Saturday, May 27th: Lots Of Action Expected As $2,000 High Hands Headline Holiday Weekend

ICYMI: In regards to the Isle Casino Poker Room, the Memorial Day Weekend began last night with a $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD) event.  The $12,720 prize pool was made up of (106) entries, surpassing the posted guarantee on the tournament.  There were (14) spots scheduled to get paid, with a min-cash worth $286, and over $3,650 up top.  For the first time in a while, Robert Transue (North Lauderdale, FL) recorded an Isle Poker tournament cash, adding to his "all-time" leading number.  The 14th place finish was good for $286, bringing Robert's lifetime tournament earnings over $198,000.  Some other notables to reach the money, but fall short of the final table, were Larry Stoddard, Ian Cohen, and Daniel Cruz.  Once the final table was reached, play resumed until five players remained.  At that point, discussions of a potential deal began, and was eventually agreed to (with full final table results listed below).

1. Mario Donoso Jimenez (Weston, FL) $2,097
2. Tyler Morgan (Coral Springs, FL) $2,005
3. Arnold Erenstoft (Coconut Creek, FL) $1,928
4. Edward Rappa (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,426
5. Salvatore Accardi (Pompano Beach, FL) $1,377
6. Anthony Albano (Deerfield Beach, FL) $561
7. Steve Raeman (Pompano Beach, FL) $475
8. Patricia Basilio (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $414
9. James Newcomb (Parkland, FL) $366
10. Steven Moreno (Miami, FL) $323

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the holiday weekend schedule today, both of which are eligible for the monster high hand promotion that is running.  The first, which begins at 10:00am, is the $100 No Limit Hold'em w/ $25 Bounties ($3,000 GTD).  Players sit down to starting stacks of 18,000 units, and spend the tournament navigating levels of (15) minutes in length.

The "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" is followed by $120 No Limit Hold'em ($15,000 GTD), which gets underway at 6:00pm.  The tournament offers a super deep structure, with starting stacks of 18,000 units, and levels that are (20) minutes.

Promotions: Outside of the standard high hand promotions that run every Saturday, the room will be a buzz from 1:00pm-10:00pm, as $2,000 high hands will be awarded every hour.  This promotion is the first of two major giveaways over the course of the Memorial Day weekend, as Monday, May 29th sees players vying for $1,000 high hands every half-hour.

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

- Players will begin with a 15,000 starting stack

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

- Alternates and late entries will enter with full stacks

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

Friday, May 26th: $10,000 GTD Kicks Off The Weekend, "Turbo" High Hands (9:00am-12:00am)

ICYMI: The tournament action started at 11:00am yesterday afternoon, with an "intimate" field in the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($1,500 GTD) event.  A total of (16) entries made up the $1,500 prize pool ($1,340 prize pool and $160 bounty pool).  When the payouts were posted, only two spots were being paid, but players agreed to a deal once four-handed play was reached (results listed below).

1. Roman Gonzalez (Miami, FL) $429
2. James Pendergrass (Pompano Beach, FL) $339
3. Wayne Brown (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $304
4. David Wicinski (Deerfield Beach, FL) $268

One of the reasons that the afternoon field may have smaller than usual...players had the evening event circled on their calendars ($130 No Limit Hold'em $20,000 GTD).  The tournament, which began at 6:00pm, saw registration close with a total of (271) entries.  The prize pool was officially $26,287...over $6,000 more than the guaranteed number!!!  A total of 34 spots were paid in the tournament, with the number up top pretty impressive ($5,934).  

Paulius Bikus, who won last Sunday's event, ended up min-cashing for $180, with a list of notables to follow.  The duo of Chad (31st place - $180) and Thomas Millward (20th place - $296) notched another Isle Poker tournament score on their resumes, along with Ian Cohen (16th place - $358), and Russell Stampler (11th place - $499).  

1. Jorge Amador (Long Island, NY) $4,009
2. Sean Jones (Pembroke Pines, FL) $3,839
3. Shannon Stash (Chicago, IL) $3,621
4. Vladimir Puentes (Miami, FL) $2,969
5. Lawrence Smith (Jacksonville, FL) $1,266
6. Andreas Athanasopoulos (Tamarac, FL) $1,049
7. Robert Kessler (Parkland, FL) $881
8. Mark Bernstein (Hollywood, FL) $736
9. Michael Horton (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $594
10. Mario Donoso Jiminez (Weston, FL) $499

Once play reached the final table, action would continue as scheduled, until the point at which four players remained.  With the amount of money that was spread across those top four spots, and the stacks getting shallower, the discussions of a deal began.  The numbers would quickly be agreed to, with Jorge Amador (Long Island, NY) taking first place honors, and walking away with $4,009 (final table results listed below).

Tournaments: There is one tournament on the schedule to begin the weekend, with the $150 No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD) getting underway at 6:00pm.  The great structure for the the event has players sitting down to starting stacks of 20,000 units, and playing levels lasting (25) minutes throughout the evening.

Last week's installment of this same tournament had a guarantee of $20,000 on it, and ended up surpassing that number by almost $5,000.  There were a total of (209) entries in the field, and a posted first place prize of $5,839.

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 (May 24th)

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: $3,000 (2/5 NLH)

1:00pm: $425 (5/10 NLH)

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

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

2:30pm: $200 (4/8 Omaha 8B)

3:00pm: $525 (1/2 NLH)

3:30pm: $400 (1/2 NLH)

4:00pm: $350 (2/2 LHE)

4:30pm: $725 (2/5 NLH)

5:00pm: $474 (1/2 NLH) **Royal Spin**

5:30pm: $700 (1/2 NLH)

6:00pm: $474 (1/2 NLH) **Royal Spin**

6:30pm: $450 (2/5 NLH)

7:00pm: $300 (6/12 O/E)

7:30pm: $525 (1/2 NLH)

8:00pm: $225 (2/5 NLH)

8:30pm: $300 (2/2 LHE)

9:00pm: $550 (1/2 NLH)

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

10:00pm: $574 (2/5 NLH) **Royal Spin**

10:30pm: $200 (2/5 NLH)

11:00pm: NQHH

Over the course of the eleven hour promotion, a total of $11,417 was awarded to players who spun the wheel.  The day started off very strong with a $3,000 winner, but that was the last of the "big wins" for the day.  A poker room can go days...even weeks, without seeing a royal flush as the high hand, but there were three in the eleven hour period that this promotion runs.  None of the players were able to get their spin to land on the "jackpot" slice (which would have been worth $25,000).  We did see one player earn the opportunity to spin the wheel twice, earning a total of $825.  It was another good day for the no limit hold'em players, as they spun the wheel (17) of the (21) total spins.

Thursday, May 25th: Even Chop Of The "Big Stack Turbo Bounty," $20,000 GTD Event This Evening

ICYMI: The $100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" ($5,000 GTD) was the only tournament on the schedule yesterday, with the cards getting in the air at 6:00pm.  Once the registration period ended, a total of (42) entries made up the $5,000 prize pool ($3,950 prize pool and $1,050 bounty pool).  The payouts would see six spots schedule to get paid, with a min-cash earning $237, and first place taking home $1,540.  After four final table eliminations, the money would be reached, but it wasn't until three "in the money" bustouts that a discussion of chop began.  The top two players agreed to an even amount (Jason Maltz and Michael Spinosa), with third place taking a few hundred dollars less.

1. Jason Maltz (Latham, NY) $1,101
2. Michael Spinosa (Staten Island, NY) $1,101
3. Phil Lifschitz (Livingston, NJ) $800
4. Gyorgy Cseke (Tamarac, FL) $395
5. Danny Blackburn (Deerfield Beach, FL) $316
6. Medeni Kose (Hallandale Beach, FL) $237

Tournaments: Things get started at 11:00am in the poker room, as the cards get in the air for the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($1,500 GTD).  This tournament is the same as the standard afternoon event on Monday's, and almost alway sat tracts a nice sized crowd.  After the success of this past Monday's $25,000 GTD, it's tonight's event that many players have circled on their calendar.  The $130 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD) tournament begins at 6:00pm, and offers players a pretty solid structure.  Entrants sit down to starting stacks of 12,000 units, and play (20) minute levels throughout the tournament.  With Monday's prize pool besting the number by almost $5,000, it would be no surprise to see a similar turnout this evening.

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 $1,500 GTD

- Players will begin with a 12,000 starting stack

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

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

- Levels are (20) minutes in length

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

- Players will begin with a 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

Wednesday, May 24th: After A Busy Tournament Tuesday, "Spin To Win" Primed To Shell Out Serious Money

ICYMI: It was a busy day for tournaments here at the Isle Poker Room yesterday, as both events soared past the guarantees, offering up healthy prize pool for afternoon and evening players.The first tournament, which got underway ay 11:00am, was the $100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack" ($3,000 GTD).  Once registration closed for the event, there were a total of (67) entries, which made up a prize pool of $5,179.  It's one of the largest fields we've seen for this particular event in recent memory, which entail offered up one of the largest first place prizes as well ($1,806).  There were nine spots scheduled to reach the money, and after the eliminations of Joseph Mancuso (9th place) and Anthony Distefano (8th place), the seven remaining players agreed to an even chop (results listed below).

1. Vincent Seina (North Lauderdale, FL) $682
2. Martin Kaplan (Wellington, FL) $682
3. Charles Buford III (Naples, FL) $682
4. Yves Fequiere (Miami, FL) $682
5. Robert Sacher (Boca Raton, FL) $682
6. Brian Haines (Southwest Ranches, FL) $681
7. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $681
8. Anthony Distefano (Tamarac, FL) $206
9. Joseph Mancuso (Deerfield Beach, FL) $181

The fields that make up the "Tuesday $12k's" are no longer a surprise to those who pay attention to these types of things, but when the prize pool gets to $16,000, it's something to take note of.  A total of (320) entries made up last night's field, with (41) spots getting paid, and first place scheduled to receive $3,480.  Some names that were able to notch an Isle Poker tournament score in the event were Mitchell Stein (41st place - $56), Hari Sukhu (36th place - $102), SHR Tournament Director Tony Burns (33rd place - $102), Kevin McGillicuddy (17th place - $208), and Jonthan Ounjian (12th place - $293).  The final table was reached shortly after midnight, with play continuing on as scheduled until four players remained.  At that point, discussions of a deal began, and a four-way (fairly even) chop was agreed to (results listed below from the final table).

1. Dorian Rios (Venezuela) $2,200
2. Robert Urspruch (Plantation, FL) $2,120
3. George Theodores (Stuart, FL) $2,120
4. David Licht (New York, NY) $2,040
5. Dale Berman (Plantation, FL) $767
6. Julia Bindelglass (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $635
7. Steven Chassagne (Hollywood, FL) $534
8. Alfred Cotton (Cutler Bay, FL) $438
9. Manuel Alvarez (West Palm Beach, FL) $348
10. Stephen Bromfield (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $293

Tournaments: With the "Spin To Win" high hand promotion garnering much of the attention this afternoon, there is only one tournament on the schedule tonight ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo Bounty" w/ $25 Bounties $5,000 GTD).  Last week's installment of the event had (53) total entries, with Omar Sader (Pompano Beach, FL) heading a three way deal that ended the tournament, earning himself $960.

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 15th-21st)

Monday, May 15th saw the return of the "Structure Beast," one of the most popular tournament formats amongst players.  The event has (30) minute levels, offering deep play throughout each and every stage of the tournament.  Isle Poker tournament regular Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) added yet another win to his impressive live tournament resume, which now boasts over $710,000 in career earnings (and growing).

$150 No Limit Hold'em "Structure Beast" ($15,000 GTD)
Total Entries: 109
Total Prize Pool: $15,000

1. Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) $2,410
2. Alvaro Grisales (Kendall, FL) $2,217
3. Joseph Ritzie (Hamilton, OH) $2,110
4. Steven Lamm (Boca Raton, FL) $1,800
5. Yesniel Pulido (Davie, FL) $1,601
6. Victor Nassif (Davie, FL) $1,417
7. Sean Shah (Delray Beach, FL) $585
8. Adel Jo (Miami, FL) $510
9. Karin Powsner (Watershed, FL) $450
10. Larry Stoddard (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $398
11. Marc Medrano (Wellington, FL) $398
12. Dominic Capino (Delray Beach, FL) $398
13. Steven Fine (Boca Raton, FL) $353
14. Tom Gity (Pompano Beach, FL) $353

$75 No Limit Hold'em 
Total Entries: 40
Total Prize Pool: $2,080

1. Peter Bejusca (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $557
2. Marianne Dewitt (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) 4509
3. Max Martin (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $498
4. Allen Hallacker (Pompano Beach, FL) $350
5. Stephen Bromfield (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $166

In what was one of the busier days of the week, we saw both tournaments surpass the guaranteed numbers on Tuesday, May 16th.  Both tournaments ended in chops, as a majority of these "daily" tournaments do.  The afternoon event ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Monster Stack") split evenly amongst the top three players, while the "Tuesday $12k" ended in a final table chop (nine ways, after the elimination of Brian O'Keefe in 10th place).

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

Total Entries: 52

Total Prize Pool: $4,004

1. Jeffrey Silverstein (Delray Beach, FL) $968
2. Daniel Reitberg (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) $968
3. Edward Headley (Altamonte Springs, FL) $968
4. George Tardugno (Weston, FL) $380
5. Myma Albert (Boca Raton, FL) $300
6. Raul Jimenez (Homestead, FL) $240
7. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $180

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

Total Entries: 352

Total Prize Pool: $17,564

1. Seymour Field (Tamarac, FL) $1,993
2. Hari Sukhu (Miramar, FL) $1,673
3. Scott Di Benedetto (Boca Raton, FL) $1,598
4. David Price (Boynton Beach, FL) $1,523
5. Paula Abend (Delray Beach, FL) $1,480
6. Adam Wagner (West Palm Beach, FL) $1,041
7. Victor Berny (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $977
8. James Orleans (Boca Raton, FL) $959
9. Alexander Goodrich (Hillsboro Beach, FL) $830
10. Brian O'Keefe (Sunrise, FL) $314
11. Richard Stein (Stuart, FL) $314
12. Barry Price (North Palm Beach, FL) $314
13. Allan Steinberg (Boynton Beach, FL) $267
14. Brandon Bryant (N. Lauderdale, FL) $267
15. Karen Duffy (Delray Beach, FL) $267
16. Rosa Gonzalez (Deerfield Beach, FL) $220
17. Damen Goolijar (Lauderhill, FL) $220
18. Samuel Pearlstein (Charlotte, NC) $220
19. Lynette Robinson (Miramar, FL) $184
20. Peter Bejusca (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $184
21. Brian Eisenberg (Plantation, FL) $184
22. Patrick Tobar (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $149
23. Mark Bernstein (Hollywood, FL) $149
24. Hector Pacheco (Davie, FL) $149
25. Brian Gelrod (Wellington, FL) $129
26. Frank Annunziato (Hollywood, FL) $129
27. Angelo Castildi (Plantation, FL) $129
28. Leroy Jones (Hollywood, FL) $109
29. Roberto Alvarado (Pompano Beach, FL) $109
30. Marianne Dewitt (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) $109
31. Andrew Turzak (Boynton Beach, FL) $109
32. Matthew Porter (Coral Springs, FL) $109
33. Elias Nassif (Plantation, FL) $109
34. Leslie Baller (Miami Beach, FL) $109
35. Richard Morgan (Davie, FL) $109
36. Lesley Cutler (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $109
37. Paul Smerdon (Oakland Park, FL) $90
38. David Morris (Plantation, FL) $90
39. Juan Tamboulini (Pompano Beach, FL) $90
40. Ilan Hadida (Boca Raton, FL) $90
41. Robert Kessler (Parkland, FL) $90
42. Steven Shepard (Coral Springs, FL) $90
43. Francisco Castil (Pembroke Pines, FL) $90
44. Kamal Mohammed (Pompano Beach, FL) $90

The tournament schedule is normally pretty light on Wednesday's, as the "Spin To Win" high hand promotions garners much of the attention from the players.  Omar Sader (Coral Springs, FL) added a third Isle Poker tournament win to his resume, after winning back-to-back events on April 4th-5th.  Sader returned on April 5th to finish out the tournament from the night before ($40 No Limit Hold'em $10,000 GTD), and after winning that event, entered that same days nightly...and won that too!!!  The score on Wednesday, May 17th brought Omar's lifetime earnings above the $25,000 mark, which is a number to recognize for any tournament player.

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

Total Entries: 53

Total Prize Pool: $3,675 ($1,325 Bounty Pool)

1. Omar Sader (Pompano Beach, FL) $960
2. Allen Levine (Pembroke Pines, FL) $897
3. Joel Lumpkins (Lauderhill, FL) $807
4. Patricia Basilio (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $349
5. Justin Walker (Tamarac, FL) $276
6. Bill Seiden (Tamarac, FL) $221
7. Charles Dimario (Wellington, FL) $165

Two tournaments made up the schedule once again on Thursday, May 18th, the first of which was the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($1,500 GTD).  It was an "intimate" field for the event, which was played out to a winner, with Miguel Marrero (Cooper City, FL) earning his second ever Isle Poker tournament win.  The "Thursday $10k" continued to put up impressive numbers, with a prize pool over $2,000 more than the posted guarantee ($12,086).  The tournament finished in a five-way deal, with Scott Jaffa (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) earning first place money.

$80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($1,500 GTD)
Total Entries: 18
Total Prize Pool: $1,320 ($180 Bounty Pool)

1. Miguel Marrero (Cooper City, FL) $600
2. Oren Rosenthal (Miami, FL) $456
3. George Tardugno (Weston, FL) $264

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

Total Entries: 358

Total Prize Pool: $12,086

1. Scott Jaffa (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,705
2. John Ambrosi (Viera, FL) $1,479
3. Peter Bejusca (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $1,413
4. Jean Chery (West Palm Beach, FL) $1,258
5. Chantal Tremblay (Montreal, Quebec) $959
6. Max Martin (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $477
7. Greysi Panchame (Pompano Beach, FL) $400
8. Angelo Ingham (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $327
9. Michael Gutterman (Delray Beach, FL) $255
10. Craig Witz (Hypoluxo, FL) $215
11. Alan Taggart (Poolesville, MD) $215
12. Ian Bishop (Boynton Beach, FL) $215
13. Jack Sedaka (Coconut Creek, FL) $182
14. Mark Chichelli (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $182
15. Jose Cabrera (Coral Springs, FL) $182
16. Omar Sanchez (Miami, FL) $150
17. Alvaro Vivas Grisales (Miami, FL) $150
18. Robert Cromwell (Deerfield Beach, FL) $150
19. Jeffrey Harris (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $126
20. Donald Gordon (Boynton Beach, FL) $126
21. Leigh Zoloto (Coral Springs, FL) $126
22. Rafael Rodriguez (Columbia) $102
23. Patrick Tobar (Miami, FL) $102
24. Robert Blanchette (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $102
25. Robert Perniola (Pompano Beach, FL) $88
26. Luis Abedrabbo (Deerfield Beach, FL) $88
27. Jorge Morffi Mederos (Miami, FL) $88
28. Juan Rodriguez (Boca Raton, FL) $74
29. Barry Chazen (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $74
30. Paul Humphrey (Ocala, FL) $74
31. Vasila Schita (Oakland Park, FL) $74
32. Jean-Francois Gagnon (Quebec, Canada) $74
33. Michael Mayo (Dania, FL) $74
34. Scott DiBenedetto (Boca Raton, FL) $74
35. Diane Link (Delray Beach, FL) $74
36. Carlos Garcia (Miami, FL) $74
37. Lincoln Moquete (Hollywood, FL) $62
38. Archie Davis (Aventura, FL) $62
39. Daniel Aguirre (Port St. Lucie, FL) $62
40. Hao Jian (Boca Raton, FL) $62
41. Michael Bellomo (Boca Raton, FL) $62
42. Joanna Gonzalez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) $62
43. Jeremy Rivens (West Palm Beach, FL) $62
44. Athanasios Datseris (Delray Beach, FL) $62
45. Steve Zukowski (Coral Springs, FL) $62

Friday, May 19th hosted one of the "special" tournaments for the month, a $150 No Limit Hold'em tournament with a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool. The tournament offered a great structure, and with the poker room open (24) hours on Friday's, players had the opportunity to finish the event without being up against the clock (poker room closes at 3:00am on weekdays).  The tournament was eventually chopped four ways, after the elimination of Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) in fifth place.  The real storyline of the event was the Ahmed's, a husband and wife duo from Minnesota that managed to make the final table together.  What makes that even more impressive, is the fact that it was the first of two final tables that the couple would make over the weekend!

$150 No Limit Hold'em ($20,000 GTD)

Total Entries: 209

Total Prize Pool: $24,035

1. Arnold Erenstoft (Coconut Creek, FL) $4,678
2. Juan Rodriguez (Boca Raton, FL) $3,659
3. Muneer Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $3,118
4. John Lane (Davie, FL) $2,400
5. Raminder Singh (Delray Beach, FL) $1,157
6. Al Gomez (Miami Beach, FL) $959
7. Gilbert Bramwell (Plantation, FL) $817
8. Shelly Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $699
9. Ramon Gonzalez (Miami, FL) $584
10. Rita Balbirer (Coral Springs, FL) $505
11. Jeffery Pardue (Juipter, FL) $505
12. Edward Leonardo (Plantation, FL) $505
13. John De Soto (Hialeah, FL) $433
14. Gili Prizament (Miami, FL) $433
15. Michael Weinberg (Delray Beach, FL) $433
16. Andre Bryan (Miami, FL) $361
17. David Kahan (Boca Raton, FL) $361
18. Charles Marik (Coconut Creek, FL) $361
19. Jennifer Parker (Miami, FL) $288
20. Joule Kadadu (Hallandale, FL) $288
21. Kenneth Kuhl (Margate, FL) $288
22. Darlene Vazquez (Parkland, FL) $222
23. Albert Efremoff (Hollywood, FL) $222
24. Karen Duffy (Delray Beach, FL) $222
25. Blake Robbins (Boca Raton, FL) $179
26. Mark Bernstein (Hollywood, FL) $179
27. Dan Kof (Pompano Beach, FL) $179

The storyline of Saturday, May 20th (outside of the Preakness Stakes), was Atanael Thomas (Miami, FL).  Thomas reached the final table of both events on the day's schedule, finishing in sixth place during the afternoon event, and chopping the evening event heads-up with Curtis Daye (Jamaica).

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

Total Entries: 60

Total Prize Pool: $3,295

1. Alberto Niebla (Miami, FL) $941
2. John Vasser (Coral Springs, FL) $941
3. Oren Rosenthal (Miami, FL) $437
4. Robert Sacher (Boca Raton, FL) $297
5. Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) $231
6. Atanael Thomas (Miami, FL) $181
7. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $148
8. David Miller (Davie, FL) $119

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

Total Entries: 105

Total Prize Pool: $8,925

1. Curtis Daye (Jamaica) $2,300
2. Atanael Thomas (Palm Springs, FL) $2,026
3. Richard Maccarone (Orlando, FL) $991
4. Barry Price (N. Palm Beach, FL) $647
5. Andrew Blake (Boynton Beach, FL) $500
6. David Light (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $411
7. Martin Markov (Kew West, FL) $348
8. Alex Michaels (Hollywood, FL) $303
9. Marianne Dewitt (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) $268
10. Robert Mikuski (Margate, FL) $237
11. Gilberto Vega (West Palm Beach, FL) $237
12. Beth Braver (Hollywood, FL) $237
13. Jeffrey Goodman (Wellington, FL) $210
14. Alvaro Vivas Grisales (Miami, FL) $210

Sunday, May 21st wrapped up another incredible week of tournament poker at the Isle Casino Poker Room, with the Ahmed's once again stealing the spotlight.  The couple would once again reach the event's final table, with Shelly taking second place money, and Muneer fifth place money, in a six-way chop that ended the tournament.

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

Total Entries: 81

Total Prize Pool: $10,000

1. Paulius Bikus (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $2,454
2. Shelly Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $1,446
3. Jerrold Solov (Pompano Beach, FL) $1,331
4. George Berendei (Boca Raton, FL) $1,119
5. Muneer Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $1,001
6. David Miller (Davie, FL) $981
7. Charlie Odenz (Hollywood, FL) $415
8. Elizabeth Smith (West Palm Beach, FL) $350
9. Carlos Torres Vazquez (Weston, FL) $323
10. Paul Price (Weston, FL) $300
11. Duane Minerva (Delray Beach, FL) $280

Tuesday, May 23rd: $25,000 GTD Crushes The Number Again, Finishes In Six-Way (Even) Chop

ICYMI: The $130 No Limit Hold'em ($25,000 GTD) event was the highlight of yesterday's tournament schedule, attracting a massive field, and finishing up with a prize pool well above the guarantee.  It was not the only tournament of the day though, as the $80 No Limit Hold'em w/ $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD) kicked off the proceedings at 11:00am.  There were (25) entries that made up the $2,000 prize pool ($1,750 prize pool and $250 bounty pool), with three spots reaching the money in the event.  Once the money bubble was burst (around 3:15pm), the remaining trio agreed to a deal, with Paul Berenson (Delray Beach, FL) taking home first place honors.

1. Paul Berenson (Delray Beach, FL) $658
2. Jonathan Rackman (Boca Raton, FL) $576
3. Alberto Niebla (Miami, FL) $516

Around 5:45pm, there was a noticeable buzz around the poker room, as players began to arrive for the evening tournament ($130 No Limit Hold'em $25,000 GTD).  This event has been one of the most successful "daily" tournaments since it's inception, with over (307) entries and a $29,779 prize pool the last time it was run (May 8th).  It looked as if last night's installment was going to eclipse those numbers, but ended up falling just short...with (297) total entries and a $28,809 prize pool.  As expected, the field was a "who's who" of Isle tournament poker regulars, including Karin Powsner, Tom Gity, Rafael Ramos, Raminder Singh, Peter Fellows, and Omar Sader.  After registrations close, almost half of the field remained, and players were looking to reach their first goal...making the money.

A total of (38) spots were being paid in the event, with a min-cash worth $169, and first place scheduled to see $6,330!!  The money bubble burst just past 10:30pm, with Lou Ojeda (Miami, FL) the first to take the successful walk to the tournament podium to get paid.  Some other players to follow Ojeda included Elias Nassif (30th Place - $190), Raminder Singh (19th Place - $308), and Elliot Zaydman (12th Place - $533).  The final table was reached shortly after midnight, and while discussions of a deal weren't solidified right away, players knew it was just around the corner.  After four eliminations from the final table (including Philip Novick, Jean Chery, and Eric Kolodny), the remaining players agreed to an even chop, with each receiving $2,991.  Thomas Millward (Boca Raton, FL) would see his name atop the payouts, earning himself another Isle Poker tournament win for his resume.  The full final table payouts are posted below:

1. Thomas Millward (Boca Raton, FL) $2,991
2. Francisco Castil (Pembroke Pines, FL) $2,991
3. Michael Spadafore (Boynton Beach, FL) $2,991
4. Steve Moreno (Miami, FL) $2,991
5. Jose Jamie (Hollywood, FL) $2,991
6. Carlos Garcia (Miami, FL) $2,991
7. Philip Novick (Pembroke Pines, FL) $962
8. Jean Chery (West Palm Beach, FL) $791
9. Eric Kolodny (Sunny Isles, FL) $633
10. Alfredo Guevara (Hialeah, FL) $533

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 22nd: Bikus Binks the Sunday $10,000 GTD, $25,000 GTD On Tap For This Evening

ICYMI: Sunday has been the host of a single tournament for more than a month now, with the $150 buy-in No Limit Hold'em ($10,000 GTD) on yesterday's schedule (12:00pm start time).  The event, which has one of the best structures of the "daily" tournaments, saw registration close with a total of (81) entries.  The $10,000 prize pool broke down in a way that had (11) spots being paid, with a min-cash worth $280, and first place scheduled to take home $3,224.  Duane Minerva (Delray Beach, FL) ended up bubbling the final table, but still walked away with the $280 min-cash.  As the final table played on, and after four eliminations, the remaining players agreed to a six-way deal.  Paulius Bikus (Ft. Lauderdale, FL), an Isle Poker tournament regular, took home first place honors worth $2,454.  The cash is the fifth largest of Bikius's career, and brings his recorded lifetime earnings above $39,000.  The rest of the final table payouts were as followed:

1. Paulius Bikus (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) $2,454
2. Shelly Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $1,446
3. Jerrold Solov (Pompano Beach, FL) $1,331
4. George Berindei (Boca Raton, FL) $1,119
5. Muneer Ahmed (Shakopp, MN) $1,001
6. David Miller (Davie, FL) $981
7. Charlie Odenz (Hollywood, FL) $415
8. Elizabeth Smith (West Palm Beach, FL) $350
9. Carlos Torres Vazquez (Weston, FL) $323
10. Paul Price (Weston, FL) $300

There is one other storyline to make note of, as Shelly and Muneer Ahmed, a husband and wife combo, make their second final table of the weekend.  For a couple (whether it's husband/wife, brother/sister, or just best friends), it's really difficult to make it to one final table, let alone two in the span of (72) hours.  

Tournaments: There are two tournaments on the schedule today, but one just "stands taller" than the other, as the $25,000 GTD gets underway at 6:00pm this evening.  The tournament day starts at 11:00am though, with the cards getting in the air for the $80 No Limit Hold'em / $10 Bounties ($2,000 GTD).  The tournament offers up a starting stack of 12,000 units, and sees levels of (20) minutes played throughout the event.

That tournament is followed by the largest guaranteed event of the month, outside of the "special" May $100,000 GTD (May 11th-14th).  The $130 buy-in No Limit Hold'em event begins at 6:00pm, as offers a healthy 16,000 unit starting stack (20 minute levels).  This particular tournament, which has been run in the past, has seen prize pools as high as $30,000.  Tonight's showing should be no different, with over (250) total entries expected in the field.

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 21st : The High Hands Are "Turbo," And The Guarantee Is Large ($10,000)

ICYMI: There were two tournaments on the schedule yesterday, the first of which got underway at 11:00am ($100 No Limit Hold'em "Big Stack Turbo" w/ $25 Bounties).  The event had a $3,000 guarantee, and after a total of (60) entries made up the field, the official prize pool ended up at $4,795.  Eight spots were getting paid in the event, meaning two players would walk away from the final table empty handed.  Most of the final table action would play out, as a deal wasn't agreed to until heads-up play was reached.  Alberto Niebla (Miami, FL) and John Vasser (Coral Springs, FL) chopped the remaining prize money evenly, with each walking away with $941.

1. Alberto Niebla (Miami, FL) $941
2. John Vasser (Coral Springs, FL) $941
3. Oren Rosenthal (Miami, FL) $437
4. Robert Sacher (Boca Raton, FL) $297
5. Vincent Green (Boynton Beach, FL) $231
6. Atanael Thomas (Miami, FL) $181
7. Arnold Cohen (West Palm Beach, FL) $148
8. David Miller (Davie, FL) $119

The evening event (6:00pm) was a $120 buy-in No Limit Hold'em tournament with an $8,000 guaranteed prize pool.  There were (105) entries, which meant that the guarantee was surpassed, and the official prize pool ended up at $8,925.  There were (14) spots scheduled to reach the money, and while there were a handful of storylines throughout the evening, the headliner was Atanael Thomas (Miami, FL).  Thomas cashed in his second tournament of the day, and bested his sixth place finish from earlier with a runner-up finish, after a heads-up deal was agreed to.

1. Curtis Daye (Jamaica) $2,300
2. Atanael Thomas (Miami, FL) $2,026
3. Richard Maccarone (Orlando, FL) $991
4. Barry Price (North Palm Beach, FL) $647
5. Andrew Blake (Boynton Beach, FL) $500
6. David Light (Lauderdale By The Sea, FL) $411
7. Martin Markov (Key West, FL) $348
8. Alex Michaels (Hollywood, FL) $303
9. Marianne Dewitt (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) $268
10. Robert Mikuski (Margate, FL) $237

Tournaments: After two "non-standard" Sundays, because of Mother's Day and the "May $100,000 GTD," the $150 buy-in No Limit Hold'em with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool returns.  The tournament has a very solid structure, with a starting stack of 20,000 units, and (25) minute levels played throughout.

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