FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Players Remaining In the Field (By Seating Assignment)

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/1,600)
Total Day 1A Entries: 105
Day 1A Players Remaining: 35

With play now down to four tables, we can update you on everyone that's still alive in the Day 1A field.  Remaining players are listed below (by seating assignment):

Table 4

1. Alberto Rodriguez
2. Amy Wan
3. Josh Phillips
4. Chris Bolek
5. Jake Schwartz
6. Phillip Consolo
7. Terry Siele
8. Kenneth Bruno
9. Brett Bader

Table 6

1. Jay Romano
2. Erik Christensen
3. Richard Whitebrook
4. Scott Zakheim
5. Pasquale Caiazza
6. Ido Ashkenazi
7. Jerry Wong
8. Jordan Saccucci

Table 9

1. Abbey Daniels
2. Michael Chiappetta
3. Tom Gity
4. Joseph Couden
5. Marek Madro
6. Paul Balzano
7. Sean Remz
8. Corey Dodd
9. John Magnetta

Table 10

1. Robert Barreto
2. Alex Gladunov
3. Qasem Zyad
4. Samuel Mayer-Backer
5. Michael Tufaro
6. Michael Graffeo
7. Carey Pickus
8. Brian Hastings

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Updated Chip Counts Before Final Break

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/1,200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 105
Day 1A Players Remaining: 36

Abbey Daniels (Coral Springs, FL) has flown under the radar for most of the day, but now finds herself with a top ten stack.

As play enters the late evening hours, we are seeing a decrease in bust outs just turning around and re-entering.  The field is down to (36) players, but not yet on four tables, as some space needs to be open for the potential entry.  Pasquale Caiazza still leads the field, holding firm at that 250,000 number.  Other top stacks from the field are posted below:

Pasquale Caiazza - 250,000 (208bb)
Robert Barreto - 155,000 (129bb)
Brian Hastings - 145,000 (120bb)
Amy Wan - 140,000 (116bb)
Alex Gladunov - 135,000 (112b)
Abbey Daniels - 135,000 (112bb)
Ido Ashkenazi - 125,000 (104bb)
Paul Balzano - 105,000 (86bb)
Joseph Couden - 105,000 (86bb) 

Players will be heading on their final break of the day at the end of this level (20 minutes), and will be returning to Level 11, with new blinds of 800/1,600/1,600.

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Sean Remz Loses 200,000 Pot To Pasquale Caiazza, Who Assumes Chip Lead

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/1,000)
Total Day 1A Entries: 101
Day 1A Players Remaining: 39

Pasquale Caiazza (Davie, FL) just broke up the party at Table 6, as he sent Sean Remz packing, rivering a full house in a 200,000+ pot.

Table 6 continues to be a magnet for action, as the largest pot of the tournament just played out at the "featured table."  Sean Remz and Pasquale Caiazza both started the hand with stacks over 100,000, with the two getting it all-in on the turn of a board that read Q♦ 8♠ 5♦ 10♠.  Remz had turned the nuts with J♣ 9♦, but needed to fair the board pairing, as Pasquale tabled Q♥ Q♠.  A loud "YES!!!!" would emanate from the table on the river, as Pasquale celebrated the 10♣ hitting the felt.  

The dealer would begin to count down stacks to verify who had who covered, but it was quickly evident that Caiazza held the larger of the two stacks.  He's now leading the Day 1A field with 250,000, with just three levels remaining in the night.

Sean Remz would exit the table with his glass of wine, but only for a few moments, as he's now re-entered.

Pasquale Caiazaa - 250,000 (250bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): The Wine Is Flowing At Table 6, Making It The Field's Feature Table

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/1,000)
Total Day 1A Entries: 99
Day 1A Players Remaining: 42

Regardless of tonight's outcome for Jerry Wong (Margate, FL), he can't say that his table hasn't been entertaining. 

A group of players have been sharing bottles of wine at Table 6, which has made for some very entertaining poker.  There has been a lot of chatter, laughing, and bluffing at the table...which is surprising, considering some of the field's largest stacks are housed there.  Towards the end of Level 8, there was a commotion at the table, surrounding whether or not Jerry Wong had gone all-in.  While he verbalized the all-in with chips in his hand (going towards the pot), the floor had ruled that he already entered the pot, before the all-in announcement was made.  Five players had already called a bet of 2,000, so they would go to the flop, at which point Jerry would check-fold to a bet from Sean Remz.

Just a few hands later, Jerry wanted to make sure things were little clearer for the table.  After Sean Remz raised, Jerry grabbed all of his chips, and dropped them arms length away.  Remz called the 26,000 chip all-in, and the hands would be tabled:

Remz: A♠ Q♥
Wong: A♦ J♠

Runout: 8♠ 3♦ 7♦ 10♦ 9♥

Sean said that Jerry deserved the pot after what happened earlier, but after the flop, it seemed very unlikely that Wong would win.  Without hitting a jack, the turn was as good as could be for Jerry, who added both straight and flush outs.  One of those would hit the river, as Wong made a jack-high straight, and more than doubled up to 57,000.

Jerry Wong - 57,500 (57bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Players Heading On Break, Looking Forward Towards Card Player Poker Tour

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/800)
Total Day 1A Entries: 93
Day 1A Players Remaining: 42

Players are heading on their third break of the day, and will be returning to Level 9, with new blinds of 500/1,000/1,000.  While there is a short lull in the action, it gives us a moment to take a look at next month's Card Player Poker Tour schedule, which boasts an $1,100 No Limit Hold'em Main Event ($200,000 GTD).

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Back-To-Back Hands See Christensen Close To Average

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/800)
Total Day 1A Entries: 93
Day 1A Players Remaining: 44

Erik Christensen (Miami, FL) spent most of the day with a stack below the chip average, but winning two pots in a row have changed the complexion of his day.

Erik Christensen (Miami, FL) had a difficult time finding some traction over the first half of the day, but just won back-to-back hands, and is now peaking.  Christensen was all-in and at risk (for 22,600) just two hands ago, holding K♠ K♣ against Brian Hastings' J♠ J♥.  The K♥ 2♠ Q♥ 7♥ Q♠ runout would see Christensen lock up the double, which helped him chip up to 47,000.  

The very next hand, after a player limped from under-the-gun, players would fold around to Brian Hastings (in the small blind).  Brian completed, while Erik checked his option (in the big), as the three checked a flop of 8♥ 2♦ 4♣.  After the 6♠ on the turn, Hastings would check once again, but this time Christensen bet out 900.  Both players came along, and watched as the K♠ hit on the river.  The blinds would check, and the original limper took a shot, putting out a bet of 4,500.  The wager was enough to get Hastings to fold, but Christensen was a little sticky.  He'd count out the chips for a call, and toss them onto the felt.  Erik's opponent shook his head and tabled A♥ J♠, with Christensen tabling 7♣ 4♦, as his pair of fours were good to win the pot.  

Erik went from 22,600 to 60,700 in a matter of two hands, and now has his sights firmly set on finding a bag.

Erik Christensen - 60,700 (75bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Big Stacks Emerging Across The Field

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/600)
Total Day 1A Entries: 91
Day 1A Players Remaining: 45

Amy Wan (Parkland, FL) is looking to cash in her second ever $1,500 buy-in tournament, with her first coming in 2016, when she finished 218th in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em Monster Stack (at the WSOP).

At one point it was just Ido Ashkenazi...Jay Romano...and then everyone else.  After seven levels of play though, the rest of the field is catching up, with some of the players eclipsing those original leaders.  There are currently eight players over the 100,000 mark, including Amy Wan (Parkland, FL), who followers may remember from Event #4 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD).  Wan made the final table of the event, but would be eliminated in 8th place, earning herself $5,790.  After showing up just after the day's first break, Amy is now up to 125,000, which is good for the fifth largest stack in the field.

Ido Ashkenazi - 170,000 (283bb)
Brian Hastings - 160,000 (266bb)
Jay Romano - 158,000 (263bb)
Alex Gladunov - 132,000 (220bb)
Amy Wan - 125,000 (208bb)
Tom Gity - 115,000 (191bb)
Richard Whitebrook - 110,000 (183bb)
Abbey Daniels - 100,000 (166bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Terry Siele Didn't Realize He Eliminated Nancy Thomas...Until She Exited The Table

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/600)
Total Day 1A Entries: 91
Day 1A Players Remaining: 45

Regardless of if a player realizes it or not, if the cards are tabled, the winning hand will always be awarded the pot...luckily for Terry Siele.

The action at Table 4 was picked up on the turn, as Nancy Thomas was all-in (for just under 10,000), with Terry Siele making the call.  The board read Q♥ 8♥ 5♦ 9♠, with Nancy's Q♦ 9♥ holding the lead against the J♣ 8♣ of Siele.  The 10♠ would fall on the river, completing Siele's straight, but he didn't notice it.  It wasn't until Nancy collected her things and walked away from the table, that Terry said aloud, "I have a straight."  Nancy would walk over to Abbey Daniels and tell her the story, which was leaning on the "bad beat" side, considering Terry had just six outs to win.

Thomas exited the tournament area and headed down the escalator, so re-entry seems unlikely.  We will surely see her again over the next three days, in one of the upcoming Day 1's.

Terry Siele - 52,000 (65bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Wjuniski Out-Kicks Levitt, Picks Up Pretty Nice Pot

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 6 (Blinds 300/500/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 90
Day 1A Players Remaining: 51

Daniel Wjuniski (Brazil) could have possibly bet for value on the river, but chose the safe route against Scott Levitt, and would pick up a nice sized pot.

Table 6 was approached on the turn of a board that read Q♣ 6♣ 2♠ 8♦, with an unknown player betting 8,000, and Scott Levitt making the call.  Having checked to start the action, Daniel Wjuniski (Brazil) decided to raise it up, tossing out 18,000 in front of his cards.  The original bettor released his hand, with Scott Levitt making the call, after about thirty seconds of thought.  The river 8♠ would pair the board, and elicit checks from both players, with Wjuniski rolling over K♠ Q♠.  Levitt frustratingly showed his Q♥, and followed that up by quickly flashing the J♥.  Daniel had him pipped, and he would win the pot, which grew to over 50,000.  

Daniel Wjuniski - 76,000 (126bb)
Scott Levitt - 44,000 (73bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Cards Are Back In The Air, Fashionably Late Crowd Joins The Action

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 6 (Blinds 300/500/500)
Total Day 1A Entries: 90
Day 1A Players Remaining: 57

Chris Bolek (Boca Raton, FL) was part of a small group of players that entered the tournament during the (50) minute dinner break.

With the structure as deep as it is, right after dinner break is a popular time for certain tournament players to arrive.  There were a handful of notables to join the action just before the (50) minute period away was ending, including Shawn Nguyen, Zyad Qasem, and WSOP bracelet winner Chris Bolek.  Bolek won his first bracelet last year in the $1,500 No Limit Hold'em bounty (Event #50), earning $266,646 for his efforts.  Even though this summer wasn't as successful , Chris did cash in four events (over the WSOP period), totaling close to $40,000 in earnings.  His best result of the "summer" was actually just before he left for Las Vegas, when he won the $1,650 No Limit Hold'em "Deepest Stack" event at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood ($94,544).

The pace of entry for this opening day of Event #14 has been surprisingly strong, with the field expected to eclipse the century mark, before night's end.

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Players Heading On Dinner Break, Play Will Resume At 7:13PM

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 85
Day 1A Players Remaining: 60

Players in Day 1A of Event #14 ($1,500 No Limit Hold'em FSPC Main Event $500,000 GTD) are about to head on dinner break, and will be returning at 7:13pm.  When play resumes with Level 6, the new blinds being posted will be 300/500/500.

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): With Three Players All-In, Gity Finds Miracle Turn To Scoop The Pot

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/400)
Total Day 1A Entries: 82
Day 1A Players Remaining: 57

Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) is not one to celebrate outwardly, but couldn't hold back a few loud claps, after hitting a one-outer to make quads (on the turn of a three-way all-in).

Table 1 was approached at the perfect time, as three players headed to the flop, after calling 10,500 each (the action beforehand is still unknown).  With over 33,000 already in the pot, the trio (Tom Gity, Mike Graffeo, and Juan Martinez) watched at the dealer fanned out a flop of A♥ J♥ 9♠.  Graffeo asked to see Martinez's stack, which was the shortest of the group (9,000), before verbalizing an all-in.  Tom Gity would look up at the dealer, and sternly say, "I'm all-in as well" (for close to 30,000).  Juan Martinez grabbed his remaining chips, and dumped them on the felt, as we would have a three-way all-in:

Gity: 9♥ 9♣ (bottom set)
Martinez: J♦ J♣ (middle set)
Graffeo: A♦ K♦ (top pair, backdoor draws)

Turn: 9♦
River: 8♥

"What just happened," Gity said aloud, shocked to see that his hand was in second place.  He was still in line to win a sizable side pot, but hit a one-outer on the turn to make quads, which would give him a beyond commanding lead.  He'd fade Martinez hitting a one-outer on the river, and would more than double up to 123,000.

Tom Gity - 123,000 (307bb)
Michael Graffeo - 10,100 (25bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Gladunov Thinks It Through, And Doubles Up

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 4 (Blinds 200/300/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 79
Day 1A Players Remaining: 57

Alex Gladunov (Boca Raton, FL) is looking to make his second final table of the series, after fishing tenth in Event #4 ($360 No Limit Hold'em $200,000 GTD).

We approached Table 10 to see a hand playing out between Alex Gladunov and Mihaly Lukacs, with the two players on the flop (10♠ 8♥ 6♦).  There was a 9,000 bet in front of Gladunov, which had just been raised by Lukacs, who went all-in for 44,400 (having Alex covered).  Alex was deep in the tank, with one of the other players at the table calling for a clock.  Just as the tournament supervisor was walking over, Gladunov made the call, with the cards then tabled:

Lukacs: A♣ 10♥
Gladunov: 10♦ 8♠

Turn: Q♣ 
River: 4♥

Alex was surprised to see the hand he was up against, but knew he needed to fade two streets to double.  After the turn and river ran out clean, Gladunov pumped his fist, and watched as the dealer began to cut out his stack.  Lukacs would have to send 44,000 the way of Gladunov, and would be knocked out just a few hands later.

Alex Gladunov - 94,000 (313bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Updated Chip Counts After First Break

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 4 (Blinds 200/300/300)
Total Day 1A Entries: 70
Day 1A Players Remaining: 59

Jay Romano (Parkland, FL) has sent Alan Saltzman to the rail twice this afternoon, both times making strong river calls, after Alan bombed for sizable amounts. 

The cards are back in the air for Level 4, with the next scheduled break last (50) minutes, as those in the field head to dinner break (which will last from 6:20pm-7:10pm).  The player's time away from the table allowed for stacks to be collected, with the following updated numbers from the field:

Jay Romano - 115,000 (383bb)
Ido Ashkenazi - 102,000 (340bb)
Jordan Redavid - 63,000 (210bb)
Abbey Daniels - 51,000 (170bb)
Jose Parra - 50,000 (166bb)
Brett Bader - 36,000 (120bb)
Ian O'Hara - 29,000 (96bb)
Joseph Couden - 29,000 (96bb)
Matt Smith - 29,000 (96bb)
Erik Christensen - 27,000 (90bb)
Brian Hastings - 21,000 (70bb)
Sam Panzica - 15,000 (50bb)

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Magnetta Has "No Fear," As Pure Aggression Helps Him Stay Alive

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 61
Day 1A Players Remaining: 57

John Magnetta (Boynton Beach, FL) felt as if his only option was to shove river against Jake Schwartz, which evidently was the correct thought, as it elicited a fold from the winning hand.

As the minutes were winding down in Level 3, we caught up to a hand between John Magnetta and Jake Schwartz.  The two players were on the river of a board that read A♦ 9♣ 4♣ 10♠ K♥, with close to 10,000 in the pot.  Magnetta was all-in for just over 14,000, with Schwartz thinking about his next action.  Jake would eventually verbalize a fold, asking Magnetta if he would show his hand.  

"Will you show me John, I'll show you what I had" Schwartz said to Magnetta, who would oblige.  John turned over Q♠ Q♣, followed by Jake tabling A♣ 3♣, having missed on the nut-flush draw.  "No fear John," Schwartz would say to his table mate, who collected the pot with a smile.

John Magnetta - 41,000 (205bb)
Jake Schwartz - 22,000 (110bb)

Players are about to head on their first break of the day, and will be returning to Level 4, and new blinds of 200/300/300.

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): 2016 FSPC Main Event Champ Sam Panzica Returns To Action

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/200)
Total Day 1A Entries: 54
Day 1A Players Remaining: 51

There are two bracelet winners in today's field, and now two former FSPC champs in the field, as 2016 winner Sam Panzica (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) joins the action.

Another player who sits in the top ten (currently 7th) of the all-time money list (Isle Casino Poker Room) just entered the field, with Sam Panzica (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) taking his seat at Table 6...just moments ago.  Just like Joseph Couden (who was mentioned earlier), Panzica has won this particular tournament, taking down the 2016 FSPC Main Event ($117,282).  Just months after the result, Sam went on to win his first WPT title, shipping the $5,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event at Best Bet (Jacksonville).  The result was worth $354,335, which at the time, was the second largest tournament cash of his career.  

Sam would go on to win the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star ($7,500 No Limit Hold'em) in March of last year, earning his first ever seven-figure score ($1,373,000).  Panzica's lifetime earnings are now over $4,109,000, after two more WPT final tables this past May ($15,000 buy-in Tournament Of Champions and $10,000 Bobby Baldwin Classic).

Sam's arrival helps continue the growing list of notables, which now includes:

Jake Schwartz
Michael Tufaro
Scott Levitt
Juan Martinez
Rodney Moret-Rojas
Chad Eveslage
Michael Merisier
Noel Atherley
Paul Balzano

FSPC Event #14 (Day 1A): Ido Ashkenazi Almost Doubles Starting Stack, As Gity Uses His "Mulligan"

2018 Florida State Poker Championship
Event #14 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em ($500,000 GTD)
Level 2 (Blinds 100/100/100)
Total Day 1A Entries: 52
Day 1A Players Remaining: 49

Ido Ashkenazi (Queens, NY) couldn't really ask for a better start, as he almost doubles his 30,000 starting stack in the first level of play...courtesy of Tom Gity.

It's rare to see (600) big blind pots at this stage in the tournament, but one just unfolded at Table 1.  The hand was approached pre-flop, just as Tom Gity was four-betting Ido Ashkenazi, casually tossing out 2,100.  Ido then chose to five-bet, putting out 5,600, to which Tom made the fairly quick call.  The two players would see a flop of 10♠ 9♣ 4♥, with Ashkenazi leading for 4,200, and Gity raising that bet to 10,000.  Ashkenazi verbalized an all-in (having Gity covered), with Tom making the call, and the two hands finding their backs:

Ashkenazi: K♠ K♣
Gity: Q♥ Q♠

Turn: 10♥
River: 2♠

When the hands were tabled, Ido would toss his headphones down on the felt, and push back from the table.  He glared intently at the turn and river, not moving until things ran out clean, and he knew that his hand held up.  The dealer would count down both stacks, to find that Ido had Tom just covered, sending Gity away from the table.  Luckily for the avid golfer (Tom Gity), he can consider this a "mulligan," as he won two seats into this event (one through a satellite, and one through the Event #9 chip lead bonus).

Ido Ashkenazi - 58,000 (580bb)