"May $100,000 GTD:" Updated Counts From The Field

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 9 (Blinds 400/800/100)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 133

With registration now closed for Flight 1A, the officials numbers are in...with a total of (133) entries, and $15,295 going towards the overall prize pool.  Just over half of the total number currently remains, with (67) players active in the field.  Andre Rakusa (Coral Springs, FL) still leads the way, and has a sizable chip lead over the field with 190,000.  

Andre Rakusa - 190,000
Trent Smith - 125,000
Craig Witz - 105,000
Gyorgy Cseke - 100,000
Evan Braunstein - 95,000
John Womack - 85,000
Michael Hefley - 55,000
---- Chip Average ---- 40,000
Paula Alibrandi - 35,000
William Underdown - 20,000
Kenneth Bruno - 17,000

"May $100,000 GTD:" Must Be The Fedora, Siele Sends Agrachov To The Rail

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 8 (Blinds 300/600/75)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 127

Terry Siele (Delray Beach, FL)

Terry Siele (Delray Beach, FL) just busted "defending" champion Dmitry Agrachov from the Flight 1A field, as the two got it in pre-flop, with Siele holding K♥ K♠ against Agrachov's Q♦ Q♣.  Siele's pocket kings would never relinquish the lead, and he'd chip up to 75,000 just before the registration window's close.

There will be a (10) minute break at the conclusion of this level, and when the cards get back in the air for Level 9 (Blinds 400/800/100), registration will be closed for this flight.  It's not yet been confirmed whether Agrachov is back in this opening flight, but if he chooses to wait, there is still Flight 1B this evening (6:00pm)...followed by two more flights each tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday.  Once live coverage resumes, the focus will shift on updated chip counts from the field, as we are at the halfway mark of the flight.

"May $100,000 GTD:" Braunstein Back In Action

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 7 (Blinds 250/500/50)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 123

Evan Braunstein (Lighthouse Point, FL)

One of the hardest things for recreational players in terms of these multi-flight/multi-day tournaments is scheduling.  That's the reason that Saturday flights are usually the busiest, as those with full-time jobs are afforded the opportunity with weekends off.  Evan Braunstein (Lighthouse Point, FL) doesn't consider poker his full-time profession, but he's more than making due at the tables.  Evan won the opening event of the 2017 Battles At The Beach series ($175 No Limit Hold'em - $22,251), his third ever recorded cash.  He's been back in tournament fields since, but has also been concentrating on his career, which is in real estate.  Braunstein is currently seated at Table 1, and is one of the later entrants into this Flight 1A field, which was includes:

Eric Kolodny

Rahamim Ezra

Shaundra Seay

Jennifer Parker

Gregory Spinder

Stephen Broniecki

"May $100,000 GTD:" Rakusa Rivers The Winner, Grabs Early Lead

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 6 (Blinds 200/400/50)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 118

Andre Rakusa (Coral Springs, FL)

Andre Rakusa (Coral Springs, FL) is someone who's made a habit of cashing here at the Isle Poker Room, with all but two of his (11) recorded results coming in this poker room.  Andre won the opening event of last year's Isle Poker Open ($350 No Limit Hold'em - $60,181), which still stands as the career highlighting score on his resume, which has over $100,000 in live tournament earnings.

Rakusa had re-shoved from the small blind moments ago, over a shove from John McCarthy in late position.  McCarthy's shove was for just under 10,000, Rakusa's was close to 50,000, and both players waited while Alan Chernotsky made his decision (big blind).  Chernotsky asked for an exact count of Andre's stack, and just a few moments after the dealer was finished with that request, Alan released his hand.

It would be a race for Rakusa, holding 10♠ 10♣ agains the A♠ K♣ of McCarthy.  The race seemed like an uphill climb for Andre after the A♣ K♠ J♣ flop, but he did grab some extra outs to a straight (to go along with the two remaining tens in the deck).  The 6♣ on the turn changed nothing, but Andre would manage to find the 10♦ on the river, giving him the win and sending McCarthy to the rail.  Rakusa climbs to over 70,000 with the pot, and is the early chip leader in the field.

"May $100,000 GTD:" No Longer Flying Under The Radar

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 5 (Blinds 150/300/35)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 105

Eric Piderit (Weston, FL)

Eric Piderit (Weston, FL) was featured on the blog for the first time during last month's "April $100,000 GTD."  While Eric did not end up cashing in the event, the opportunity was there to do a little research after his introduction.  Piderit has over $112,000 in live tournament earnings, including a SHRPO trophy won during March's series.  Piderit won the $570 No Limit Hold'em Double Black Chip Bounty (Event #13), which yielded a first place prize of $17,227, along with bounties won along the way.  The win was the third on Eric's resume, and the first since 2015, with all of the trophies coming from the Hard Rock Hollywood property.

Piderit joins the second wave of notables in today's field, which has a prize pool that already eclipsed $12,000, and still has over three full levels of open registration.

Alan Saltzman
Danny Blackburn
Glenn Popkin
Alan Chernotsky
Arie Ben-Mayor
Waldermar Wasilewski
Marc Culberson
Steven Bennett
Horney Boutros
Gyorgy Cseke
Daniel Pearlman

"May $100,000 GTD:" Alibrandi Looking To Add To Her Resume

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 4 (Blinds 100/200)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 99

Paula Alibrandi (Miramar, FL)

Paula Alibrandi (Miramar, FL) is a regular here at the Isle Poker Room, in attendance for a good portion of the tournaments that are run here, including the "daily" events.  Here live tournament resume has over $115,000 in career earnings, with just over half of her (43) recorded cashes coming in this poker room.  Paula's career highlighting score came in March of 2015, when she finished runner-up in the Western NY Poker Challenge $1,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event at Seneca Casino in Niagara.  The second place finish would see Paula earning $37,190, which is over $25,000 more than her second highest cash ($10,625 for fourth place in the 2016 Isle Poker Open $1,600 NLH Bounty).

Paula currently shares the felt with notables Paul Shafran, Paulius Bikus, and Kenneth Bruno, and headlines our first look at notables in the field:

Michael Hefley
Thomas Gari
Frank Traino
Andre Rakusa
Benjamin Robinson
Alvaro Vivas Grisales
Kenneth Schockett
Juan Rodriguez
Zaki Lichaa

Players will be taking there first scheduled break at the end of this level, and will be returning to Level 5, and blinds of 150/300/25.

"May $100,000 GTD:" Sharing The Felt Once Again, Looking For Same Results

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 3 (Blinds 75/150)
Total Flight 1A Entries: 80

Dmitry Agrachov (Weston, FL) 

The last time that Dmitry Agrachov (Weston, FL) and William Underdown (Deerfield Beach, FL) shared the table together, it was during the final stages of last month's "April $100,000 GTD."  The two players were part of the twelve-way deal that ended the tournament, with Agrachov declared the tournament's winner.  Dmitry earned $20,363 for his share of the chop, the six largest cash on his resume, which has over $449,000 in live tournament earnings.

William Underdown took home fourth place money ($14,517) in the deal, which was the second largest cash of his career, behind his seventh place finish in the $570 No Limit Hold'em event during the 2017 SHRPO ($45,307).  The two players are also joined in the field by one more player that was part of the chop, as Esther Foley (Tamarac, FL) is in the field, and seated at Table 2.

ICYMI: "Spin To Win" Money Wheel Results (May 10th)

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: $425 (1/2 NLH)

1:00pm: $450 (1/2 NLH)

1:30pm: $550 (1/2 NLH)

2:00pm: $475 (2/4 LHE)

2:30pm: $400 (1/2 NLH)

3:00pm: $400 (2/5 NLH)

3:30pm: $500 (2/5 NLH)

4:00pm: $425 (1/2 NLH)

4:30pm: $250 (1/2 NLH)

5:00pm: $300 (1/2 NLH)

5:30pm: $275 (2/4 LHE)

6:00pm: $500 (1/2 NLH)

6:30pm: $350 (2/5 NLH)

7:00pm: (NQHH)

7:30pm: $425 (1/2 NLH)

8:00pm: $475 (1/2 NLH)

8:30pm: $275 (2/2 LHE)

9:00pm: $250 (2/5 NLH)

9:30pm: $575 (2/2 LHE)

10:00pm: $250 (2/5 NLH)

10:30pm: (NQHH)

11:00pm: $350 (1/2 NLH)

Over the course of the eleven hour promotion, a total of $7,900 was awarded to players who spun the wheel.  This is the second week in a row that we've seen half-hours pass without a qualifying high hand (as denoted by the NQHH=No Qualifying High Hand), as well as the second week without a "significant" jackpot handed out (anything greater than $2,000).  The "game breakdown" sees the no-limit players with a majority of the spins, as only four limit players made their way to the stage for a spin.

"May $100,000 GTD:" Flight 1A Of The $100,000 GTD Underway

"May $100,000 GTD"
$150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack
Level 1 (Blinds 25/50)
Total Flight 1A Entries: N/A

Tournament Director Ralph Brandt just made the first of his four rules announcements for this Flight 1A field of the "May $100,000 GTD."  Players in each of these flights will be sitting down to starting stacks of 20,000 units, and playing (25) minute levels throughout the day.   The levels will eventually transition to (30) minutes, but that will not happen until the cards get in the air for Day 2.  Registration for each of the opening flights will be open until the end of Level 8 (and the break that follows), with all late entries and alternates sitting down to full stacks.

The "April $100,000 GTD," which was a $360 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack event that was run just a few weeks ago, ended up with an official prize pool over $230,000 (which was over double the guarantee).  Another massive field is expected for this tournament, with a potential first place prize over $40,000 for the eventual winner.  

There will be "live blogged" coverage for each of the afternoon flights of this event, as well as full Day 2 coverage, until the tournament has concluded.

Thursday, May 11th: Before The Ink Dries On April, The "May $100,000 GTD" Begins Today

ICYMI: As has every Wednesday in the past six months, yesterday had only one tournament on the schedule ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties $5,000 GTD).  Yesterday's event drew a field of (50) total entries, brining the official prize pool to $3,750 (with an additional $1,250 bounty pool).  A total of seven spots were scheduled to get paid in the tournament, with a min-cash worth $169, and $1,388 for the win.  Maikel Reeder (Holland) was the first player to reach the money ($169), with Greg McKenzie (Sunrise, FL) and Michael Golub (Boynton Beach, FL) to follow.  At that point, the remaining four players agreed to a chop, with Patrick Biancone (Delray Beach, FL) declared the winner ($920).

1. Patrick Biancone (Delray Beach, FL) $920
2. Bill Seiden (Tamarac, FL) $853
3. Denise Westerfield (Coconut Creek, FL) $667
4. Samuel Borger (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $635
5. Michael Golub (Boynton Beach, FL) $281
6. Greg McKenzie (Sunrise, FL) $225
7. Maikel Reeder (Holland) $169

Tournaments: This afternoon marks the beginning of the largest tournament of the month, as Flight 1A of the $150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD begins at 11:00am.  It's the first of six flights over the course of three days, with players that are fortunate enough to bag chips, returning on Sunday, May 14th at 12:00pm.  Players in the event will be sitting down to starting stacks of 20,000 units, and (25) minute levels throughout the course of each "Day 1" flight.  The level length does transition to (30) minutes, but that doesn't occur until the beginning of Day 2.  There is open registration until the break concludes after Level 8, with all alternates and late entries sitting down to full stacks.  There will be "live blogged" coverage of each afternoon flight (Flight 1A, Flight 1C, and Flight 1E), along with full Day 2 coverage, until a winner is crowned.

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 - $150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD (Flight 1A)

- Players will begin with a 20,000 unit starting stack

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

- Levels 1-16 will be (25) minutes, transitioning to (30) 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 - $150 No Limit Hold'em Deep Stack $100,000 GTD (Flight 1B)

- Players will begin with a 20,000 unit starting stack

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

- Levels 1-16 will be (25) minutes, transitioning to (30) 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, May 10th: "Spin To Win" Today, $100,000 GTD Begins Tomorrow

ICYMI: The Tuesday afternoon "Monster Stack" ($100 No Limit Hold'em $3,000 GTD) continued it's trend of strong showings yesterday, with (54) total entries bringing the official prize pool to $4,158.  A total of six spots were scheduled to be paid in the event, but once play got down to seven-handed, the players remaining agreed to a deal.  George Tardugno (Weston, FL) was the lucky recipient of the "bubble spot," and continues his strong tournament play as of late.  Posted below are the results from the deal, with a handful of notables to the Isle Poker Room earning their share of the prize pool.

1. Joseph Mancuso (Deerfield Beach, FL) $840
2. David Gallo (New Haven, CT) $782
3. Daniel Genachte (Deerfield Beach, FL) $695
4. Samuel Elalouf (Coconut Creek, FL) $652
5. Paula Holder (Pompano Beach, FL) $517
6. Nancy Thomas (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $485
7. George Tardugno (Weston, FL) $187

The "Tuesday $12k" also continued to attract large field sizes and large prize pools, as a total of (268) entries made up yesterday's tournament.  The official prize pool of $13,416 eclipsed the $12,000 posted guarantee, and offered up a first place prize just over $3,000.  A total of (34) spots were paid in the event, with a list of familiar names recorded another Isle Poker tournament cash on their resume (Albert Efremoff, Hari Sukhu, David Moreno, and Rafael Rodriguez).  The final table was reached shortly before midnight, and after a handful of eliminations, a five-way deal was made to end the tournament.

1. Steven Lamm (Boca Raton, FL) $2,006
2. Aaron Payne (West Palm Beach, FL) $1,962
3. Joel Lumpkins (Lauderhill, FL) $1,523
4. Gary Reach (Davie, FL) $1,266
5. Paul Louis (Oakland Park, FL) $1,256
6. Daniel Lowe (Davie, FL) $535
7. Corey Tomlinson (Jupiter, FL) $449
8. Raj Mathur (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $376
9. Joan Arango (Miami, FL) $303
10. Steve Moreno (Miami, FL) $255

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 (May 1st-May 7th)

Monday, May 1st was the start of the week...and the month of tournament poker, with two events on the schedule.  The evening event was a "new" addition to the tournament calendar, taking the place of the $230 No Limit Hold'em w/ $100 Bounties event, which had been in the Monday night slot for a few months.  The first installment of the $75 No Limit Hold'em tournament saw a healthy crowd, with a five-way deal made to end the event.

$80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD)
Total Entries: 50
Total Prize Pool: $2,400 ($500 Bounty Pool)

1. Andre Allon (Boca Raton, FL) $888
2. Todd Kasten (Boynton Beach, FL) $528
3. Arthur Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, FL) $324
4. David Zwiebel (Boca Raton, FL) $228
5. Woody Bonarto (Sunrise, FL) $180
6. Michael Spadafore (Boynton Beach, FL) $144
7. Gerald Blum (Boca Raton, FL) $108

$75 No Limit Hold'em
Total Entries: 37
Total Prize Pool: $1,961

1. Peter Bejusca (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $509
2. Donald Gordon (Boynton Beach, FL) $474
3. Daniel Shortley  (Lake Worth, FL) $359
4. Heather Oken (Davie, FL) $347
5. Jared Carter (Pompano Beach, FL) $272

Tuesday has become one of the busier tournament days of the week, and Tuesday, May 2nd would be no different.  The afternoon "Monster Stack" has attracted some nice size field for a number of weeks now, and has become the most popular "daytime" event on the schedule.  That tournament was followed by the "Tuesday $12k," an event that does great numbers each and every time.

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

Total Entries: 60

Total Prize Pool: $4,620

1. John Marinacci (Acworth, GA) $1,400
2. Harry Freeman (Palm Beach Gardens, FL) $1,241
3. Adel Jo (Miami, FL) $612
4. David Miller (Davie, FL) $416
5. George Tardugno (Weston, FL) $323
6. Scott Krautman (Boca Raton, FL) $254
7. Reuben Rosenthal (Boynton Beach, FL) $208
8. Alvaro Vivas (Miami, FL) $166

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

Total Entries: 317

Total Prize Pool: $15,914

1. Robert Perniola (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $2,108
2. Michael Watkins (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $2,108
3. Jack Searcy (Delray Beach, FL) $2,108
4. Adel Jo (Miami, FL) $2,108
5. Glen Canelstein (Coconut Creek, FL) $763
6. Jorge Mederos (Miami, FL) $632
7. Pete Odiot (Hollywood, FL) $531
8. Angelo Castaldi (Plantation, FL) $436
9. Domenico Barilla (Deerfield Beach, FL) $346
10. Ian Bishop (Boynton Beach, FL) $291
11. Richard Blume Jr. (Delray Beach, FL) $291
12. Robert Blanchette (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $291
13. Pedro Palacio (Delray Beach, FL) $247
14. Patrick Carnakie (West Palm Beach, FL) $247
15. Garrick Young (Miami Gardens, FL) $247
16. David Barbieri (Coral Springs, FL) $207
17. Robyn Marshman (Tamarac, FL) $207
18. Hugh Hardy (Pompano Beach, FL) $207
19. Angelo Ingham (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $169
20. Ghassan Toubia (Boca Raton, FL) $169
21. Charles Marik (Coconut Creek, FL) $169
22. Rita Schwamman (Castle Rock, CO)$138
23. Rayme Silvestre (Hollywood, FL) $138
24. Engjieli Rroshi (Tavernier, FL) $138
25. Irwin Block (Deerfield Beach, FL) $120 
26. Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL) $120
27. Brian Huss (Brooklyn, NY) $120
28. Janet Solov (Pompano Beach, FL) $102
29. Jack Sedaka (Coconut Creek, FL) $102
30. Brian Gelrod (Wellington, FL) $102
31. Julio Melendez (Coral Springs, FL) $102
32. Jose Carreras (Coral Springs, FL) $102
33. Javier Sarache (Wellington, FL) $102
34. Juan Peralta (Miami, FL) $102
35. Hector Caraballo (Hialeah, FL) $102
36. Harry Silver (Boca Raton, FL) $102
37. Brian Baris (Tamarac, FL) $85
38. Joseph Canadeo (Coral Springs, FL) $85
39. Max Martin (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $85
40. Tom Millward (Boca Raton, FL) $85

Wednesday, May 3rd was all about the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion, so the only event on the schedule was the $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($5,000 GTD).  Justin Margolis (Boca Raton, FL) would earn his second recorded cash of the year, which also happened to be his second Isle Poker tournament win.  His first win came last year during the 2016 Isle Poker Open, when he took down Event #2 ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" - $1,715).

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

Total Entries: 48

Total Prize Pool: $3,800 ($1,200 Bounty Pool)

1. Justin Margolis (Boca Raton, FL) $1,130
2. Billi Seiden (Tamarac, FL) $949
3. George Tardugno (Weston, FL) $809
4. Danilo Parada (Oakland Park, FL) $380
5. Michael Weinberg (Delray Beach, FL) $304
6. David Padilla (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $228

The schedule would go back to two events on Thursday, May 4th, the first of which saw players pay a few extra spots in a five-way chop (the event was only scheduled to pay three spots).  The evening event ("Thursday $10k") was a little bit of a surprise to those in the Isle Poker "know," as the tournament just reached the guaranteed number ($10,000).  This is an event that most always attracts fields of over (300) entries, but would fall just short on this day.

$80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($1,500 GTD)
Total Entries: 23
Total Prize Pool: $1,270 ($230 Bounty Pool)

1. Shaun Casey (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $370
2. Michael Brinson (Boynton Beach, FL) $347
3. Jerome Price (Boca Raton, FL) $221
4. David Upton (Davie, FL) $176
5. Danny Blackburn (Deerfield Beach, FL) $156

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

Total Entries: 275

Total Prize Pool: $10,000

1. Richard Freeman (Taamrac, FL) $1,574
2. Andrew Mizerak (May's Landing, NJ) $1,076
3. Maury Halperin (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $1,017
4. Perry Werbel (Coral Springs, FL) $962
5. Rudy Vazquez (Port St. Lucie, FL) $922
6. Rollin Hernandez (Lake Worth, FL) $783
7. Rafael Rodriguez (Columbia) $335
8. James Powers (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $280
9. Hector Villavicencio (Miami, FL) $224
10. Hoa Lang (West Palm Beach, FL) $188
11. Christina Cadbury-Feldman (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $188
12. John Sarappa (Lantana, FL) $188
13. Michael Weinberg (Delray Beach, FL) $161
14. Markus Petteway (Pompano Beach, FL) $161
15. Justin Fiorilli (Boynton Beach, FL) $161
16. Robert Peoples (Coral Springs, FL) $135
17. Francisco Soliman (Opa Locka, FL) $135
18. Cilea Organ (Hollywood, FL) $135
19. Robert Perniola (Pompano Beach, FL) $110
20. Michelle Milker (Delray Beach, FL) $110
21. Jason Rojas (Dominican Republic) $110
22. James Campbell (Boynton Beach, FL) $88
23. Scott Hartman (Coral Springs, FL) $88
24. Robert Blanchette (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $88
25. Yves Fequiere (Miami, FL) $71
26. Constantine Carusos (Boynton Beach, FL) $71
27. Brendan Rogers (Plantation, FL) $71
28. Jeffrey Harris (Oakland Park, FL) $71
29. Kamal Mohammed (Pompano Beach, FL) $71
30. Omar Sader (Pompano Beach, FL) $71
31. Andres Carrion (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $71
32. Waldemar Wasilewski (Deerfield Beach, FL) $71
33. Eli Math (Hollywood, FL) $71
34. Carl Rockoff (Tamarac, FL) $71
35. Ed Russell (Pompano Beach, FL) $71

Friday, May 5th was "Cinco De Mayo," but that didn't stop the loyal Isle Poker players from heading on in and playing the evening event (the only tournament on the schedule for the day).  The tournament would eventually end in a three-way chop, with Andrew Reid (Aventura, FL) earning first place money for the first time in his career.  Reid, who had over $10,000 in recorded earnings coming into the event, also notched his first ever recorded score here at the Isle Poker Room.

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

Total Entries: 66

Total Prize Pool: $10,000

1. Andrew Reid (Aventura, FL) $2,540
2. John DeSoto (Hialeah, FL) $2,418
3. Scott Levitt (Delray Beach, FL) $2,302
4. Robert Transue (N. Lauderdale, FL) $1,000
5. Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) $730
6. Arnold Erenstoft (Coconut Creek, FL) $560
7. Leonid Goldshteyn (Pompano Beach, FL) $450

Saturday, May 6th was "Kentucky Derby Day," and the poker room (along with the adjoining Horse Book) was as busy as could be.  Both tournaments on the schedule ended in chops, with Andre Allon (Boca Raton, FL) heading the afternoon event, and Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) on top of the payouts for the evening tournament.

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

Total Entries: 33

Total Prize Pool: $2,175 ($825 Bounty Pool)

1. Andre Allon (Boca Raton, FL) $566
2. Richard Blanchar (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $553
3. Salvatore Juliano (Stuat, FL) $505
4. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $377
5. Sara Azmi (Aventura, FL) $175

$75 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 73

Total Prize Pool: $5,000

1. Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) $1,437
2. Joseph Ironi (Toronto, ON) $1,237
3. Ghassan Toubia (Boca Raton, FL) $610
4. Chad Haas (Pompano Beach, FL) $413
5. Antonio Campbell (Boynton Beach, FL) $313
6. Jose Cabrera (Coral Springs, FL) $250
7. James Orleans (Boca Raton, FL) $220
8. Karin Powsner (Pompano Beach, FL) $200
9. Lev Binik (Boca Raton, FL) $170
10. Alvaro Vivas Grisales (Kendall, FL) $75
11. Camillo Poerio (Coconut Creek, FL) $75

The week ended on Sunday, May 7th with one tournament on the schedule, a $150 No Limit Hold'em event which didn't carry a guarantee.  That could be the reasoning behind the "intimate" field size, but it really didn't matter to Jeffrey Silverstein (Delray Beach, FL).  Silverstein, a very accomplished tournament player with over $100,000 in earnings, saw himself earn first place money for the first time since 2012.

$150 No Limit Hold'em

Total Entries: 19

Total Prize Pool: $2,185

1. Jeffrey Silverstein (Delray Beach, FL) $735
2. Hosney Boutros (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $685
3. Scott Michener (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $408
4. Katherine Hoyle (West Palm Beach, FL) $357

Tuesday, May 9th: $25,000 GTD Crushes The Number, "Tuesday $12k" Looks To Follow Suit

ICYMI: Yesterday's afternoon event ($80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties $2,000 GTD) attracted a total of (24) entries, which equates to an official prize pool of $2,000 ($1,760 prize pool and $240 bounty pool).  When the payouts were posted, a total of three spots were scheduled to get paid, but things changed halfway through the final table.  Five players agreed to a deal that would end the tournament, with Donald Gordon (Boynton Beach, FL) receiving first place money ($480).

1. Donald Gordon (Boynton Beach, FL) $480
2. John Vidal (Boca Raton, FL) $364
3. Daniel Genachte (Deerfield Beach, FL) $322
4. Joseph Mancuso (Deerfield Beach, FL) $314
5. Clifford Campbell (Coconut Creek, FL) $280

The evening event ($130 No Limit Hold'em $25,000 GTD) was the tournament that players had circled, but it was a true "unknown" coming in, how it would actually do (in terms of attendance).  There were two other large guarantee events at other properties, giving players more than one option to decide between.  Once the registration window closed though, it was clear...this tournament was the most popular of them all.  Finishing up with a total of (307) entries, the $29,779 prize pool crushed the posted number, and offered up a first place prize of $6,500.  There were (39) spots paid, with many Isle Poker notables nothing another recorded cash on their resumes, including the likes of William Underdown, Yigal Hen, Robert Perniola, Peter Fellows, Ian Cohen, and Rafael Ramos.  The final table would play down until things were four-handed, at which point a deal was made to end the event.  The official results from the final table are posted below:

1. Vasile Schita (Oakland Park, FL) $4,780
2. Craig Stern (Aventura, FL) $4,450
3. Diego Marino (Italy) $3,482
4. Tyler Bentz (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $3,138
5. Joseph Durso (Hollywood, FL) $1,428
6. Lascelles Peart Jr. (West Palm Beach, FL) $1,182
7. Juan De Lo Santo (Hollywood, FL) $993
8. Tom Millward (Boca Raton, FL) $816
9. Robert Williams (Miami Gardens, FL) $651
10. Jeffrey Celestin (N. Miami Beach, FL) $548

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the daily schedule once again, starting a 11:00am with the $100 No Limit Hold'em ($3,000 GTD), which has steadily become the most popular daytime event of the week.  The field sizes have ranged from 45-65 in the past month, with players realizing how good of a value the event really is (25,000 starting stack and 20 minute levels).  

That tournament is then followed at 6:00pm by the $60 No Limit Hold'em ($12,000 GTD), also known at the "Tuesday $12k."  One of...if not, the premier tournaments on the schedule, this event usually sees field sizes above (350-400) players.  

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, May 8th: Yesterday's "Post-Derby" Trifecta, Big $25,000 GTD Tap This Evening

ICYMI: Sunday's tournament schedule, as have the numerous Sunday to pass this year, had one tournament on the schedule ($150 No Limit Hold'em).  A total of (19) players made up what was an "intimate" field, giving those in the event a $2,185 prize pool to battle it out for.  Four spots were scheduled to be paid in the event, and once Katherine Hoyle (West Palm Beach, FL) was eliminated in fourth place, the remaining three players agreed to a deal.  Jeffrey Silverstein (Delray Beach, FL), an accomplished tournament player with over $144,000 in career earnings, was declared the tournament's "winner" in the deal.  The full results of the event are listed below, with the "Week In Review" feature to be published in the next (24) hours, giving a look into all of the tournament results from this past week.

1. Jeffrey Silverstein (Delray Beach, FL) $735
2. Hosney Boutros (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $685
3. Scott Michener (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $408
4. Katherine Hoyle (West Palm Beach, FL) $357

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the schedule for the day, with the first an everyday staple on the Monday slate.  The $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD) gets underway at 11:00am, and has seen some larger field in the past few weeks.  The evening event, which begins at 6:00pm, is the tournament that players have had circled.  It's a $130 No Limit Hold'em event with a $25,000 guarantee...the largest guarantee of the month long schedule (outside of the "special" $100,000 GTD that runs this weekend.

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 - $130 No Limit Hold'em ($25,000 GTD)

- Players will begin with a 16,000 starting stack

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

- Alternates and late entries will receive full stacks

- Levels are (20) minutes in length throughout

Sunday, May 7th: "Chop Chop" For Saturday's Events, "Turbo High Hands" Get A Little Larger

ICYMI: The first of two tournaments yesterday was $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD), which began at 10:00am.  The event's registration would close with a total of (33) entries, and a prize pool of $3,000 ($2,175 prize pool, and $825 bounty pool).  The official results of the event are as follows:

1. Andre Allon (Boca Raton, FL) $566
2. Richard Blanchar (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $553
3. Salvatore Juliano (Stuart, FL) $505
4. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $377
5. Sara Azmi (Aventura, FL) $174

Just as the Kentucky Derby was finishing up, the "nightly" tournament was getting going...the $75 No Limit Hold'em ($5,000 GTD).  The tournament would attract a field of (73) entries, and end up with an official prize pool of $5,000.  Ten spots were scheduled to reach the money, with a min-cash worth $150, and $1,699 going to the eventual first place winner.  There would be eleven spots paid out last night though, as Alvaro Grisales and Camillo Poerio shared tenth place money, having been eliminated on the same hand from separate tables (earning $75 each).  Final table action would continue until two players remained, at which point a heads-up deal was agreed to.  The event's official results are posted below.

1. Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) $1,437
2. Joseph Ironi (Toronto, Canada) $1,237
3. Ghassan Toubia (Boca Raton, FL) $610
4. Chad Haas (Pompano Beach, FL) $413
5. Antonio Campbell (Boynton Beach, FL) $313
6. Jose Cabrera (Coral Springs, FL) $250
7. James Orleans (Boca Raton, FL) $220
8. Karin Powsner (Pompano Beach, FL) $200
9. Lev Binik (Boca Raton, FL) $170
10. Alvaro Vivas Grisales (Kendall, FL) $75
11. Camilo Poerio (Coconut Creek, FL) $75

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

- 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