Isle Casino Poker : 02/02/18

Friday, February 2, 2018

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Official End Of Flight 1C Chip Counts

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 10 (Blinds 500/1,000/200)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 112
Flight 1C Players Remaining: 27

Jorge	Aristizabol	222,200
Bill	Farnan	211,100
Ronnie	Sofa	199,100
Omar	Yates	105,000
Richard	Leger	94,400
Larry	Douglas	93,500
Ido	Ashkenazi	81,300
Joe	Mancuso	79,800
Carlos	Sanchez Vegas	77,400
Chris	Lawson	71,800
Yigal	Hen	71,700
Patrick	Biancone	70,500
Marco	Oliveira	65,400
Joseph	Patalano	64,700
Mike	Fryett	59,700
Harry	Behling	52,800
Jack	Battaglia	51,600
Allan	Bieler	47,600
Scott	Zakheim	45,300
Frank	Traino	44,900
Gerald	Fehr	43,600
Michael	Marks	33,000
Doug	Hartwick	29,600
Francis	Cruz	29,100
Jason	Atherley	28,800
Dimitry	Agrachov	22,300
Hoa	Lang	16,600

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Entering The Final Level Of Play

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 10 (Blinds 500/1,000/200)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 111

Bill Farnan (Jupiter, FL) is only a month removed from a solid tournament win, shipping the $560 No Limit Hold'em event during the Fun In The Sun Series at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood.

As we've seen numerous times before, the landscape of the chip lead has shifted since break, with Bill Farnan (Jupiter, FL) comfortably in the chip lead, and currently sitting within the four chip lead bonus spots. There is still an entire level to play, but Farnan has become the odds-on favorite to bag the flight's top stack. When the tournament clock reaches 10:00 minutes, it will be paused, and players at each remaining table will complete four hands. Once those hands are finished, the bagging process will begin, with action for the Day 2 players resuming tomorrow afternoon (12:00pm).

The official chip counts from this flight will be posted between 7:00pm-8:00pm, followed the chips counts from Flight 1D around 2:00am-3:00am.

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Chip Counts As Players Head Down The Stretch

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 9 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 110

Carlos Sanchez (Venezuela) is no longer flying under the radar, and makes his first published appearance on the blog's live tournament coverage.

The cards are back in the air, and players are focused on reaching the bagging process, which begins at the conclusion of the next level. Carlos Sanchez (Venezuela) has assumed the overall chip lead, and now has his sights set on one of the four "chip lead bonus" spots. Sanchez may be a relative unknown, but he has over $215,000 in live tournament earnings, much of which was won at tournament stops outside of the United States. Carlos has been spending a lot of time in Florida as of recent, with his last three cashes coming courtesy of the Hard Rock Hollywood.

Carlos Sanchez - 138,000
Bill Franan - 110,000
Joseph Mancuso - 93,000
Joseph Catallano - 90,000
Dominic Cruz - 80,000
Marco Cantazani - 80,000
Chris Lawson - 70,000
Ido Ashkenazi - 60,000

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Jorge Aristazabal Heads To Final Break As Chip Leader

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 108

It's very likely, that when the chip counts are updated (at the beginning of Level 9), Jorge Aristizabal (Coral Springs, FL) will be the name up top.

Play is about to reach the midway point of Level 8, with those players still active, heading on their final break at the level'e conclusion. The player atop the leaderboard is currently Jorge Aristizabal (Coral Springs, FL), who sits with 110,000. Aristizabal is coming off his largest ever tournament cash, reaching the money in the $3,500 No Limit Hold'em Lucky Hearts Poker Open Main Event (101st place - $6,090). There are a handful of players that are in striking distance of that top spot, with updated chip counts to come...following this final break.

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): "Someone Should Get A Present"

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/75)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 99

Joel Benson (Blaine, FL) is an Ohio native, who is looked for his second ever recorded cash here at the Isle Poker Room (and Florida in general).

Passing Table 1, Marc Sacheli would be all-in for 1,300, and at risk after the player next to act made the call. Sacheli ended up winning the hand, in what seemed like a standard "short stack being called by a player who could afford to" situation. The very next hand, that same player that called Sacheli's all-in, three-bet shoved (for 24,000) over an open from Zaki Lichaa.

The table talk then began to make more sense, as the player had to leave for some reason, and was just shoving blind every hand. "Someone should get a gift, rather than me just blind out," the unknown player said, with Joel Benson (Blaine, FL) reshoving next to act (for over 50,000). Players folded behind, including the original opener (Zaki), and the hands would then be tabled. Benson was ahead with A♦ K♠, against the K♥ 7♥ of our unknown player, and would hold up through the runout. Benson did get awarded the 24,000 chip "present," and now sits with over 80,000.

Joel Benson - 83,000 (166bb)

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Updated Chip Counts From The Field

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 6 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 94

Joseph Mancuso (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is a tournament regular here at the Isle Poker Room, with only two of his forty recorded results coming outside of these four walls.

Players are now back from break, with Joseph Mancuso (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) currently leading the way (80,000). The field is about to reach the century mark, which is making a potential overlay less of a reality for this event. Just a reminder for those still interested in playing this event, not only is there a flight at 6:00pm (Flight 1D), players can also enter tomorrow afternoon (before the cards are in the air for Day 2).

Joseph Mancuso - 80,000 (200bb)
Hector Pacheco - 75,000
Frank Traino - 70,000
Jose Parra - 55,000
William Underdown - 45,000
Jeffrey Silverstein - 40,000
Scott Zakheim - 35,000
Michael Marks - 12,000
Chris Lawson - 11,000 (27bb)

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Lang And Smith Representing For The Ladies

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/50)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 70

Ellen Smith (Okeechobee, FL) is looking very elegant at the table, in action jus a few weeks after cashing during the 2017 Borgata Winter Poker Open.

We've seen a lot of Isle Poker tournament success from the ladies over the last few years, especially in major events and multis. After the first pair of flights yesterday, Nancy Thomas was the "last lady standing," bagging 105,800 for tomorrow's Day 2. There are only two ladies in the field at the moment, with Ellen Smith and Hoa Lang trying to join Thomas. Smith is coming off a cash at the Borgata, finishing 101st in the $450 No Limit Hold'em Black Chip Bounty ($706). Three of Ellen's four other cashes have come here at the Isle Poker Room, including a results during the $175 No Limit Hold'em event on the 2017 Isle Classic schedule.

Hoa Lang is just a week removed from a deep run in the $250 No Limit Hold'em ("January $100,000"), where she reached the final two tables, and ended up finishing in 19th place ($1,430). The pair of women top our second list of notables in this Flight 1C field:

Dmitry Agrachov
Allan Bieler
Ido Ashkenazi
Jason Atherley
Richard Leger
Greg Rosen
Tim Kegel
Hari Sukhu
Rodney Moret-Rojas

Players will be taking their second break of the day at this level's conclusion, returning to Level 6, and new blinds of 200/400/50. Once action does resume, we will feature the first updated chip counts list from the field.

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Michael Tait Looking For Back To Back Final Table Runs

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 4 (Blinds 100/200/25)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 62

Michael Tait (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is coming off a very nice score in last week's $250 No Limit Hold'em ($100,000 GTD), and is hoping to bag up on his first attempt this afternoon.

Last week's multi-flight event was a $250 No Limit Hold'em ($100,000 GTD), which ended up attracting (867) entries, and saw registration close with an over $170,000 prize pool. The tournament ended in a six-way deal, with Michael Tait taking home second place money ($18,671). The score was Tait's eighth largest tournament cash (lifetime), and helped bring his total earnings above the $426,000 mark.

Michael has been recording results since 2005, and has eleven years where he eclipsed five-figures in earnings. His best year came in 2011, when he cashed for $66,869 in total earnings, but he's got that number in site already. We are only a few days removed from the first month of the year, and Tait has over $22,000 in recorded results. Considering the schedule that Tait plays (events like the $2,500 NLH Single-Ante), a betting man would have to make Tait a favorite to have his best statistical year.

Tait was the first notable spotted in the field during the first break, and joins a long list of familiar faces, including the likes of:

Ory Hen
Hector Pacheco
Marc Sacheli
Zaki Lichaa
Craig Witz
Daniel Pearlman
Skip McDonough
Jeffrey Silverstein
Scott Zakheim
Yigal Hen
Thomas Gari

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): This Event Is Just The Beginning Of A Stacked February Tournament Calendar

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 3 (Blinds 75/150/25)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 43

This month's calendar has a "little bit of old," and a "little bit of new," as PLO makes it's triumphant return to the schedule. The $150 No Limit Hold'em "Double Green Chip Bounty" is also a new addition the calendar, boasting a $5,000 guarantee on the final three Thursday evening's of the month.

There is a $250 No Limit Hold'em tournament on February 16th-17th, which boasts a $50,000 guaranteed prize pool. The final of the three multis then occurs the following week, with the $175 No Limit Hold'em ($50,000 GTD) running February 19th through February 21st.

There are also three "Single-Ante" tournaments, including the ever-popular $2,500 No Limit Hold'em "Single-Ante," which runs on February 23rd.

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Official Chip Counts (Flights 1A-1B)

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Flight 1C Entries: 40

"February $100,000" (Flight 1C): Big Numbers Expected As The Weekend Kicks Off

"February $100,000"
$360 No Limit Hold'em | $100,000 GTD
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight 1B Entries: N/A

After the opening pair of starting flights, and a total of (108) entries, the second (and final) pair of flights are on today's schedule. Flight 1C is about to get underway, with much of the focus on the potential size of today's field. This tournament has a $100,000 posted guarantee, and needs to average (113) entries for each of today's flight, in order to reach that posted number. The race for the chip lead bonus is also wide open, as the following players sit in the top four spots, after the opening pair of flights (and stand to earn a seat into the $2,500 NLH Single-Ante):

Donald Williams - 154,000
Erik Christensen - 139,000
Paul Vieira - 132,600
Steven Sondam - 120,900

Cards will be in the air momentarily, with players sitting down to starting stacks of 18,000 units, prepared to play a scheduled ten (40) minute levels. Live blogged coverage of the flight will begin with a look at the official counts from yesterday, followed by the tournament calendar for February, and then the notables in today's Flight 1C.

Friday, February 2nd: Final Pair Of "February $100,000" Flights Headlines Friday's Schedule

ICYMI: The opening flight of the "February $100,000" led off the schedule for Thursday, with the $360 No Limit Hold'em event attracted a total of (67) entries. We saw a large group of notables in the afternoon field, but the spotlight was full on Herbert Nairn (Florida), and unknown that was taking the tables by storm. The early fortune was more a curse...than a blessing, as Nairn became extremely aggressive, and eventually found himself eliminated short of the bagging process. After the final four designated hands were played in Level 10, (16) players remained, and began packing up their chips for tomorrow's Day 2 (Saturday). Donald Williams bagged the flight's chip lead (154,000), and put himself in the top four stacks heading to Day 2, which puts him in the running for the chip lead bonus (and entry into the $2,500 NLH Single-Ante). The full list of official chip counts from Flight 1A can be found by clicking here.

Just as Flight 1A was bagging up, the cards were just getting in the air for Flight 1B, the second of four starting flights for the event. After ten levels, the field would officially close with (41) entries, of which (10) players reached the bagging process. Paul Vieira bagged the chip lead (132,600), with Steven Sondham (120,900) not far behind in the second spot. A full list of the flight's chip counts can be found by clicking here.

It just so happens (by coincidence) that the top two stacks from each flight currently make up the four spots that are in the running for the "chip lead bonus." Listed below are the names and stack sizes that players will be chasing today:

Donald Williams - 154,000
Erik Christensen - 139,000
Paul Vieira - 132,600
Steven Sondam - 120,900

The tournament currently has a total of (108) entries, which equates to $32,400 towards the overall prize pool. That means that a solid showing is needed today (from the final pair of starting flights), in order to reach the $100,000 posted guarantee.

Tournaments: Today wraps up the opening flight action for the $360 No Limit Hold'em "February $100,000." There are a pair of opening flights today, with Day 2 players returning at 12:00pm on Saturday (to not disrupt players plans for the "big game"). There is an afternoon and evening flight (11:00am and 6:00pm), both with the same structure. Players in the event sit down to starting stacks of 18,000 units, and levels that last (40) minutes over the course of the entire event. All of the opening flights will play through Level 10, with players bagging for Day 2 at the level's conclusion. The top four stacks, after all of the flight are completed, will earn seats into this months $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Single-Ante (February 23rd).

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 - $360 No Limit Hold'em ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1C

- Players start with 18,000 in tournament chips

- Late and re-entries for the first (10) levels, including an optional Day 2 buy-in (before the first hand is dealt for Level 11)

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels will last (40) minutes

- All Day 1's will play (10) complete levels or until 10% of the field remains (whichever comes first)

- The top four stacks, after all of the starting flights have been completed, will earn entry into the $2,500 No Limit Hold'em Single-Ante ($100,000 GTD) on February 23rd.

6:00pm - $360 No Limit Hold'em ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1D