Event 1 (Flight 1C): ICYMI, Another $5,000 "Money Wheel" Winner!

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/25)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 80

Marcel Gendron (far left) added his name to the list of $5,000 winners during the "Spin To Win" promotion.

Yesterday's big promotion (as has been every Wednesday for months) was the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion, where qualifying players have the opportunity to spin the ever-popular "Money Wheel."  We've seen some incredible payouts over the past few months, with four figure winners almost each and every week.  The wheel magic continued yesterday, as Marcel Gendron and his quad jacks spun the wheel, and earned himself $5,000!!!

It's one of the most popular high hand promotions in the state of Florida, and if you want in on the action, all you need to do is show up on Wednesday's between 12:00pm-11:00pm (and of course have a qualifying high hand for the half-hour to spin).

Event 1 (Flight 1C): Hoodies, Glasses, And Headphones

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 65

It's become the "poker player's uniform," with the glasses on, hoods up, and headphones playing.  The hoodies haven't made any waves in the poker community, but the idea of wearing sunglasses and/or listening to headphones while playing have both garnered different opinions from tournament players.  Regardless of stance, all three are approved during tournament play here at the Isle Casino Poker Room, and we spotted a trio of notables each sporting one of the three items.  (Players will be taking their first 10 minute break after this level, and will return to new blinds of 150/300/25).

Ronald Morone (Las Vegas, NV) is "under the hood," and looking to boost his no limit tournament resume.  Morone is a very successful tournament player with over $37,000 in live tournament earnings, but a good portion of those cashes have been in non-no limit tournaments (Omaha 8B, PLO, HORSE, etc.).  Just a few weeks ago, Morone won the $300 Omaha 8B event during the Lucky Hearts Poker Open at SHR ($5,584).

Manuel Soltero Luna (Miami, FL) is coming off his most successful year of tournament poker, recording (15) live tournament cashes, totaling $14,443.  His best cash of the year (and of his career) came in May, when he won a $130 No Limit Hold'em event at Coconut Creek ($6,628).

Juan Rodriguez (Boca Raton, FL) can always be found wearing his trademark polarized sunglasses at the table, and it seems to be working for him.  Juan has over $107,000 in live tournament earnings, and should be familiar to followers of the blog after being part of the six-way deal that ended Event 2 of the 2017 Isle Poker Classic.  Rodriguez took second place in that chop, and earned a career highlighting score of $19,141.

Event 1 (Flight 1C): Field Continues To Grow, Notables Continue To Show

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 3 (Blinds 75/150)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 53

It's a well known fact that poker players aren't the best "morning people," so it should come as no surprise that the field has more than doubled since the cards first got in the air over an hour ago.  Some of the newest attendees of this afternoon flight include:

Paula Alibrandi

Bruno Fortin

Marcel Dechamps

David Walker

Joshua Wasserman

Shlomo Maman

Francois Gagne

Francis Margaglione

Robert Flacco

Valeria Rodriguez

Event 1 (Flight 1C): Rule Of Thirds

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 41

"Rule of thirds" is a photography term, and is the basic idea of composition.  It is essentially dividing an image into three horizontal and vertical sections.  For the post's title, it's referring to the group of three notables photographed in this early field.  The pace of entry is just behind yesterday's Flight 1A (when ended up with 107 entries), but there looks to be a steady stream of players heading to the tournament area.

Forget the hoodie...toss the headphones...no need for an iPad...Antonio Albanes (Hollywood, FL) just rocks the "groovy" shades at the table.  Albanes only rocks the shades when he is in a hand, taking them on and off each time a hand is being dealt.  Antonio doesn't have much a tournament resume to research, as he boasts just one result on Hendon Mob, a 36th place finish during the opening event of the 2015 SHRPO ($3,095).

Michael Hefley (San Diego, CA) is a familiar name to followers of the blog, and a familiar face to anyone who plays "daily" events here at the Isle.  Hefley was first introduced on the blog during Event 1 coverage of the 2016 Isle Poker Open.  Hefley reached the final table of that event, finishing in 4th place, and earning his career highlighting score of $7,641.  Michael followed that up with a cash in the 2017 Isle Poker Classic, and is looking to notch a score in his third straight series.

Glen Canelstein (Coconut Creek, FL) has been getting lots of "blog love" over the last few series, but his tournament "claim to fame" actually came during a standalone event in December.  Canelstein was part of a final table chop during the $75,000 GTD "Structure Beast," earning a career highlighting score of $5,015.  Glen has been a fixture in the Isle Poker tournament scene, and is looking to best his effort in the 2017 Isle Poker Classic, in which he cashed in two events.

Event 1 (Flight 1C): Flight 1A-1B Official Chip Counts

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 25

Listed below are the combined chip counts of the (21) players to bag chips for Sunday's Day 2.  The letter next to a player's name denotes "chip lead bonus" for respective flight:

Event 1 (Flight 1C): Action Underway For Flight 1C

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)

Total Flight 1C Entries: N/A

Tournament supervisor Ralph Brandt just made the rules announcement to the players already seated in the Flight 1C field, and the cards are in the air for the third of eight opening Event 1 flights.  There were a total of (187) entries from yesterday's opening day of action, with (21) players bagging chips for Day 2.  James Plate (Oakdale, NY) bagged the overall chip lead with 477,000 (from Flight 1B), with Robert Urspruch (Plantation, FL) bagging the Flight 1A chip lead (396,500).  Both players earned seats into the Battles At The Beach $1,500 Main Event, and will be joined by another duo from today's flights.

Flight 1C will be "live blogged" this afternoon, with coverage through the bagging process (around 6:30pm).  Official chip counts will follow for Flight 1D, which ends just after 1:00am, with the pattern continuing tomorrow and Saturday.  Sunday's Day 2 action will have full coverage, offering updates until a winner has been declared.

Thursday, February 16th: Looking To Join The 21 That Moved On, Event 1 Continues

The 2017 installment of the "Battles At The Beach" began yesterday, with two very strong showings for the first event of the series (Event 1 - $175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD).  The opening flight (Flight 1A) began at 11:00am, and brought out many of the Isle Poker familiar faces (107 total entries).  Robert Urspruch (Plantation, FL) introduced himself to followers of the blog in the latter stages of the flight, and ended up bagging the chip lead (396,500), which then earned him a $1,500 Battles At The Beach Main Event seat.

The evening flight (Flight 1B), which started at 6:00pm, attracted a total of (80) entries.  The field size was shrinking at a rapid rate, and it looked as if they'd reach the "10% remaining" before the end of Level 16 (at which point the flight would have started the bagging process).  The field got as close as one elimination away (8 players ended up the night), but did end up finishing the flight as scheduled, with James Plate (Oakdale, NY) bagging an impressive 477,000.  Plate locked up his $1,500 Battles At The Beach Main Event seat with that effort, an tournament that looks to be one of the highest buy-ins he has played in his career.

There are two more Event 1 flights on the schedule today (11:00am and 6:00pm), along with the "Early Bird No Limit Promotion," paying out the first (50) full houses of the day.  Yesterday's "Spin To Win" promotion saw yet another $5,000 winner, with Marcel Gendron of Quebec parlaying his quad jacks into an incredible payday!

11:00am - Event 1 (Battles At The Beach) $175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 Guarantee (Flight 1C)

- Players receive 20,000 in tournament chips
- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack
- Levels will be (25) minutes in length throughout tournament
- All Day 1's will play 16 levels, or when 10% of the field remains (whichever occurs first)
- The chip leader from each flight will earn a $1,500 Main Event seat

6:00pm - Event 1 (Battles At The Beach) $175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 Guarantee (Flight 1D)

- Players receive 20,000 in tournament chips
- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack
- Levels will be (25) minutes in length throughout tournament
- All Day 1's will play 16 levels, or when 10% of the field remains (whichever occurs first)
- The chip leader from each flight will earn a $1,500 Main Event seat

Event 1 (Flight 1B): Official Flight 1B Chip Counts

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)

Total Flight 1B Entries: 80

Players Remaining: 8

James	Plate	477,000
Atanael	Thomas	348,000
Hector	Pacheco	235,500
Rodolfo	Miret	189,000
David	Poces	123,500
James	Quiles	96,500
Mark	Carattini	69,500
Michael	Guttermann	56,500

Event 1 (Flight 1B): "Live Look-In," Coverage Returns For Flight 1C

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 11 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)

Total Flight 1B Entries: 80

Just as the bagging process was finishing up for Flight 1A of Event 1, the second flight of that day was getting underway.  The "evening" flights for Event 1 begin at 6:00pm, and wrap up just before 2:00am (for those wondering about scheduling).  After Flight 1B registration closed, there were officially (80) total entries, bringing the combined field to (187) entries.  There are currently (19) players remaining, with a chip average of 84,000, meaning play is super deep at the moment (average is over 50 big blinds).  The flight is scheduled to end at the end of Level 16, but if the flight 1B field gets down to (7) players before that time, the clock will be paused and play will end for the night.

Official Flight 1B chip counts will be posted in the early morning hours, with "live blogged coverage" of Event 1 returning tomorrow afternoon (Flight 1C).

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Official Flight 1A Chip Counts

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

Players Remaining: 13

Robert	Urspruch	396,500
Peter	Bronstein	277,000
Frank	Scala	258,000
Raymond	Winters	209,500
Evan	Braunstein	178,500
Stuart	Greenbaum	157,500
Thomas	Gari	147,000
Joseph	Conti	110,500
Ido	Ashkenazi	109,000
Craig	Schlesinger	106,500
Lou	Stadler	90,500
Allan	Bieler	83,000
Steve	Westerholt	21,500

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Urspruch Bags Flight 1A Bonus

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

Players Remaining: 14

Robert Urspruch (Plantation, FL) may have trended downwards over the course of Level 14 and 15, but he used the final level as his platform towards grabbing the Flight 1A bonus.  He won a 100,000 pot holding the nut flush against his opponents jack-high flush, which propelled him to the chip lead once again.  Robert wouldn't relinquish the lead this time, as he earns himself a $1,500 Battles At The Beach Main Event seat.  End of Flight 1A chip counts will be posted once the bagging process is finished, and counts have been made official.

Event 1 (Flight 1A): It's Now Anyone's Bonus To Earn

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 16 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/500)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

There will be no runaway chipleader this flight, as Robert Urspruch has dropped down, and a trio of other players have closed the gap.  While there are a handful of short stacks of the (17) players that remain, any of the players that are still active are just a "heater" away from grabbing that $1,500 Main Event seat.  The clock will be paused with 10:00 minutes remaining in Level 16, at which point the tournament supervisor will inform the players how many hands are left.  Once those hands are completed, the bagging process will begin, and we will update followers on the flight's chip leader.

Robert Urspruch - 290,000

Ido Ashkenazi - 265,000

Raymond Winters - 225,000

Petr Bronstein - 205,000

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Can't Spell Urspruch Without "UP"

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 15 (Blinds 1,500/3,000/400)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

Robert Urspruch (Plantation, FL)

With the blinds increasing, and the stack ratio thinning out, we are witnessing a transfer of power.  John Vidal, who was the overall chip leader at last update, has been eliminated from Flight 1A play (at the hands of Robert Urspruch).  Urspruch, who has one recorded cash on Hendon Mob,  is now the favorite to bag the flight chip lead (with over 350,000).  There are two levels of play remaining, and two tables currently active (20 players left).

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Remaining Table Lineups

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 14 (Blinds 1,200/2,400/400)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

As we enter the final three levels, here is a look at everyone who is still active in Flight 1A, listed by table lineups:

Table 8:

1. Miguel Capriles
2. Chad Freedman
3. Ido Ashkenazi
4. John Vidal
5. Robert Urspruch
6. Francis Margaglione
7. Frank Scala
8. Peter Bronstein
9. Luiz Stadler

Table 11:

1. Miguel Galindo
2. Joey Conti
3. Roberto Alvarado
4. Alfredo Vargas
5. Raymond Winters
6. Ken Shockett
7. Stuart Greenbaum
8. Wes Lasher
9. Nader Bahhur

Table 12:

1. Morris Heider
2. Marc Culberson
3. Evan Braunstein
4. Steve Westerholt
5. Thomas Gari
6. Craig Schlesinger
7. Allan Beier
8. Austin Bailey

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Updated Chip Counts

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 13 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/300)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 29

Players have just returned from their final break of the flight, and will be playing four more levels (unless the field reaches the 10% mark).  The empty tables from break allowed for clear view of chip counts, as we now start focusing on the race for the chip lead:

John Vidal - 230,000

Francis Margaglione - 160,000

Thomas Gari - 150,000

Lou Stadler - 135,000

Ido Ashkenazi - 115,000

Craig Schlesinger - 105,000

John Vidal and Francis Margaglione currently share the same table, which could lead to some fireworks as we head down the homestretch.  There are only three active tables remaining, so we will follow up with a full field lineup shortly. 

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Sometimes You Just Have To Ask Politely

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 11 (Blinds 600/1,200/200)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

John Vidal (Pompano Beach, FL)

The lap around the tournament area was about to yield updated chip counts, but we encountered a big hand in progress, so attention was shifted.  At Table 8, Phil S. opened the action with a raise to 2,500, with John Vidal flatting behind from the small blind.  The player in the big blind then three-bet shoved for just over 23,000, leaving action back on Phil.  Phil, who was just featured winning a sizable pot, also announced that he was all-in (having both players covered).  

Vidal was playing an effective stack of 83,000, and after just a few moments of thought, verbalized a call.  The hands were tabled, with both Vidal and the player in the big blind at risk:

Phil: Q♠ Q♦

Vidal: K♠ K♣

Player X: J♦ J♣

Runout: J♠ A♣ 3♣ 5♠ K♥

The jack was right in the window, leaving Vidal shaking his head in disgust.  Just as the dealer dropped the 5♠ on the turn, John asked aloud, "How about a king on the river please?"  His kindly stated request was granted, as he celebrated the K♥ on the river.  The dealer would count out his all-in, which was 79,200, and Phil sent that amount Vidal's way.  John is now the Flight 1A chip leader, sitting with just over 195,000.

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Winning Flips Is The Key

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 10 (Blinds 500/1,000/100)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

Phil S. (Lauderhill, FL)

Whether it's in the first level of a tournament, or late at the final table, a player's success is usually determinant on how they "flip."  It's rare that any player will navigate their way through an event without running into a spot where things are a coin flip heading in.    Phil S. (Lauderhill, FL) just ran into one of those spots, and after being on the winning end, vaults himself towards the top of the leaderboard.

After four player limped for 1,000, an unknown player in the hijack raised to 12,000.  Phil, who was next to act on the button, three-bet shoved for 42,800.  After the limpets folded behind, the original raiser tanked for two minutes, eventually making the call:

Phil: A♦ Q♠

Player X: 9♥ 9♦

Runout: Q♥ J♦ 7♠ 4♣ 10♣

Phil would flop top pair, with his opponent needing to hit a two outer to win (heading to the river).  The four-spotter was a little bit of a sweat for Phil, but he'd end up doubling up through his opponent, and now sits with just under 95,000.

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Francis Out In Front

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 9 (Blinds 400/800/100)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 107

Francis Margaglione (Davie, FL) currently sits atop the leaderboard, but there is still a long way to go until the bagging process begins.

The first time Francis Margaglione (Davie, FL) was introduced to followers of the blog, it was during Event 5 (Isle Poker Open) coverage.  The tournament was special in the sense that players were allowed to buy-in up until the cards were in the air for Day 2.  Francis was one of a group of players to shell out the $570 buy-in, starting the day with a stack of only (15) big blinds.  It didn't take long before Margaglione spun that stack into something more playable, eventually riding it all the way to the final two tables.  Francis would eventually bow out in 13th place, but earned himself $2,332 for his "Day 2 entry."

Margaglione is looking to reach Day 2 the traditional way this time around, and is sitting with the largest stack in the field (150,000).  The stack sizes across the remaining field seem pretty flat, with the chip average currently at 38,000.

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Eclipsing The Century Mark

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 101

As the minutes tick away in Level 8, the registration window for this first flight of Event 1 closes.  The players in the field will take a (10) minute break after Level 8, and once the cards are in the air for Level 9, registration will be closed.  Those who are looking to enter this event will still have numerous opportunities to join the action:

Flight 1B - Wednesday, February 15th (6:00pm)

Flight 1C - Thursday, February 16th (11:00am)

Flight 1D - Thursday, February 16th (6:00pm)

Flight 1E - Friday, February 17th (11:00am)

Flight 1F - Friday, February 17th (6:00pm)

Flight 1G - Saturday, February 18th (11:00am)

Flight 1H - Saturday, February 18th (6:00pm)

Once play resumes after break, we can focus our attention on the actual play at the tables, and look towards the "race for the chip lead."

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

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/50)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 92

Ido Ashkenazi (Queens, NY) is a Florida-based tournament professional who really needs no introduction.  Ido has over $460,000 in recording live tournament earnings, and is coming off of his most successful year to date.  Ashkenazi recorded (19) cashes in 2016, totaling $229,905...thanks to his largest tournament cash.  Ido was part of a heads up chop during Event 10 of the 2016 SHRPO (2nd Place - $158,304).

Unlike Ashkenazi, Jose Gallegos (Morristown, PA) is a player that needs an introduction to the Florida poker scene, having just moved down here last year.  Gallegos was grinding in the Northeast before escaping the cold weather, and managed to amass a resume with over $20,000 in live tournament earnings.  Jose's largest tournament cash came back in 2009, when he finished 75th during a $1,500 No Limit event at the World Series Of Poker ($4,718).

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Sandy Looking For Continued Success During The Beach

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 6 (Blinds 200/400/50)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 90

Sandy Sanchez (Lauderdale, FL)

Sandy Sanchez (Lauderdale, FL) made a name for himself during the 2017 Isle Poker Classic, recording three cashes during the series:

Event 4 ($160 No Limit Hold'em) - 16th Place $284

Event 8 ($250 Omaha Hi/Lo 8B) - 9th Place $1,148

Event 16 ($150 No Limit Hold'em) - 52nd Place $399

Sanchez followed that up with a final table finish during the HORSE event at Hard Rock Hollywood (Lucky Hearts Poker Open), falling just short of the title (2nd Place - $3,303).  Sanchez's tournament resume is a mix of no limit and mixed game results, proving that he's not just a one trick pony.  

Sandy was spotted in our second wave of notables in the field, joining the likes of Stuart Greenbaum, Marc Culberson, Stephanie Tang, Ronald Levy, Harold Foster, and Craig Schlesinger.

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Thomas Coming Off Six-Figure Score

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 82

Nancy Thomas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) is coming off of her largest ever tournament cash, earning herself over $100,000 as part of a three-way chop in the opening event of the 2017 Lucky Hearts Poker Open at Hard Rock Hollywood.

Nancy Thomas (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) has been grinding the Florida tournament poker circuit for over six years, and just experienced the success of her hard work and determination.  When the ball dropped on January 1st, signifying the end of 2016, Thomas had an already impressive live tournament resume.  She boasted career tournament earnings over $80,000, accumulated over (31) recorded cashes.

Thomas then started the year with a final table finish during the 2017 Isle Poker Classic (Event 4 - 4th Place $2,066), unaware of the life changing week she was about to experience.  Thomas was just one of the 4,756 entries in the opening event of the 2017 Lucky Hearts Poker Open, making up what was one of the largest tournaments this state ever hosted.  As the days passed and the field dwindled down, Nancy found herself not only staying alive, but thriving.  Thomas would reach the final table, and once play got down to three-handed, a deal was struck between herself and the two remaining players...one of which was a Florida favorite Jerry Wong.  Wong ended up taking first place money and the trophy, but it was Nancy claiming second place, and a life changing score of $109,113.

The score hasn't changed Nancy one bit, as she is back at it in this $175 buy-in event, looking to add a first place to her resume for the first time in her poker career.  Nancy, along with the rest of this Flight 1A field, are on their first break of the day (and will be returning to Level 5 and blinds of 150/300/25).

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Looking To Earn A Few Days Off...And A Main Event Seat

2017 "Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 75

The tournament area has seven active tables at the moment, with a surprisingly strong start to Event 1.  There have been (75) total entries to this point, already totaling over $10,000 towards what will be the combined prize pool (eight flights total).  Those players looking to have a "better" opportunity to bag a flight chip lead (and a main event seat) need to look no further than these first few opening flight.  One does not need to be a math wizard to know that the possibilities of best a field in terms of chip lead, are greater when the field size is smaller.  Proven tournament trends show that the later tournament flights attract the largest fields, and a tougher route to navigate.  

The field is full of Isle Casino Poker notables, with the first wave including:

Luiz Stadler

Paul Shafran

Waldemar Wasilewski

Dwight Pinkerton

Frank Scala

Joseph Marchese

Morris Heider

Joe Niblett

Alan Dobrow

Francois Gagne

Nancy Thomas

Thomas Gari

Daniel Genachte

Event 1 (Flight 1A): Let The "Battles" Begin!!

"Battles At The Beach"

Event 1 ($175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD)

Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)

Total Flight 1A Entries: N/A

The "Battles At The Beach" series kicks off today, with two Event 1 starting flights on the schedule.

The tournament area of the poker room is beginning to fill up, as players take their seats for Event 1 of the 2017 Battles At The Beach series.  The second of four seasonal series is made up of (17) events (plus satellites) over the course of three weeks.  There are three "major" events during this series (Event 1, Event 8, and Event 14), with (14) side events sandwiched in between all of the action.  There are $1,000,000 in guarantees for the series, with this first tournament boasting a $125,000 guaranteed prize pool.

The opening event of the 2016 Battles At The Beach was a smaller buy-in event ($75 No Limit Hold'em), but it attracted an impressive 1,191 entries (topping the $50,000 guarantee).  This year's installment is a $175 buy-in, and is sure to eclipse the $125,000 guaranteed prize pool.  The tournament structure has a "mid-major" feel, with a 20,000 starting stack, and (25) minute levels throughout the event.

Cards will be in the air momentarily for this opening flight, with live coverage to begin after players have time to settle in.  It's going to be a great series, and you can look forward to live blogged coverage of the three "major events," along with all of the results from the side events.

Wednesday, February 15th: The "Battle" Begins, #Twinning Starts Series A Night Early

"Battles At The Beach" Runs From February 15th-March 7th

The Isle Casino Poker Room takes a short hiatus from the "daily tournament schedule," as the "Battles At The Beach" stands front and center for the next three weeks.  The series starts with the first of three "major" events, a $175 No Limit Hold'em event with a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool.  The multi-day tournament has eight flights schedule over the next four days, and sees players return on Sunday for Day 2, and the events' conclusion.  The "race for the chiplead" is even that much more important for Event 1, as each flights' chipleader will earn themselves entry into the Battle At The Beach $1,500 buy-in Championship Event.  It's going to be a very busy three weeks for the poker, as well as the blog, as live coverage of Flight 1A (Event 1) begins shortly after the cards get in the air (11:00am).

As players were preparing for today's opening flight of Event 1, many chose to spend Valentine's Day with their partners, while others answered the age old question of "who loves it more."  There were (270) entries in last night's $40 No Limit Hold'em ($7,000 GTD), all trying to stake the claim at the "who loves it more title."  The tournament had an official prize pool of $9,130, and ended in an eight-way deal.  Hector Caraballo (Hialeah, FL) would earn the winner's share of the deal, walking away with $1,090 and the trophy.  Those that follow the blog would know that Hector and his twin brother Nestor are always in attendance during tournaments (daily or during a series), and are always looking to prove that #Twinning is always better than winning.  We will see both Caraballo brothers during the Battles At The Beach, as well as many more of the notables blog followers have become familiar with.

11:00am - Event 1 (Battles At The Beach) $175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 Guarantee (Flight 1A)

- Players receive 20,000 in tournament chips
- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack
- Levels will be (25) minutes in length throughout tournament
- All Day 1's will play 16 levels, or when 10% of the field remains (whichever occurs first)
- The chip leader from each flight will earn a $1,500 Main Event seat

6:00pm - Event 1 (Battles At The Beach) $175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 Guarantee (Flight 1B)

- Players receive 20,000 in tournament chips
- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack
- Levels will be (25) minutes in length throughout tournament
- All Day 1's will play 16 levels, or when 10% of the field remains (whichever occurs first)
- The chip leader from each flight will earn a $1,500 Main Event seat

Tuesday, February 14th: Love In The Air Before The "Battle" Begins

It's Valentine's Day at the Isle Casino Poker Room, and we're celebrating with a "couple" of tournaments.  The day gets started with the "Limit Love Bird Promotion" at 9:00am, as players who arrive between 9:00-11:00am receive an "Early Bird Card."  Those players are eligible for the promotion, which pays the first (50) full houses of the day (the game's minimum buy-in amount).  This promotion was so popular, that the "no limit" players wanted in, and they now have their "early bird" day on Thursday's.

The tournament action begins at 11:00am, as the cards get in the air for the $100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack."  The tournament carries with it a $3,000 guaranteed prize pool, and has been one of the most popular "afternoon" events on the daily schedule.  At 6:00pm, the ever-popular Tuesday $10K begins, the final "daily" tournament for three weeks (as the Battle At The Beach begins tomorrow).  Being that it's Valentine's Day, and many people choose to spend this evening with their partner, the guarantee prize pool has been lowered to $7,000...which should still be reached with ease.

Last night's $130 No Limit Hold'em $20,000 GTD attracted a total of (121) entries, and had an official prize pool of $20,000.  The event had a posted prize first place prize of $6,600, but once a five-way chop was agreed to, Kenneth Berman (Hallandale Beach, FL) took home $4,800 for first.  The other players in the deal were Ariel Williams ($3,408), Elliot Zaydman ($2,663), Marcin Piewinski ($2,576), and Jonathan Ounjian ($2,503).

11:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($3,000 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

- Level will last (20) minutes throughout the event

6:00pm - $40 No Limit Hold'em ($7,000 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 12,000 starting stack

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

- Optional player "add-on" at the end of Level 8 ($20 for 8,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool

-  Levels are (20) minutes in length

Monday, February 13th: $20,000 Guarantees Are Becoming A Thing

After one of the more successful weeks of "big guarantee" daily tournaments, another special event has been added to the schedule.  There were always two tournaments on today's schedule, but a small scheduling change means that a $130 No Limit Hold'em $20,000 GTD event sits in the 6:00pm spot (it was originally a $75 buy-in event).

It's a strong start to what is shaping up to be a very busy week in the poker room, with the 2017 Battle At The Beach series beginning on Wednesday (Event 1 - $175 No Limit Hold'em $125,000 GTD).

The day starts with the "Turbo High Hand" promotion, running from 9:00am-12:00pm, awarding $100 to the qualifying high hand every (10) minutes.  At 11:00am, the first tournament of the day begins, an $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD).  Things then culminate with the newly entered $130 No Limit Hold'em $20,000 guaranteed prize pool event.

11:00am - $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties $2,000 GTD

- Players will begin with a 10,000 starting stack

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

- Option player "add-on" at the end of Level 8 ($20 for 8,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool 

- Levels are (20) minutes in length

6:00pm - $130 No Limit Hold'em  $20,000 GTD

- Players will begin with a 18,000 starting stack

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (20) minutes in length

Sunday, February 12th: "Turbo High Hands" And $10K Guarantee...A Solid Sunday Schedule

During the week, "Turbo High Hands" mean $100 awarded every (20) minutes, from the hours of 9:00am-12:00pm.  On the weekend though that term takes on a new meaning, as things get a little bit richer.  From the hours of 2:00pm-9:00pm, $300 will be awarded to the qualifying high hand, with the clock turning over every (15) minutes.  That's over $1,200 up for grabs each hour, and $9,400 available throughout the length of the promotion.  With the potential for carryovers, players could earn themselves $600-$900 with just one high hand.

There is one tournament on the schedule for the day, a $150 No Limit Hold'em event with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool.  This same tournament was held last Sunday, but there was no guarantee, being that it was up against the Super Bowl.  With the NFL season now over, there should be a sizable field for this tournament, with the guarantee just a formality once registration closes.

2:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

- Players will start with 15,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (25) minutes