$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Updated Chip Counts Following Flight's Final Break

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 13 (Blinds 1,500/2,500/2,500)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 102

Fight 1C Players Remaining: 26

Players are now back from their final break, and will play out the remaining four schedule levels (unless the 10% mark is reached before then, which is 11 players).  Updated chip counts from the field are listed below:

Jason Atherley - 175,000 (70bb)

Thomas Svensen - 150,000 (60bb)

Chad Millward - 150,000 (60bb)

Nathaniel Moore - 130,000 (52bb)

Javier Sarache - 130,000 (52bb)

Pedro Palacio - 125,000 (50bb)

Kimberly Jones - 100,000 (40bb)

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Two Players Catching Heat, As Flight 1C Heads Towards Final Break

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 12 (Blinds 1,000/2,000/2,000)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 102

Fight 1C Players Remaining: 31

Chad Millward (Boca Raton, FL) is a "youngster" when it comes to tournament poker (in a brick and mortar room), but has shown a lot of potential over the last two years.

Just moments ago, play entered Level 12, with the final scheduled break to commence at the level's conclusion.  During the last two levels, their have been a pair of players to vault up the leaderboard, both sitting with over 120,000.  Chad Millward and Javier Sarache both sit at Table 5, and while the two haven't clashed just yet, the potential is there for some serious fireworks.  Millward made three final tables last year (here at the Isle), two of which came during "major" events.  He is still looking for his breakthrough score, with his largest cash currently sitting at $5,809.

Chad Millward - 125,000

Javier Sarache - 123,000

Once players return from their final break of the day, we will bring you a final look at updated counts from the field.

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): A Look At January In The Poker Room (Tournament Schedule And Promotions)

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 11 (Blinds 800/1,600/1,600)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 102

Fight 1C Players Remaining: 37

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Updated Chip Counts, As The Field Begins To Shrink Down

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 10 (Blinds 600/1,200/1,200)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 102

Fight 1C Players Remaining: 44

Now a full level removed from the registration break, the leaderboard is beginning to take shape.  Listed below, are updated chip counts from the field, tallied at the end of Level 9:

Allan Bieler - 120,000 (100bb)

Nathaniel Moore - 115,000 (95bb)

Pedro Palacio - 110,000 (91bb)

Linda Lipkins - 100,000 (83bb)

Javier Sarache - 80,000 (66bb)

Chad Millward - 75,000 (62bb)

Joshua Wasserman - 60,000 (50bb)

Jamie Wiegrefe - 55,000 (45bb)

Alexander Perez - 50,000 (41bb)

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Official Numbers From Flight 1C, Almost Halfway To The Tournament's Guarantee

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 9 (Blinds 500/1,000/1,000)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 102

Fight 1C Players Remaining: 49

Players are now back from their second break of the day, and the cards are in the air for Level 9 (which means that registration for Flight 1C is now closed).  The third flight of the "Isle New Year Kickstart" attracted a total of (102) entries, of which (49) still remain active in the field.  The prize pool from the flight is $16,116, and if you add that to the number from the first two flights, the combined number equals $49,138.  With five flights still scheduled, we are almost halfway to the tournament's guarantee.  During the next level, we will bring followers some updated chip counts from the field.

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Allan Bieler Gets Late Holiday Gift, Climbs Up The Leaderboard

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 8 (Blinds 400/800/800)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 99

Allan Bieler is a tournament veteran, who wouldn't mind starting off the year with a nice five-figure score.

At Table 5, four players would limp for 600 (this hand took place late in Level 7), with action on Allan Bieler.  Bieler took a handful of chips (which totaled 2,900) and tossed them across his cards, waiting to see the action that followed.  Allan got called by one player, and the two would watch the dealer fan out a flop of J♦ 5♦ 4♣.  Bieler pushed forward a stack of orange chips (1,000 denomination), enough to put his opponent all-in.  Without much thought, the unknown player tossed in her remaining 13,000, and quickly turned over 6♠ 6♥.  Bieler followed by rolling over K♦ J♠, with his hand holding up through the runout.  With that pot, Allan eclipsed the 90,000 mark, and finds himself amongst the top five chip stacks in the Flight 1C field.

Allan Bieler - 90,000 (112bb)

Players will be taking their second break at the end of this level, and once the cards are in the air for Level 9, registration will be closed for the flight. 

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): As Word Spreads About The "Kickstart," The Fashionably Late Notables Begin To Arrive

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 7 (Blinds 300/600/600)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 92

Kimberly Jones (Pompano Beach, FL) is currently sitting at one of the more "talkative" tables in the field, and looks to be enjoying the humor of Scott Efron.

When a tournament such a this "Isle New Year Kickstart" quickly gets out of the gate, word spreads amongst the community, about the likelihood of a massive prize pool.  That would explain the rush of late arrivals to this Flight 1C field, which is about to cross the century mark (in terms of total entries).  One of the most recent entries was Kimberly Jones (Pompano Beach, FL), who is hoping to "kickstart" her 2019.  After a 2016 in which she earned over $22,000, Jones followed that up with earnings of $2,845 (2017), and $3,850 (2018).  A final table finish in this event would likely eclipse those numbers alone (possibly combined), but first Jones needs to find a bag.  

Also looking to find a bag at the end of this flight (and also arriving late), are some of the following notables:

Thomas Millward

Chad Millward

Alan Munoz

Justin Levy

Eric Kolodny

Jason Atherley

Thomas Gari

Javier Sarache 

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Nathaniel Looking To Be Dormant No "Moore"

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 6 (Blinds 300/500/500)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 86

Nathaniel Moore (Boca Raton, FL) makes his way to the blog for the first time ever, as he holds a commanding lead over the Flight 1C field.

The most recent update showed Nathaniel Moore (Boca Raton, FL) atop the leaderboard, a name and face that wasn't recognizable to the Isle Poker Room's blog (and blogger).  A little bit of research helped shed some light on Moore's poker history, which is limited when it comes to tournament results.  Nathaniel recorded two cashes in 2017 (totaling $3,576), and has been absent from the spotlight since.  The lack of results would potentially lead one to assume about the ability of said player, but that would definitely be a poor judgment.  There are certain players that focus strictly on cash games, and rarely dip their feet in the tournament waters.  We don't know the reasoning behind Moore's absence from the tournament scene, but he's making his re-introduction in a big way.  Nathaniel still leads the Flight 1C field, containing to sit as the only player above the century mark.

Nathaniel Moore - 124,000 (248bb)

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Early Flight 1C Chip Counts

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 5 (Blinds 200/400/400)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 78

Players are back from their first break of the day, posting new blinds of 200/400/400 in Level 5.  With four full levels now in the books, here is a look at some of the updated chip counts from the Flight 1C field:

Nathaniel Moore - 120,000 (300bb)

Alan Bieler - 70,000 (175bb)

John Mayers - 60,000 (150bb)

Pedro Palacio - 47,000 (117bb)

Shlomo Maman - 40,000 (100bb)

Linda Lipkins - 40,000 (100bb)

Scott Efron - 38,000 (95bb)

Andre Rakusa - 34,000 (85bb)

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): After Being Within Arms Length, Daniel Diamond Has His Eyes On An Isle Poker "Major" Title

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 4 (Blinds 200/300/300)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 71

Daniel Diamond (Plantation, FL) broke out onto the tournament scene last year, thanks to a second place finish in Event #3 of the Isle Open.

Daniel Diamond (Plantation, FL) was a relative unknown on the tournament scene (at least on the Isle Poker Room's blog), until his result Event #3 of the 2018 Isle Open.  Daniel found himself heads-up for the trophy, across the table from former WSOP Main Event runner-up Joshua Beckley.  Chips were fairly even when heads-up play began, but the two would play things out, as Beckley declined a chop on numerous occasions.  Diamond eventually had to settle for runner-up honors, falling to a very formidable opponent.  The $15,785 prize he earned for second place was the largest cash of Diamond's career, and helped make 2018 Daniel's "breakout" year.  After recording just over $3,000 in cashes over two years, Diamond finished 2018 with over $22,470 in results.  

After a final table in the most recent Fun In The Sun series at Hard Rock, Diamond feels primed for another deep run, with goals to best that runner-up finish.  Diamond headlines the second list of notables in the Flight 1C field, which includes names like:

Richard Wetter

Alberto Niebla

Scott Efron

Julian Wohlgemuth

Frank Scala

Francois Gagne

Kenneth Bruno

Alexander Perez

Melissa Kaiser

Linda Lipkins

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): A New Year Is Blank Slate, And Pedro Palacio Has A To Paint To Match Last Year's Picture

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 3 (Blinds 100/200/200)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 61

2018 was a special year for Pedro Palacio (Coconut Creek, FL), as he earned a career-best $131,891 over the past twelve months.

With the changing of the calendar year, everyone's tournament stats start fresh, and players look to build on what they've accomplished to that point.  If Pedro Palacio (Coconut Creek, FL) wants to best his results from last year, he's going to need to do something special in 2019.  The past twelve months were the best of Pedro's career (statistically), with over $131,000 in tournament earnings in 2018.  Much of the success was attributed to his final table run in the $3,500 No Limit Hold'em Championship Event, in which he finished in 8th place (for $86,740).  Pedro was lucky enough to earn entry into that event, via the tournament leaderboard at Coconut Creek.  Palacio parlayed that seat into a career best tournament score, and rode the hot hand for the rest of the year.  

Pedro did a lot of traveling after the score, and actually took some time off from poker, focusing on his family (and non-poker interests).  He's looking to start off strong this year, with a Day 2 bag helping that case.  Palacio was one of the first notables spotted in today's Flight 1C field, joining the likes of:

William Swicicki

Tracy Scala

Paul Shafran

Gary Fitzgerald

Tim Shane

Shlmo Maman

Zaki Lichaa

John Mayers

Michel Gariepy

Thomas Svensen

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Official Chip Counts (Flight 1A-Flight 1B)

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 2 (Blinds 100/200)

Total Flight 1C Entries: 51

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1C): Live Blogged Coverage Returns, As The "Isle New Year Kickstart" Continues To Impress

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 1 (Blinds 100/100)

Total Flight 1C Entries: N/A

After two evening flights to begin the $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD), we have reached our first afternoon starting flight.  With that being said, we have also reached the point where live blogged coverage returns, and will stick around until the conclusion of the tournament.  

The "Isle New Year Kickstart" got off to a very impressive start, with a total of (209) entries over the first two starting flights.  Tuesday's Flight 1A attracted (122) entries, which was a number that would have never been predicted by people "in the know."  Of the combined entries to this point in the event, (22) players have bagged chips for Sunday's Day 2, led by Kevin McGillicuddy (who bagged up 340,000 last night).  Julio Fernandez bagged the Flight 1A chip lead with 281,000, but now sits in the third spot overall, as Tom Gity also eclipsed his number during Flight 1B (302,000).  A full list of chip counts will be posted in about thirty minutes, as a start to this afternoon's live coverage.

The tournament's current prize pool sits at $33,022, which is well ahead of the pace needed to eclipse the $100,000 guarantee.  There are still six flights remaining to be played (including this flight), with an afternoon and evening flight on the schedule, today through Saturday.

The Flight 1C action is about to begin, so make sure to update that browser throughout the day, as we bring you coverage of the "Isle New Year Kickstart's" third starting flight. 

Thursday, January 3rd: With Two More Flights On Today's Schedule, The "Isle New Year Kickstart" Is On Pace To Crush Guarantee

ICYMI: Yesterday's tournament schedule was similar to Tuesday's, with a recurring event at 11:00am, and an "Isle New Year Kickstart" flight at 6:00pm (with a satellite sandwiched in between). The 11:00am recurring event was a $130 No Limit Hold'em "Survivor," which ran with a $3,000 guarantee.  After a slow start, players began arriving at a rapid pace, as the field closed with (26) entries at registration's close.  The $3,000 prize pool was scheduled to be paid out across three $1,000 sports, but with five players remaining, a deal was agreed to.  Official results of the tournament are listed below:

1. Miguel Marrero (Cooper City, FL) $1,000
2. Daniel Genachte (Deerfield Beach, FL) $500
3. Richard Bramwell (Lauderdale Lakes, FL) $500
4. Zaki Lichaa (Pompano Beach, FL) $500
5. Marc Freund (Plantation, FL) $500

After a very successful opening satellite for the "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Wednesday), yesterday's $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite attracted a total of (30) entries, and awarded six seats into Flight 1B.

Flight 1B of the $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD) was going to have a hard time living up to the opening flight (which attracted 122 entries), but definitely did not disappoint.  After eight levels of open registration, the Flight 1B field would close with (87) entries, (9) of which bagged chips for Sunday's Day 2.  Kevin McGillicuddy bagged the Flight 1B chip lead (and the overall chip lead) with 340,000, with the official counts from Flight 1B listed below:

Kevin McGillicuddy - 340,000

Tom Gity - 302,000

Didier Bramy - 218,000

Gavin Gowie - 207,000

Jeff Oldakowski - 204,500

Steve Bromfield - 195,000

John Young - 142,500

Greg Weiss - 65,000

Jonathan Ounlian - 61,500

After two completed flights, the "Isle New Year Kickstart" now has a combined total of (209) entries, of which (22) players have tickets booked for Sunday's Day 2.  The current prize pool sits a $33,022, and is well ahead of the pace needed to eclipse the posted $100,000 guarantee.

Tournaments: Today's schedule focuses strictly on the "Isle New Year Kickstart" with two starting flights (and a satellite) on the slate.  Flight 1C (at 11:00am) and Flight 1D (6:00pm) both carry the same structure: with 20,000 unit starting stacks, (30) minute levels, and registration that is open through Level 8.  Play is scheduled to conclude after Level 16, or if the 10% mark is reached before that point (which has happened the first two flights of the event).

At 2:00pm, there is a $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite into the "Isle New Year Kickstart." The satellite it structured with 10,000 unit starting stacks, (15) minute levels, and registration that is open through Level 8.

Promotions: The high hands will run from 9:00am-12:00am, with the opportunity to win $400 every (30) minutes.  During that period, the promotion sees tournament players eligible each half-hour for $100 high hands, 2/2 limit hold'em players eligible for $200 high hands, 2/4 limit hold'em players eligible for $300 high hands, and all other raked games (1/2-5/10 NLH, 4/8 Omaha 8B, 6/12 O.E., etc.) eligible for $400 high hands.  

It should also be noted that players are able to win the high hand using only one card in their hand.  The payouts for those that use one card are different than the standard numbers listed above, and can be found (full listing of one-card payouts on flyers in the poker room).

From 12:00am-3:00am, the high hand will be awarded $100 every (60) minutes.

11:00am - $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1C

- Players 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 will last (30) minutes

- Day 2 on Sunday, January 6th (12:00pm)

2:00pm - $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into "Isle New Year Kickstart"

- Players start with 10,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels will last (15) minutes

6:00pm - $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1D

- Players 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 will last (30) minutes

- Day 2 on Sunday, January 6th (12:00pm)

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1B): Official End Of Flight 1B Chip Counts

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/4,000)

Total Flight 1B Entries: 87

Flight 1B Players Remaining: 9

Kevin	McGillicuddy	340,000
Tom	Gity	302,000
Didier	Bramy	218,000
Gavin	Gowie	207,000
Jeff	Oldakowski	204,500
Steve	Bromfield	195,000
John	Young	142,500
Greg	Weiss	65,000
Jonathan	Ounian	61,500

Wednesday, January 2nd: "Isle New Year Kickstart" Already Living Up To It's Name, Second Starting Flight On Tap This Evening (6:00PM)

ICYMI: Before the $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD) started last night, there was a recurring event on the day's schedule.  At 11:00am, the $150 Omaha 8B Hi/Lo ($2,500 GTD) got underway, and ended up with an official field of (38) entries.  The $4,256 prize pool almost doubled the guarantee, and offered up some healthy payouts.  Five spots were scheduled to get paid in the tournament, and after two in-the-money eliminations, a three-way chop was agreed to (with Ricardo Quintero awarded first place money).  Official results from the tournament are listed below):

1. Ricardo Quintero (Miramar, FL) $1,290
2. Cesar Garcia (Miramar, FL) $1,175
3. Brian Baris (Tamarac, FL) $983
4. Andrew Daire (Boca Raton, FL) $468
5. Fabian Medina (West Palm Beach, FL) $340

While the Omaha tournament was wrapping up registration, the first of the $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellites into the "Isle New Year Kickstart" began.  The satellite would see registration close with (40) entries, which meant that (8) total seats were awarded into Flight 1A of the year's first multi.  

That opening flight began at 6:00pm, and if there was a word to describe the first of eight flights, it would be "impressive."  After eight levels of open registration, Flight 1A closed with (122) entries, which is a number that nobody could have predicted.  From that number, (13) players bagged chips for Sunday's Day 2, as action reached the 10% mark during Level 15 (with 5:40 remaining in the flight).  Julio Fernandez bagged the Flight 1A chip lead, and will be heading to Day 2 with 281,000, setting the pace for the flights that follow.  Official chip counts from Flight 1A are listed below:

Julio Fernandez - 281,000

Mathieu Gaudett - 278,500

Ed Lark - 262,000

Andrew Kern - 238,000

Diane Linke - 224,000

Karin Powsner - 215,000

William Handwerker - 211,000

Louis Raton - 194,000

David Poces - 160,000

Ryan Rackleff - 151,000

Alex Michaels - 120,000

Ziad Ismail - 77,000

Marcin Plewinski - 70,000

Tournaments: Today's tournament schedule is similar to yesterday's, with a recurring event in the 11:00am time slot, and a flight for the "Isle New Year Kickstart" in the 6:00pm time slot (with a $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite sandwiched between the two).  At 11:00am, we have the ever-popular $130 No Limit Hold'em "Survivor" ($3,000 GTD), in which three $1,000 payouts are guaranteed.  The survivor is structured with 16,000 unit starting stacks, (20) minute levels, and registration that is open through Level 8.

At 2:00pm, there is a $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite into the "Isle New Year Kickstart."  This satellite is for players who only want to play in this evening's Flight 1A, with (5) guaranteed seats into the opening flight.  The satellite it structured with 10,000 unit starting stacks, (15) minute levels, and registration that is open through Level 10.

At 6:00pm, the second flight (Flight 1B) of the $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD) begins.  The tournament has seven flights over the next four days, with Day 2 scheduled for 12:00pm on Sunday (January 6th).  The event is structured with 20,000 unit starting stacks, (30) minute levels, and registration for each flight that is open through Level 8.

Promotions: Outside of the "standard" high hands, the poker room opens with the "new" Full House Promotion.  The proceedings begin once the doors of the poker room open, with the first (25) full houses made, earning a $40 prize.  Each jackpot eligible cash game is included in the promotion, with two rules to keep in mind, when thinking about winning the $40.  In order to be eligible, the full  house must be made using two cards, and must be the winning hand.

 The day's "standard" high hand period will last from 9:00am-12:00am, with the opportunity to win $400 every (30) minutes.  During that period, the promotion sees tournament players eligible each half-hour for $100 high hands, 2/2 limit hold'em players eligible for $200 high hands, 2/4 limit hold'em players eligible for $300 high hands, and all other raked games (1/2-5/10 NLH, 4/8 Omaha 8B, 6/12 O.E., etc.) eligible for $400 high hands.  

It should also be noted that players are able to win the high hand using only one card in their hand.  The payouts for those that use one card are different than the standard numbers listed above, and can be found (full listing of one-card payouts on flyers in the poker room).

From 12:00am-3:00am, the high hand will be awarded $100 every (60) minutes.

11:00am - $130 No Limit Hold'em "Survivor" ($3,000 GTD)

- Players 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 will last (20) minutes

2:00pm - $55 No Limit Hold'em Satellite Into "Isle New Year Kickstart" (5 Seats GTD)

- Players start with 10,000 in tournament chips

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

- Alternates and late entries will start with a full stack

- Levels will last (15) minutes

- The (5) guaranteed seats are into Flight 1B

6:00pm - $200 No Limit Hold'em "Isle New Year Kickstart" ($100,000 GTD) Flight 1B

- Players 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 will last (30) minutes

- Day 2 on Sunday, January 6th (12:00pm)

$200 NLH "Isle New Year Kickstart" (Flight 1A): Official End Of Flight 1A Chip Counts

"Isle New Year Kickstart"
$200 No Limit Hold'em
$100,000 GTD

Level 15 (Blinds 2,000/4,000/4,000)

Total Flight 1A Entries: 122

Flight 1A Players Remaining: 13

Julio	Fernandez	281,000
Mathieu	Gaudett	278,500
Ed	Lark	262,000
Andrew	Kern	238,000
Diane	Linke	224,000
Karin	Powsner	215,000
William	Handwerker	211,000
Louis	Raton	194,000
David	Poces	160,000
Ryan	Rackleff	151,000
Alex	Michaels	120,000
Ziad	Ismail	77,000
Marlin	Plewinski	70,000