ICYMI: "Spin To Win" Money Wheel Results (April 26th)

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: $275

1:00pm: $500

1:30pm: $575

2:00pm: $300

2:30pm: $500

3:00pm: $375

3:30pm: $450

4:00pm: $225

4:30pm: $250

5:00pm: $325

5:30pm: $325

6:00pm: $525

6:30pm: $475

7:00pm: $2,000

7:30pm: $200

8:00pm: $425

8:30pm: $475

9:00pm: $200

9:30pm: $375

10:00pm: $500

10:30pm: $5,000

11:00pm: $325

This weeks wheel results are lacking the "game played" statistic for the players that earned the opportunity to spin the wheel, but we do have the amounts for each half-hour.  A total of $14,600 was awarded over the course of the promotion, with the two "highlighted" wins coming in the evening.  The jackpot continues to get hit at a rapid rate each week, making this promotion one of (if not the) best high hand promotion in the area.

"April $100,000 GTD:" Early Notables In The Field

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 2 (Blinds 50/100)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 56

For most multi-flight events, the first flight is usually the "lightest" in terms of attendance...but not this afternoon.  There are already (56) entries making up this field, and at this rate alone, the guarantee would be surpassed.  Players can expect this field to grow larger, as well as the following flights to grow in size as each passes.  There are a lot of "daily tournament" players in the field, along with those that come out strictly for these larger guaranteed events.  Edward Novak (Simsbury, CT) is one of the players who makes an appearance for the "larger" tournaments, and sits at Table 5 with a live tournament resume that boasts over $259,000 in career earnings.  Over half of those earnings came last year, when he won the 2016 Isle Poker Open $1,500 Championship Event ($166,071).  Nova bested Isaiah Goldman heads-up to win the title, and navigated his way through a final table that hosted the likes of Sam Panzica, Alex Nguyen, and Joshua Hillock.  Edward is joined in this field by other familiar players such as:

Juan Rodriguez
Hari Sukhu
Zaki Lichaa
Larry Stoddard
Justin Levy
Paul Shafran
Jeffrey Kessler
Stephen Smith
James Hamburger
Giovanni Cantatore

"April $100,000 GTD:" Cards Are In The Air

"April $100,000 GTD"
$360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 45

Tournament Director Ralph Brandt made the rules announcement to the field just a short while ago, followed by the cards getting in the air for this $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack event.  The $100,000 guaranteed prize pool is the largest we've seen since the Battles At The Beach series in February, and with six flights for players to join the action, we should see a prize pool that well surpasses that of the posted number.

Players in this event sit down to starting stacks of 25,000, and will be playing (30) minute levels for the duration of each Day 1.  When the action picks back up on Sunday (for Day 2), the level length will transition to (50) minutes.  With a superb structure for the tournament, the play will be super deep throughout the event, including the latter stages (final table).  "Live blogged coverage" will be offered for each afternoon starting flight, with "live look ins" and updated flight chip counts posted from the evening flights.  The schedule for the tournament is as follows:

Flight 1A (April 27th) 11:00am

Flight 1B (April 27th) 6:00pm

Flight 1C (April 28th) 11:00am

Flight 1D (April 28th) 6:00pm

Flight 1E (April 29th) 11:00am

Flight 1F (April 29th) 6:00pm

Day 2 (April 30th) 12:00pm

Thursday, April 27th: April Showers Bring End Of Month $100,000 GTD

ICYMI: As most followers of the blog know by now, there is only one tournament schedule on Wednesdays ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties $5,000 GTD), because of the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion.  Yesterday's event drew a field of (51) total entries, which equated to a prize pool of $3,725 ($1,275 bounty pool).  Six spots were scheduled to get paid in the event, with first place taking home $1,417.  There would be no deal making though, as is so common in tournaments at the Isle, as Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL) bested Lynne Fremont (Pompano Beach, FL) to take home the title.

1. Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL) $1,417
2. Lynne Fremont (Pompano Beach, FL) $868
3. Christopher Brown (Plantation, FL) $562
4. John Santoro (Wellington, FL) $387
5. Todd Russell (Canada) $279
6. Pierre Lacoste (Pembroke Pines, FL) $212

Tournaments: 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).

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.

12:00pm - $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD (Flight 1A)

- Players will begin with a 25,000 unit starting stack

- Late registration and re-entry for the first (8) levels

- Levels 1-16 will be (30) minutes, transitioning to (50) minutes from Level 17+

- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack

- All Day 1's will play 16 complete levels, or until 10% of the field remains (whichever comes first)

6:00pm - $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD (Flight 1B)

- Players will begin with a 25,000 unit starting stack

- Late registration and re-entry for the first (8) levels

- Levels 1-16 will be (30) minutes, transitioning to (50) minutes from Level 17+

- All late registrants and re-entries will receive a full stack

- All Day 1's will play 16 complete levels, or until 10% of the field remains (whichever comes first)

Wednesday, April 26th: "Monster Stack" Continues To Grow...Palacio Posts Big Win..."Spin To Win" Back Again

ICYMI: As the "daily tournament" schedule continues to evolve, certain events show their popularity via the turnout that occurs each week.  The Tuesday afternoon tournament ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" $3,000 GTD) has continued to see great success, with field sizes over (50-60) entries each week.  Yesterday's installment had a total of (59) entries, and a prize pool that was $1,500 over the posted number ($4,543).  A total of four spots were scheduled to get paid, but a deal was made with six players remaining, spreading the payouts a little more than was originally posted:

1. Myles German (Boca Raton, FL) $1,063
2. David Echavarria (Bay Harbour Island, FL) $1,036
3. Joseph Durso III (Hollywood, FL) $995
4. Barry Carvin (Deerfield Beach, FL) $849
5. Vincent Bianco (Coconut Creek, FL) $341
6. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $259

The "Monster Stack" was one-upped though, just a few hours later, by the "Tuesday $12k."  The $60 No Limit Hold'em ($12,000 GTD) tournament wound up with a field of (358) entries, and a prize pool over $18,000.  A total of (36) places were scheduled to get paid, with a min-cash worth $118, and just under $5,000 up top.  As the trips to the tournament podium started, many Isle Poker notables headed to collect their payouts: Maury Halperin (16th place), Raminder Singh (18th place), Walter West (22nd place), Fred Allenspach (27th place), Paul Price (36th place).  After five eliminations at the final table, the remaining handful of players agreed to a deal that would end the tournament (posted below are full final table payouts):

1. Pedro Palacio (Delray Beach, FL) $3,613
2. Jean Chery (West Palm Beach, FL) $2,612
3. Albert Efremoff (Hollywood, FL) $2,571
4. Jonathan Ounjian (Boca Raton, FL) $1,785
5. Stephen Caplan (Canada) $1,452
6. Danielle Bastarache (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $773
7. Zakarya Walgamott (Coconut Creek, FL) $591
8. Rosa Gonzalez (Deerfield Beach, FL) $428
9. Karen Duffy (Delray Beach, FL) $309
10. David Albertson (Margate, FL) $237

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 17th-23rd)

Monday, April 17th saw Bruce Rosen (Syosset, NY) earn his first recorded tournament title, taking down the "winner's share" of a four-way deal that ended the evening tournament ($230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties).  Rosen's last recorded cash before Monday's finish was a 71st place finish in the 2016 WSOP $1,500 Millionaire Maker event ($3,653).

$80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD)
Total Entries: 48
Total Prize Pool: $2,316 ($480 Bounty Pool)

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

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

Total Entries: 30

Total Prize Pool: $3,000 ($3,000 Bounty Pool)

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

Another strong showing for the "Tuesday $10k" headlined the schedule for Tuesday, April 18th, as close to (400) entries made up the massive field.  The tournament would end in a six-way chop, with the payouts spread out fairly evenly across the participants.  The afternoon event also continued to gain steam in terms of popularity, as (63) entries cruised past the guaranteed number.

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

Total Entries: 63

Total Prize Pool: $4,851

1. Jeffrey Morrow (Dallas, TX) $1,014
2. Robert Valentine (Jupiter, FL) $632
3. Alfonso Perez (Coconut Creek) $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

$40 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 394

Total Prize Pool: $13,378

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
8. Samuel Silva (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $314
9. Robert Weidenbacher (Annandale, NJ) $227
10. Brian Gelrod (Wellington, FL) $174
11. Ryan Rackleff (Boca Raton, FL) $174
12. Diane Linke (Delray Beach, FL) $174
13. Robert Warren (Davie, FL) $140
14. Hoa Lang (West Palm Beach, FL) $140
15. Pedro Palacio (Delray Beach, FL) $140
16. Salvatore Taravella (Boca Raton, FL) $120
17. Ali Khalil (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $120
18. Carlos Valencia (Miami, FL) $120
19. Eddy Espinosa (Lake Worth, FL) $100
20. Lascelles Peart Jr. (West Palm Beach, FL) $100
21. Frank Collins (Margate, FL) $100
22. Jorge Aleman (Miami, FL) $100
23. James Tomblin (Wilton Manors, FL) $100
24. Robert Schmeltzer (Boca Raton, FL) $100
25. Steven Slon (Highland Beach, FL) $100
26. Gili Prizament (Biscayne Park, FL) $100
27. Daniel Shortley (Lake Worth, FL) $100
28. Pedro Olivo (West Palm Beach, FL) $87
29. Christopher Zollo (Delray Beach, FL) $87
30. Justin Margolis (Boca Raton, FL) $87
31. Barbara Eagon (Pompano Beach, FL) $87
32. Olaf Gornisiewicz (Pompano Beach, FL) $87
33. Ramon Alberto (Jupiter, FL) $87
34. Shane Parker (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $87
35. Michael Guardino (Coconut Creek, FL) $87
36. Ruth Comeau (Stuart, FL) $87

Wednesday, April 19th was all about the "Spin To Win" promotion during the day, with some serious high hand money awarded over the course of the afternoon into evening.  There was only one tournament on the schedule, which was chopped heads-up between Danielle Nucci and Lawrence Smith.

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

Total Entries: 64

Total Prize Pool: $3,703 ($1,600 Bounty Pool)

1. Danielle 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 Vanderperre (Pompano Beach, FL) $270
6. Raul Hernandez (West Palm Beach, FL) $207
7. Anthony Dellapi (Sunrise, FL) $167

Thursday, April 20th was a day that players had scheduled on their calendars, as they looked forward to the return of the $130 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD), which had a $33,000 prize pool the week prior.  The attendance fell short of last week's number, but still reached the guarantee, and saw Edward Lark earn the lion's share of a deal that ended the event.

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

Total Entries: 27

Total Prize Pool: $1,730 ($270 Bounty Pool)

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

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

Total Entries: 206

Total Prize Pool: $20,600

1. Edward Lark (Las Vegas, NV) $5,000
2. Patrick Carnackie (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
7. David Padilla (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $762
8. Robert Perniola (Pompano Beach, FL) $567
9. Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) $404
10. Daniel Restrepo (Boca Raton, FL) $319
11. Jay Stafford (Deerfield Beach, FL) $319
12. Anthony Vulpis (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $319
13. Daniel Miller (Pompano Beach, FL) $268
14. Al Gomez (Miami Beach, FL) $268
15. Luckner Gibbs (Boynton Beach, FL) $268
16. Mark Bernstein (Hollywood, FL) $237
17. Luis Guarda (Coral Springs, FL) $237
18. O'Neill McCalla (Miramar, FL) $237

Friday, April 21st saw Jason Chambers (Pembroke Pines, FL) earn the largest score of his tournament career, as he chopped the "nightly" with Jacob Lipton.  While Chambers was adding a milestone to his resume, Lipton creeped towards the $40,000 mark in career earnings with the finish.

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

Total Entries: 70

Total Prize Pool: $10,000

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. Ethiel Garcia (Weston, FL) $730
6. Ronald Sorci (Parkland, FL) $560
7. Tony Boutros (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $450

There was a little schedule twist on Saturday, April 22nd, as the $240 No Limit Hold'em w/ $50 Bounties ($15,000 GTD) made it's first ever appearance. The tournament had a posted first place prize of $4,549, but that would be spread out a little, as Al Gomez and Vincent Imbriani agreed to a heads-up chop.

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

Total Entries: 34

Total Prize Pool: $2,150 ($850 Bounty Pool)

1. Anthony Benitez (Deerfield Beach, FL) $502
2. Morris Heider (Boca Raton, FL) $470
3. Andrew Blake (Delray Beach, FL) $463
4. Glenn Popkin (Coral Springs, FL) $427
5. Sara Azmi (Lauderhill, FL) $288

$240 No Limit Hold'em w/ $50 Bounties ($15,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 54

Total Prize Pool: $12,300 ($2,700)

1. Al Gomez (Miami, FL) $3,628
2. Vincent Imbriani (Tequesta, FL) $3,627
3. Steve Gore (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,661
4. Michael Goldfarb (Parkland, FL) $1,169
5. Roberto Bendeck (Miami, FL) $923
6. Douglas McLay (Stokes Bay, ON) $738
7. Lev Binik (Boca Raton, FL) $554

Tournament regular Rafael Ramos (Cape Coral, FL) made it back to the winner's circle on Sunday, April 23rd, as he was part of a three-way chop that ended the day's event ($150 No Limit Hold'em $10,000 GTD).  Ramos, along with Ronald Campillo and David Albertson, all earned themselves $2,129.

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

Total Entries: 83

Total Prize Pool: $10,000

1. Rafael Ramos (Cape Coral, FL) $2,129
2. Ronald Campillo (Plantation, FL) $2,129
3. David Albertson (Coral Springs, FL) $2,129
4. Ross Hughes (Quebec, Canada) $820
5. Walter West (Lantana, FL) $625
6. Antonio Maldonado (Lantana, FL) $500
7. Edward Meuller (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $415
8. Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) $350
9. Nader Bahur (Boca Raton, FL) $323
10. Mustafa Lobut (N. Miami Beach, FL) $300
11. Franklin Rojas (Plantation, FL) $280

Tuesday, April 25th: Powsner Powers Her Way To Title, "Tuesday $12k" Highlights Today's Schedule

ICYMI: The last week of April started off with a busy tournament Monday, with two events on the day's schedule.  The first tournament, which got started at 11:00am, was the $150 No Limit Hold'em "Structure Beast" ($18,000 GTD).  The event brought out many of the Isle Poker notables, who had this tournament circled on their calendar.  A total of (152) entries made up the $18,000 prize pool, which offered up a first place prize (scheduled) of $4,968.  A total of (19) spots were being paid, with the money being reached just after 7:00pm.  Players to reach the money (but not the final table) included Tom Gity (12th place), Matthew Zarcadoolas (14th place), Vito Polera (15th place), and Andres Sanchez (18th place).  The final table also hosted some familiar names, and as the tournament played deep into the night, a deal was made three-handed.  Karin Powsner (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), a well-known (and loyal) player at the Isle Poker Room took home first place money (and the trophy), worth $3,889.

1. Karin Powsner (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $3,889
2. Tyler Wilson (Key Largo, FL) $3,391
3. Alvaro Grisales (Kendall, FL) $2,692
4. Richard Vargas (Pembroke Pines, FL) $1,126
5. Paul Davis (Deerfield Beach, FL) $853
6. Jacquelyn Scott (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $721
7. Jack Palefsky (Tamarac, FL) $630
8. Joseph Nay (Plantation, FL) $563
9. Waldemar Wasilewski (Deerfield Beach, FL) $497
10. Hugh Hardy (Pompano Beach, FL) $432

The evening event ($230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties) had an "intimate" field of (17) entries, and actually finished up well before the "Structure Beast" was done.

1. Eric Kessler (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $636
2. Michael Sadler (Tampa, FL) $475
3. Keith Richeson (Pompano Beach, FL) $337
4. Thelma Schuman (Delray Beach, FL) $252

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 24th: "Structure Beast" Sure To Attract A Nice Sized Field

ICYMI: For the entire month of April, Sunday's have had the same tournament scheduled, a $150 No Limit Hold'em (two of which had $10,000 guaranteed prize pools).  Yesterday's event was one of those tournaments with a guarantee, and with a total of (84) entries, the prize pool officially ended up on the number ($10,000).  A total of of (11) spots were going to the make money in the event, and as the final table played down, things halted with three players remaining.  Discussion of a deal was put on the table, and the trio agreed to an even chop.

1. Rafael Ramos (Cape Coral, FL) $2,129
2. Ronald Campillo (Plantation, FL) $2,129
3. David Albertson (Coral Springs, FL) $2,129
4. Ross Hugues (Quebec, Canada) $820
5. Walter West (Lantana, FL) $625
6. Antonio Maldonado (Lantana, FL) $500
7. Edward Mueller (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $415
8. Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) $350
9. Nader Bahur (Boca Raton, FL) $323
10. Mustafa Lobut (N. Miami Beach, FL) $300
11. Franklin Rojas (Plantation, FL) $280

Tournaments: The final Monday of the month sees two tournaments on the schedule, one of which is a very popular event with the Isle Poker loyal.  The only "Structure Beast" tournament of the month gets underway at 11:00am, which is a $150 No Limit Hold'em event with a great structure, and an $18,000 guarantee.  Players in the tournament sit down to starting stacks of 12,000 units, and while that may not sound "super-deep," the (30) minute levels allow for some great play throughout the day (including once the final table is reached).  

The evening event is the same it's been for each Monday this month, as the "Big Game Bounty Hunters" come out to play.  The $230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties tournament has quickly gained steam in terms of popularity with the players, and should see some overflow from players that busted the afternoon tournament in it's later stages.

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 - $150 No Limit Hold'em "Structure Beast" $18,000 GTD

- Players will begin with a 12,000 starting stack

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

- Alternates and late entries will begin with a full stack

- Levels are (30) 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 23rd: Recapping A Busy Saturday, Sunday's "Turbo High Hands" And $10,000 GTD

ICYMI: Saturday's are always action packed with tournaments, and yesterday was no different, with a special evening tournament on the schedule ($240 No Limit Hold'em w/ $50 Bounties $15,000 GTD).  The first of two events for the day began at 10:00am ($100 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties $3,000 GTD), and attracted a total of (34) entries.  The prize pool officially ended up at $3,000 (which include the $25 bounties), and although four spots were scheduled to get paid, a deal was made when five remained:

1. Anthony Benitez (Deerfield Beach, FL) $502
2. Morris Heider (Boca Raton, FL) $470
3. Andrew Blake (Delray Beach, FL) $463
4. Glenn Popkin (Coral Springs, FL) $427
5. Sara Azmi (Lauderhill, FL) $288

The "nightly" tournament, a "Big Bounty...Big Guarantee" event ($240 No Limit Hold'em w/ $50 Bounties $15,000 GTD), was new to the weekend schedule.  A total of (54) entries made up the field, which also landed on the number ($15,000), with the bounties included in that official prize pool.  The tournament had a posted first place prize of $4,549, with a min-cash worth $554.  Seven spots were scheduled to be paid in the tournament, and after a handful of eliminations in the money, the remaining two players agreed to a heads up deal:

1. Al Gomez (Miami, FL) $3,628
2. Vincent Imbriani (Tequesta, FL) $3,627
3. Steve Gore (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,661
4. Michael Goldfarb (Parkland, FL) $1,169
5. Roberto Bendeck (Miami, FL) $923
6. Douglas McLay (Stokes Bay, Ontario) $738
7. Lev Binik (Boca Raton, FL) $554

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 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