The Tampa Poker Classic made its return and the eight-tournament series exceeded all expectations. The series features $500,000 in guaranteed money and ended up putting nearly $2.5 million up for grabs.
Michial Drake began the opening weekend by taking home a $79,319 payout and James Kerr closed it out by earning more than $200,000 for winning the TPC Main Event.
The TPC Main Event headlined the series and drew players from around the world. The tournament attracted 959 entries for a prize pool that nearly reached $1.5 million and Kerr banked $228,038 after making a three-way deal.
The series had more than 3,500 entries over the eight tournaments, a fantastic turnout. Thank you to everyone who came out to make the 2021 Tampa Poker Classic such a huge success.
2021 Tampa Poker Classic Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa, Florida $1,700 TPC Main Event $300,000 Guaranteed Entries: 959 Prize Pool: $1,486,450 February 25-March 1, 2021
James Kerr, 2021 TPC Main Event champion
Before the Tampa Poker Classic Main Event, it had been a long time since James Kerr sat at a poker table. A year in fact with the lockdown. He returned to the action this weekend and finished his first tournament back with the Main Event win for his third Tampa guitar trophy
“I’m glad to be back,” Kerr said. “And I’m happy to have another guitar.”
The $1,700 buy-in TPC Main Event featured a $300,000 guaranteed prize pool that was surpassed before the dinner break in the first flight. The three flights combined to put 959 entries in the game and push the prize pool up to $1,486,450 with 96 spots getting paid.
Day 2 saw 158 players return with a chance to win with Kyrylo Kobzyev leading the way. The money bubble burst shortly after the first break with two players going out on the same hand; Donald Mathews and Scott Dobbs chopped up 96th place money and the field sped down to the final table with seven return on Monday.
Kerr took the chip lead midway through Day 2 and never relinquished it. Scott Robbins was the first eliminated from the final table when he lost a big coin flip then ran into a cooler.
“I just ran like pure god,” Kerr said. “I had aces versus kings a couple times, I had pairs against aces and flopped sets every time.”
“It was really pretty easy.”
Ken O’Donnell, second in chips with six players remaining, ran into the Kerr heater. O’Donnell found kings in the small blind only to have Kerr wake up with aces in the big. The hand gave Kerr half of the chips in play before Steve Brite went out in fifth place followed by Gary Bowker in fourth.
Kerr, Kobzyev, and Alex Ivan counted down their stacks and agreed to divide up the remaining prize pool based on the ICM number.
Kobzyev earned $166,915 for third place, Ivan banked $197,172 for second, and Kerr took the lion’s share of $228,038 for his TPC Main Event win.
Congrats to James and a huge thanks to everyone who came out to make the series such a huge success!
Final table results:
1st: James Kerr – $228,038 * 2nd: Alex Ivan – $197,172 * 3rd: Kyrylo Kobzyev – $166,915 * 4th: Gary Bowker – $94,620 5th: Steve Brite – $70,543 6th: Ken O’Donnell – $53,299 7th: Scott Robbins – $40,819 * – denotes results of a three-way deal
$1,700 TPC Main Event (Re-Entry) $300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 32: 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
James Kerr
Immediately after Gary Bowker was eliminated, the three remaining players decided to look at ICM number. Once the numbers were crunched, they quickly agreed to a deal with the following counts and payouts:
James Kerr – 15,125,000 (76 bb) Alex Ivan – 8,925,000 (45 bb) Kyrylo Kobzyev – 4,725,000 (24 bb)
1st: James Kerr – $228,038 2nd: Alex Ivan – $197,172 3rd: Kyrylo Kobzyev – $166,915
James Kerr held more than half of the chips in play and earned $228,038 for the title with Alex Ivan earning $197,172 for second and Kyrylo Kobzyev taking home $166,915 for third.
$1,700 TPC Main Event (Re-Entry) $300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 32: 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante Players Remaining: 3 of 959
Gary Bowker
On the second hand back from break, Gary Bowker open-shoved from the button for 2,000,000, Alex Ivan called from the small blind, and Kyrylo Kobzyev folded his big.
Ivan: Bowker:
A tough spot for Bowker at this stage and Ivan picked up aces in the blinds. The dealer ran it out and the rockets held to send Bowker out in fourth place for $94,620.
Alex Ivan – 8,925,000 (45 bb) Gary Bowker – Eliminated in 4th place ($94,620)
$1,700 TPC Main Event (Re-Entry) $300,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts Level 32: 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante Players Remaining: 4 of 959
The four remaining players took a 15-minute break after Level 31 with James Kerr still way out front. The blinds are now 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante and the average stack is 7,200,000 (36 bb).
Seat 2: Gary Bowker – 2,000,000 (10 bb) Seat 3: Alex Ivan – 6,525,000 (33 bb) Seat 4: Kyrylo Kobzyev – 5,225,000 (26 bb) Seat 7: James Kerr – 15,000,000 (75 bb)
and the rockets held to send Bowker out in fourth place for $94,620.