2019 Winter Poker Open
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 2
$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 1,010
Prize Pool: $303,000
December 4-8, 2019

Event 2 was the first big multi-flight tournament on the Winter Poker Open schedule and players came out in force. It drew 1,010 entries over the first weekend and it came to close with SHR Tampa favorite Tony March walking away with the win along with a nice payday for his charity.

The tournament featured a $250,000 guaranteed prize pool but the four-digit turnout blasted it over $300,000 by the time registration closed. The last 102 players would earn some money but first, they had to get through their opening flight.

Only 131 players were able to do it so that meant a quick bubble on Day 2. The pace never really slowed and they were soon down to the final table nine after the dinner break. A.J. Kelsall stormed to the top of the counts with three tables remaining and was in the driver’s seat.

March, on the other hand, was near the bottom with less than 20 big blinds when the final table got underway. But didn’t last long. March did most of the heavy lifting at the table until he was heads-up with Kelsall for the title.

March had a big lead and it only increased against Kelsall. The two came to an agreement to chop up the remaining prize pool with Kelsall earning $45,850 for second place.

It is a big win for March and even more important for his charity. He runs the Pay It Backward Foundation that was created “to help feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, encourage the brokenhearted and get them on their feet again.”

March donates 100% of all tournament earnings and this is another $45,851 going to a great cause.

Final table results:

1st: Tony March – $45,851 + Guitar Trophy *
2nd: A.J. Kelsall – $45,850 *
3rd: Barbara Cardin – $24,404
4th: Tom Nguyen – $18,059
5th: Vincent Yenko – $13,756
6th: Michael Stracuzza – $10,926
7th: Landon Brown – $9,042
8th: Walter Conners – $7,193
9th: Wilmer Diaz – $5,390
* – denotes heads-up deal

• Download – Complete results (PDF)

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante

With Tony March extending his chip lead, he made an offer to A.J. Kelsall that could not be refused. Kelsall never chops, he was telling his tablemates that since he began amassing chips late in the tournament.

But March is a special case. He donates 100% of his winnings to his Pay It Backward Foundation and he offered Kelsall an even split of the remaining prize pool

Kelsall agreed and earned $45,580 while March’s foundation has $45,581 to work with.

Tony March – 16,175,000 (129 bb)
A.J. Kelsall – 4,025,000 (32 bb)

1st: Tony March – $45,851
2nd: A.J. Kelsall – $45,850

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,010

Action is back underway with a heads-up match for the Event 2 title between A.J. Kelsall and Tony March. Kelsall has a bit of a deficit to make up if he wants to win while March is sitting comfortably, each trying to take home the $53,902 top prize.

Tony March – 13,100,000 (105 bb)
A.J. Kelsall – 7,100,000 (57 bb)

1st: $53,902 + Guitar Trophy
2nd: $37,799

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  2 of 1,010

Barbara Cardin open-shoved her button for 1,625,000 to get a fold from Tony March in the small blind. A.J. Kelsall in the big peeled one card at a time then sat back to think about it. He gave himself one minute to make a decision but called before his personal clock ran out.

Kelsall:
Cardin:

Cardin was dominated and Kelsall stayed out front after both paired the flop. The turn and river were no help and she was eliminated in third place.

A.J. Kelsall – 7,100,000 (57 bb)
Barbara Cardin – Eliminated in 3rd Place ($24,404)

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  3 of 1,010

Tom Nguyen and Tony March were heads up when the flop came . March checked, Nguyen moved all in for ~2,900,000 and March quickly called.

“Oh man,” Nguyen joked. “I play so bad.”

March:
Nguyen:

Nguyen’s kings were outflopped by March, his set of nines good after the board finished turn and river. Nguyen was eliminated in March stack 13.3 of the 20.2 million chips in play.

Tony March – 13,300,000 (133 bb)
Tom Nguyen – Eliminated in 4th Place ($18,059)

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,010

Vincent Yenko picked up a few chips after the break with uncalled shoves and he tried again for ~1,200,000. This time Tony March looked him up and it was trouble for our former chip leader.

March:
Yenko:

Yenko was dominated by March and the flop was more bad news. The board finished with the turn and river to send Yenko out in fifth place.

Tony March – 8,100,000 (81 bb)
Vincent Yenko – Eliminated in 5th Place ($13,756)

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 1,010

Michael Stracuzza was super short and called all in after a Vincent Yenko open.

Yenko:
Stracuzza:

Yenko was ahead but Nguyen took the lead when he paired the flop. Yenko added a flush draw but could not find a save on the turn or river.

Vincent Yenko – 1,200,000 (12 bb)
Michael Stracuzza – Eliminated in 6th Place ($10,926)

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,010

On the first hand back from break, the final table found a cooler. Barbara Cardin had her 1,025,000 in the middle from the cutoff against Landon Brown under the gun.

Cardin:
Brown:

A tough break for Brown and Cardin begged for her rockets to hold. The board ran out to send Cardin a double and knock Brown down to seven big blinds. He was soon sent out by chip leader A.J. Kelsall.

Barbara Cardin – 2,300,000 (23 bb)
Landon Brown – Eliminated in 7th Place ($9,042)

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  50,000/100,000 with a 100,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,010

After Level 29 came to an end, tournament sent the final table on a 10-minute break while the 5K chips were taken out of play. Here are the counts at the time.

Seat 1: Tom Nguyen – 5,200,000 (52 bb)
Seat 2: Landon Brown – 1,950,000 (20 bb)
Seat 4: Vincent Yenko – 775,000 (8 bb)
Seat 5: A.J. Kelsall – 5,925,000 (59 bb)
Seat 6: Barbara Cardin – 1,025,000 (10 bb)
Seat 7: Michael Stracuzza – 375,000 (4 bb)
Seat 9: Tony March – 4,950,000 (50 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $53,902 + Guitar Trophy
2nd: $37,799
3rd: $24,404
4th: $18,059
5th: $13,756
6th: $10,926
7th: $9,042

$360 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$250,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 28:  40,000/80,000 with a 80,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,010

Walter Connors opened to 200,000 and Tony March three-bet to 600,000. The rest of the table folded, Connors called, and the flop came . Connors checked, March moved all in for 1,760,000 and Connors called.

March:
Conners:

It was a cooler for Connors and the turn and river sent a big double to March. Connors was dropped to less than two big blinds, found two doubles, made an orbit but dropped out in eighth place.

Tony March – 4,720,000 (59 bb)
Walter Conners – Eliminated in 8th Place ($7,193)