$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 13: Blinds 1k/2k/300
49 players remain; 53k avg (27 bb)

(l-r) Maddah, Furlong, Herbert Woodbery, Bobet & Brazell

After returning from break the Seniors are having a blast, especially at the expense of two anonymous players who went to the wrong table and played several hands out of the wrong stack.

“A senior moment,” says one player. “The average age right now is 75 (years-old), so only two (players) isn’t bad.”

Conversely, the table has some competent players like Seth Bobet (Orlando) who is second in chips with 135k (68 bb) and one of only two players with more than 100k.

Also here is Wally Maddah (Tampa

), who bubbled the PLO (Event #2), and Becky Furlong (Palm Harbor) who was one of the few women who made Day 2 of the $150,000 Guaranteed (Event 1) kickoff tournament.  Both Maddah and Furlong are looking for their first cashes of the series as we’re closing in on the money with the top 25 getting paid.

But the most colorful character is Bill Brazell (Mulberry, FL) who says, “somebody call my wife and tell her I’m still here.”  We reached Linda and made sure to let her know that Brazell is hoping for a deep run and a late night.

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Dinner Break, Play Resumes 6:17 pm
49 players remain; 53k avg (27 bb)

Akiki (left) & Waggoner (right)

On the last hand before dinner break, chip leader Maroun Akiki (Orlando) calls the 24k all in of Russell Waggoner (Nokomis, FL).

Waggoner is in position for a double-up with KQ vs K8, but a double-paired board with an Ace chops the pot.

Waggoner, who finished second ($2,591) in the NLH/PLO Mixed (Event 3) tournament, gets to stick around, while Akiki still has a commanding chip lead at 174k (87 bb).

Players are on dinner break and resume play with blinds going to 1k/2k/300 ante.

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 12: Blinds 800/1,600/200 ante
56 players remain; 46k average stack (29 bb)

Wong Stands to See his Fate, while Thomas (center) & David Botvinik Watch

Bob Thomas (Clearwater) has one foot out the door, but the poker Gods keep bringing him back.  “He’s been trying to knock himself out, but he can’t do it,” laughs James Wong (Clearwater) after Thomas gets another double-up.

Thomas lost a big hand and was left with just 600 chips, but after four straight double-ups he’s up to 30k.  “I’m not even supposed to be here,” says Thomas while stacking a slew of black (100 chips).

After hitting trips twice and a full house, Thomas moves all in for the 5th time in 8 hands, but this time he’s the big stack against Wong.

Thomas’ TT is ahead of Wong’s Q6 and it holds to knockout Wong and add another 10k to his stack. He’s now gone from 600 to 40k in less than one orbit.  Let’s see if he’s in a hurry to leave now.

****5:40 pm Update***

Thomas has 58k on dinner break

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 11: Blinds 600/1,200/200 ante
75 players remain with a 35k avg stack (29 bb)

Lyons Looking Good

The Seniors event attracts a higher level of class and etiquette than what we see in the normal hoodie and baggy pants poker world, but Nino Lyons (Rocklege) is taking it to a whole new level.

“I like dressing nice, no matter what I do,” says Lyons, who is nursing a short stack, “I need some help.”

The field plays two more levels before taking a 40 minute dinner break at 5:35 pm.

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)

Entries 260
Total Buy-In: $57,200

Place-Payout

1st $12,652
2nd $7,426
3rd  $4,805
4th $3,058
5th $2,184
6th $1,879
7th $1,442
8th $1,051
9th $1,006
10th $960
11th $919
12th $874
13th $833
14th $787
15th $742
16th $701
17th $655
18th $614
19th $569
20th $523
21st-25th $364

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 10: Blinds 500/1k/100 ante

Amelio Amato (Sarasota) won’t be making another final table, at least not in the Seniors Event. as he tweeted his bustout.  Amato bagged $9,500 as one of the big winners in Event 1.

Out seniors…. ai with KsTs on QhJs5s flop against AcQd….to many outs to hit one

— Amelio J Amato (@DrAmelio) December 9, 2013

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 9: Blinds 400/800/100 ante

Akiki Acquiring Chips & the Big Stack

It’s been a pretty good year for Maroun Akiki (Orlando) and he’s continuing his success as the early chip lead in this Seniors Event.

Akiki, who is up to 140k (175 bb), has three career recorded tournament results, all in 2013 and all are final tables. He has a win and a second place finish from Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood as part of his $46,000 in tournament earnings.

“A couple of good hands,” says Akiki about his monster stack which is well above the 26k (33 bb) average, but doesn’t say more than that.  He’ll just let  his chips do all the talking.

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 8: Blinds 300/600/75

As the level winds down, players are set for their second break of the day when the green (25) chips are raced off.

~125 players remain of the 260 entries, putting the average stack at 21k (26 bb) with blinds heading to 400/800/200 ante

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 7: Blinds 250/500/50 ante

Cassidy – Tampa Poker Since ’95

Jack Cassidy (Zephyrhillls) has seen it all in the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Poker Room.

“I was here in 1995 playing for 25 cents,” says a life long marketer and poker player. “It’s been growing in leaps and bounds, not just in the city, but around the state.”

Cassidy points to the 2010 legislation change that allowed uncapped buy-ins for cash games and tournaments as the reason why things have exploded.

“We have more good players now than we’ve ever seen,” says Cassidy. “Anybody who plays well in this room can hold their own anywhere.”

And the strong fields for the Tampa Winter Poker Open shows that the game is alive and well.

$175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Level 6: Blinds 200/400/50 ante

Wolak & Angle

Two WSOP bracelet holders are in the field; Marsha Wolak (Sarasota) and Harold Angle (Sun City Center) are both here.

Wolak won the 2011 WSOP Ladies Event for $192,000, while Angle has a 2010 Seniors bracelet for $488,000.

But while they both have jewelry, they’re worlds apart in tournament results.  Angle’s win is his only recorded result on pokerpages.com, while Wolak has 45 career cashes.

Angel’s 2010 WSOP Bracelet