Wednesday, January 31st: Single-Ante Returns At 11:00AM, With $250 Buy-In That Has A $30,000 GTD!!!

ICYMI: Yesterday's tournament action kicked off at 11:00am, with a $100 No Limit Hold'em event that had a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.  After eight levels of open registration, the field would officially closed with (33) entries, and a prize pool of $2,541.  The event ended in a six-way deal, headed by Erkan Demir (Boca Raton, FL), who had a massive chip lead at the time of the negations (and ended up walking away with $700).  The results from the tournament are listed below:

1. Erkan Demir (Boca Raton, FL) $700
2. Sean Lyew-Daniels (Coral Springs, FL) $576
3. Daniel Genacthe (Deerfield Beach, FL) $395
4. Stanton Drazen (Boynton Beach, FL) $362
5. Daniel Kill (Parkland, FL) $313
6. William Reich (Pompano Beach, FL) $195

The evening time slot hosted an $80 No Limit Hold'em event, which also carried a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.  With (65) entries showing on the tournament clock when registration closed, the prize pool would be $3,705, with $1,296 scheduled to go to the outright winner.  Action would never reach that point though, as the tournament ended in a four-way chop, with Carlos Sanchez (Venezuela) topping the deal.

1. Carlos Sanchez (Venezuela) $1,080
2. Sergio Amato (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $618
3. Alexandra Yamplosky (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $581
4. Stephen Bromfield (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $536
5. Marcel Deschamps (Canada) $250
6. Scott Di Benedetto (Boca Raton, FL) $195
7. Abner Frankel (Little Neck, NY) $167
8. Henry Behr (Pompano Beach, FL) $148
9. Raphael Sarawesky (Deerfield Beach, FL) $130

Tournaments: January tournament action wraps up in a big way, with the return of the $250 No Limit Hold'em Single-Ante at 11:00am, along with it's $30,000 guarantee.  This tournament was last run during the 2017 Isle Classic (December), and had (198) entries, along with an almost $40,000 prize pool.  The structure is the same as the $2,500 event that was played last week, but with the numbers sized down for this price point.  Players in the tournament sit down to starting stacks of 50,000 units, and will play levels that last (30) minutes over the course of the day.  The ante will be posted by the big blind (for the table), making for quicker (and easier) game play.

The Single-Ante is followed by the same evening event as last night, an $80 No Limit Hold'em ($2,500 GTD).  Players in the tournament sit down to starting stacks of 12,000 units, and play 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-9:00am, players are eligible for $100 high hands every hour.

It should also be noted that started back on November 1st, players are able to win the high hand using only one card in their hand!!!  The payouts for those that use one card are different than the standard numbers listed above, and can be found (full listing of one-card payouts on flyers in the poker room).

11:00am - $250 No Limit Hold'em Single-Ante ($30,000 GTD)

- Players start with 50,000 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 (30) minutes throughout the event

- Ante to be posted by the big blind (as a single ante), and in an all-in situation, the big blind is to be considered as having been posted first.

6:00pm - $80 No Limit Hold'em ($2,500 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 12,000 starting stack

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

- Levels are (20) minutes in length

- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack

Tuesday, January 30th: Angel Anglero Notches First Tournament Win, Preparing To Get "Over The Hump"

ICYMI: After a weekend of multi-flight action, the tournament schedule returned to the standard "daily events," beginning with a $120 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($3,000 GTD).  The field was comprised of (38) entries, which equated to an official prize pool of $2,971 (bounties not included).  A total of six players were scheduled to get paid, with action playing down to three-handed play, at which point a deal was made.  Peter Tornabene (Boca Raton, FL) headed the deal, taking home $647 for first place money.  Listed below are the official results from the tournament:

1. Peter Tornabene (Boca Raton, FL) $647
2. Michael Spadafore (Boynton Beach, FL) $624
3. Arlene Vasquez (Parkland, FL) $598
4. Alan Dobrow (Melville, NY) $469
5. Stanton Drazin (Boynton Beach, FL) $361
6. Juan Madrid (Margate, FL) 

The "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" was followed by a $130 No Limit Hold'em event, which had a $10,000 posted guarantee.  After registration's close, a total of (85) entries made up the field, meaning that the prize pool would spread $10,000 over eleven posted pay spots.  Unlike many of the evening events, last night's tournament played down to an outright winner, with Angel Anglero (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) besting Wilson Alfonso (Colombia) during heads-up play.  After a tournament career with (14) recorded results, and over $18,500 in earnings, Anglero notched his first ever tournament win.  Full results from the event are listed below"

1. Angel Anglero (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $3,224
2. Wilson Alfonso (Colombia) $1,950
3. Jose Lorenzo (Puerto Rico) $1,213
4. Kevin McGillicuddy (Tamarac, FL) $820
5. Marianne Dewitt (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) $625
6. Hebert Nairn (Naples, FL) $500
7. Steven Raab (Davie, FL) $415
8. Tony Burns (Davie, FL) $350
9. David Wernikoff (Dix Hills, NY) $323
10. Gina Minshaw (Plantation, FL) $300
11. Dan Miller (Pompano Beach, FL) $280

Tournaments: Today's tournament action begins at 11:00am, with a $100 No Limit Hold'em event, that carries a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.  The tournament is structured with 12,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (20) minutes.  

That event is followed (at 6:00pm), by an $80 No Limit Hold'em ($2,500 GTD).  Players in the event sit down to starting stacks of 12,000 units, and play levels that last (20) minutes.  There is an optional add-on at the end of registration (Level 8), with $20 seeing a return of 10,000 units (100% of the add-on money goes towards the official prize pool).

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-9:00am, players are eligible for $100 high hands every hour.

It should also be noted that started back on November 1st, players are able to win the high hand using only one card in their hand!!!  The payouts for those that use one card are different than the standard numbers listed above, and can be found (full listing of one-card payouts on flyers in the poker room).

11:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em ($2,500 GTD)

- 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

6:00pm - $80 No Limit Hold'em ($2,500 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 12,000 starting stack

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

- Levels are (20) minutes in length

- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack

Monday, January 29th: Michael Marks Heads Six-Way Chop Of "January $100,000 II," Big Guarantee Headlines Today's Schedule

ICYMI: Yesterday afternoon, (125) players returned for Day 2 of the "January $100,000 II," from a total of (867) entries.  The first task of the day was the reach the money, with (82) of the returning players accomplishing that feat.  After a surprisingly long money bubble, Joanna Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) and Michael Inberg (Boca Raton, FL) were eliminated on the same hand, send the remaining field into the money (the pair would split 82nd place money).

From that point on, it was all about the journey to the final table, and players setting themselves up to reach that point.  There were a few storylines beginning to take shape, including Reid Bleecher (a young player storming to the top of the chip counts), and Joseph Delgi (who was left with less than one big blind, and spun it back up to over twenty).  Some notables to cash in the event included Jonathan Kramer (74th place), Kenneth Bruno (64th place), Tony Burns (59th place), Marc Culberson (47th place), and the above mentioned Reed Bleecher (40th place).

When the updated chip counts were posted in Level 25 (with 32 players remaining), we four of the six featured players listed, eventually reach the final table.  None was sitting taller than Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL), who held a stack over forty big blinds, while everyone else was grinding somewhere between ten and fifteen bigs.  As the field headed towards the final table, we saw the departures of Joseph Degli (26th place), Scott Levitt (23rd place), Gregory Spinder (14th place), and Robert Jonsson (11th place).

While Michael Marks was the story leading up to the final table, the focus shifted to Michael Tait and Richard Wetter, who each eliminated two players.  That helped even out the chip counts, so during the break after Level 29, the remaining six players looked at the ICM numbers.  It looked as if an agreement was going to be passed, but before the first hand could be dealt in Level 30, a deal was struck.  Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL) was the event's "declared winner," taking home first place money, with the official results of the deal (and final table finishes) listed below:

1. Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL) $20,094
2. Michael Tait (Parkland, FL) $18,671
3. Richard Wetter (Hobe Sound, FL) $15,216
4. Wesley Bergman (Walbridge, OH) $14,510
5. Robert Transue (North Lauderdale, FL) $13,893
6. Blaine McRae (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $10,620
7. Chris Lawson (Livingston, TX) $5,300
8. Walter Bravo (Golden Beach, FL) $4,270
9. Joakim Dag (Pompano Beach, FL) $3,270
10. Greg Rosen (Coral Springs, FL) $2,625

The was another tournament on the schedule yesterday (6:00pm), a $100 No Limit Hold'em "Turbo Bounty," which had a $2,500 guaranteed prize pool.  The posted number would be eclipsed pretty early in registration, with a total of (41) entries, and an official prize pool of $3,947 (including bounties).  A total of six players were scheduled to reach the money, and after the elimination of Antwan Foster (Plantation, FL) in sixth place, the remaining handful agreed to a deal.  Listed below are the full results from the tournament:

1. Scott Di Benedetto (Boca Raton, FL) $807
2. Celso Leroy (Delray Beach, FL) $660
3. Diana Habscheid (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $482
4. Steve Tougas (Quebec) $400
5. Salvatore Accardi (Pompano Beach, FL) $398
6. Antwan Foster (Plantation, FL) $175

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on today's schedule, the first of which begins at 11:00am, and is a $120 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($3,000 GTD).  The event is structured with starting stacks of 18,000 units, and levels that last (15) minutes.  There is an optional add-on at the end of registration (Level 10), which allows players to add 10,000 units to their stack, for a cost of $25 (with 100% of add-on money going towards the prize pool).  Players in the tournament will also receive a $25 "bounty" for every opponent they eliminate.  

The "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" is followed at 6:00pm, by the $130 No Limit Hold'em event, which carries with it a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.  The tournament is structured with 16,000 unit starting stacks, and 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-9:00am, players are eligible for $100 high hands every hour.

It should also be noted that started back on November 1st, players are able to win the high hand using only one card in their hand!!!  The payouts for those that use one card are different than the standard numbers listed above, and can be found (full listing of one-card payouts on flyers in the poker room).

11:00am - $120 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

- Levels are (15) minutes in length

- 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 

6:00pm - $130 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 16,000 starting stack

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

- Levels are (20) minutes in length

- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Chop It Up!!! Players Agree to Six-Way Deal On Break, Michael Marks Heads The Group

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 30 (Blinds 50,000/100,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 6

The six players to chop the "January $100,000 II" (from left to right): Robert Transue, Blaine McRae, Michael Marks, Wesley Bergman, Michael Tait, and Richard Wetter

During the ten minute break, players asked to have the numbers run for an ICM chop, and ended up agreeing to the deal once the numbers were read aloud.  Listed below are the official numbers for the deal, with Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL) taking home the top prize.

1. Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL) $20,094
2. Michael Tait (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $18,671
3. Richard Wetter (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $15,216
4. Wesley Bergman (Oak Harbor, OH) $14,509
5. Robert Transue (North Lauderdale, FL) $13,892
6. Blaine McRae (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $10,618

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Chris Lawson Experiences The Dark Side Of Variance, Eliminated In 7th Place ($5,300)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 29 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 6

Chris Lawson (Livingston, TX) headed a deal during the Isle Classic $360 No Limit Hold'em event, but couldn't secure his second trophy this evening.

Chris Lawson (Livingston, TX) was cruising for most of the day, and entered the final table fourth in chips.  Once action at the final table played out, he ended up losing almost every pot that he entered, and eventually found himself with less than ten big blinds.  After Richard Wetter shoved from middle position (for around 1,000,000), Lawson ended up calling out of the big blind (having just under 10 big blinds).  Lawson was racing with 7♦ 7♣, against the A♦ K♦ of Wetter, but the Q♣ 10♣ 4♣ J♦ Q♥ runout saw Chris drawing to a club on the river..  He would head to the podium to collect his seventh place money, which was worth $5,300.

Richard Wetter - 1,900,000
Chris Lawson - Eliminated in 7th Place ($5,300)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): There Will Be No Encore Performance For Walter Bravo, As He Departs In 8th Place ($4,270)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 29 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 7

From Walter Bravo's (Golden Beach, FL) reaction, he seemingly knew that he was behind when he called the all-in of Michael Tait...he was correct in his thinking.

Walter Bravo (Golden Beach, FL) opened the action from early position (to 230,000), with Michael Tait three-bet shoving for over 2,000,000, next to act.  Players folded behind, and with the decision back on Bravo, he was begrudgingly make the call (he had about 500,000 behind).  Tait would once again be ahead in a critical spot, holding Q♠ Q♣ against Bravo's 9♠ 9♣.  The runout brought zero help to Bravo, who would collect his belongings, and exit the final table in eighth place ($4,270).

Michael Tait - 3,400,000
Walter Bravo - Eliminated in 8th Place ($4,270)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Joakim Dag Squeezes All He Can Out Of Three Bigs, Out In 9th Place ($3,270)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 29 (Blinds 40,000/80,000/10,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 8

Joakim Dag (Pompano Beach, FL) did everything possible to make his final few blinds last, but ran into the pocket aces of Michael Tait to bust.

Joakim Dag (Pompano Beach, FL) came to the final table as the shortest stack, and managed to actually ladder one spot, after the elimination of Greg Rosen.  While one of his three big blind shoves actually got through, he second attempt got called by Michael Tait, who happened to have pocket aces in the small blind.  Dag would be drawing dead by the turn, and walked away as the second player eliminated from this final table.  For his ninth place finish, Dag would earn $3,270, which is almost four-times his career earnings coming into this event.

Michael Tait - 2,700,000
Joakim Dag - Eliminated in 9th Place ($3,270)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Greg Rosen Eliminated In 10th Place ($2,625)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 28 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 9

Even though Greg Rosen (Sunrise, FL) was ahead...and had suits covered, he didn't seem very confident when the dealer began the runout for his final hand.

On the first hand of the final table, action folded around to Richard Wetter, who was on the button.  Wetter opened the action for a small raise, and watched as Greg Rosen three-bet shoved from the big blind (for less than ten bigs).  Wetter made the call, and the hands would be tabled, with Rosen holding A♠ 8♠ against Wetter's K♠ Q♠.  The 9♠ 5♥ 5♣ flop was a clean one for Rosen, but the turn would bring the K♥, stealing the lead away.  There would be no miracle ace on the river, and Rosen would end up the first player eliminated from this final table (earning $2,625).

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Final Table Redraw, With Updated Chip Counts

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 28 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 10

With the elimination of Robert Jonsson (Deerfield Beach, FL) in 11th place, players are redrawing for the final table.  Listed below are the new seating assignments, along with updated chip counts:

1. Blaine McRae - 760,000
2. Greg Rosen - 740,000
3. Michael Marks - 4,000,000
4. Chris Lawson - 1,600,000
5. Robert Transue - 1,800,000
6. Wesley Bergman - 2,500,000
7. Walter Bravo - 460,000
8. Joakim Dag - 375,000
9. Michael Tait - 2,000,000
10. Richard Wetter - 1,000,000

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 13th-15th Places ($2,090)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 28 (Blinds 30,000/60,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 12

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $2,090:

13. Dennis Durand (Philadelphia, PA)
14. Gregory Spinder (Parkland, FL)
15. Alejandro Armas (Doral, FL)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 16th-18th Places ($1,740)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 27 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 15

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $1,740:

16. Rafael Perez Guerrero (Hollywood, FL) 
17. Larry Kusch (Sumterville, FL) 
18. Michael Fryett (Palm City, FL)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): New Seating Assignments After Redraw At Eighteen

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 27 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 18

With the elimination of Hao Lang (Palm Beach Gardens, FL), the tournament clock was paused, and the remaining players were given new seating assignments.  Listed below are the new seating assignments:

Table 1

1. Blaine McRae
2. Walter Bravo
3. Richard Wetter
4. Zack Fish
5. Dennis Durand
6. Michael Tait
7. Greg Rosen
8. Gregory Spinder

Table 2

1. Michael Marks
2. Robert Transue
3. Alejandro Armas
4. Wesley Bergman
5. Robert Jonsson
6. Chris Lawson
7. Rafael Guerrero
8. Joakim Dag
9. Larry Kusch

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 19th-21st Places ($1,430)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 27 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 18

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $1,430:

19. Hao Lang (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) 
20. David Hixson (Hollywood, FL) 
21. Ashley Causey (Jupiter, FL)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 22nd-24th Places ($1,205)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 27 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 21

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $1,205:

22. Ashley Causey (Jupiter, FL)
23. Scott Levitt (Delray Beach, FL)
24. Matthew Gallen (Marlborough, NH)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Updated Chip Counts On Break

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 27 (Blinds 25,000/50,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 22

Players are heading on a ten minute break, and will be returning to Level 27, with new blinds of 25,000/50,000/5,000 (700,000 chip average).  Listed below are the updated chip counts from the three tables that remain:

Table 1

1. Michael Fryett - 880,000
2. Rafael Perez Guerrero - 300,000
3. Gregory Spinder - 740,000
4. Joakim Dag - 230,000
5. Greg Rosen - 680,000
6. Chris Lawson - 1,500,000
7. Dennis Durand - 500,000

Table 2

1. Zack Fish - 800,000
2. David Hixson - 405,000
3. Blaine McRae - 390,000
4. Michael Tait - 1,000,000
5. Robert Jonsson - 300,000
6. Wesley Bergman - 710,000
7. Hao Lang - 275,000

Table 3

1. Richard Wetter - 770,000
2. Walter Bravo - 420,000
3. Larry Kusch - 230,000
4. Sergio Amato - 345,000
5. Ashley Causey - 300,000
6. Robert Transue - 900,000
7. Michael Marks - 2,700,000
8. Alejandro Armas - 900,000

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 25th-27th Places ($1,020)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 26 (Blinds 20,000/40,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 24

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $1,020:

25. John Magnetta (Boca Raton, FL)
26. Joseph Degli (Boca Raton, FL)
27. Lona Rubenstein (East Hampton, FL)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 28th-36th Places ($840)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 25 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 27

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $840:

28. James McCaffrey (Sunrise, FL)
29. Chad Millward (Boca Raton, FL) 
30. Clifford Campbell (Coconut Creek, FL)
31. Rodrigo Araujo (Newtown Square, PA)
32. Donald Francois (Delray Beach, FL)
33. Joseph Conti (Boynton Beach, FL)
34. Stephen Harris (Delray Beach, FL)
35. Steve Lake (Clewiston, FL) 
36. Kevin Chan (Coconut Creek, FL)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Michael Marks Is Back On Top...In A Big Way

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 25 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 32

If this were Las Vegas, Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL) would have to be an odds-on favorite to reach this tournament's final table.

Michael Marks (North Lauderdale, FL) started the day off very strong (as the overall chip leader), but then saw his stack dip a little over the next two hours.  Since just before the most recent break, Marks has been scooping in pot after pot, and is more than one million chips clear of his nearest opponent.  His 2,300,000 chip stack is more than 15% of the total chips in play, and enough to help him cruise to the final table (pending some large bumps in the road).

Michael Marks - 2,300,000
Chris Lawson - 1,100,000
Richard Wetter - 990,000
John Magnetta - 800,000
Scott Levitt - 750,000
Robert Transue - 700,000

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 37th-45th Places ($735)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 25 (Blinds 15,000/30,000/5,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 36

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $735:

37. Engelberth Varela (Coral Springs, FL)
38. David Poces (Boca Raton, FL) 
39. Demoy Thomas (Port St. Lucie, FL)
40. Reid Bleecher (Boca Raton, FL)
41. Chris Fore (Davie, FL)
42. Jonathan Marks (Weston, FL)
43. Leroy Jones (Hollywood, FL)
44. William Underdown (Boca Raton, FL)
45. Raymond Winters (Jupiter, FL)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): The "Final Four" Tables Remaining (Seating Assignments)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 24 (Blinds 12,000/24,000/4,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 37

The tournament field is down to four tables, with the following seating assignments at each:

Table 1

1. Michael Fryett
2. Rafael Perez Guerrero
3. James McCaffrey
4. Joakim Dag
5. Lona Rubenstein
6. Chris Lawson
7. Engelberth Valera
8. Rodrigo Araujo
9. John Magnetta
10. Dennis Durand

Table 2

1. Zack Fish
2. David Hinson
3. Blaine McCrae
4. Cliff Campbell
5. Greg Rosen
6. Wesley Bergman
7. Hao Lang
8. Joseph Degli
9. Matthew Gallen

Table 3

1. Richard Wetter
2. Walter Bravo
3. Larry Kusch
4. Joey "Mush"
5. Ashley Causey
6. Robert Transue
7. Robert Jonsson
8. Steve Harris
9. Alejandro Armas

Table 4

1. Donald Francois
2. Scott Levitt
3. Gregory Spinder
4. Steven Lake
5. Chad Millward
6. Michael Marks
7. Kevin Chan
8. Sergio Amato
9. Michael Tait

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): 46th-54th Places ($650)

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 23 (Blinds 10,000/20,000/3,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 45

The following players have been eliminated from the "January $100,000 II" ($250 No Limit Hold'em), and have cashed for $650:

46. Harry Silver (Pompano Beach, FL) 
47. Marc Culberson (Weston, FL) 
48. Ross Willner (Boca Raton, FL)
49. Waymond Jones (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
50. Jeffrey Silverstein (Delray Beach, FL)
51. Rickie Baboolal (Deerfield Beach, FL)
52. Justin Margolis (Boca Raton, FL)
53. Michael Brand (Boca Raton, FL) 
54. Lukas Pribyl (Czech Republic)

"January $100,000 II" (Day 2): Always A "Chip And A Chair" Story In The Crowd

"January $100,000 II"
$250 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 22 (Blinds 8,000/16,000/2,000)
Total Entries: 867
Players Remaining: 50

Joseph Degli (Boca Raton, FL) looked as if he'd be min-cashing in this tournament, but has rebuilt his stack from less than one big blind.

We've all heard the story of players who end up with just one big blind...or one ante, that come back to make a deep run in an event.  Earlier this afternoon, it was Joseph Degli (Boca Raton, FL) who assumed the "chip and a chair" story.  After doubling up an opponent, Degli was left with just 7,000 in chips, with blinds at 5,000/10,000/1,000.  He would then proceed to get pocket aces the very next hand to double, but still only had three big blinds.  It would be pocket jacks the next hand...then pocket kings just a few hands later...and before you could blink, Delgi was up to ten big blinds.

Joseph currently sits with just over 200,000, which is still under the twenty big blind mark, but does have fold equity with the stack.  More importantly, he's laddered to pay spots since being left with less than one big blind, so everything must feel like a free roll.