Event 1 (Flight K): Big Stacks Emerging, Chasing Down The Bonus

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Flight K Entries: 139
Flight K Players Remaining: 50

While three of the larger stacks in the Flight K field all share the same table, Nabila Salmen is climbing the leaderboard, currently sitting with just over 130,000.

With (50) players remaining in this Flight K field, the chip average currently sits at just under 70,000.  There are numerous stacks across the tournament area hovering around that number, but a handful of players have separated themselves from the field, and are looking towards bagging the "chiplead bonus."  Nabila Salmen is currently in the top five, sitting with 130,000 (65bb), and continued to trend upward as she was photographed scooping in another pot.

Gil A. - 205,000

Steve Raeman - 189,000

Fred Dabus - 165,000

Nabila Salmen - 125,000

Lou Stadler - 110,000

Event 1 (Flight K): Padding The Prize Pool

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Flight K Entries: 126

Players are currently on break for Flight K, and will return with hopes of putting chips in the bag for Day 2 (and having the next two days off).  

Players are heading on another break, and when they return to Level 9, the blinds will have increased to 500/1,000/100.  Also important to note is the closing of registration when Level 9 resumes.  There are already 138 total entries for this flight, almost matching the total for the first three flights combined.  The prize pool for this flight is well over $15,000, and at this rate, we should see a total prize pool for Event 1 eclipse the $100,000 mark.

About (15) minutes after these players on break return to their seats, players for Flight L (7:00pm) will begin to arrive, and look to grab another opportunity to put chips in a bag for Monday.

Event 1 (Flight K): October Poker Promotions

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 7 (Blinds 300/600)
Total Flight K Entries: 126

Beyond great tournament series (and daily tournaments), the Isle Casino Poker Room offers some of the best promotions in all of Florida:

High Hands:

All no limit high hands are worth $250, while limit and multi-table tournament high hands are worth $150.  These high hands run each day in October, and are hands out every (30) minutes with rollovers from 9:00am-3:00am (unless a different "daily" promotion is running).

Tuesdays in October ("Early Bird Full House Promotion):

Players that come in and play limit hold'em (Tuesdays) between 9:00am-11:00am will receive an "early bird card."  With that card, players in an active limit hold'em game are eligible for this full house promotion, whereas the first (100) full houses are paid out throughout the day.  Those hands that qualify the promotion will receive $20 (for 2/2 limit), and $40 (for 2/4 limit and above).

Wednesdays in October ("Spin The Wheel Promotion"):

New for this month, from 12:00pm-11:00pm, the high hand for each half hour will have an opportunity to "spin the wheel," located in the back corner of the poker room (closest to the cashier).  The wheel has numerous bonus amounts (real money) that players could spin and land on.  The three spots to try and land on would be the $2,000, $3,000, and $5,000.  Qualifying high hands are "aces-full" or better, and it should be mentioned that in any four card variation (PLO, PLO8), the high hand needs to be made on the flop.

Sundays in October ("Every 15 Minutes"):

Every Sunday in October, players are eligible to win a $300 high hand every (15) minutes from 2:00pm-9:00pm.  

Friday October 14th and October 28th ("Raise The High Hand"):

On October 14th and 28th (both Friday), the high hands will be given out every (20) minutes, with players receiving $250 from 11:00am-4:00pm and $500 from 4:00pm-12:00am.

Event 1 (Flight K): Zaydman Look To Build Off Solid September

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 5 (Blinds 200/400)
Total Flight K Entries: 106

Elliot Zaydman (Coconut Creek, FL) decided to "take his talents" to Florida
just over (15) months ago.  From the looks of his resume, it was a solid career
choice...amassing lifetime earnings over $500,000.

One of the first players spotted in the field this afternoon was Elliot Zaydman (Coconut Creek, FL), a tournament grinder who got his start at the Borgata in Atlantic City, NJ. Elliot was a low-to-mid stakes tournament player for most of his early career, but has a breakout 2014, where he earned over $150,000 (his first year in Florida).  While his career highlighting score came at the Hollywood Poker Open (Las Vegas) for over $71,000, Zaydman does have two five-figure scores here at the Isle over the past two years.

Elliot was part of an eleven-way chop during the 2015 PPC Isle Casino Winter Series Main Event, a cash that saw him take home $18,600.  A year prior, he final tabled Event 11 of the 2014 Florida State Poker Championships ($1,600 NLH Bounty), finishing third and earning himself $10,150.

Zaydman highlights a list of early familiar faces in the field, those of which include:

Luke Rosenberg

Thomas Gari

Tom Gity

Tylor Durden

Richard Bowers

Ian Cohen

Event 1 (Flight K): And If You Don't Know...Well Now You Know

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)
Total Flight K Entries: 101

This opening flight of the day just eclipsed the century mark, with (101) entries, and we continue to see players walking towards the tournament area with their entry receipts.  Players will be taking a break at the end of this level, and will return to Level 5 and blinds of 200/400.  Many tournament players routinely choose the time during break as a moment to update their legions of followers on Twitter (chip counts, hand histories, bust outs, cashes, etc.).  

There is a new "handle" in town if you'd like to find out most anything Isle Casino Poker Room related, and here's the inaugural tweet from that account:

Cards are back in the air post-Hurricane Matthew, as Event 1 resumes (Flight K). Follow newly launched https://t.co/yQIFX4BZai for updates

— IsleCasinoPokerPP (@islepokerPP) October 7, 2016

Make sure to follow that account, and find out all tournament related information, promotions, openings, closings...basically everything room related during this 2016 Isle Poker Open.  If you'd like to be mentioned on the blog, no easier way to get noticed than tweeting out those tournament updates to @islepokerPP.

As players return from break, we will feature some of our "faces in the crowd."

Event 1 (Flight K): Already On To Monday (Day 2)

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Flight K Entries: 72

It's been over (48) hours since initial coverage of this opening event, so it's important to not forgot that (23) players have already bagged chips for Day 2.  Rafael Reis (Brazil), our Flight A chipleader, still holds onto the "heaviest" bag...but there is still a lot of poker to be played.  Reis is one of nine players to already lock up their Event 5 seat ($570 NLH - $250,000 Guarantee), with three more names added to that list each time a future flight ends.  For those wondering, there are still (7) flights to enter, after the closing of this Flight K registration.

Rafael	Reis *	555,500
Jeff	Morrison ***	447,000
Martin	Robbins **	342,500
John	Freidkes **	260,000
Eric	Mutschler ***	251,500
Jacob	Richardson *	239,500
Eduardo	Christ ***	225,000
David	Coughlin	215,000
Carlo	Rodriguez *	214,500
Larry	Douglas Sr **	208,500
Daniel	Cruz	199,500
John	Valevich	199,000
Robert	Transue	190,500
Christopher	Morris	186,000
Dave	Price	182,000
Tom	Moran	102,000
Joel	Deutsch	94,000
Lawrence	Hawkins	92,000
Sebastian	Sanchez	91,500
Hollander	Preap	80,500
Gregg	Weiss	80,000
Daniel	Mijac	72,500
Sharon	Pickard	51,000

* Denotes Flight A "chipleader bonus"

** Denotes Flight B "chipleader bonus"

*** Denotes Flight C "chipleader bonus"

Event 1 (Flight K): "Look...The Storm's Gone"

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Flight K Entries: 72

There's nothing like 24 hours of "cabin fever" to kick start a weekend of tournament poker action.  It's clear that players were ready for action, as we've already seen (72) entries in this first flight of the day.   There are a lot of recognizable faces in the crowd, which we will feature in just a few moments.  Players still have over two hours to enter, so this will without a doubt be the largest flight of this early event.

Event 1 (Flight K): 11:00am Flight Cancelled, Action Picks Up With Flight K

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight K Entries: N/A

Just like the weather forecast, things are ever-changing in this Event 1 landscape.   There has been another slight tweak in today's schedule, as the 11 AM flight has been canceled. Things will get started today at 3 PM, with Flight K, which will be the fourth flight of this event.  On behalf of the poker room, we apologize for any inconvenience, and look forward to continuing this great opening event.

Event 1 (Flight J): Getting Back To Business

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight J Entries: N/A

You can always count on "cabin fever" to help bring out players, as Event 1 resumes in just a few moments.  The "shuffle up and deal" announcement is about to be made, and we are going pick right up where we left off.  

The same rules apply, as those registering will sit down to starting stacks of 25,000 in chips.  Levels will be (25) minutes in length, with the re-entry/registration period open right until the start of Level 9.  Each of these Day 1 flights are scheduled to play (16) levels, unless the flight is down to 8% of the field (at which point they will pause the clock and bag).

The top (3) chip leaders from each flight will still receive entry into Event 5 ($570 NLH - $250,000 Guarantee), which means the race is already on.  Here are the players to bag the chip lead through Flights A-C:

Flight A:

Rafael Reis (555,500)
Jacob Richardson (239,500)
Carlo Rodriguez (214,500)

Flight B:

Martin Robbins (342,500)
John Freidkes (260,000)
Larry Douglas Sr. (208,500)

Flight C:

Jess Morrison (447,000)
Eric Mutschler (251,500)
Eduardo Christ (225,000)

Event 1 (Flight J): Poker Room Opens At 10:00am, Event 1 Flights Resume

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight J Entries: N/A

Isle Poker room will open at 10a this morning. Isle Open Event #1 will resume with flights at 11a, 3p and 7p.

— Ralph Brandt (@uniden32) October 7, 2016

Isle Poker's own Ralph Brandt posted the announcement about (30) minutes ago, giving the green light for all Isle Poker players to return to play.  Cards will be in the air for cash games just after 10:00am, while Event 1 will pick up right where it left off, with Event J beginning at 11:00am (and the two scheduled flights to follow at 3:00pm and 7:00pm).

Hurricane Matthew forced a total of (6) flights to be cancelled, and may have altered the guarantee for this opening event...but a great showing is still expected for this weekend (as the show must goes on).

The live tournament coverage has also been altered slightly, with the cancelation/closing of the poker room (and the evacuation of the blogger), but updates will pick back up today for Event 1.  We hope that everyone was able to remain safe during the storm, and look forward to returning to business as usual.

Event 1 (Flight D): Can't Fade Mother Nature

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight D/E/F Entries: N/A (Flights Cancelled)

The effects of Hurricane Matthew are already
being felt here at Isle Casino Poker Room. 

The caption says it all, as Hurricane Matthew has already caused Event 1 action for Flight D through Flight I to be cancelled.  The Isle Poker Room will always do what is in the best interest for our players, staff, and community.  Once the storm has passed, and the property has been assessed, we will update you on the "revised" schedule for Event 1.

On behalf of everyone here at the Isle Casino Poker Room, we ask that you stay safe during the storm.  We look forward to getting the cards back in the air, so check back throughout the next 24-48 hours to find updates here on the blog.

Event 1 (Flight D): Second Verse, Same As The First

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight D Entries: TBD

The action for Flight D begins at 11:00am, with players entering sitting down to a 25,000 starting stack.  With blinds starting at 25/50, that's over 500 bigs to begin Level 1.  Levels for this event will be 25 minutes in length throughout, with registration for each flight ending after the completion of Level 8.  Players have the "re-entry" option during each and every "Day 1" flight, and will have three flights to choose from to play (Tuesday-Sunday).  These starting flights will conclude at the completion of Level 16, or if 8% of the field remains (whichever comes first).

Here is the schedule for Wednesday, October 5:

11:00am     Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight D
3:00pm      Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight E
7:00pm      Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight F

Live coverage of the event will continue shortly after the cards are in the air for Flight D.

Event 1 (Flight C): Wrapping Up The First Day Of Play

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Flight B Entries: 58
Flight B Players Remaining: 6

The final six players of Flight C didn't bag until the wee hours of the morning, but we saw Jeff Morrison draw close to the 555,500 chip count that everyone is looking to eclipse (Rafael Reis from Flight A).  Here are the chip counts (as well as bonus recipients) for Flight C of Event 1:

Jeff Morrison *	447,000
Eric Mutschler *	251,500
Eduardo Christ *	225,000
David Coughlin	215,000
Daniel Cruz	199,500
Robert Transue	190,500

* Denotes "Chip Lead Bonus"

The (23) players to bag from the first day of play now have six days to fill up time, as they wait to see how their stacks hold up against others, leading up to Monday's Day 2.

Event 1 (Flight B): Second Flight Says Goodnight

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Flight B Entries: 53
Flight B Players Remaining: 8

There are now two flights finished for Event 1 of this Isle Casino Poker Open, and everyone is still looking up at Rafael Reis (Brazil), who bagged 555,000.  Featured earlier on the blog, Marty Robbins ended up bagging the chip lead for Flight B, almost a full 200,000 behind Reis from Flight A.  Joining Martin with a free entry into Event 5 of this series are John Friedkes and Larry Douglas Sr.

Martin Robbins *	342,500
John Freidkes *	260,000
Larry Douglas Sr. *	208,500
John Valevich	199,000
Joel Deutsch	94,000
Sebastian Sanchez	91,500
Gregg Weiss	80,000
Sharon Pickard	51,000

*Denotes "Chip Lead Bonus"

Flight C still has around (90) minutes remaining in play for the day, and are currently taking their second to last break of the night.  The total numbers for the flight are as such:

Total Flight C Entries: 58

Flight C Players Remaining: 9

Total Flight C Prize Pool: $6,670

Once play has concluded for Flight C, we will bring you the final chip counts (bonus winners), along with a consolidated breakdown of the first three flights of Event 1.

Event 1 (Flight B): Everyone (Still) Loves Rankings (All Time Cashes)

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Flight A Entries: 53
Flight B Players Remaining: 19

We took a moment earlier to post our first "Top Ten" list, which broke down the all-time money leaders from Isle Casino Poker Room (tournament).  The all-time money list could be a little deceiving sometimes, as a player could potentially top the list with one large score (as was the example will Connor Drinan).  Connor has a ridiculous tournament resume, with over $10,000,000 in earnings, but his only score at Isle was in 2011 ($5,300 NLH Championship Event - Florida State Poker Championships).  The win in that prestigious event netted him $378,719, which has him on top of the Isle's all-time money list.

The all-time cashes list shows a player's long term success, and provides us names that may not be as familiar as those posted earlier:

1. Robert Transue - 46
2. Daniel Genachte - 36
3. Vasil Schita - 33
4. Louis Leo IV - 31
5. Maurice Hawkins - 31
6. Evan Teitlebaum - 30
7. Dave Henry - 29
8. Timothy Morgan - 28
9. Irwin Block - 28
10. Eric Riley - 28

Event 1 (Flight C): Completing The Trifecta

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 3 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Flight A Entries: 44

The final of the three starting flights for the day got underway about an hour ago, and we've already seen the number of entries grow to 44.  Those in Flight C will be playing deep into the night if they're interested in bagging for Day 2, as this flight is scheduled to end close to 2:00am.  That hasn't stopped many of the Isle Poker notables from taking there shot, as many recognizable names were spotted across the field:

Ken Schockett
Peter Betusca
Tom Gity
Mike Gutterman
John Costello
Dave Coughlin
Stephen Bromfield
George El-Kyouri
Miguel Briganty 
Domenico Barilla

Event 1 (Flight B): Faces In The Crowd (Part 2)

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/200)
Total Flight B Entries: 53

Flight B Players Remaining: 20

Now that Flight A has concluded, it gives us an opportunity to catch you up with Flight B, which is already in Level 11.  The flight's registration closed with a total of 53 entries, giving us a prize pool for the flight of $6,095.  Over half of the field has already been eliminated, but numerous Isle tournament regulars seem to be seeing success in this afternoon flight:

Sharon Pickard's (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) tournament resume is
just getting started, but she's already seen success in these large
field events.  Pickard made a deep run this past June, finishing
in 152nd place during the $100 NLH Monster Stack ($249).

Luke Rosenberg (Parkland, FL) is definitely no stranger to the
Isle Casino poker room, and is looking to build on a tournament
resume boasting over $12,000 in earnings.  Rosenberg most
recently finished 69th in August's installment of the $150 NLH
Monster Stack ($364).

Marty Robbins (Delray Beach, FL) was all smiles as we
approached Table 8, giving a fist pump to one of the dealers
as he continued on to his next table in the string.  Robbins has over
$159,000 in career tournament earnings, picking up his largest score
in August for just under $80,000 (5th Place - SHRPO Event 10).

Some other familiar faces still active in the Flight B field include Charlie Odenz, Ken Bruno, Jared Carter, and Gregg Weiss.

Event 1 (Flight A): Final Chips Counts

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Flight A Entries: 69
Flight A Players Remaining: 9

The turnover was quick, as the remaining nine players from Flight A bagged their chips, and the Flight C newcomers took their seats.  It should come as no surprise that Rafael Reis (Brazil) bags the Flight A chip lead, holding steady on the top of the chip counts from about Level 10 on.  Regardless of how he finishes on Day 2 of this event, he's already parlayed the Day 1 (Flight A) finish into an entry in Event 5 ($570 NLH) later in the series.  

Here is how the first flight of Event 1 rounded out to end the day:

Rafael Reis *	555,500
Jacob Richardson *	239,500
A. Nonymous *	214,500
Christopher Morris	186,000
Dave Price	182,000
Tom Moran	102,000
Lawrence Hawkins	92,000
Hollander Preap	80,500
Daniel Mijac	72,500

* Denotes "Chip Lead Bonus"

As this event continues on, we will be posting the complete chip counts as the accumulate, which will include the Day 2 seating assignments for Monday.

Event 1 (Flight A): Reis Wraps Up A Bonus

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 16 (Blinds 2,500/5,000/500)
Total Flight A Entries: 69
Flight A Players Remaining: 10

When the players not involved stand up and step away from the table mid-hand, it's pretty clear that someone is contemplating a big decision.  Over on Table 1, that player happened to be Rafael Reis, who was facing an all-in of 145,000 on a flop of 4♦ 10♣ 3♦.  The action pre-flop has not yet been verified, but regardless of what happened before we arrived at the table, a call from Reis would give us a pot well over 370,000.  

After just a few moments, Reis made the call, as he tabled his hand simultaneously.  Rafael showed Q♣ Q♥, and happened to catch his opponent hand in the proverbial "cookie jar."  His opponent held Q♠ 6♦, clearly hoping his aggression would somehow get Rafael to fold.  As it always is in poker (especially all-in scenarios), the 10♦ on the turn would bring Reis's opponent outs to a win, but the 3♣ on the river sealed the hand for Rafael.  The tournament director quickly helped rack Reis's chips (over 555,000), as Flight A is now down to one table, and ten players:

1. Chris Morris
2. Rafael Reis
3. Giovanni Contatore
4. Daniel Mijac
5. David Price
6. A. Nonymous
7. Jake Richardson
8. Hollander Preap
9. Tom Moran
10. Larry Hawkins

The players are finishing their remaining hands (with the clock paused), and we will post the end of flight counts shortly thereafter.

Event 1 (Flight A): Final Break Of The Flight

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)
Total Flight A Entries: 69
Flight A Players Remaining: 11

The eleven remaining players of Flight A are taking their final (5) minute break of the night, and will be returning to Level 15, and blinds of 2,000/4,000/500.  The quick break gives Tournament Director Adam Kemper the time to color off the black (100 denomination) chips, and allows those left to step away from the table, before returning to close out the flight.  Play will conclude after Level 16, or when six players remain in the flight.  Once we wrap things up with Flight A, we will post the chip counts for you, and shift our focus to Flight B (which started at 3:00pm).  

There are currently 47 entries in the (B) flight, with over an hour remaining to register.

Event 1 (Flight A): Anonymously Moving Up The Counts

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 14 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)
Total Flight A Entries: 69
Flight A Players Remaining: 12

As we approached Table 3, one of the larger pots of the flight was brewing.  Tom Moran was heads up on the turn of a board reading 5♥ 4♠ 7♥ 10♦, and after leading for 25,000, got shoved on (for 120,000) by a player who requested to remain anonymous.  Enough time had passed to whereas Moran's opponent called "clock," and as the countdown was being made by the tournament director, Moran announced a call.  Tom held 6♥ 7♦ for a pair and straight draw, but would at best be drawing to a chop, as his opponent flopped the straight with 6♦ 8♠.  

The river would bring the 3♥, and although Moran made a straight, it would be second best.  Our anonymous player would double up, and assume the chip lead with just over 265,000.  Tom took a big hit to his stack (left with 60,000), and looks to rebuild as we close out the final two levels of play for the flight.

Event 1 (Flight A): Going "Bonus Hunting"

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 13 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/300)
Total Flight A Entries: 69
Flight A Players Remaining: 15

Rafael Reis (Curitiba, Brazil)

As we mentioned in the last post, the three players with the largest stack at the end of each flight will receive a little "bonus," which earns them free entry into Event 5 ($570 NLH) of this series.  With only three levels of play remaining in Flight A, now would be a good time to update you on a few players currently in contention for those top stacks.  

Rafael Reis (Brazil) is no stranger to deep tournament runs, amassing career tournament earnings just under $310,000.  His standout scores both came at Seminole Hard Rock (Hollywood), with cashes of $87,000 (2015) and $91,000 (2014).  Reis currently leads the way with (15) players remaining, and hopes to continue that trend to end the flight:

Rafael Reis - 220,000
Tom Moran - 155,000
Giovanni Cantatore - 140,000
Chris Morris - 110,000

Event 1 (Flight A): Everybody Loves Rankings (All Time Money)

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)
Total Flight A Entries: 69
Flight A Players Remaining: 20

Play is already down to two tables in the opening flight of the tournament, and while the action begins to pick up at this time, there is still a lot of "down time" during these early stages of such a massive event.  This allows the blog team to put together some great features, one of which is the "Top 10," in relation to the Isle Poker Room.  Our first rankings list will feature the top ten all-time money list, which shouldn't surprise most people, as Florida has pumped out some of the top players in the world:

Isle Casino Pompano Beach Poker Room
All-Time Money List:

1. Connor Drinan ($378,719)
2. Hans Winzeler ($378,159)
3. Adam Levy ($308,996)
4. Hayden Fortini ($305,192)
5. Anthony Ruberto ($263,955)
6. David Diaz ($262,890)
7. Joseph Couden ($261,159)
8. Barry Hutter ($258,426)
9. Mohammed Siddiqui ($257,590)
10. Eric Riley ($245,345)

The list for the Isle Poker Room is basically a "who's who" in terms of the tournament poker community, and that's without mentioning names that just missed the cut: (11) Mukul Pahuja, (12) Matthew Waxman, (18) Samuel Panic, and (19) Ian O'Hara.

While it's unlikely that any of the players named above will be entering this opening event, we are sure that their presence will be made during the $1,500 Championship Event (October 27-31).

Event 1 (Flight B): Second Time Around

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Flight A Entries: 24

Tournament Director Adam Kemper just made the announcement for dealers to get cards in the air of the (B) flight of Event 1.  Players are quickly filling the seats as new tables open up, while those departing early from the (A) flight use their second opportunity to try and bag chips for Monday's Day 2.  The same structure applies for all of the opening flights of this event, with a 25,000 starting stack, and (25) minute levels throughout the event.

One thing that was not mentioned earlier was the "Chip Leader Bonus" that is attached to each flight.  The top three stacks from each of the eighteen flight will receive entry in Event 5 of this series, a $570 buy-in NLH event with a $250,000 guarantee.  We will be posting the chip counts for each flight at their respected conclusion, and will include those players that received the bonus.

Event 1 (Flight A): Faces In The Crowd (Part 1)

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)
Total Flight A Entries: 71
Flight A Players Remaining: 29

Larry Hawkins (West Palm Beach, FL) doesn't show results on Hendon Mob,
but the crack research team will be on that shortly, as he's one to never let a
tournament series pass by without showing up.  Hawkins was just moved to a
new table, so he'll be hoping to spin his 13,000 stack up as we move towards
bagging and tagging.

Edgard Mendes (Deerfield, FL) is one of many familiar faces in this Flight A
field, and is no stranger to deep runs here at Isle.  Mendes's lone tournament
win came in March during the "Battle Of The Beaches," when he took down
Event 3 ($80 NLH) for $2,650.

Jim Hambuger (Delray Beach, FL) can be seen at most tournaments here at
the Isle Poker Room.  He was one of the first players seated in today's flight, and
has already increased his starting stack to just under 50,000.  Hamburger has over
$39,000 in career earnings, all of which have come in the state of Florida.

Event 1 (Flight A): The Calm Before The Storm

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Flight A Entries: 69

The Event 1 trophy of the 2016 Isle Poker Open is a good looking one, but
players are likely more interested in the five-figure score that will come
along with a win in this opening event

Players are currently on their second (10) minute break of the day, and will be returning to Level 9 and blinds of 500/1,000/100.  The talk around the room has surrounded the impending weather (Hurricane Matthew), and while Florida still sits in a state of uncertainty, you can be certain that any news pertaining to poker room announcements will be found here on the blog.

When players return to their seats, it will also signify the closing of registration for Flight A, with numbers as followed:

Total Flight A Entries: 69

Flight A Players Remaining: 37

Prize Pool (Flight A): $8,050

The second of three flights for the day will be beginning at the top of the hour (3:00pm), but before that starts, we will take a look at some of the familiar Isle Poker Room faces in the crowd.

Event 1 (Flight A): Isle Poker Open "Going Up...On A Tuesday"

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight A Entries: TBD

The first "shuffle up and deal" announcement of the 2016 Isle Poker Open is less than an hour away, and the buzz across the poker room is evident.  The month long series kicks off with one of the most popular events on the schedule, the $150 buy-in NLH Monster Stack, which did carry a $300,000 guarantee.  Due to the unpredictable behavior of mother nature (Hurricane Matthew), the guarantee has been removed from this event, but don't be surprised if we see the closing prize pool hit that number at the conclusion of Flight R (final flight on Sunday).

The action for Flight A begins at 11:00am, with players entering sitting down to a 25,000 starting stack.  With blinds starting at 25/50, that's over 500 bigs to begin Level 1.  Levels for this event will be 25 minutes in length throughout, with registration for each flight ending after the completion of Level 8.  Players have the "re-entry" option during each and every "Day 1" flight, and will have three flights to choose from to play (Tuesday-Sunday).  These starting flights will conclude at the completion of Level 16, or if 8% of the field remains (whichever comes first).

Here is the schedule for Tuesday, October 4:

11:00am     Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight A
3:00pm      Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight B
7:00pm      Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight C

Live coverage of Event 1 begins at 11:00am today, and will continue through the Day 2 (and the final table) on Monday (October 10).

Isle Poker Open "Going Up...On A Tuesday"

Event 1 ($150 Monster Stack NLH)
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight A Entries: TBD

The first "shuffle up and deal" announcement of the 2016 Isle Poker Open is less than an hour away, and the buzz across the poker room is evident.  The month long series kicks off with one of the most popular events on the schedule, the $150 buy-in NLH Monster Stack, which did carry a $300,000 guarantee.  Due to the unpredictable behavior of mother nature (Hurricane Matthew), the guarantee has been removed from this event, but don't be surprised if we see the closing prize pool hit that number at the conclusion of Flight R (final flight on Sunday).

The action for Flight A begins at 11:00am, with players entering sitting down to a 25,000 starting stack.  With blinds starting at 25/50, that's over 500 bigs to begin Level 1.  Levels for this event will be 25 minutes in length throughout, with registration for each flight ending after the completion of Level 8.  Players have the "re-entry" option during each and every "Day 1" flight, and will have three flights to choose from to play (Tuesday-Sunday).  These starting flights will conclude at the completion of Level 16, or if 8% of the field remains (whichever comes first).

Here is the schedule for Tuesday, October 4:

11:00am     Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight A
3:00pm      Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight B
7:00pm      Event 1 ($150 NLH Monster Stack) Flight C

Live coverage of Event 1 begins at 11:00am today, and will continue through the Day 2 (and the final table) on Monday (October 10).