$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  25 of 1,165

Perry Shiao opened to 120,000 from the button, Dennis Rodriguez three-bet all in, and Shiao called for ~995,000.

Shiao:
Rodriguez:

It was another race and both players caught the . Shiao paired his king but Rodriguez made a set of jacks. Shiao had a diamond draw, missed the turn but got there on the river to double up.

Perry Shiao – 2,050,000 (51 bb)
Dennis Rodriguez – 300,000 (8 bb)

While that action was going on, Jeff Rolland was eliminated in 26th place.

Jeff Rolland – Eliminated in 26th Place ($18,420)

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  26 of 1,165

Cricket Agnello opened to 85,000 from under the gun and Jon Borenstein raised to 240,000 next to act. The rest of the table folded and Agnello called to see the flop.

Agnello checked, Borenstein bet 240,000 and Agnello check-raised to 600,000. Borenstein moved all in for around 1,000,000 and Agnello called.

Borenstein:
Agnello:

Borenstein was ahead preflop but Agnello caught a set of tens on the flop to take a commanding lead. Borenstein picked up an open-ended straight draw on the turn and it got there with the river for Borenstein’s double.

Jon Borenstein – 2,630,000 (66 bb)
Cricket Agnello – 1,500,000 (38 bb)

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 23:  20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante
Players Remaining:  26 of 1,165

Level 23 came to an end and the remaining players were sent on a 15-minute break. Jonathan Jaffe continues to lead with 5,800,000 with Peter Vitantonio in second with 3,900,000.

Blinds are up to 20,000/40,000 with a 40,000 ante and the average stack is about 1,800,000 (45 bb).

Results so far:

27th: Fayal Smile – $18,420
28th: Viny Lima – $18,420
29th: Justin Liberto – $18,420
30th: Mike Sowers – $18,420
31st: Lumni Zhuta – $18,420
32nd: Joshua Palmer – $18,420
33rd: Jorge Martinez – $15,690
34th: Matt Leecy – $15,690
35th: Donald Graham – $15,690
36th: Kevin Andriamahefa – $15,690
37th: David Novosel – $15,690
38th: Matthew Smith – $15,690
39th: Jacob Ferro – $15,690
40th: Howard Feingold – $15,690

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  28 of 1,165

Justin Liberto put his 420,000 stack at risk from the hijack and Brian Altman had him at risk from the cutoff.

Altman:
Liberto:

Liberto was ahead but need to win the coin flip to double. The flop came and Altman paired his ace to take the lead. The board finished turn and river to send Liberto out of the Championship in 29th place.

Brian Altman – 2,070,000 (69 bb)
Justin Liberto – Eliminated in 29th Place ($18,420)

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  29 of 1,165

Jonathan Jaffe opened to 65,000 from under the gun and Faysal Smile raised to 235,000 from middle position. The rest of the table folded, Jaffe four-bet to 580,000 and Smile called.

The flop came , Jaffe continued for 175,000 and Smile called. The turn was , Jaffe bet 575,000 and Smile called again. The river was , Jaffe used a time extension before betting 1,100,000 and Smile called.

Jaffe turned over and Smile mucked to send the huge pot to Jaffe.

Jonathan Jaffe – 5,800,000 (193 bb)
Faysal Smile – 180,000 (6 bb)

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  29 of 1,165

Kevin Garosshen opened to 65,000 from early position and Lumni Zhuta three-bet shipped for 940,000 from the hijack. Mike Sowers moved all in over the top for 1,060,000 from the small blind and Garosshen called having both players covered.

Garosshen:
Zhuta:
Sowers:

Garosshen was huge with the queens in that spot and nothing on the was a problem. Sowers had the bigger stack for 30th place and Zhuta took 31st.

That hand might have been big enough for the chip lead but at the same time nearby, Jonathan Jaffe went huge.

To be continued…

Kevin Garosshen – 3,200,000 (107 bb)
Mike Sowers – Eliminated in 30th Place ($18,420)
Lumni Zhuta – Eliminated in 31st Place ($18,420)

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  32 of 1,165

It was three-ways to a flop of and Zachary Smiley checked from the big blind. Gabriel Abrusada bet 100,000 from the cutoff and Matt Leecy raised to 220,000 from the button.

Smiley called and Abrusada asked to see how much Leecy was playing before he called.

The turn was and Smiley bet 425,000. Abrusada folded and Leecy called all in for 380,000.

Smiley:
Leecy:

Leecy, our reigning Tampa Poker Classic champ, flopped a set of eights but Smiley flopped the joint with a queen-high straight that improved to king-high on the turn. Leecy needed to the board to pair to double up but the river sent him out in 34th place.

Zachary Smiley – 2,730,000 (91 bb)
Matthew Leecy – Eliminated in 34th Place ($15,690)

After Leecy was eliminated, Jorge Martinez was eliminated in 33rd place to get the Championship down to the last four tables.

33rd: Jorge Martinez – $15,690
34th: Matt Leecy – $15,690
35th: Donald Graham – $15,690
36th: Kevin Andriamahefa – $15,690
37th: David Novosel – $15,690
38th: Matthew Smith – $15,690
39th: Jacob Ferro – $15,690
40th: Howard Feingold – $15,690

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  34 of 1,165

Donald Graham picked up queens to knock out Howard Feingold, picked them up again against Gabriel Abrusada but that time ran into aces.

He was left short-stacked and moved all in against Steve Brite. This time the queens were on the other side and he couldn’t find a save with against .

Steve Brite – 1,155,000 (bb)
Donald Graham – Eliminated in 35th Place ($15,690)

36th: Kevin Andriamahefa – $15,690
37th: David Novosel – $15,690
38th: Matthew Smith – $15,690
39th: Jacob Ferro – $15,690
40th: Howard Feingold – $15,690

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  39 of 1,165

On the first hand of the new day, John Haas opened to 60,000 from the button and Howard Feingold shipped in from the small blind for 325,000. Donald Graham put his stack in the middle for a fourth bet and Haas abandoned his open.

Graham:
Feingold:

Graham woke up with a big hand and action to start his day. Feingold ran into a monster and the run out could not extend his stay.

Donald Graham – 1,310,000 (44 bb)
Howard Feingold – Eliminated in 40th Place ($15,690)

$3,500 WPT Tampa Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  15,000/30,000 with a 30,000 ante
Players Remaining:  40 of 1,165

Chips were unbagged and tournament staff put cards in the air for Day 3 of the WPT Tampa Championship with 40 players remaining.

Our two biggest stacks, Jonathan Jaffe and Peter Vitantonio, began the day sitting side-by-side. That’s a lot of chips in two spots. In another bit of coincidence, we have two Tampa champs sitting next to each other as well.

Matt Leecy won the 2021 Tampa Poker Classic Main Event earlier this year and Stephen Brite capture the $1,100 Six-Max PLO title last week at a tough final table.

Remaining payouts:

1st:  $613,225
2nd:  $408,825
3rd:  $302,200
4th:  $225,675
5th:  $170,275
6th:  $129,825
7th:  $100,030
8th:  $77,900
9th-10th:  $61,325
11th-12th:  $48,805
13th-14th:  $39,270
15th-16th:  $31,950
17th-20th:  $26,290
21st-24th:  $21,880
25th-32nd:  $18,420
33rd-40th:  $15,690