$1,100 Deep Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$50,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante

Sunday poker with football on the big screens sounds like a great way to spend a day. Our last trophy event of the day starts at 4p in the Event Center with a $1,100 Deep Stack that features a $50,000 guarantee and two-day structure.

Players start with 30,000 out front and the first 12 levels last 30 minutes, increasing to 40 minutes after that. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 9 at 9 pm following the dinner break.

Play will continue through Level 15 and survivors will return on Monday at 2 pm to play it out for the trophy.

• $50,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 30,000 in chips
• Levels 1-12 last 30 minutes; Levels 13+ last 40 minutes
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9 (9:00pm)
• Day 1 will end after Level 15
• Event 19 Structure Sheet

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante
Players Remaining:  80 of 778

Once the bubble burst, there was a burst of fast action with players trying to make some moves to build their stacks. The field quickly dropped to ten tables with 80 players; here’s a look at who picked up a payout ticket.

81st: Joshua Snodgrass – $2,910
82nd: Ludek Sisak – $2,910
83rd: James Kerr – $2,910
84th: Furkan Beg – $2,910
85th: Nicholas Caouette – $2,910
86th: Nicholas Kost – $2,910
87th: Stephen Demeule – $2,910
88th: AJ Kelsall – $2,910

89th: Steven Carswell – $2,720
90th: Elliot Smith – $2,720
91st: Nick Raio – $2,720
92nd: Chad Lipton – $2,720
93rd: William Heher – $2,720
94th: Walter Bravo – $2,720
95th: Young Eum – $2,720
96th: Tony March – $2,720
97th: Hyndi Khomutetsky – $2,720
98th: Ross Lebo – $2,720

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining:  97 of 778

The Championship field was down to 100 players with 98 getting paid and tournament staff were on the lookout for one more elimination to begin money bubble play.

Alcides Gomez was eliminated in 100th place and they asked dealers to hold the action after their current hand.

That last hand on Table 62 would settle the matter. One player moved all in for about 75,000 and Carlos Marquez called in the big blind.

Marquez:
Opponent:

Marquez was ahead to burst the bubble and his big slick held on the board. His opponent was eliminated and the Championship was in the money without hand-for-hand play.

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 ante
Players Remaining:  104 of 778

The Championship field hit the first break before the money bubble but it will hit soon with 104 remaining and 98 getting paid.

Jerry Wong jumped to the top of the counts with 956,000 and tablemate Art Peacock is not far behind with 950,000. Ian Siegel (850,000), Marcus Carter (849,000), and Seth Fischer (818,000) rounding out the top five.

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 16:  4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  111 of 778

Steve Ekin recently arrived at his new table and open-shoved for 134,000 from early position. Ashley Spring called from the cutoff, Frank Weigle thought about coming along from the big blind, but elected to fold.

Ekin:
Spring:

Ekin was alive for a double but Spring had two live cards to knock him out. The board ran out all low and Ekin doubled up with the bubble nearing.

Steve Ekin – 288,000 (36 bb)
Ashley Spring – 513,000 (64 bb)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 16:  4,000/8,000 with a 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  128 of 778

Ken O’Donnell was sitting in the big blind when action folded to the small blind and he moved all in for 109,000. O’Donnell checked his cards and called.

O’Donnell:
Small Blind:

The small blind player was drawing live to double but O’Donnell paired his king on the flop to take a big lead in the hand. The turn made things a little more interesting but O’Donnell had the knockout after the river.

Ken O’Donnell – 410,000 (51 bb)

At a nearby table, Paul Snead is making another run as the 2021 Tampa Poker Classic Champ climbed over 500K nearing the money bubble.

Paul Snead – 555,000 (69 bb)

Blinds increased to 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante and the average stack is about 243,000 (30 bb).

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 15:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  152 of 778

The pace is slow this afternoon in the Event Center. Championship players are in no hurry to get frisky with their stacks and we lost only two tables before they hit a new level.

Karl Manouchakian is doing his part to get the field closer to the money. He sent a player out with his queens and Manouchakian (who sits atop the leaderboard for most cashes in our tournaments) is up to 363,000.

Blinds increased to 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante and the average stack is about 205,000 (34 bb).

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 14:  3,000/5,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining:  162 of 778

Greg Anda opened to 13,000 from late position and it folded to Huicun Qiao in the big blind. He moved all in for 76,000 and Anda called with the bigger stack.

Anda:
Qiao:

“No ace no queen!” Qiao begged of the dealer.

Anda saw his ace in the window but it was followed by a nine on the flop.

“Nine will do!” Qiao celebrated his set.

The board finished with the turn and river and tablemate nodded to Anda and said “bigger full house”.

It took Qiao a second to realize Bader was joking and he stacked the pot.

“I thought we were friends!” Qiao continued with Bader.

Huicun Qiao – 165,000 (33 bb)
Greg Anda – 129,000 (26 bb)

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 14:  3,000/5,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining:  169 of 778

Cards are back in the air and Day 2 of the SPS Championship is underway in the Event Center with 169 players remaining. The first milestone will be the money bubble, probably hitting soon after the first break.

Blinds are 3,000/5,000 with a 5,000 ante and the average stack is about 184,000 (37 bb).

$1,700 SPS Championship (Re-Entry)
$1,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 14:  3,000/5,000 with a 5,000 ante
Players Remaining:  169 of 778

The 2023 Tampa Signature Poker Series Championship drew 778 entries over three starting flights and put together a prize pool worth $1,167,000. Of those 778 starters, 169 of them come back at noon for Day 2 and continue the process of playing down to our big winner.

Nick Raio bagged huge in Flight G and returns to nearly 100 big blinds. Some tough players sit in the top ten trying to chase him, and the rest of the field will be on his tail.

Only 98 of these players will make it into the money, and the bubble will hit early in the afternoon. A min-cash is worth $2,720 but all eyes are on the $207,280 top prize.

Cards go back in the air at noon with 40-minute blinds that will increase to 60 at the start of Level 20.

Top ten returning stacks:

1. Nick Raio – 483,000 (97 bb)
2. Peter Walsworth – 474,000 (95 bb)
3. Albennes Armstrong – 469,000 (94 bb)
4. Jerry Wong – 467,000 (93 bb)
5. Paul Snead – 435,000 (87 bb)
6. Joseph Mattucci – 430,000 (86 bb)
7. Irfanullah Khairi – 429,000 (86 bb)
8. Nicholas Chong – 419,000 (84 bb)
9. Troy Feltis – 418,000 (84 bb)
10. Brett Bader – 406,000 (81 bb)

Day 2 Seats | Day 2 Chips | Payouts