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

Total Entries: 1,155
Total Buy-In:  $346,500
Chip Leader Bonus: $6,600
Total Prize Pool:  $339,900

Players Remaining: 257
Average Chip Count: 112,000

START OF DAY 2 TABLE ASSIGNMENTS & CHIP COUNTS

Structure

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

Level 14 Complete
Next Blinds: 2k/4k/500 ante
257 Players Remaining, 112k avg (28 bb)

The  final flight of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open kickoff event finished early Sunday morning as another 50 players advanced to Day 2.

Joel Schmidt (St. Augustine, FL) bagged the Flight F biggest stack with 294k (74 bb) and is ready to grab a piece of the $300,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool.

“Huge advantage,” said Schmidt about Day 2 play, “The first two hours will be a blood bath with all the short stacks going all in. You can sit back with chips and be patient and pick them off.”

Schmidt said his big hand came when he flopped a set of Tens against a flopped straight and a player with AQ, top pair-top kicker. Schmidt said it was a ~150k pot and that the hand was clinched when he turned Quads.

“That was a big one,” said Schmidt about the hand, and added that he  usually plays at Seminole Hard Rock, Hollywood. “I love the structure,” he said about the Tampa series. “Where else can you pay $350 for a $300,000 prize pool?”

The unofficial number of total entries is 1,155 as the guarantee was easily met.

Earlier Saturday, Greg McNealy (Tampa, FL) finished with the Flight E chip lead (333k) and is third overall.

Play resumes 1 pm Sunday with chip leader James “Ping Pang” Kerr (Lakeland, FL) holding 391k. More than 100 players will make the money and the prize pool numbers will be released later today.

Overall Big Stacks* (All Flights)

James Kerr 391k (98 bb)
Hoang Nguyen 344k
Greg McNealey 333k
Amaury Lopez 299k
Phillip Starner 295k
Joel Schmidt 294k
Mark Shulla 275k
Roman Fedorov 270k
Robert Rosetta 264k
Richard Hope 262k
Yi Chi Li 258k
John Templeton 245k
Madhusudhan Jakkid 245k
Francisco Gomez 245k
Rob Lebeau 244k
Norbert Kara 241k
Benjamin Lomsak 237k
Steve Pellingra 237k
Robert Quintana 233k
Troy Bercot 229k
Mike Goodwin 228k
Becky Moyer 226k
John Pfolsgrof 219k
Sean Hampson 218k
Manny Minaya 217k
Stephen Allen 216k
Bryan Maguill 216k
Joseph Parrish 213k
Adam Templeman 205k
Julio Novo 202k
Adam Barclay 200k

*A full list of chip counts and table draw will be posted after 10 am.

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

50 Players Remaining of 209 Flight F Entries
Day 2: Sunday 1 pm

Joel Schmidt (St. Augustine, FL) bags the chip Flight F chip lead and the $1,100 seat bonus into Event 9 (June 8-9).

End of Night Chip Leaders

Joel Schmidt 294k
Yi Chi Li 258k
Steve Pellingra 237k
Mike Goodwin 228k

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

Level 14 : Blinds  1,500/3k/400 ante
56 players remaining , 93k avg (31 bb)

A look at some of the players in Flight F as the field plays it’s final level.

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

Level 13: Blinds 1,200/2,400/300 ante
57 players remaining, 92k (38 bb)

The Seminole Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day, is a no brainer after seeing the top three chip stacks all on Table 2.

Joel Schmidt (St. Augustine, FL) is the new chip leader with 304k, while former chip leader Mike Goodwin (211k) is on Schmidt’s direct left. Also on the table is Christopher Forist who has 194k, third overall.

The entire table has 1.1 million of the 5.23 million in play (21%), making this a hard place to play.

Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day – Table 2

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

End of Level 12: Blinds  1k/2k/300 ante
63 players remaining, 83k avg (41 bb)

Players are back from their last break of the night and have two levels (60 minutes) before bagging and tagging.

Chip Leaders

Joel Schmidt 304k
Mike Goodwin 211k
Christopher Forist 194k
Jean Cacomanolis 193k
Joseph Abdo 163k
Michael Lydon 136k
Derek Chambers 134k
John Papas 130k
Anthony Lee 128k
Mark Lowe 126k
Lana Nester 121k

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

Level 11: Blinds 800/1,600/200 ante
90 players remaining, 58k avg (36 bb)

We didn’t see the action, but when we get to Table 5 we see the pot heading towards Lana Nester (Tampa, FL) who flops a set of Jacks on a board of .

Nester gets a triple-up to 51k while one of her opponents takes a hit while holding AK.

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

Level 10: Blinds 600/1,200/200 ante
103 players remaining, 51k avg (42 bb)

Big Stacks

Michael Goodwin 161k
Jean Cacomanolis 121k
Derek Chambers 119k
Joel Schmidt 111k
Christopher Forist 109k
Gediminas Garmus 104k
Michael Dittas 98k
Brian Arbaugh 98k

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

End of Level 9: Blinds  500/1k/100 ante
117 players remaining, 45k avg (45 bb)

While players are on their third of four breaks of the night, the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa poker staff remove the green chips from the tournament.

The group is a well oiled machine that keeps the tournament running smoothly.

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

Level 8: Blinds 400/800/75 ante
145 players remaining, 36k avg (45 bb)

After taking the chip lead, Michael Goodwin (Indian Trail, NC) says, “not now, it’s early. I haven’t done anything yet, if I make it to tomorrow we’ll talk.”

Goodwin is part of a 90k pot on the last hand before the previous break where Patrick Hoben (Palm Harbor, FL) makes a crying call because of a bloated pot.

On a board of Goodwin bets 19,075 (with 5k behind) and Hoben is in the tank. “Do you have the Queen,” he asks.

A third player was all in on the turn which pushed the pot to 50k and with another 19k on top, Hoben feels he has to make the crying call.

Goodwin flips over for trip Queens and lets out a single celebratory clap when Hoben flashes into the muck.

Goodwin takes the chip lead with 94k, while Hoben is left with a healthy 51k stack. Hoben also earns a Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day nomination for his hard fold.

Hard Rock, Hard Play of the Day Nominee