Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open
$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em
May 29-June 1, 2014

Flight A & B Entries: 290
Flight A & B Players Remaining: 64
Flight A & B Average Chip Count: 113,000

CHIP COUNT LEADERS (FLIGHTS A & B):
1. HOANG NGUYEN (TAMPA, FL): 344,000
2. ROBERT ROSETTA (TAMPA, FL): 264,000
3. RICHARD HOPE (DADE CITY, FL): 261,500
4. TROY BERCOT (PALMETTO, FL): 228,500
5. JULIO NOVO (SARASOTA, FL): 202,000
6. ADAM BARCLAY (TAMPA, FL): 200,000
7. LUQMAN ALGHAHIM (AL HASSA): 197,000
8. OMAR YATES (LEHIGH ACRES, FL): 195,000
9. MICHAEL LAAKE (BOCA RATON, FL): 186,000
10. ANTHONY BRAMMER: 180,500
11. FREDRICK HADDEN (ST PETERSBURG, FL): 163,500
12. WADIE KHALAF (TAMPA, FL): 159,000
13. DANIEL TIRRELL (ORLANDO, FL): 156,500
14. JOHN FLYNN (ENGLEWOOD, FL): 155,500
15. DEAN DOWDA (GROVELAND, FL): 154,500
16. RYAN SPONAUGLE (OLDSMAR, FL): 137,000
17. KOSTAS PAPASTAROV (TARPON SPRINGS, FL): 136,000
18. GARRETT TOPPING (ST PETE BEACH, FL): 133,500
19. ANDY ORSO (PLANT CITY, FL): 131,000
20. JEFFREY MCHUGH (BRISTOL, TN): 128,000
21. CRISTOBAL ZAYAS (KISSIMMEE, FL): 127,500
22. SCOTT GERTISER (NOKOMIS, FL): 122,000
23. RYAN GALPERN (HOLLYWOOD, FL): 121,500
24. ANTOINETTE FIORENZA (OVIEDO, FL): 119,000
25. JIM SEAVER (WEEKI WACHEE, FL): 117,500
26. GRADY YEAGER: 116,500
27. RONALD REUDINK (HERNANDO, FL): 115,500
28. ALEX IVAN (PALM HARBOR, FL): 114,000
29. RUSSELL RUCKS (FORT MYERS, FL): 110,500
30. MARC DAVIS (ORLANDO, FL): 109,000
31. NICHOLAS ANDRIES (PINELLAS PARK, FL): 106,000
32. JOSEPH WILLIAMS (PLANT CITY, FL): 102,500
33. BENTON THOMPSON (LAKELAND, FL): 102,500
34. NICK COSTA (PORT ORANGE, FL): 101,500
35. MICHAEL WAKEFIELD (KISSIMMEE, FL): 100,500
36. ROBERTO BARBA (OCOEE, FL): 99,500
37. PAUL JOINER (LOCKHART, FL): 94,500
38. DON MATTHEWS (OXFORD, FL): 93,000
39. JASON LUX (ORLAND PARK, IL): 89,000
40. JOHN DOBSON (BAYONET POINT, FL): 86,000
41. RICHARD PETROVIC (SARASOTA, FL): 82,500
42. ASHNEEL SINGH (TAMPA, FL): 80,500
43. CURTIS MART (GROVELAND, FL): 80,000
44. PETER DRAGER (BUDAPEST): 78,000
45. CHRISTOPHER KAZOLIAS (WESLEY CHAPEL, FL): 77,500
46. MICHAEL SAMUEL (APOPKA, FL): 75,000
47. TOM NGUYEN (TAMPA, FL): 74,000
48. DEREK BOWERS (ALLIANCE, OH): 72,000
49. CHRISTOPHER ADAMS (ORMOND BEACH, FL): 71,000
50. RICARDO RODRIGUEZ (TAMPA, FL): 67,500
51. JASON BRODY (LAND O LAKES, FL): 66,500
52. MICHAEL DOLAN (OLD BETHPAGE, NY): 63,500
53. CHERI BEATTY (TAMPA, FL): 63,500
54. MOSTAFA ASARIPIRALVAN: 57,500
55. JOSEPH SQUIRES (TAMPA, FL): 56,000
56. RYAN ARKIN (TAMPA, FL): 52,500
57. SHELDON BRUESKE (BUFORD, GA): 47,000
58. WANDA WEIRICH (LONGWOOD, FL): 44,000
59. DAVID WOODY (TAMPA, FL): 42,000
60. ERVIN BRADLEY (CAPE CORAL, FL): 41,000
61. WILMAR GIL (TAMPA, FL): 37,500
62. GEOFF BRITE (BRADENTON, FL): 29,500
63. NICHOLAS MANN (TARPON SPRINGS, FL): 27,000
64. TAM NGUYEN (OAKLAND, FL): 16,500

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 14 Complete
Next Blinds: 2k/4k/500 ante
64 Players Remaining, 113k avg (28 bb)

The Seminole Hard Rock Summer Poker Open is off to a great start as players were treated to a new tournament area with a great view of the Rockin’ Pool.

After two flights, Hoang Nguyen (Tampa, FL) is the chip leader with 344k (86 bb)

The first two flights (A: 176) & (B: 114) had 290 combined entries as the 21 day series kicked off with the first of 17 Main Events.

Event 1 resumes 11 am Friday with Flight C (11 am) and Flight D (7 pm).

Flights A & B Chip Leaders

Hoang Nguyen 344k
Robert Rosetta 264k
Richard Hope 262k
Troy Bercot 229k
Anthony Brammer 202k
Adam Barclay 200k
Luqman Alghanim 197k
Omar Yates 195k
Michael Laake 186k

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

24 Players Remaining of 114 Flight B Entries
Day 2: Sunday 1 pm

Hoang Nguyen (Tampa, FL) not only laps the Flight B field, but is the overall chip leader with 344k.

The big hand that propelled Nguyen into the chip lead came while holding KQ with a King on the board to double-up against pocket Jacks.  Nguyen says it was “very hard” to make the call as his tournament life was at risk.

The hard call helped Nguyen earn the honor of our Hard Rock, Hard (Call) of the Day, along with the entry he earned into Event 9 ($1,100 NL) as end of night chip leader.

Nguyen – Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 14: Blinds 1,500/3,000/400 ante
 28 Players Remaining,  102k avg (34 bb)

Flight B looks like it will land with less than three full tables when play concludes.

The clock will stop with 10 left in the level (~3 am) and the remaining players will play four more hands before bagging and tagging.

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 13: Blinds 1,200/2,400/300 ante
34 Players Remaining, 84k avg (35 bb)

Hoang Nguyen (Tampa, FL) is now the chip leader after making a hard call on the turn against Paul Joiner.

“Very hard,” says Nguyen who put his tournament on the line after making a big bet on a King-high board.  “But he just called someone else’s preflop raise,” says Nguyen who figures his KQ was good.

Nguyen ends up doubling 100k and is now the chip leader with 213k; Joiner is left with 18k when his JJ doesn’t improve on the river.

The hand puts Nguyen in the running for our Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day.

Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day – Nominee

Meanwhile it was hard to watch former chip leader Joe Malone leave the tournament area. We didn’t catch the details, but Malone busted during the last level.

Chip Leaders

Hoang Nguyen 214k
Luqman Alghanim 176k
Michael Laake 172k
Adam Barclay 159k
John Dobson 156k

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 11: Blinds 800/1,600/200 ante
 43 Players Remaining,  66k avg (41 bb)

One of the cool things about playing poker at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa is the plethora of music memorabilia.

Pictures, instruments and historical factoids are spread across the hotel and casino with some of them hanging over the tournament area.

Some of the highlights include homages to Willie Nelson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Meat Loaf.  Just a taste of the Hard Rock experience.

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 10: Blinds 600/1,200/200 ante
63 Players Remaining,  45k avg (38 bb)

Players are back from the green chip color-up break as play is now down to 7 tables.

Joe Malone (Land O’Lakes, FL) is the chip leader at 151k.

Chip Leaders

Joe Malone 151k
Hoang Nguyen 142k
Omar Yates 142k
Luqman Alghanim 132k

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 9: Blinds 500/1k/100 ante
72 players remaining, 40k avg (40 bb)

Kyron Jordan (Sebring, FL) says, “make sure you write he slow rolled me, with lots of ‘ohs’,” after losing 40k in a pot against Ben Thompson (Lakeland, FL).

“Don’t worry,” laughs Thompson, “the rest of it’s coming here.”

Jordan and Thompson mix it up on a board of A-Q-4-9-Q with Jordan calling a 10k river bet. Jordan flips over KQ for trip Queens and has to wait on Thompson.

“He turned it over so fast I had to make sure I won,” says Thompson who wins the hand with AQ for a full house and says the slow reaction was unintentional.

A third player chimes in, “the only that beat you was pocket Aces,” as the entire table jokes about the hand.

Jordan drops from 100k down to 60k, while Thompson, a Seminole Hard Rock Tampa regular is up to 95k.

$350 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Level 8: Blinds 400/800/75 ante
75 Players Remaining (Flight B)

Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day – Nominee

To help spice things up here at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open, we’re handing out the Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day.

As the action heats up we’ll look for those hard luck rivers, hard folds and hard hands to beat.

Luqman Alghanim (Tampa, FL) is a Flight B Hard Play nominee after sending a player to the rail and grabbing the chip lead.

With the board showing Q-x-x-J, Alghanim snap calls his opponent’s all-in bet of 15k.

“Ace-Queen?” asks the player, who tables KQ and sees it’s just as bad with Alghanim showing QJ for two pairs.

“Terrible turn,” laments the player, who doesn’t get any help on the river and is done for the day.

It’s a “Hard Play” to deal with for our anonymous player and puts Alghanim into the chip lead with 110k. It also puts him into the running for our POD.

Our Flight A Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day went to Adam Agosto who made a hard, but correct lay down.