards the top of the leaderboard after that pot.

Joshua Kay - 60,000 (200bb)

Thomas Gari - 16,000 (53bb)

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Atherley Decides To Try Out A Starting Flight

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 51

Noel Atherley (Lantana, FL) made headlines here at the Isle Poker Room, winning Event #15 earlier this week, after buying into the tournament on Day 2.

Noel Atherley (Lantana, FL) had some great stories, even before his Event #15 win occurred earlier this week, about the "good ol' days" of poker.  After Noel shipped the trophy, he spent some time talking to the media, reminiscing about the days when he played poker for a living.  Atherley spoke of WSOP Main Events where it was "winner-take-all," major tournament fields that consisted of only fifty players, sharing the felt with names like Stu Ungar, and just growing up with the game.

He can now add another story to the list, buying in on Day 2 of Event #15 (before the first card was pitched), and starting with just 20,000 units.  Noel started the day as the third shortest stack, and begun play with only twelve big blinds.  While the five other players to buy in on Day 2 were busting at a rapid pace, Atherley was spinning his stack up.  Noel entered the unscheduled Day 3 of the event as the chip leader, and ended up eliminating each of his three opponents, on his way to the title ($44,916).

Atherley is not the only "returning champ" in the field, as Edward Novak (Simsbury, CT) took his seat just a few minutes ago.  Novak is the defending champion of this particular event, and is looking to become the first two-time Isle Poker championship event winner.

Players are heading on their first break of the day in just a few moments, and will be returning to Level 4, with new blinds of 150/300/50 (31,000 chip average).

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Hastings Hoping To Best His Event #15 Result

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 50

Brian Hastings (Ithaca, NY) fell just one spot short of his first Isle Poker major trophy, but he back in the field today, looking to position himself for an opportunity to get his hands on the championship hardware.

Just three days ago, Brian Hastings (Ithaca, NY) was returning for Day 3 of Event #15 ($1,100 No Limit Hold'em | $150,000 GTD), one of four players vying for the title.  Hastings would eventually find himself heads-up with Noel Atherley (Lantana, FL), and after declining offers for a chop, finished runner-up ($30,128).  

Hastings came into the heads-up portion of the tournament at a severe disadvantage, down almost three-to-one in chips.  Brian was able to bring things close to even, but it was Atherley's tournament to win, eliminating each of his opponents on way to the trophy win.  The $30,128 that Hastings earned for second place was his second largest tournament cash this year, behind his fourth place finish in the WSOP Circuit $1,675 Main Event at Hard Rock Hollywood ($88,004).

Brian joined the field just as Level 2 started, and continues the list of notables in this Day 1A field:

Joseph Duchman

Jennifer Parker

Robert Kessler

Alan Saltzman

Michael Maresca

Daren Stabinski

Erik Christensen

David Gelley

Nancy Thomas

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Heimiller Headlines The First Look At The Field

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 2 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 47

While we usually feature players that are "legends" in the Florida poker scene, Dan Heimiller (Las Vegas, NV) is a player that holds that status wherever he finds himself playing tournaments.

A $500,000 guaranteed championship event is usually going to attract players from out of the area, and it's even enough to draw interest from players who have never been to the Isle Poker Room before.  Dan Hiemiller (Las Vegas, NV) may not be a name that followers of the blog may recognize, but if your finger has been on the pulse of tournament poker in this country, then you'd surely know who he is.

Heimiller has a tournament resume with over $6,000,000 in lifetime earnings, spanning a career that started in 1992.  There are numerous accolades that can be mentioned when referencing Heimiller: a total of (332) recorded results, (2) WSOP bracelets, (2) WSOP-Circuit rings,  (32) total tournament wins, 85th on the "U.S. All-Time Money list," and 11th on the "All-Time WSOP Cashes list," just to name a few.

Dan's career headlining score came in 2014, when he won his second WSOP bracelet, during the $1,000 No Limit Hold'em Seniors Championship.  The first place finish would be worth $627,462, which still stands as his largest tournament cash.  While Heimiller is one of the only players in the field that's playing in his first Isle Poker tournament, he surely won't be the last during this event.  Dan headlines the first group of notables in this Day 1A field, joining the likes of:

Joseph Couden

Matt Smith

Kenneth Bruno

Daniel Pearlman

Joshua Hillock

Frederico Dabus

Ido Ashkenazi

Sheldon Gross

Thomas Gari

Marc Levy

Paul Balzano

Jason Young

Daryl Jace

Anthony Utnage

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Breakout Series For Francklin Michel

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 2 (Blinds 75/150/25)
Total Day 1A Entries: 40

Francklin Michel (Miami, FL) has spent the last week re-writing his poker resume, making three final tables in a seven-day span.

Francklin Michel (Miami, FL) came into this series with just under $2,500 in live tournament earnings, and a top score of $614.  He would get a "late start" in terms of results for the Isle Open, but started things off with a final table finish in Event #12 ($60 No Limit Hold'em | $7,000 GTD).  The $680 he earned for ninth place in the tournament became his largest tournament cash, but that didn't last a week, as Michel reached the final table of Event #15 ($1,100 No Limit Hold'em | $150,000 GTD).  He would finish in fifth place, not only earning a breakout score, but eclipsing his total earnings with that cash alone ($5,896).  

Francklin then continued the run good, making his third final table in the span of a week, earning fourth place money in a deal that ended Event #17 ($175 No Limit Hold'em | $15,000 GTD).  That score would be good for $1,776, and would help bring his updated career earnings north of $10,000.  If all of those finishes weren't enough, Michel would earn entry into this event via a satellite, which he only paid $340 to get into.

Michel is one of a growing group of players to have chosen this opening flight as their opportunity to bag chips for Sunday's Day 2 (12:00pm).

Isle Open Championship (Day 1A): Opening Day Of The 2017 Isle Open Championship Underway

2017 Isle Open | Event #21
$1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship| $500,000 GTD
Level 1 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 21

After a brief delay, the cards are in the air for Day 1A of the 2017 $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship.  The culminating event of the series carries with it a $500,000 guarantee, along with one of the best major structures for a tournament of this price point.  Players in each of the three starting flights will sit down to 30,000 unit starting stacks, and will play levels that last (50) minutes.  As the tournament progresses, those levels will transition to (60) at the beginning of Day 2 (Sunday at 12:00pm), and will continue that way until the tournament's conclusion (which is scheduled for Monday, October 30th).  Registration for the event is open through each of the starting flights (which play until the conclusion of Level 12), and stays open until the cards are in the air for Day 2.

This event was won by Edward Novak (Simsbury, CT) during last year's series, as he bested a field of (455) entries to take home $166,071.  There were no deals made at the final table, with Novak beating Isaiah Goldman during heads-up play.  Some other names to reach that final table included AJ Gambino, Sam Panzica, Joshua Hillock, Alfonso Perez, Paul Balzano, and Ryan Gianquitti.  Last year's prize pool closed at $629,100, a number which we expect to eclipse during this installment of the event.  

The "early bird" players are still getting settled in their seats, so we will allow for some time to pass, before we take a first look at notables in the field.  Live coverage of Day 1A will continue through the bagging process, which should begin some time around 11:00pm.

Thursday, October 26th: It May Be Cold Outside, But Action Is Heating Up With Isle Open Main Event

ICYMI: Satellites have long been a critical part of major tournaments, which is why the day before the main event (during major series), is also know as "Satellite Wednesday."  There were no events on the championship schedule yesterday, just to satellite off of the secondary schedule, boasting a combined (35) seats guaranteed into this weekend's $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Main Event ($500,000 GTD).  The first satellite of the day began at 11:00am, and was a $340 No Limit Hold'em Mega, which guaranteed (25) seats.  There were a total of (117) entries in the event, which equated to the guaranteed number of seats.  Of the players to earn entry into the Main Event from this satellite, many of them were notables players to the Isle Poker Room.

1	Paul Shafran			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
2	Nancy Thomas			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
3	Nicholas Baurichter			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
4	Antonio Campbell			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
5	Harmon Douglas			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
6	Moshe Wasser			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
7	Thomas Gari			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
8	Roberto Barreto			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
9	Tom Gity			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
10	Jacquelyn Scott			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
11	Ron Levy			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
12	John Milford			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
13	Marc Sacheli			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
14	Frank Lerczak			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
15	Evan Teitelbaum			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
16	Harold Klein			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
17	Maury Barett			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
18	Joseph Marches			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
19	David Dubin			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
20	Joseph Duchman			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
21	William Everett			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
22	Kevin Chan			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
23	Kenneth Bruno			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
24	Michael Kelly			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00
25	Franklin Michel			Isle Open Event #21		$1,500.00

The second satellite of the day was a $175 No Limit Hold'em Super Satellite, which guaranteed (10) seats into the Main Event.  The event attracted a total of (127) entries, which surpassed the guaranteed number, and saw (12) seats (plus cash) awarded.

1	Alejandro Funes			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
2	Preecha Taepakdee			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
3	Thomas Schillo			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
4	Nancy Birnbaum			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
5	Michael Marks			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
6	James Orphanos			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
7	Wayne Harmon			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
8	Joseph Duchman			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
9	Frank Traino			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
10	Sam Sayegh			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
11	Michael Garcia			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
12	Luis Santoni			Isle Open #21		$1,500.00
13	Carey Pickus			CASH		$525.00
14	Antonio Campbell			CASH		$525.00

Tournaments: Today (12:00pm) is the first of three flights for Event #21, the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship, which has a $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.  Each of the opening flights is structured with starting stacks of 30,000 units, and Day 1 levels that last (50) minutes (those levels will transition to 60 minutes on Day 2+).  The day is scheduled to conclude after Level 12, with registration open throughout each opening flight, and until the cards are in the air for Day 2 (Sunday at 12:00pm).

The second event of the day starts at 6:00pm, and is a $175 No Limit Hold'em Super Satellite, awarded a guaranteed (8) seats into the Main Event.  This event's structure has players sitting down to starting stack of 12,000 units, and playing levels that last (20) minutes over the course of the evening.

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.

12:00pm - 2017 Isle Open  Event #21 (Day 1A) | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Isle Open Championship | $500,000 GTD

- Players start with 30,000 in tournament chips

- Late and re-entries for the first (12) levels, to include before the first card on Day 2

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels will last (50) minutes (Levels 1-12), transitioning to (60) minutes Levels 13+

6:00pm - 2017 Isle Open (Secondary Schedule): $170 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into Event #21 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em Ilse Open Championship | $500,000 GTD) | 8 Seats Guaranteed

- Players start with 12,000 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