2020 WSOP Circuit – February
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
$400 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Entries: 166
Prize Pool: $54,780
February 6-7, 2020

The $400 Pot Limit Omaha tournament was not the first on the WSOP Circuit schedule but it did award the first rings of the series. Event 2 was a two-day tournament and it drew a big 165-entry crowd to the new Event Center. Tampa cash game regular Michael Raimon made his return to a tournament field and walked away with the win along with $13,894.

For the first, big non-Hold’em game played in the tournament area, the turnout was fantastic. The big field created a prize pool worth $54,780 and once again proved the area loves its PLO. The last 25 players made the money and the final table nine advanced to Day 2.

Raimon had the chip lead coming back but Austin Clanton quickly built a huge stack after five players busted before the first break. He held 75% of the chips in play three-handed but that’s where the good news ended for him.

Raimon found a huge double against Clanton when he turned a full house versus a flopped straight then Likang Berninger finished him off. Raimon stayed hot and ended the tournament shortly after the heads-up match began by defeating Berninger for his second career WSOP ring.

“We just played slow all three of us. This guy (Clanton0 had 2,000,000 and we each had like 150,000 for about an hour and a half but we all picked our spots.” Raimon said of his run. “He kept doubling everybody up one after another, then I finally got one big hand with him where he flopped a straight and I turned a full house.”

Event 2 results:

1st: Michael Raimon – $13,894 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: Likang Berninger – $8,586
3rd: Austin Clanton – $5,985
4th: Ramses Rosa – $4,274
5th: Joseph Orsino – $3,127
6th: Bruce Gans – $2,346
7th: Peter Walsworth – $1,807
8th: Blake Whittington – $1,428
9th: Jessica Francis – $1,161
10th: Alan Fidelo – $970
11th: Robert Winsler – $970
12th: William Herzing – $970
13th: Melisa Singh – $834
14th: Griffin Komar – $834
15th: Michael Lim – $834
16th: Phillip Grimes – $738
17th: Matthew Rose – $738
18th: Austin Marks – $738
19th: Joshua Gilkerson – $674
20th: Duff Charette – $674
21st: Max Shuster – $674
22nd: Benjamin Miner – $635
23rd: Jeffrey Higgins – $635
24th: Dennis Moroni – $635
25th: David Prociak – $619

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 7:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Flight D Entries:  252

WSOP Circuit Event 1 hit another milestone this evening with entry number 252 into Flight D. The tournament is now up to 1,300 combined entries with time to grow tonight and in tomorrow’s huge Saturday field.

Marsha Wolak is one of our visitors from the other side of the state, making a return to Tampa for the new series and new tournament area. She is one of the many talented Sunshine State players and she picked up her biggest score as the WSOP Ladies Champion in 2011.

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 16:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Flight C Players Remaining:  144 of 518

There’s finally been some movement on the tournament board and they can sort of see the money bubble in the near future. There are 144 showing and 78 will make some cash with 52 advancing to Day 2.

Patrick Eskandar had a decision to make earlier. He had planned to play the 5 pm flight then found out there were still a few minutes left to late reg Flight C. When he found out he’d still have 20 big blinds after dinner, he took a shot and it seems to be working out for him so far.

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 15:  1,500/3,000 with a 3,000 ante
Flight C Players Remaining:  207 of 518

Flight C is taking its time playing down towards the money and there are still more than 200 players still around. Deep stacks and a lot of play.

There are still plenty of regulars in the game including Michael Newman and A.J. Kelsall. Newman has two wins at our sister properties, a Hollywood RRPO Championship title in 2017 and a WSOP Circuit ring last February in Coconut Creek, but he’s still waiting for a major Tampa win.

Kelsall is a three-time WSOP Circuit champ and won the Tampa Winter Poker Open Championship in 2014. He also owns two Hollywood trophies and came close to another Tampa win during the Winter Poker Open after finishing second to Tony March.

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 13:  1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante
Flight C Entries:  518

The accounting is complete and we have our numbers for Flight C. The third of five flights drew a massive 518 entries to push the combined total over 1,000 with two more big flights to go.

The last 78 players in the flight will make the money with 52 players advancing to Day 2 on Sunday.

53rd-54th: $1,039
55th-63rd: $990
64th-72nd: $958
73rd-78th: $944

Chip counts through Flight B

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 12:  800/1,600 with a 1,600 ante
Flight C Entries:  512

Level 12 has come to a close and tournament staff sent the huge Flight C field on their 30-minute dinner break. The entry count moved over 500 before they left and registration will close when they return.

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/100

Friday is in full swing in the Event Center with a packed house for Flight C and now we have Flight D ready to go as well. The $600 Big Stack tournament already surpassed its $500,000 guaranteed prize pool with a huge crowd expected tomorrow.

Players will start with 40,000 stacks and the first 24 levels last 30 minutes each. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 13 at 11:50 pm following the 30-minute dinner break.

Their day will continue until only 10% of the field remains or the end of Level 24, whichever comes first. Survivors will bag up their chips and return on Sunday for Day 2.

• $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 40,000 in chips
• Levels 1-24 last 30 minutes; Levels 25+ last 45 minutes
• Late registration available until start of Level 13
• Day 1 will end at the conclusion of level 24 or 10% of the field
• Event 1 Structure Sheet

$600 Double Stack NLH (Re-Entry)
$500,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 10:  500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante
Flight C Entries:  472

While we were concentrating on the Pot Limit Omaha final table, Flight C of Event 1 went really big. The field size is nearing 500 entries with a lot of time to run it up with late registration available until 5:50 pm.

That $500,000 guaranteed prize pool is way in the rearview mirror and they keep spinning it higher as the afternoon progresses.

$400 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 27:  25,000/50,000

Likang Berninger had the chip lead when he began heads-up with a healthy chip lead but it did not last long. Michael Raimon barely lost a pot during the match and cruised into the lead.

On the final hand of the tournament, Raimon limped his button, Berninger moved all in and Raimon called.

Raimon:
Berninger:

Berninger was ahead but Raimon moved out front with a paired deuce on the flop. The board finished turn and river and Raimon won his second WSOP Circuit ring.

1st: Michael Raimon – $13,894 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: Likang Berninger – $8,586

$400 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 26:  20,000/40,000
Players Remaining:  2 of 165

The WSOP Circuit ring is on the table and heads-up play is underway with Likang Berninger holding a nice lead.

Seat 2: Likang Berninger – 1,700,000
Seat 7: Michael Raimon – 775,000

Remaining payouts:

1st: $13,894 + WSOP Circuit ring
2nd: $8,586