Friday, November 30, 2018

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Official End Of Flight 1C Chip Counts

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 15

CarlosRafael Castro426,000
ZacharyMullennix380,000
AlexDonato359,000
DubreuihMichel352,000
GailSandler349,000
PasqualeCaiazza307,000
EvanTeitelbaum209,000
Michael Boykin204,000
Michael Lucas158,000
ThomasGari140,000
AycaErakbas125,000
BruceTannenholz109,000
GregSpinder103,000
RaminderSingh51,000
JohnHolley34,000

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Entering Final Level Of Flight 1D Play, Official Chip Counts To Follow

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 17



The tournament clock just transitioned to Level 16, which is going to be the final level of the flight.  It looks like the 10% mark will not be reached before the end of the level, as (17) players remain at this point (and the 10% mark reached if the point where 11 players are left).  Once the final hands of the flight are finished, the bagging process will begin, with players packing away their stacks for Monday's Day 2.  Once all of the bags are verified by tournament staff, the official Flight 1A chip counts will be posted.

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Updated Tournament Results Submitted to Hendon Mob

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 13 (Blinds 1,500/2,500/2,500)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 29


Players are now back from their final break of the flight, with four full levels remaining in the day (unless the 10% mark is reached, which is 11 players).  There have been many inquiries and requests from players recently, in regards to tournament results from November (and some from further back).  We would like everyone to know that any (and all) backlogged tournament results have been submitted to Hendon Mob, and should be updated by the end of the weekend.  If there are any results that players aren't seeing (whether recurring or from a major event), please don't hesitate to stop the blogger...and let him know.



Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Players Remaining In The Flight 1C Field, As Action Enters The "Homestretch"

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/2,000)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 29

Level 12 started just a few moments ago, with one of the outer tables breaking (Table 9), and those players finding new seats.  There are now three active tables in the field, with the seating assignments listed below:

Table 1
  1. Joseph Hernon
  2. Zachary Mullennix
  3. A. Nonymous
  4. Bruce Tannenbaum
  5. Thomas Gari
  6. Paulius Bikus
  7. Michael Lucas
  8. Fred White
  9. John Holley
  10. Michel Gariepy
Table 2
  1. Auzac Erakbas
  2. Ron Magers
  3. Pedro Palacio
  4. Paul Balzano
  5. Evan Teitelbaum
  6. Elliot Goldman
  7. Gail Sanders
  8. Pascuale Caiazza
  9. B. Nonymous
  10. Scott Zakheim
Table 3
  1. Jonathan Simon
  2. Gregory Spinder
  3. Harjinder Chawla
  4. Michael Boykin
  5. David Hixson
  6. Phillip Consolo
  7. Carlos Castro
  8. Alex Donato
  9. Chris Nominkos

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Full Isle Poker Classic Schedule (Including Upcoming Satellites)

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/1,600)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 40



Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Updated Chip Counts From The Flight 1C Field

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/1,200)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 42


Since last checking in, Harjinder Chawla (Miami, FL) has increased his chip lead, as he now sits with close 300,000.  The gap between Chawla and his nearest competitor is close to 100,000, but with more than six levels remaining in the flight, a lot can change on the leaderboard.  Updated chip counts from the field (tallied at the beginning of Level 10) are listed below:

Harjinder Chawla - 300,000 (250bb)
Gail Sandler - 225,000 (187bb)
Fred White - 165,000 (137bb)
Phillip Consolo - 135,000 (112bb)
Gregory Spinder - 125,000 (104bb)
John Holley - 120,000 (100bb)
Alvaro Grisales - 110,000 (91bb)




Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Third Opening Flight Of Event #1 Sees Registration Close With (110) Entries

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/1,000)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 54



The cards are in the air for Level 9, with Flight 1C registration now officially closed.  The third (of eight) flight attracted a total of (110) entries, which is larger than both of yesterday's opening flights.  The $17,380 from this prize pool can now be added to the number from yesterday, giving us a running total of $46,610 (which is almost half the way towards the $100,000 posted guarantee).  There are currently (54) players remaining in the flight, with updated chip counts from the field to be posted shortly.  

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Harjinder Chawla Leads The Field, As Registration Window Closes For Flight 1C

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/800)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 102

Harjinder Chawla (Miami, FL) currently leads the Flight 1C field, but has a handful of players that can eclipse his number with one sizable pot.

Just a few minutes ago, the tournament clock transitioned to Level 8, which is the final level with open registration for Flight 1C.  There will be a ten minute break at the conclusion of this level, and once the cards are in the air for Level 9, the numbers will be official.  A scan around the field yields a handful of stacks above the century mark, but nobody entered Level 8 with more than Harkinder Chawla (Miami, FL).  Chawla has over 150,000 in front of him, and is coming off a deep run in the opening event of the Rock N' Roll Poker Open.  Harjinder finished 44th in the $360 No Limit Hold'em event, earning $3,350.  His lifetime earnings are now $137,000, and he's only a few thousand dollars in cashes away from besting his number from last year ($25,889 in cashes during 2017).

Once play resumes in Level 9, we will post the official numbers from Flight 1C, followed by the first look at updated chip counts from the field.

Harjinder Chawla - 155,000 (193bb)

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Sean Shah Saves The Good Stories For The "Big Time"

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/600)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 91

Sean Shah (Delray Beach, FL) not only has his poker accolades to speak of, but also made appearances on two of America's most popular game shows.

Just like Paulius Bikus earlier, Sean Shah (Delray Beach, FL) is another player that followers of the blog will surely recognize.  Shah, who has over $788,000 in lifetime tournament earnings, is one who rarely misses the events during the major series that run here at the Isle Poker Room.  He's well liked and respected across the poker community, and for a good while, we thought we knew everything "gaming" related about Shah.

That was until we came across a piece from the World Poker Tour's coverage of the Rock N' Roll Poker Open Main Event at Seminole Hard Rock (published on November 26th).  Sean Chaffin (a freelance writer) put together a great piece about Sean, highlighting his appearances on Wheel Of Fortune, and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Those interested in reading the article, can click here to see the piece.

Sean has agreed to no longer keep the good information from the blogger, so we will continue to feature him in future coverage.  Players now have just over an hour to join the Flight 1C action, or can choose to enter the $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite into Event #1, which began five minutes ago.



Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Bikus Less Than $1,500 Away From Reaching Earnings Milestone

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 6 (Blinds 300/500/500)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 82


Paulius Bikus (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is just a deep run away from eclipsing the $100,000 mark in lifetime tournament earnings.

For followers of the blog, Paulius Bikus (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is a recognizable name, having seen a lot of tournament success over the last three years (since the blog's inception).  Paulius has three tournament wins here at the Isle Casino Pompano Park, including two trophy wins, coming during the 2014 Isle Classic.  He's just two months removed from a career best score, earning fourth place money, in a chop of Event #4 (during the 2018 Isle Open).  His share of the four-way deal would see a return of $14,206, besting his prior career best cash of $11,545.  Paulius has since cashed in one event (Event #1 of the Rock N' Roll Poker Open), and now has lifetime earnings of $98,401.  That leaves him just a sizable score away from $100,000 in tournament earnings, which is a milestone that is impressive for any poker player.  

Paulius top the second list of Flight 1C notables, with more names listed below:

Skip McDonough
Scott Zakheim
Paula Alibrandi
Stanley Aufseeser
Joseph Hernon
Luis Stadler
Rodney Moret-Rojas
Ovenson Benoit
Pedro Palacio
Tim Shane
Gregg Weiss

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): John Holley Making A "No Limit Hold'em Appearance", Headlines First Look At Notables

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/400)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 72

John Holley (Destin, FL) spend a lot of time playing poker, but also a good amount on the water, having been a sport fisherman for years.

John Holley (Destin, FL) may have Florida listed as his hometown on Hendon Mob, but he rarely finds himself in one place for too long.  Holley has been traveling around the country for years, playing poker...and finding himself some spots to fish.  Holley had over $1,700,000 in lifetime tournament earnings, with the results a combination of no limit hold'em, and mixed-game events.  While it seem like a majority of his results are from non-no limit hold'em tournaments, his largest cashes have come via the standard two-card events.  John has two six-figure scores on his resume, the first coming in 2013, when he finished third in the Seniors Event at the WSOP (Event #26 - $1,000 No Limit Hold'em) for $283,312.  Three years later, Holley won the largest WSOP Circuit event (at the time), which was hosted at Choctaw (in Durant, Oklahoma).  Event #3 of that series, which was a $365 buy-in tournament, attracted a field of 4,249 entries (and had a prize pool of $1,274,000).  The win was worth $203,944, but also was his fifth (of eight total) WSOP Circuit title.  

After spending time playing some mixed events during the Rock N' Roll Poker Open, Holley is now ready for some no limit hold'em action, and was one of the first notables spotted into today's Flight 1C field.   @Hohnjolley headlines the first list of notables in the crowd, joining the likes of:

Michel Gariepy
Frank Traino
Alvaro Grisales
Zachary Mullennix
Gary Fitzgerald
Gail Sandler
Kevin Scarola
Daniel Genachte
Sean Shah
Oleg Efremov
Bernard Lubitz

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Official Chip Counts (Flight 1A-Flight 1B)

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 4 (Blinds 200/300/300)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 70



Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1C): Coming Off A Very Strong Start, Event #1 Numbers Expected To Grow Over The Weekend

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 1 (Blinds 100/100)
Total Flight 1C Entries: N/A


After a great start to Event #1 of the Isle Poker Classic ($200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" $100,000 GTD), we are about to begin the second pair of starting flights for the tournament.  Players in Flight 1C will be sitting down to starting stacks of 30,000 units, playing levels that last (30) minutes, with registration open through Level 8.

Yesterday's opening pair of flights saw a combined total of (185) entries, after there were (88) entries in Flight 1A, and (97) in Flight 1B.  A total of (26) players bagged chips from the flights (13 from each flight), with Ross Ramlal bagging the Flight 1A chip lead (307,000), and Kerry Keena the top stack from Flight 1B (458,000).  The current prize pool of $29,230 (from the first two flights) is a strong number for the opening day, and almost assures that this event will cruise past the posted guarantee.

Live blogged coverage will begin with a post containing the official chip counts from Flight 1A and Flight 1B, followed by a first look at notables in today's Flight 1C field.

Friday, November 30th: After A Successful Opening Day To The Isle Poker Classic, Event #1 Continues In The Weekend

ICYMI: Yesterday hosted the first pair of opening flights for Event #1 of the Isle Poker Classic, with things getting off to a very strong start.  There were a combined total of (185) entries of the course of the day, with (88) entries in Flight 1A, and (97) in Flight 1B.  The prize pool from the pair of flights is at $29,230, which is well ahead of the pace to reach the $100,000 guarantee.  Official chip counts from each of the flights will be posted shortly after the poker opens this morning (9:00am).

Tournaments: Event #1 of the 2018 Isle Poker Classic continues today, with two more opening flights, and a $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite.  The two flights (Flight 1C at 11:00am, and Flight 1D at 6:00pm) are structured with 30,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (30) minutes.  Registration is open through Level 8, with each of the flights schedule to conclude after Level 16, or until the 10% mark is reached (whichever occurs first).  

In between the two flights (at 2:00pm) is a $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite, offering the opportunity for players to join the Event #1 action, for a fraction of the price.  The satellite is structured with 10,000 unit starting stacks, (20) minute levels, and registration open through Level 8.  Players that earn a seat into Event #1, can choose one of the remaining five flights to play.

Promotions: The high hands will run from 9:00am-12:00am, with the opportunity to win $400 every (30) minutes.  During that period, the promotion sees tournament players eligible 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.  

It should also be noted that 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).

From 12:00am-9:00am (Friday into Saturday), the high hand will be awarded $100 every (60) minutes.

11:00am - 2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1) | $200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1C

- Players start with 30,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels will last (30) minutes

2:00pm - $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into Isle Poker Classic Event #1 ($200 No Limit Hold'em $100,000 GTD)

- Players start with 10,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (20) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels will last (20) minutes

6:00pm - 2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1) | $200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1D

- Players start with 30,000 in tournament chips
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels will last (30) minutes

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1B): Official End Of Flight 1B Chip Counts

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000)
Total Flight 1B Entries: 97
Flight 1B Players Remaining: 13

KerryKeena458,000
Mary JaneForsythe351,000
JudithBowling326,000
SalahSalmen290,000
FabioBaduy283,000
DavidOshry244,000
WillieWiggins225,000
SteveMoreno165,000
GizGuadalpi143,000
RussellMarco126,000
AndrewJones124,000
SteveCaplan111,000
LawrencePaden97,000

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Isle Poker Classic Event #1 (Flight 1A): Official End Of Flight 1A Chip Counts

2018 Isle Poker Classic (Event #1)
$200 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack"
$100,000 GTD
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 88
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 13


RossRamlal307,000
BrettKelly302,000
MarcWolfe300,000
Michael Delplancke292,000
JoseGenao288,000
PatrickSparks247,000
MaritzaCuartas204,000
PhillipZurbaran178,000
ThaoLe131,000
Steffen Lue130,000
Trent-DarylMcInturff112,000
ArthurGallinaro81,000
AlbertNiebla64,000