Monday, February 21st: Sunday's Chop Offers Impressive Payouts, "Final Table Finish" Expected To Do The Same

ICYMI: After weeks of WSOP Circuit action, we saw the return of Sunday's $400 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD).  Action got off to a strong start, with the field growing to (110) entries, by the time the registration window closed.  The $38,280 prize pool almost doubled the posted guarantee, and was scheduled to be spread across the top fourteen spots.  Action would play down to a three-handed final table, with the final trio agreeing to a healthy chop.  Ralph Campbell (Coral Springs, FL) took home first place money, worth almost $10,000.  Official results from the tournament are listed below:

1. Ralph Campbell (Coral Springs, FL) $9,230
2. Ian Cohen (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $7,432
3. Mark Rakoff (West Palm Beach, FL) $6,153
4. TJ Shulman (Duluth, GA) $2,775
5. Nancy Birnbaum (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $2,144
6. Anthony Casas (Miami, FL) $1,761
7. Raymond McDonough (Jupiter, FL) $1,493
8. Joseph Kearns (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,302
9. Philip Whitaker (Miami, FL) $1,148
10. Frank Lamarra (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,014
11. Alberto Sabogali (Greenwich, CT) $1,014
12. Stephen Posa (Albany, NY) $1,014
13. William Beasley (Davie, FL) $900
14. Adam Mammon (Lauderhill, FL) $900

Tournaments: At 6:00pm this evening, the $250 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD) "Final Table Finish" returns, with a little wrinkle.  This particular tournament had such a good structure, that the final table action ran into the closing time of the poker room (players are then faced with chopping, or bagging for a Day 2).  To keep that from occurring, there will be some slight changes moving forward.

The event will be structured with 25,000 chip starting stacks, (20) minute levels, and open registration through Level 8 (and the break that follows).  The new format-wrinkle comes into play when discussing payouts, as the tournament will pay out just the final table, regardless of how many entries.  Exact payout percentages are as follows (final tables are now nine-handed):

1. 40%
2. 18%
3. 10%
4. 7%
5. 7%
6. 6%
7. 6%
8. 3%
9. 3%

Promotions: From 9:00am (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.

In addition to the high hands, there is a "bonus" promotion in place, which offers $1,000 to the highest hand from the 9:00am-12:00pm time period.  If a player makes a straight flush in the 9:00am-9:30am qualifying period, and that is the best qualifying high hand from 9:00am-12:00pm, they will earn an extra $1,000 (in addition to the $300 they were awarded for the half-hour time period).

6:00pm: $250 No Limit Hold'em "Final Table Finish" ($10,000 GTD)

• Players start with 25,000 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