ICYMI: If you follow South Florida tournament poker, then the uptick in numbers the past two days, should not really come as a surprise. With a World Poker Tour event in the area, it offers once less place for the weekend crowd to play...which makes the incredible offerings at the Isle even more attractive. Friday night's $150 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 GTD) more than tripled the guarantee, after a total of (161) entries filled the tournament area. The $18,515 prize pool was to be spread across (21) spots, with some eye-opening numbers up top. The final table payouts were so enticing, players were able to agree to a five-way chop, which saw all parties involved get over $2,000. Tournament veteran Robert "Papa Bear" Transue took home first place money in the deal ($3,054), with official results listed below:
- Robert Transue (North Lauderdale, FL) $3,054
- Diane Linke (Boynton Beach, FL) $2,545
- Betty Davis (Boca Raton, FL) $2,451
- Vladimir Grechnikov (Coconut Creek, FL) $2,022
- Anderson Patino (Miami, FL) $2,021
- David Albertson (Coral Springs, FL) $740
- Randell Kugler (Pompano Beach, FL) $641
- Bobby Leff (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $656
- Jessie Koven (Deerfield Beach, FL) $492
- Pedro Palacio (Coconut Creek, FL) $426
- James Smith (Washington, PA) $426
- Jatinder Singh (Lowell, MA) $426
- Billy Michel (Miami Gardens, FL) $361
- Marla Crumpler (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $361
- Alvaro Acosta (Deerfield Beach, FL) $361
- Roman Ojeda (West Palm Beach, FL) $300
- Miguel Briganty (Sunrise, FL) $300
- Woody Bonarto (Sunrise, FL) $300
- Melissa Hunt (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $241
- Mathieu Kerry (Davie, FL) $241
- Michael Levin (Boone Mills, VA) $241
Tournaments: The train to "value town" departs the station at 6:00pm, when the cards get in the air for the $100 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 GTD). Last week's Saturday evening tournament attracted (155) entries, and had a prize pool of $11,625...for a $100 buy-in. The payouts offered solid returns on investment, with first place taking home $2,116 (as part of a three-way chop).
The tournament is structured with 12,000 unit starting stacks, (20) minute levels, and has registration open through Level 8 (as well as the short break that follows).
Promotions: From 10:00am (the minute the doors open) until 11:00pm, $300 high hands will be awarded every (30) minutes. These high hands must be aces-full or better, use both hole cards, and be the winning hand (in a pot that has at least $10). From 11:00pm until close, $100 high hands will be awarded every (30) minutes.
6:00pm: $100 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 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
- Levels will last (20) minutes