Saturday, April 22nd: Heads-Up Chop Of The Friday $10k, "Big Bounty" $15,000 GTD On Tap

ICYMI: Last night's installment of the $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD) had a field of (70) total entries, and an official prize pool of $10,000.  The payouts would see seven players reach the money, with $450 for a min-cash and $3,610 up top.  The tournament would end in a chop, but not the "multi-way" versions that are seen more often than not.  Once the money was reached, and a handful of eliminations left only two players remaining, and heads-up chop was agreed to.  Jason Chambers (Pembroke Pines, FL) took "first place," and would earn $3,000 for the finish (opposed to the posted $3,610).  Jacob Lipton (Rocklin, CA) took home $2,820 for his "runner-up finish," over $600 more than the $2,210 posted prize.

1. Jason Chambers (Pembroke Pines, FL) $3,000
2. Jacob Lipton (Rocklin, CA) $2,820
3. Justin Fiorilli (Boynton Beach, FL) $1,440
4. Kevin Safagun Corleto (Hialeah, FL) $1,000
5. Ethel Garcia (Weston, FL) $730
6. Ronald Sorci (Parkland, FL) $560
7. Tony Boutros (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $450

Tournaments: Saturday's tournament action starts at 10:00am (a little earlier than the norm), and is a $100 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties event, with a $3,000 guarantee.  The tournament has a starting stack of 18,000, and a "turbo-like" feel with (15) minute levels throughout the event.  The evening event (6:00pm) is a "special" tournament, a $240 No Limit Hold'em w/ $50 Bounties, which carries with it a $15,000 guarantee.  This "big bounty" tournament has the same starting stack as earlier in the day (18,000), but a "deeper" feel with (25) minute levels throughout.  It's the last "daily" tournament Saturday of the month, with the $360 No Limit Hold'em ($100,000 GTD) taking over the final weekend's schedule.

Promotions: The high hand promotions take another "breather" today, between yesterday's (11) hours worth of "turbo" high hands, tomorrow's (7) hours of $300 high hands (awarded every 15 minutes).  The "standard high hand" procedure is in place, awarded prizes to qualifying high hands every (30) minutes (with rollovers).

10:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD):

- Players will begin with a 18,000 starting stack

- Late and re-entries for the first (10) levels

- Option player "add-on" at the end of Level 10 ($25 for 10,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool 

- Levels are (15) minutes in length

6:00pm - $240 No Limit Hold'em w/ $50 Bounties ($15,000 GTD)

- Players will start with 18,000 in tournament chips 

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

- Alternates and re-entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (25) minutes in length 

April's $100,000 GTD Less Than A Week Away

The month of April has been pretty special in terms of tournament poker, with some huge turnouts, and massive prize pools over the last three weeks.  That being said, everything to this point has been leading up to the end of month $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack tournament, which carries with it a $100,000 guaranteed prize pool.  This is the first "multi-flight" tournament since the 2017 Battles At The Beach, with six total flights for players to choose from (an afternoon and evening flight from April 27th-29th).  A total of (328) entries are needed to reach the guaranteed number, which is easily attainable, and should be surpassed on the second day of tournament action.

To say that the tournament is a great value would be an understatement, as players are putting up $360, with the potential to take home a sizable five-figure score.  Beyond the value though, the actual structure of the tournament is something that needs to be talked about.  Players in the event sit down to starting stacks of 25,000 units, and play levels lasting (30) minutes on each Day 1 flight, transitioning to (50) minutes on Day 2.  There aren't many (if any) "skips" in the structure, offering those remaining in the later stages of the tournament some deep play.

All of the action from the event with be blogged live, with full coverage of the afternoon flights, recaps of the evening flights, and full Day 2 action (until the tournament concludes).

Friday, April 21st: Lark Takes Home Lion's Share, Weekend Action Gets Underway

ICYMI: The first of two tournaments yesterday began at 11:00am ($80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties $2,000 GTD), and attracted a total of (27) entries.  The prize pool was an even $2,000 ($1,730 prize and $270 bounty), with three spots scheduled to get paid in the event.  The tournament would never reach that point though, as a deal was agreed to between the final five players:

1. Brandon Virgilio (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $642
2. Stephen Beauregard (Boca Raton, FL) $309
3. John Reslow (Delray, FL) $271
4. Stanley Sternberg (Highland Beach, FL) $269
5. Jeremy Argueta (Oceanside, NY) $239

The evening tournament ($130 No Limit Hold'em $20,000 GTD) brought out many of the Isle Poker notables, and while the turnout wasn't quite what we've seen recently, the prize pool still eclipsed the guaranteed number.  With a total of (206) entries, and a $20,600 prize pool, (18) players were hoping to grab their share of the pie (a pie that boasted $6,384 up top).  O'neil McCalla would be the first player to cash in the tournament ($237), followed by other notables such as Daniel Miller ($268), Tom Gity ($404), and Robert Perniola ($567).  The tournament ended in a six-way chop, with five players taking home $2,279, and Edward Lark (Las Vegas, NV) grabbing $5,000.

1. Edward Lark (Las Vegas, NV) $5,000
2. Patrick Carnakie (West Palm Beach, FL) $2,279
3. Marc Cohen (Boca Raton, FL) $2,279
4. Oscar Rodriguez (Miami, FL) $2,279
5. Richard Vargas (Pembroke Pines, FL) $2,279
6. Isua Mbang (Coral Springs, FL) $2,279

Tournaments: There is one tournament on the schedule this evening, a $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD), beginning a 6:00pm.

Promotions: Things start off "quickly" this afternoon, with the "Turbo High Hands" running from 9:00am-12:00pm.  During that window, $100 will be awarded every (10) minutes to the qualifying high hand (rollovers do apply).  The promotion will then transition to $250 every (20) minutes (rollovers do apply), from 12:00pm-4:00pm...laddering up one more time to $500 every (20) minutes (rollovers apply), from 4:00pm-12:00am.

6:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 20,000 starting stack
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels are (25) minutes in length

ICYMI: "Spin To Win" Money Wheel Results (April 19th)

From 12:00pm-11:00pm yesterday, the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion was running, one of the most popular poker promotions you'll find in the state (as well as one of the richest).  The player with the "winning" high hand from each half hour is awarded an opportunity to spin the "money wheel," which sits located in the "stage area" of the poker room, closest to the cashier.  There are over (70) different slots on the wheel, all with different monetary amounts.  The "major" amounts that can be won are $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, and $5,000.  If (and only if) the high hand that qualifies is a royal flush, the $5,000 "Jackpot' slice is worth $25,000.  Posted below are all of the results from yesterday's promotion (along with the game the player was playing):

12:30pm: $350 (1/2 NLH)

1:00pm: $325 (1/2 NLH)

1:30pm: $1,000 (2/4 LHE)

2:00pm: $750 (1/2 NLH)

2:30pm: $275 (1/2 NLH)

3:00pm: $3,000 (2/4 LHE)

3:30pm: $1,000 (1/2 NLH)

4:00pm: $250 (1/2 NLH)

4:30pm: $300 (1/2 NLH)

5:00pm: $225 (1/2 NLH)

5:30pm: $1,000 (2/5 NLH)

6:00pm: $574 (1/2 NLH) **Royal Flush**

6:30pm: $225 (5/10 NLH)

7:00pm: $400 (1/2 NLH)

7:30pm: $500 (1/2 NLH)

8:00pm: $2,000 (MTT)

8:30pm: $350 (1/2 NLH)

9:00pm: $325 (MTT)

9:30pm: $375 (1/2 NLH)

10:00pm: $575 (1/2 NLH)

10:30pm: $3,000 (1/2 NLH)

11:00pm: $725 (1/2 NLH)

In one of the "richer" days we've seen from the Wednesday "Spin To Win" promotion, it was raining money in the poker room.  Over $17,500 in high hand money was awarded over the course of the day, with six spins yielded figures over $1,000!!!  There is a reason that this promotion is one of the most popular in the area, and the above figures are just that.  For the first time in a while, the "no limit" players made up a majority of the spins, but that didn't stop the ONLY two "limit hold'em" spins from earning a combined $4,000!  We also saw two spins from players in the "nightly" tournament, one of which didn't cash in the event, but did walk away with $2,000!

Thursday, April 20th: Heads-Up Chop Of The "Big Stack Turbo Bounty," $20,000 GTD Returns This Evening

ICYMI: Wednesday is one of the three days during the week to have only one tournament on the schedule (joining Friday and Sunday), an evening "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" event that begins at 6:00pm.  Last night's installment of the $100 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 GTD) tournament drew a field of (64) total entries, and an official prize pool of $3,703 ($1,600 bounty pool).  Seven players would reach the money in the tournament, but talks of a deal were never heard until play reached heads-up action.  At that point, Daniele Nucci (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and Lawrence Smith (Jacksonville, FL) agreed to an even chop of $1,078 each.  Nucci is a Maryland native, but records a second Isle Poker cash with the "first place" finish, this after finishing 35th in the Battles At The Beach $1,500 Championship Event ($3,904).  Lawrence Smith (Jacksonville, FL) also recorded his second ever Isle Poker cash with the chop, with his last coming in June (2016), during a $100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" event.

1. Daniele Nucci (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,078
2. Lawrence Smith (Jacksonville, FL) $1,078
3. Aidan Alverez (Davie, FL) $533
4. Linzell Borders (Tamarac, FL) $370
5. Chris Venderperre (Pompano Beach, FL) $270
6. Raul Hernandez (West Palm Beach, FL) $207
7. Anthony Dellapi (Sunrise, FL) $167

Tournaments: There are two tournaments that make up today's schedule, the first of which gets underway at 11:00am.  The $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Boutnies ($2,000 GTD) sees players sitting down to starting stacks of 12,000 units, and playing (20) minute levels throughout the event.  The evening tournament is the one that players have circled though, as the Thursday night tournaments during this month have been massive.  The first $130 No Limit Hold'em tournament, held on April 6th, carried with it a $20,000 guarantee.  The following week, on April 13th, the same price point tournament had a $25,000 guarantee (and bested it by over $8,000).  Tonight's version is back to the $20,000 guarantee, but players can expect the same sized field...and prize pool.  It's an incredible value for a $130 buy-in event, and should not be missed by the avid tournament players.

Promotions: After an exciting day of wheel spins, Thursday offers up the Early Bird No Limit Hold'em high hand promotion, paying $60 to the first (50) full houses of the day (eligible players must be playing no limit hold'em).  The "standard high hand" promotion runs throughout the day as well, from 9:00am-12:00am.

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

12:00pm - $130 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD)

- Players will start with 16,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (20) minutes

Wednesday, April 19th: Another Successful Tournament Tuesday, "Spin To Win" Offering Up Big Money

ICYMI: There were two tournaments on the schedule yesterday, both of which drew large fields, and surpassed their posted guarantees.  The first event got underway at 11:00am, and was a $100 No Limit Hold'em ($3,000 GTD).  This tournament has been getting increasingly larger as the weeks pass, with the trend continuing yesterday.  A total of (63) entries made up the field, which finished up with a prize pool just under $5,000.  There were seven spots scheduled to get paid, but once the field reached the final table, players agreed to a deal:

1. Jeffrey Morrow (Dallas, TX) $1,014
2. Robert Valentine (Jupiter, FL) $632
3. Alfonso Perez (Coconut Creek, FL) $584
4. Todd Kasten (Boynton Beach, FL) $544
5. Barry Carvin (Deerfield Beach, FL) $535
6. John Sarappa (Lake Worth, FL) $479
7. Arlene Vazquez (Parkland, FL) $364
8. David Zwiebel (Fairfield, IA) $291
9. Robert Womack (West Palm Beach, FL) $245
10. David Miller (Davie, FL) $163

The evening event (6:00pm) was always going to be the bigger of the two tournaments, but nobody could have predicted how big it would actually get.  A total of (394) entries made up the massive "nightly" field, officially ending up with a prize pool of $13,378.  A total of (36) spots were scheduled to get paid in the event, with a min-cash earning players $87, and the eventual winner looking at a posted first place prize of $3,617.  The tournament would play late into the night (actually the early morning hours), as the seven players remaining at the final table agreed to a deal shortly before the poker room's close:

1. Henry Rodgers (Sunrise, FL) $2,099
2. Pablo Ugando (Hialeah, FL) $1,933
3. Nestor Caraballo (Miami, FL) $1,415
4. Alfonso Perez (Coconut Creek, FL) $1,397
5. Kevin McGillicuddy (Tamarac, FL) $1,326
6. Richard Perticuri (Bridgeton, NJ) $1,037
7. Sean Ryan (Pompano Beach, FL) $640

It was a very long day for Alfonso Perez (Coconut Creek, FL), who managed to achieve the "Isle Double," finding himself a part of both deals that were made for the day.  While just cashing in both tournaments may be a feat in itself, being a part of both chops takes more than just "run good."  Perez played close to (15) hours of poker over the course of the day, which takes certain amount of stamina as well, to stay mentally fresh throughout the day.

Tournaments: Following in the footsteps of every Wednesday before this (since the "Spin To Win" promotion started), there is only one tournament on the schedule this evening.  The $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($25 Bounties) gets underway at 6:00pm, and boasts a guaranteed prize pool of $5,000.

Promotions: The high hand promotions are in full swing from the moment the doors open this morning, with the "Turbo High Hands" ($100 awarded every 10 minutes from 9:00am-12:00pm, with rollovers) distributing money at a rapid pace.  The transition at 12:00pm begins the "Spin To Win" promotion, which awarded over $15,000 in promotional prize money last week (over a span of eleven hours).  It's the high hand promotion that makes all others jealous, and affords those that have a qualifying high hand (awarded every 30 minutes), an opportunity to spin the ever-popular "Money Wheel."  The total amount awarded...along with hourly breakdown, will be published tomorrow afternoon, here on the blog.

6:00pm - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($5,000 GTD):

- Players will begin with a 18,000 starting stack

- Late and re-entries for the first (10) levels

- Option player "add-on" at the end of Level 10 ($25 for 10,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool 

- Levels are (15) minutes in length

"Week In Review:" Official Daily Tournament Results (April 10th-16th)

April's second week of tournament action brought a handful of new storylines, including Jason Young's (Suffern, NY) return to the "winner's circle," Peter Fellow's (Pembroke Pines, FL) big score in the deal that ended Thursday's $25,000 GTD, and the ladies chopping up the Friday night tournament (Jane Forsythe and Erin Coley).

Since making himself familiar with blog followers last October, Pedro Palacio (Delray Beach, FL) found himself taking first place (and earning the lion's share) in a deal that ended the afternoon event on Monday, April 10th.  That was followed by Jason Young's (Suffern, NY) first recorded tournament win since January of 2009.

$80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD)
Total Entries: 43
Total Prize Pool: $$1,986 ($430 Bounty Pool)

1. Pedro Palacio (Delray Beach, FL) $750
2. Daniel Genachte (Deerfield Beach, FL) $359
3. Gregg Weiss (Delray Beach, FL) $359
4. Denis Fecteau (La Prarie, Quebec) $359
5. John Scigliano (Cooper City, FL) $159

$230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties

Total Entries: 26

Total Prize Pool: $2,600 ($2,600 Bounty Pool)

1. Jason Young (Suffern, NY) $1,040
2. Michael Goldfarb (Parkland, FL) $,1040
3. Manny Alvarez (Boynton Beach, FL) $520

There was elevated attendance in Tuesday, April 11th's afternoon event, one of the better structured "day" events on the schedule.  The $100 No Limit Hold'em ($3,000 GTD) tournament drew a field of (60) total entries, and ended in an eight-way deal, with Thomas Gari (Hollywood, FL) taking the top spot.  The evening event continued it'a trend of crushing the guarantee, as a field of (292) entries officially gave us a prize pool of $14,764 (almost $3,000 over the $12,000 guarantee).

$100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($3,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 60

Total Prize Pool: $4,620

1. Thomas Gari (Hollywood, FL) $897
2. Steven Broniecki (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $890
3. Donna Broniecki (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $695
4. Dwight Pinkerton (Boca Raton, FL) $573
5. George Lukawski (Parkland, FL) $480
6. Mary Magazine (Miami, FL) $402
7. Frank Talierci (Naples, FL) $353
8. Nancy Thomas  (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $330

$60 No Limit Hold'em ($12,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 292

Total Prize Pool: $14,764

1. Paul Chrulski (St. Petersburg, FL) $2,001
2. Daniel Shortley (Lake Worth, FL) $2,000
3. Alan Brostoff (Boca Raton, FL) $1,703
4. Paul Louis (Oakland Park, FL) $1,703
5. Jack Sedaka (Coconut Creek, FL) $1,703
6. Tom Millward (Boca Raton, FL) $1,703
7. Steve Moreno (Miami, FL) $502
8. Patrick Tobar (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $369
9. Sergio Santoni (Deerfield Beach, FL) $266
10. George Lukin (Brooklyn, NY) $207
11. Ali Khalil (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $207
12. Thea Hermes (Stuart, FL) $207
13. Allen Gload (Riviera Beach, FL) $177
14. Richard Ganesh (Royal Palm Beach, FL) $177
15. Sean Ryan (Pompano Beach, FL) $177
16. Omar Sader (Pompano Beach, FL) $155
17. Zinovi Tsukerman (Oakland Park, FL) $155
18. Julian Cuartas (Oakland Park, FL) $155
19. David Dohner (Hollywood, FL) $133
20. Alon Dror (Israel) $133
21. Steven Cabas (Miami, FL) $133
22. Sam Costa (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $133
23. Oscar Rodriguez (Miami, FL) $133
24. Hector Caraballo  (Hialeah, FL) $133
25. Matthew Meeuwen (Greenacres, FL) $133
26. Andrew Davey (Pompano Beach, FL) $133
27. Mark Wasserman (Hillsboro Beach, FL) $133

Wednesday, April 12th was all about the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion, so there was only one tournament on the schedule.  The $100 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 GTD) event is a "Big Stack Turbo Bounty," so the payouts you see below don't include the bounties earned by each player (for having eliminated someone from the field).

$100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($5,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 59

Total Prize Pool: $3,618 ($1,475 Bounty Pool)

1. Linzell Borders (Tamarac, FL) $1,376
2. Ariel Williams (Hollywood, FL) $843
3. Sandra Seligman (Sunny Isles Beach, FL) $546
4. Antonio De Araujo (Pompano Beach, FL) $376
5. Raul Hernandez (West Palm Beach, FL) $271
6. Bart Lino (Coral Springs, FL) $206

The may have been two tournaments on the schedule for Thursday, April 13th, but it was the evening event that overshadowed everything.  The $130 No Limit Hold'em tournament carried with it a guarantee of $25,000, which was crushed by the huge turnout.  The event had a posted first place prize just short of $9,000, and finished up with an official prize pool of $33,100.

$80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 36

Total Prize Pool: $1,672 ($360 Bounty Pool)

1. Howard Rappaport (Johnston, RI) $752
2. Jon Gottlieb (Roslyn, NY) $400
3. David Walker (Deerfield Beach, FL) $174
4. Dwight Pinkerton (Boca Raton, FL) $173
5. Stanley Sternberg (Highland Beach, FL) $173

$130 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 331

Total Prize Pool: $33,100

1. Peter Fellows (Pembroke Pines, FL) $6,776
2. Robert Kessler (Parkland, FL) $4,124
3. Christian Rodriguez (Boynton Beach, FL) $3,457
4. Robert Blanchette (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $3,187
5. Irwin Block (Coconut Creek, FL) $3,187
6. Hari Sukhu (Miramar, FL) $1,822
7. Ethiel Garcia (Weston, FL) $1,811
8. Nancy Birnbaum (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $778
9. Marcin Plewinksi (Coconut Creek, FL) $563
10. Joel Greenfeld (Boynton Beach, FL) $430
11. Michael Goldfarb (Parkland, FL) $430
12. Scot Hartman (Coral Springs, FL) $430
13. William Cook (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $348
14. Christopher Zollo (Delray Beach, FL) $348
15. Andre Rukasa (Miami, FL) $348
16. Dhrumel Shah (Doral, FL) $298
17. Francisco Soliman (Opa Locka, FL) $298
18. Ray Millard (Davie, FL) $298
19. Raul Hernandez (Boca Raton, FL) $248
20. Jeffrey Pardue (Jupiter, FL) $248
21. Hamilton Hunt (West Palm Beach, FL) $248
22. Nader Bahhur (Boca Raton, FL) $248
23. Jeffrey Nahom (Coconut Creek, FL) $248
24. John Mitchalk (Oakland Park, FL) $248
25. Michelle Shah (Delray Beach, FL) $248
26. Paulius Bikus (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $248
27. Devond Marshall (Miami, FL) $248
28. Dan Koff (Pompano Beach, FL) $215
29. Kevin McGillicuddy (Tamarac, FL) $215
30. Raul Vargas (Coral Springs, FL) $215
31. Manuel Amaro Alvarez (West Palm Beach, FL) $215
32. Nora Pujol (Miami, FL) $215
33. Jessica Beyrer (Hobe Sound, FL) $215
34. John Bilas (Wilton Manors, FL) $215
35. Frank Hollins (Margate, FL) $215
36. Jerrold Jacobs (Boynton Beach, FL) $215

There were two story lines to come out of the tournament on Friday, April 14th...with two ladies chopping up the event, one of which bested her husband (who also made the final table).  Jane Forsythe (West Palm Beach, FL) and Erin Coley (Lake Worth, FL) agreed to an even chop to end the event, eating taking home $2,795.

$150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 77

Total Prize Pool: $10,000

1. Jane Forsythe (West Palm Beach, FL) $2,795
2. Erin Coley (Lake Worth, FL) $2,795
3. Dylan Drazen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,370
4. Jeffrey Liu (Coconut Creek, FL) $970
5. Edgard Mendes (Deerfield Beach, FL) $720
6. Hugh Coley (Lake Worth, FL) $550
7. Mark Shupienis (Stuart, FL) $440
8. Seymour Weiner (Boca Raton, FL) $360

Saturday, April 15th was another successful tournament day, as the evening event ($120 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties $8,000 GTD) bested the number by over $4,000.  There were a handful of notables to cash in the tournament (Chad Millward, Tom Gity, Bart Lino, and Jose Rodriguez), but all fell short of the even three-way deal that was made to end the event.

$100 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 49

Total Prize Pool: $2,678 ($1,225 Bounty Pool)

1. Phillip Tuttle (Delray Beach, FL) $726
2. Robert Zuckerman (Boca Raton, FL) $549
3. Arnold Ernestoft (Coconut Creek, FL) $462
4. Gil Guadalpi (Miami, FL) $380
5. David Miller (Davie, FL) $282
6. Ronald Arena (Boynton Beach, FL) $279

$120 No Limit Hold'em ($8,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 142

Total Prize Pool: $12,070

1. Mark Quinn (Delray Beach, FL) $2,466
2. Raghu Gudala (Edison, NJ) $2,466
3. Kevin Talty (E. Williston, NY) $2,466
4. Chad Millward (Boca Raton, FL) $990
5. Jack Battaglia (Hollywood, FL) $736
6. Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) $569
7. Jose Rodriguez (Deerfield Beach, FL) $398
8. Michael Weinberg (Delray Beach, FL) $290
9. Bart Lino (Coral Springs, FL) $278
10. Diana Prkacin (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $266
11. Cilea Organ (Hollywood, FL) $253
12. Anthony Vulpis (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $241
13. Mahendran Ramanathan (Pembroke Pines, FL) $229
14. James Podwika (Tampa, FL) $217
15. Jack Kay (Hallandale, FL) $205

Sunday, April 16th was "Easter Sunday," so the $150 No Limit Hold'em tournament that usually carries a $10,000 GTD, was run without one.  A total of (33) entries ,are up the prize pool of $3,795, with Ian Cohen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and Ramon Gonzalez (Miami, FL) making a heads-up deal to finish the event.

$150 No Limit Hold'em 

Total Entries: 33

Total Prize Pool: $3,795

1. Ian Cohen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,417
2. Ramon Gonzalez (Miami, FL) $1,316
3. Franklin Rojas (Plantation, FL) $645
4. Duane Minerva (Delray Beach, FL) $417

Tuesday, April 18th: "Tuesday $12k" Tops The Day's Tournament Schedule

ICYMI: Yesterday's tournament action started at 11:00am with the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD).  The field consisted of (48) total entries, and had an official prize pool of $2,316 ($480 bounty pool).  The tournament clock showed three spots getting paid, but as the final table played out, the players agreed to a deal when five still remained:

1. Ronald O'Steen (Southwest Ranches, FL) $876
2. Alan Levin (Webster, NY) $500
3. Brian Baris (Tamarac, FL) $500
4. Pasquale Caiazza (Davie, FL) $255
5. Vincenzo Francavilla (Pompano Beach, FL) $185

A similar situation played out in the day's evening event (6:00pm), the $230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties tournament.  The (30) total entries made up a $3,000 prize pool ($3,000 bounty pool), with first place offering up $1,500 (plus any bounties won).  Once again, the tournament clock showed three spots being paid, but players would add a spot after making a four-way deal:

1. Bruce Rosen (Syosset, NY) $1,082
2. Hugh Hardy (Pompano Beach, FL) $764
3. Jose Ordonez (Miami Beach, FL) $594
4. Lance Tomassi (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $560

The first place finish was the first recorded cash for Rosen since June of last year, who adds the $1,082 to his career earnings of $52,181.

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the schedule today, the first of which begins at 11:00am ($100 No Limit Hold'em $3,000 GTD).  The play is pretty deep for the "daily" event, with players sitting down to starting stacks of 25,000 units, and playing (20) minute levels throughout the tournament.  The evening tournament is the "headlining" event of the day, as the "Tuesday $12k" gets underway at 6:00pm.  The tournament is a $60 No Limit Hold'em ($12,000 GTD), and has consistently attracted fields of (250-300) total entries.

Promotions: Outside of what we like to refer to as the "standard high hand" promotion, today's promotion calendar feature the "Early Bird Limit Hold'em" special.  This promotion sees those players, only playing limit hold'em, earn money for each full house they have (it's required that the hand also wins the pot).  Those playing 2/2 LHE will earn $20 for each full house, while those playing 2/4 LHE will earn $40 for each full house.

11:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em ($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 - $60 No Limit Hold'em ($12,000 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, April 17th: Cohen Comes Up Big On Easter, New Week Of Promos/Tournaments

ICYMI: The Sunday afternoon tournament has been carrying with it a guaranteed prize pool, but with "Easter Sunday" yesterday, it was just a standard $150 No Limit Hold'em event.  The great structure stayed the same, as players sat down to 20,000 unit starting stacks, and played (25) minute levels throughout the tournament.  A total of (33) entries made up the field, playing for their share of a prize pool worth $3,795.  A total of four spots were scheduled to be paid in the event, and after two eliminations into the money, a heads up deal was made between Ian Cohen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and Ramon Gonzalez (Miami, FL):

1. Ian Cohen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,417
2. Ramon Gonzalez (Miami, FL) $1,316
3. Franklin Rojas (Plantation, FL) $645
4. Duane Minerva (Delray Beach, FL) $417

While all of the results from yesterday's tournaments were posted above, most events throughout the week just get the "final table" or "deal" treatment.  Followers of the blog can look forward to all results from every "daily" event, featured in the "Week In Review" post (to be published later this afternoon).

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on today's schedule, beginning at 11:00am with the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD) event.  That tournament is followed by the largest buy-in tournament on the "daily" schedule, a $230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties event, which gets underway at 6:00pm.

Promotions: Outside of the "standard" high hand promotion, the weeks gets a "quick" start with "Turbo High Hands," offering $100 every (10) minutes from the period of 9:00am-12:00pm.  Rollovers do apply with this promotion (with each game in the house eligible), so it's not uncommon to see a player pick up anywhere from $100-$500 during the promotion.

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 - $230 No Limit Hold'em "Deep Stack Bounty" w/ $100 Bounties

- Players will begin with a 15,000 starting stack

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

- Alternates and late entries will begin with a full stack

- Levels are (20) minutes (Levels 1-9), transitioning to (25) minutes (Levels 9+)

Sunday, April 16th: Saturday Nights Are "Live," "Turbo High Hands" Giving Away $300 Every (15) Minutes

ICYMI: After last Saturday's $120 No Limit Hold'em ($15,000 GTD) beat the guarantee by over $6,000, we witnessed another Saturday evening event soar past the posted number.  A total of (142) entries made up the field, with a prize pool of $12,070...and a scheduled first place prize over $3,800. A total of (15) spots were being paid, with the money bubble bursting shortly before midnight.  There were a trio of notables that ended up reaching the final table (Chad Millward, Tom Gity, and Jose Rodriguez), but they ended up falling short of the three-way deal that was made to end the tournament.

1. Mark Quinn (Delray Beach, FL) $2,466
2. Raghu Gudala (Edison, NJ) $2,466
3. Kevin Talty (East Williston, NY) $2,466
4. Chad Millward (Boca Raton, FL) $990
5. Jack Battaglia (Hollywood, FL) $736
6. Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) $569
7. Jose Rodriguez (Deerfield Beach, FL) $398
8. Michael Weinberg (Delray Beach, FL) $290
9. Bart Lino (Coral Springs, FL) $278
10. Diana Prkacin (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $266

Tournaments: There is one tournament on the schedule this afternoon, a $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD) event.  The levels are (25) minutes throughout the tournament, and offers players a 20,000 starting stack. 

Promotions: Outside of the "standard" high hands during the day, the "Turbo High Hands" return, with $300 awarded to qualifying high hands from 2:00pm-9:00pm (every 15 minutes).

12:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

- Players will start with 20,000 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

Saturday, April 15th: Friday Night Was "Ladies Night," Two Tournament Slate

ICYMI: It was all about the ladies in last night's tournament ($150 No Limit Hold'em $100,000 GTD), as Jane Forsythe (West Palm Beach, FL) and Erin Coley (Lake Worth, FL) chopped up the event.  A total of (77) entries made up the $10,000 prize pool, with eight spots getting paid...$360 for a min-cash and $3,500 up top.  A couple of Isle tournament poker notables were at the final table, but couldn't come between the destiny that was the heads up deal that occurred:

1. Jane Forsythe (West Palm Beach, FL) $2,795
2. Erin Coley (Lake Worth, FL) $2,795
3. Dylan Drazen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,370
4. Jeffrey Liu (Coconut Creek, FL) $970
5. Edgar Mendes (Deerfield Beach, FL) $720
6. Hugh Coley (Lake Worth, FL) $550
7. Mark Shupienis (Stuart, FL) $440
8. Seymour Weiner (Boca Raton, FL) $360

It should be noted that this is the second time in a week that a "family" combo has reached the final table of one of the weekly events (Eric and Hugh Coley).

Tournaments: Two tournaments make up today's schedule, the first of which gets underway at 11:00am ($100 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties $3,000 GTD).  The event would be considered a "Big Stack Turbo," as players sit down to starting stacks of 18,000, and play levels of (15) minutes throughout.  The real headliner comes later in the day (6:00pm), as the $120 No Limit Hold'em $8,000 GTD begins.

Promotions: The high hand promotions take another "breather" today, between yesterday's (11) hours worth of "turbo" high hands, tomorrow's (7) hours of $300 high hands (awarded every 15 minutes).  The "standard high hand" procedure is in place, awarded prizes to qualifying high hands every (30) minutes (with rollovers).

11:00am - $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD):

- Players will begin with a 18,000 starting stack

- Late and re-entries for the first (10) levels

- Option player "add-on" at the end of Level 10 ($25 for 10,000 tournament chips), with 100% of the "add-on" going to the prize pool 

- Levels are (15) minutes in length

6:oopm - $120 No Limit Hold'em "New Monster Stack" ($8,000 GTD):

- Players will start with 25,000 in tournament chips 

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

- Alternates and re-entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (20) minutes in length (Levels 1-8), transitioning to (25) minutes Levels 9+)

Friday, April 14th: Massive Turnout Last Night, Weekend Starts Off Strong

ICYMI: Before we shift focus on the headline that was last night's tournament, we will look at the afternoon event that started the day.  The $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD) tournament began at 11:00am, and attracted a field of (36) total entries, officially ending up with a prize pool of $1,672 ($360 bounty pool).  The tournament was scheduled to pay four spots, but after a handful of eliminations at the final table, a deal was made between the remaining players:

1. Howard Rappoport (Johnston, RI) $752
2. John Gottlieb (Roslyn, NY) $400
3. David Walker (Deerfield Beach, FL) $174
4. Dwight Pinkerton (Boca Raton, FL) $173
5. Stanley Sternberg (Highland Beach, FL) $173

A few hours after that tournament's conclusion, players started filing in for the evening event (6:00pm), a $130 No Limit Hold'em ($25,000 GTD).  The tournament offered a 16,000 unit starting stack, (20) minute levels, and the opportunity to play for what was sure to be a larger prize pool.  Last Thursday's $20,000 GTD installment of the event crushed the guarantee...and last night's flattened it.  With over (331) entries in the field, the prize pool grew to $33,100...almost $10,000 more than the posted number.  The posted first place prize was just short of $9,000, while a min-cash in the event would earn players $215.  A total of (36) players would reach the money, and after the bubble burst, a group (made up of many notables) made their way to the tournament podium to get paid.  Some of those names included the likes of Jerrold Jacobs (36th place - $215), Michelle Shah (25th place - $248), Ray Millard (18th place - $298), Andre Rukasa (15th place - $348), and Michael Goldfard (11th place - $430).  Talk of a deal didn't last long once the final table was reached, and wouldn't start back up until the eliminations of Joel Greenfeld (10th place - $430), Marcin Plewinski (9th place - $563), and Nancy Birnbaum (8th place - $778).  This was Nancy's second final table in a row in this event, falling just short of being part of the seven-way deal that was agreed to after her elimination:

1. Peter Fellows (Pembroke Pines, FL) $6,776
2. Robert Kessler (Parkland, FL) $4,124
3. Christian Rodriguez (Boynton Beach, FL) $3,457
4. Robert Blanchette (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $3,187
5. Irwin Block (Coconut Creek, FL) $3,187
6. Hari Sukhu (Miramar, FL) $1,822
7. Ethiel Garcia (Weston, FL) $1,811

The full results from both tournaments (as well as the rest of the week's events) will be posted in the "Week In Review" feature, published after the weekend concludes.  

Tournaments: There is one tournament on the schedule this evening, a $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD), beginning a 6:00pm.

Promotions: Things start off "quickly" this afternoon, with the "Turbo High Hands" running from 9:00am-12:00pm.  During that window, $100 will be awarded every (10) minutes to the qualifying high hand (rollovers do apply).  The promotion will then transition to $250 every (20) minutes (rollovers do apply), from 12:00pm-4:00pm...laddering up one more time to $500 every (20) minutes (rollovers apply), from 4:00pm-12:00am.

6:00pm - $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 20,000 starting stack
- Late and re-entries for the first (8) levels
- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack
- Levels are (25) minutes in length

ICYMI: "Spin To Win" Money Wheel Results (April 12th)

From 12:00pm-11:00pm yesterday, the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion was running, one of the most popular poker promotions you'll find in the state (as well as one of the richest).  The player with the "winning" high hand from each half hour is awarded an opportunity to spin the "money wheel," which sits located in the "stage area" of the poker room, closest to the cashier.  There are over (70) different slots on the wheel, all with different monetary amounts.  The "major" amounts that can be won are $1,000, $2,000, $3,000, and $5,000.  If (and only if) the high hand that qualifies is a royal flush, the $5,000 "Jackpot' slice is worth $25,000.  Posted below are all of the results from yesterday's promotion (along with the game the player was playing):

12:30pm: $625 (2/5 NLH)

1:00pm: $425 (2/5 NLH)

1:30pm: $425 (2/5 NLH)

2:00pm: $200 (2/5 NLH)

2:30pm: $500 (2/5 NLH)

3:00pm: $400 (2/4 LHE)

3:30pm: $250 (1/2 NLH)

4:00pm: $399 (2/4 LHE) *Royal Flush

4:30pm: $3,000 (2/4 LHE)

5:00pm: $300 (2/2 LHE)

5:30pm: $450 (2/5 NLH)

6:00pm: $450 (2/5 NLH)

6:30pm: $575 (1/2 NLH)

7:00pm: $450 (2/4 LHE)

7:30pm: $275 (2/2 LHE)

8:00pm: $525 (1/2 NLH)

8:30pm: $225 (2/5 NLH)

9:00pm: $375 (1/2 NLH)

9:30pm: $450 (2/4 LHE)

10:00pm: $575 (1/2 NLH)

10:30pm: $350 (1/2 NLH)

11:00pm: $400 (1/2 NLH)

That's a total of $11,624 in high hand money given away yesterday, over the course of the eleven hour promotion.  Posted below is the breakdown of "wheel spinners" by game played:

2/5 NLH: (8)

1/2 NLH: (7)

2/4 LHE: (5)

2/2 LHE: (2)

There was one very exciting moment which happened during the 4:00pm winner's spin, as that player approached the wheel with a royal flush as their high hand.  That means that the "jackpot" slice, if hit on that particular spin, would be worth $25,000!!  The winning player gave the wheel a very strong spin, and the room watched as the rotations continued to pass through...eventually beginning to slow down.  As the wheel was coming to a stop, the $25,000 slice was approaching, and the buzz across the room was electric.  The wheel ended up stopping just two slices short of the jackpot, as a communal groan of disappointment came across the onlookers.  That player did walk away with $399 though, a nice chunk of free money.  The "Spin To Win" promotion returns next Wednesday, with (22) more opportunities for players to hit it big.

Thursday, April 13th: Borders Ships "Big Stack Turbo Bounty," $25,000 GTD Headlines Schedule

ICYMI: With the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion garnering the afternoon attention, there was one tournament on the schedule yesterday, a $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($5,000 GTD).  Last night's field was made up of (59) entries, of which six players would reach the money.  There would be no deal making though, as the tournament played down to a winner, with Linzell Borders (Tamarac, FL) besting Ariel Williams (Hollywood, FL) during heads-up play.

1. Linzell Borders (Tamarac, FL) $1,376
2. Ariel Williams (Hollywood, FL) $843
3. Sandra Seligman (Sunny Isles Beach, FL) $546
4. Antonio De Araujo (Pompano Beach, FL) $376
5. Raul Hernandez (West Palm Beach, FL) $271
6. Bart Lino (Coral Springs, FL) $206

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the schedule today, one of which player's have had circled since the monthly schedule was released.  The day starts off with the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD) event at 11:00am.  That tournament is followed at 6:00pm, by the $130 No Limit Hold'em ($25,000 GTD) event, which is the largest guaranteed prize pool on the schedule, behind the end of month $100,000 GTD.

Promotions: After an exciting day of wheel spins, Thursday offers up the Early Bird No Limit Hold'em high hand promotion, paying $60 to the first (50) full houses of the day (eligible players must be playing no limit hold'em).  The "standard high hand" promotion runs throughout the day as well, from 9:00am-12:00am.

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

12:00pm - $130 No Limit Hold'em ($25,000 GTD)

- Players will start with 16,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels are (20) minutes