FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): 13th-16th Places ($550)

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 17 (Blinds 3,000/6,000/6,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 12

The following players have been eliminated from Flight 1A of Event #4 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD), and have cashed for $550:

13. Joseph Jean (Miami, FL)
14. Ryan Ricci (Hollywood, FL)
15. Tracy Scala (Village Oak Golf, FL) 
16. Samuel Wynder (West Palm Beach, FL) 

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): 17th-20th Places ($450)

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 16

The following players have been eliminated from Flight 1A of Event #4 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD), and have cashed for $450:

17. Kenneth Bruno (Lake Worth, FL) 
18. Omar Yates (Manor, TX)
19. Ryan Rackleff (Boca Raton, FL)
20. Garrett Lorman (Boynton Beach, FL) 

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): John Maczan Eliminated On The Bubble, Playing Down Until Eight Remain

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/5,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 20

Paul Shafran is another player that was handcuffed for most of the day, but has now amassed a very manageable stack to finish the night with.

John Maczan's bustout hand was a mere formality, as he was left with less than ten big blinds to shove.  His tournament fate was sealed just one hand prior, when he ran into Paul Shafran's set of aces.   Shafran flopped a set of aces, with Maczan turning a set of tens, and the chips getting all-in at that point.  With John's elimination, the remaining (20) players are all guaranteed money, with the final eight bagging up for Monday's Day 2.

That will conclude the day's live blogged coverage, but we will be posting updated results as players bust, as well as official counts at the end of the flight (and the chip lead bonus winner).  With the (40) minute levels, it could take a while to get down to that eight player mark, as stacks a super deep at the moment (average stack is over 40 big blinds).

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Slow Going On The Bubble, Williams Surviving...Now Thriving

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/4,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 23

For Justin Williams, patience was what worked, as he folded...and folded...and folded, until his playable hands began to hold up.

For the past three levels, Justin Williams had been holding onto a stack that never eclipsed ten big blinds, but managed to survive.  He would get it all-in behind...and chop.  He would get it all-in with 8♦ 8♠ versus J♣ 10♥, and watch the board runout J♠ 7♣ 4♥ 9♦ 10♠.  Justin's nub of a stack has suddenly grown to over 130,000, after the most recent elimination of Mike Sexton.  

There are now (22) players remaining, with the field just one elimination away from hand-for-hand starting.

Justin Williams - 130,000 (32bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Updated Chip Counts As The Money Bubble Approaches

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 14 (Blinds 2,000/3,000/3,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 27

Omar Yates (Lehigh Acres, FL) currently finds himself with the fourth largest stack in the Flight 1A field, and in contention for the chip lead bonus.

The field is now just seven eliminations from the money, with player also vying for the end of flight "chip lead bonus."  The largest stack from this flight, and the five flights that remain, will earn a seat into Event #14, which is the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em FSPC Main Event ($500,000 GTD).  Updated chip counts from the beginning of the level are posted below:

Chien Chiu - 315,000 (105bb)
Jim Hayes - 270,000 (90bb)
Jennifer Parker - 220,000 (73bb)
Omar Yates - 215,000 (71bb)
Marcus Obser - 210,000 (70bb)
Evan Teitelbaum - 195,000 (65bb)
Tracy Scala - 180,000 (60bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Seating Assignments For The Final Three Tables In The Field

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 13 (Blinds 1,500/2,500/2,500)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 29

With play creeping close to the money bubble for the flight, we offer a list of players remaining in the Flight 1A field (by seating assignments):

Table 3

1. Mike Sexton
2. Ryan Ricci
3. Tom Gity
4. Jim Hayes
5. Justin Williams
6. Phillip Consolo
7. Megan Endres
8. Mark Shulla
9. Sara Chau
10. Chandran Mathur

Table 4

1. Sam Winder
2. Tracy Scala
3. Paul Shafran
4. Eli Joseph
5. Jay Convente
6. John Maczan
7. Gavin Gowie
8. Jim Ensign
9. Evan Teitelbaum

Table 9

1. Jennifer Parker
2. Omar Yates
3. Ryan Reckleff
4. Marcus Obser
5. Joseph Duchman
6. Chien Chiu
7. Garret Lorman
8. Joel Deutsch
9. Kenneth Bruno

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Stacks Are Growing Across The Field, As Players Prepare For Day's Third Break

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/2,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 40

Marco Cantizani (Boca Raton, FL) has some history here at the Isle Poker Room, making a deep run in this very event ($360 No Limit Hold'em), during the 2017 Isle Open.

Outside of the names we mentioned earlier, there have been some players to really make a move up the leaderboard...none more than Marco Cantizani (Boca Raton, FL).  Marco began chipping up just before registration closed, and has since trended in the right direction, now sitting with 225,000.  That's good enough for the Flight 1A chip lead, as players prepare to head on their third break of the day.  This would normally be the final break of these starting flights, but with the new five percent wrinkle, we could see action play through Level 16 (therefore adding a fourth break to the day).  Once players return from break, we will updated blog followers on everyone still remaining in the field (by seating assignment).

Marco Cantizani - 225,000 (112bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Ronald Rentz Becomes The New "Roy Paulena"

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/1,600)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 47

It was Roy Paulena before, and now it's Ronald Rentz (West Palm Beach, FL), trying to make the "chip and a chair" story come to life.

"If you want a story, you should come over here," one of the players at Table 5 said aloud.  He then began to tell the story of Ronald Rentz (West Palm Beach, FL), who came to the table after his original table broke moments before.  Rentz had lost a 200,000 chip pot on the hand before the table broke, and sat down to Table 5 with 1,600 (one big blind).  Well...now just twenty minutes later, Rentz has 45,000 in front of him, and new Flight 1A life.

Ronald Rentz - 45,000 (37bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Updated Chip Counts From The Flight 1A Field

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/1,200)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 155
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 59

Marcus Obser (Delray Beach, FL) leads the first look at the leaderboard, sitting with 160,000 in front of him.

The first look at updated chip counts has yielded a number of large stacks across the tournament area, with Marcus Obser (Delray Beach, FL) holding the current chip lead (160,000).  Marcus has just three results on his Hendon Mob resume, but his career earnings are $235,725.  His first ever recorded cash was a third place in the $2,500 NLH event during the 2007 WSOP ($212,021).  Right behind Obser's count is Eli Joseph, who holds the second largest stack in the field, with 140,000.

Marcus Obser - 160,000 (133bb)
Eli Joseph - 140,000 (116bb)
Ryan Rackleff - 125,000 (104bb)
Jennifer Parker - 120,000 (100bb)
Tracy Scala - 100,000 (83bb)
Marco Cantizani - 90,000 (75bb)
Stanley Aufseeser - 85,000 (70bb)
Alan Ramkhalawn - 83,000 (69bb)
Ryan Ricci - 75,000 (62bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Registration For Flight 1A Closes With (155) Entries, Official Numbers Released

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1.000/1,000)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 151
Flight 1A Players Remaining: 66

With the cards back in the air for Level 9, registration for Flight 1A of Event #4 is officially closed.  There were a total of (155) entries, of which (62) players are still alive, and hoping to reach the money/bagging process.  The prize fund from this flight is $46,500, which is well ahead of the pace needed to reach the $200,000 posted guarantee.  

Here are the numbers that players have been waiting for:

A total of (20) players from the flight will reach the money, with the following payouts below:

9-12. $650

13-16. $550

17-20. $450

The flight will conclude when (8) players remain.

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Unlikely To Make Even The First Break, Roy Paulena Still Alive As Registration Closes

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/800)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 141

Roy Paulena (West Palm Beach, FL) has been recording tournament results since 2015, already amassing $31,757 in career earnings. 

"You need to write a story about me man," Roy Paulena (West Palm Beach, FL) said, as we walked by Table 2.  "I had 700 in chips earlier...ask the people at my table."  Roy's mates at the table confirmed that he was able to spin up the 700 unit stack to almost 50,000.  Paulena is now just fifteen minutes from reaching the second break of the day, which is the point where registration closes for the flight.  

Once cards are back in the air for Level 9, the window for players to enter will be closed, and we will be able to bring you the official numbers from the flight (including official number of entries, how many players will get paid from the flight, and the amounts they will make).

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): David Coughlin Continuing The Solid Form, Already Atop The Chip Counts

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/600)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 133

David Coughlin (Lighthouse Point, FL) spent a short while as the final table chip leader in Event #1, but ran into a true cooler against Steve Legault.

After chopping up Event #1, David Coughlin (Lighthouse Point, FL) is once again experiencing some run good, finding himself the early chip leader in this flight.  His 80,000 stack is currently the best in the field, as he tries to put himself in solid position to make his second deep run of the series.  His third place money from Event #1 ($17,245) helped him eclipse the $80,000 mark in lifetime earnings, brining him even closer to the $100,000 milestone.

David Coughlin - 80,000 (133bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Josh Phillips Scores A Double, "Can't Fold The Nines"

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 6 (Blinds 300/500/500)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 128

Josh Phillips told his opponent, "I'm just not folding nines there," after a comment was made that he should have folded the hand to the two all-ins.

We approached Table 10 just as Cory Zeidman had a player at risk, holding 9 9 against the 6 8, on a flop of 2 5 7.  The turn came out clean for Cory, but one of the remaining nines would fall on the river, giving his opponent the winning straight.  Left with about half a starting stack, Zeidman would watch as a shorter stack player shoved for about 7,000.  "I shouldn't do this right after that hand, but I'm all-in,"Cory announced, as he pushed forward his stack.  Josh Phillips was the final player to act (and original raiser), and he would make the call, putting both players at risk:

Phillips: 9♣ 9♠
Zeidman: A♠ K♠
A. Nonymous: A♥ K♣

Runout: J♦ 10♦ 3♥ 2♠ 9♦

The flop would bring extra outs for Josh's opponents, but the turn and river ran out clean, eliminating both opponents form play.  

Josh Phillips - 48,000 (96bb)

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Catching Up On The List Of Notables In The Flight 1A Field

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/400)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 114

Sara Chau (Dallas, TX) is another player taking a break from cash, to try and see if she can record her first result since 2013.

It's yet again a start that nobody could have predicted, as Flight 1A is already at (114) entries, at the halfway point of open registration.  The entries have joined at such a strong pace, that it's been difficult to keep up with all of the notables across the tournament area.  Just like Adam Hamby earlier, Sara Chau (Dallas, TX) is a player whose focus is on cash game play, but managed to find herself in today's early field.  Sara's tournament resume boasts over $131,000 in career earnings, but it's been over five years since the last time she recorded a result.  Chau's best tournament score came back in 2008, when she won $60,000 for a 10th place finish in a $3,000,000 guaranteed event at Winstar (Thackerville).  

Sara headlines our long list of notables in this Flight 1A field, joining the likes of: 

Tom Gity
Adil Khan
Jose Parra
Maurice Lightner
Megan Endres
Francis Margaglione
Ryan Ricci
Anthony Barbera
Cory Zeidman
Joel Duchman
Preecha Taepakdee
Talia Millery
David Meyerson
Thomas Puccio
Tracy Scala

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Adam Hamby Off To A Quick Start, Already Tripled Starting Stack

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 4 (Blinds 200/300/300)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 101

Adam Hamby (Pompano Beach, FL) may be taking a liking to tournament poker, as we've seen him enter numerous events over the past few months.

Adam Hamby (Pompano Beach, FL) took a break from the cash tables this afternoon, and it already looks like a good decision.  His 20,000 unit starting stack is already up to 64,000, after some early action saw him eliminate a player from Table 11.  Adam's preference towards cash games is evident in his tournament resume, which boasts just eight total results (over a span of four years).  His is another case of "don't underestimate" though, as a lack of resume means nothing on the felt.  Hamby's volume at the tables is likely far beyond many of the players in the field, it's just that his decisions are made for chips that have monetary worth.  His career earnings of $6,448 could be eclipsed with a deep run in this event, so we will keep an eye on his progress as the day afternoon turns to evening.

Adam Hamby - 64,000 (213bb)

Players will be taking their first break at the end of this level, returning to Level 5, and new blinds of 200/400/400.

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Michael Chiappetta Returns To The Isle Poker Room, After Brief Period Away

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/200)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 76

Back in action once again, Michael Chiappetta (Boca Raton, FL) returns for the second time in as many weeks, after being away from the Isle Poker Room for a while.

Michael Chiappetta (Boca Raton, FL) was a name we'd see frequently during tournament series at the Isle Poker Room (as well as "special" multis), always sitting down with one of the more impressive tournament resumes.  The last he was featured on the blog, was during last year's Florida State Poker Championship, when he made a run in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Main Event ($500,000 GTD).  Michael finished in 31st place during the event, adding $3,906 to his career earnings.

Now just because he wasn't spotted here, didn't mean that the results just stopped there.  Chiappetta continued to cash in events, as has had a pretty solid 2018 to this point.  Michael reached the unofficial final table of the $3,500 No Limit Hold'em WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship Event, earning a career best score of $49,680 for 10th place.  His career earnings are now up to $352,740, making him one of the more accomplished players in this Flight 1A field.

Some other notables already seated this afternoon include:

Roy Cohen

Stanley Aufseeser

Kenneth Bruno

Frank Scala

Barton Taylor

Joel Deutsch

Michael Tait

Gregg Weiss

Joao Santos

Maury Halperin

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Another Strong Start, To What Will Be Another Special Event

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 2 (Blinds 100/200)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 60

Chien Chiu (Coconut Creek, FL) is looking to follow in the footsteps of companion David Coughlin, who ended up chopping last week's opening event of the series.

Earlier this week (Monday), Chien Chiu (Coconut Creek, FL) was on the rail, supporting David Coughlin at the Event #1 final table.  Well...we should say part time rail, and part time player, as she was also playing in Event #2 (which began at 6:00pm on Day 2 of Event #1).  Coughlin ended up with the better result that night, navigating his way to four-handed play, at which point players agreed to a deal.  David earned $17,245 for his third place share in the deal, while Chiu busted Event #2 short of the money.  Both players are in the field this afternoon, with aspirations of making this Event #4 final table together.  

While Coughlin holds the better of the two tournament resumes, Chien does have some impressive numbers, with over $24,600 in lifetime earnings.  Her best result came last year, during the $160 No Limit Hold'em event that was part of the Mega Millions Series (WPT Legends Of Poker).  Her 32nd place finish was worth $7,605, a result that helped make 2017 Chien's best year of tournament poker.

FSPC Event #4 (Flight 1A): Second "Headlining" Tournament Of The FSPC Underway, Guarantee Grows To $200,000

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #4 | $360 No Limit Hold'em | $200,000 GTD
Level 1 (Blinds 100/100)
Total Flight 1A Entries: N/A

After a brief respite from the multi-flight action of last week, the second multi of the 2018 Florida State Poker Championship begins in just a few moments.  Event #4 is a $360 No Limit Hold'em tournament, which boasts a very healthy $200,000 guaranteed prize pool.  The tournament is structured with 20,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that start at (30) minutes (Levels 1-14).  After the conclusion of Level 14, the length will shift to (40) minutes, offering up even deeper play for players.  Registration is open through Level 8 (and the break that follows), allowing for over four hours to join the action.  The chip lead bonus also returns, as the top stack from each opening flight will earn a seat into Event #14 ($1,500 NLH Florida State Poker Championship Main Event).  Along with the big blind ante format, there is a new wrinkle to this event, with the explanation listed below:

- Payouts: On each Day 1, 12.5% (1 in 8) of the field will be paid $450-$650 (depending on order of finish) down to 5% Day 2 field.

- Best Stack Forward: Players qualifying for Day 2 may play another Day 1 flight in an attempt to better their chip count. Players that have qualified for Day 2 with multiple chip stacks will only be permitted to play their highest qualifying stack. The other stacks will be removed from play and the player will receive the minimum Day 2 payout (approximately $1,000) for each stack “forfeited”

Cards will be in the air momentarily, with live blogged coverage offered throughout the day.

Thursday, July 12th: Second Of The Four "Headlining" FSPC Events Starts Today, With Event #4 ($360 NLH $200,000 GTD) On The Schedule

ICYMI: Yesterday was "satellite Wednesday" for Event #4, which is a $360 No Limit Hold'em event, that boasts a $200,000 guaranteed prize pool.  Each of the satellites was of the $90 price point, and guaranteed (5) seats into this weekend's tournament (ten seats total).  The 11:00am installment attracted a field of (39) entries, which meant that seven seats were going to be awarded, and an eighth place spot walking away with cash:

1. Robert Tribble (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
2. Daniel Genachte (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
3. Jose Silva (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
4. Marc Freund (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
5. Stanley Aufseeser (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
6. Leonard Murray (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
7. Sharon Pickard (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
8. Jeffrey Sheppard ($288 Cash)

The nighttime satellite (6:00pm) saw a similar sized field, as registration would eventually close with (36) entries.  Once again, there would be seven seats awarded, with an eighth place spot walking away with a cash prize:

1. Jeffrey Silverstein (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
2. Frank Traino (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
3. Diane Linke (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
4. Sabas Ferrer (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
5. Chien Chiu (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
6. Steve Raemen (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
7. Cinda Goodale (FSPC Event #4 Seat)
8. Billy Michael ($72 Cash)

Tournaments: It's a busy tournament schedule today, with three events on tap for players to choose from.  Things get started at 10:00am, with another $90 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into Event #4, which guarantees five seats into the event.  Players in the satellite sit down to starting stacks of 8,000 units, and play (20) minute levels over the course of the afternoon.  Registration is open through Level 8 (and the break that follows), allowing for over two hours to join the action.

Sandwiched between another satellite (at 2:00pm), but not to overshadowed, is the opening flight for Event #4 of the 2018 Florida State Poker Championships.  The $360 No Limit Hold'em event is tied for the second largest guarantee of the series ($200,000 GTD), and should end up being one of the most popular events of the series (in terms of overall numbers).  The tournament is structured with 20,000 unit starting stacks, and levels that last (30) minutes during the opening flights (transitioning to 40 minutes on Day 2).  Registration is open through Level 8 (and the break that follows), allowing more than four hours for players to decide when to join.  The interesting caveat about the event is addition of the Day 1 payouts, and double bagging.  Details about those features are listed on the structure sheet for the event, which is posted below:

Then at 6:00pm, it's back to the $90 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into Event #4, which carries the same exact guarantee (5 Seats) and rules as listed above.

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 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).

10:00am - 2018 Florida State Poker Championship (Satellite Schedule)| $90 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into Event #4 (5 Seats GTD)

- Players start with 8,000 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 (20) minutes

2:00pm - 2018 Florida State Poker Championship Event #4 (Flight 1A) | $360 No Limit Hold'em ($200,000 GTD)

- Players start with 20,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels 1-14 will last (30) minutes , transitioning to (40) minutes Level 15+

- Payouts: On each Day 1, 12.5% (1 in 8) of the field will be paid $450-$650 (depending on order of finish) down to 5% Day 2 field.

- Best Stack Forward: Players qualifying for Day 2 may play another Day 1 flight in an attempt to better their chip count. Players that have qualified for Day 2 with multiple chip stacks will only be permitted to play their highest qualifying stack. The other stacks will be removed from play and the player will receive the minimum Day 2 payout (approximately $1,000) for each stack “forfeited”

6:00pm - 2018 Florida State Poker Championship (Satellite Schedule)| $90 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into Event #4 (5 Seats GTD)

- Players start with 8,000 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 (20) minutes