All posts by Jeff Shurilla

Summer Open

Championship: Late Arrivals

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$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50 ante
Entries: 58

Ryan Eriquezzo
Ryan Eriquezzo

Since the last break late arrivals includes 2012 WSOP bracelet winner Ryan Eriquezzo (Danbury, CT) and James “Ping Pang” Kerr (Lakeland, FL) who is currently third in the Tournament Leaderboard standings.

Kerr won the $1k ($20,250) and was runner-up in the Six Max ($8,450).

Players will finish in this level and then head to dinner at ~6:45 pm.

Summer Open

Championship: Traveling from St. Pete to Tampa,

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$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 4: Blinds 100/200/25 ante
Entries: 54

"Comrade" Elliott Zaydman
“Comrade” Elliott Zaydman

The trip from St. Petersburg to Tampa is an easy 30 minute drive across the Howard Frankland Bridge, unless your “Comrade” Elliott  Zaydman.  The Russian born poker player started his journey from the “other” St. Pete nearly 30 years ago.

“Its a very nice property, says Zaydman who’s playing Day 1B of the Summer Poker Open Championship. “Good restaurants, I’ve already checked out the spa.”

Zaydman is one of several players who are back in Florida after spending time at the World Series of Poker.

“I believe people need a break, I need a break, a month is too much,” says Zaydman who felt he burned out last year at the WSOP. “I didn’t play my best, it’s too much.”

Zaydman mapped out a different summer schedule and a trip to Tampa was in the cards.

“Play a few (WSOP) events, disappear and then go back for the main,” he says of his poker calendar.

“I already had planned on taking a break, so this fit the schedule,” says Zaydman who recently doubled his stack after having Aces cracked by a set of Queens earlier today.

While this is Zaydman’s first time playing in Tampa, he’s no stranger to Seminole Hard Rock poker. He earned his Championship seat this spring through Hollywood’s  Daily Tournament Leaderboard promotion.

In addition to that success, Zaydman’s off to a good start to the year with ten cashes. He finished 18th in the Seminole Hard Rock Showdown Championship Event ($30,000) and was 4th ($21,000) in the $560 event of the Lucky Hearts Poker Open at Coconut Creek, which is where he now lives.

“Go home, play tennis, chill out and come here,” says Zaydman who is fresh off a cash in the Seniors Event at the World Series.

Zaydman left Russia 30 years ago and picked up the nickname “Comrade” when he started playing Stud poker in Atlantic City.  He recently moved to South Florida and is retired from the computer software industry.

While Zaydman has more than $250,000 in career recorded tournament earnings, poker is only a hobby.

“I’m playing well and feel good about my game,” he says.

Zaydman’s next play is tonight’s dinner break. “I have my eye on  Rock N’ Raw, I hear the sushi is very good.”

Summer Open

Championship: Summer Open Offers Alternative

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$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 2: Blinds 75/150
Entries: 51

Joe Gibbons
Joe Gibbons
Playing the Championship Event

As the Tampa poker market continues to grows, the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open is helping it grab solid footing.

The crown jewel of the 21 day, 17 trophy event series is the Championship Event that players have put on their summer calendar.

“100% I’d be out there right now,” says Joe Gibbons (Tampa, FL) about the WSOP in Las Vegas. “There’s more people here than I expected. I know a lot of people that either delayed their trip or have come back.”

Gibbons sees the Summer Poker Open as the best of both worlds, quality poker and close to home.

It’s in my own backyard,” says Gibbons who won the Six Max trophy this week for $14,625. “I knew a lot of friends were going to be here. My kids are home from school (college), so I figured, get a couple of sessions under my belt then head out.”

Gibbons is back for Day 1B after a rough hand at the end of Day 1A. “I had half my chips in and he (the chip leader), put me all in.”

Top pair was no good for Gibbons as Ray Prieto (St. Petersburg, FL) flopped a set of 2s that propelled him to the end of night big stack with 302k.

While Gibbons hits the reset button, he’s not only an advocate for Seminole Hard Rock Tampa, but the entire Bay area.

“You’ve got the beaches and bridges,” says Gibbons who’s a retired business man that’s played poker full time for six years. “This is a hidden gem that’s comparable to Miami.

“Look at our sports teams the last couple of years, a Super Bowl and Stanley Cup, Rays in the World Series. This whole area is alive,” he says adding, “they’ve got a poker room with great stakes and it continues to grow.”

Summer Open

Championship: Tweets Fly

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$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 1: Blinds 50/100
Entries: 44

Two recognizable names have Day 1B on their radar. WSOP bracelet winner (2013) Ryan Eriquezzo is en route, while Tampa area pro Natasha Barbour has taken her seat.

Looking forward to lots of other familiar faces in today’s crowd.

Summer Open

Championship: Day 1B Underway

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$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em
$1 Million Guaranteed

Level 1: Blinds 50/100
Entries: 35

Day 1B Underway

Day 1B of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open Championship is off and running.

The second of three flights follows Day 1A’s total of 152 entries where 55 players advanced to Sunday’s Day 2.

Players start with 30k (300 bb) in tournament chips and Day 1 levels last 60 minutes each.

It’s a re-entry tournament with registration and re-entry open until the start of Level 7 (~7:30 pm).

Day 1 play concludes after 10 levels of play (~12:00 am).

Day 1B of $1 Million Guaranteed Championship is underway!

Summer Open

Championship: Winners Free Roll

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$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 8: Blinds 300/600/75 ante
86 Players Remaining, 53k avg (88 bb)

 

The Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Open has awarded 13 Championship Event seats to each of the trophy event winners and a 14th will be awarded tonight in Event 11.

Coming back from dinner we spot eight players who are free rolling on Day 1A, seven of them are still playing

Event Won: Name – Day 1A Chip Count

Event 1: Brett Streicher 50k
Event 2: Filipp Khavin 16k
Event 3: Woodrow Pass 88k
Event 4: Julio Novo 52k
Event 5: Ben Thompson 28k
Event 10: Derek Bowers 13k
Event 12: Tim White – Busted Level 8
Event 13: Joe Gibbons 83k