2022 Tampa Poker Classic
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida
Event 2
$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed
Entries: 1,463
Prize Pool: $490,105
March 9 – 13, 2022

Event 2 was the first multi-flight tournament on the 2022 Tampa Poker Classic schedule and the $400 buy-in tournament brought out the players. It had 1,463 entries over five starting flights and George Allen dominated late to win the title along with $63,071.

The tournament featured a big $200,000 guarantee that was smashed before we even reached the weekend flights. It was more than doubled and the prize pool reached $490,105 by the time registration closed.

We had 149 players bag up their chips for Day 2 returning in the money but one player was ahead of the game. With the best-stack-forward format, William Muniz advanced two bags to Day 2 and received a min-cash for the smaller stack while playing the bigger one.

Not content with two min-cashes, Muniz went deep into the tournament and finished in 14th place for another $5,160 payout.

The final table was deep and several players took turns with the chip lead including Juan Rodriguez and Ivan Yatsuk in addition to Allen. But Allen was the player who put a stamp on the late as he knocked out player after player.

When he eliminated Gabriel Garcia in fifth place, Allen held nearly half of the chips in play and the four remaining players quickly came to an agreement to divide up the remaining prize pool.

Allen earned $63,071 for the effort, the biggest cash of his career by a lot. Rodriguez, Yatsuk, and Thomas McDonald split their money right down the middle while Allen walked away with the big money along with the TPC trophy.

Congrats to George and thank you to all of our players for the fantastic turnout to start the Tampa Poker Classic series.

Final table results:

* – denotes results of four-way deal

Click next page for full results:

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante

With George Allen holding nearly half of the chips in play at the four-handed final table, they quickly came to an agreement to divide up the remaining prize pool. Ivan Yatsuk, Juan Rodriguez, and Thomas McDonald agreed to take $4,000 off their even chop value and Allen would get the lion’s share.

1st: George Allen – $63,071
2nd: Thomas McDonald – $47,072
3rd: Juan Rodriguez – $47,071
4th: Ivan Yatsuk – $47,071

Full tournament report to come.

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  4 of 1,463

Chip leader George Allen opened the action from under the gun and Gabriel Garcia moved all in from the button for 1,125,000. Allen called and Garcia was at risk.

Allen:
Garcia:

Garcia had two live cards to dodge but Allen stayed hot by pairing his queen on the flop. The board finished with turn and river to send Garcia out in fifth place.

George Allen – 13,200,000 (44 bb)
Gabriel Gracia – Eliminated in 5th Place ($21,890)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 32:  150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 ante
Players Remaining:  5 of 1,463

George Allen limped from the cutoff and Enreko Fracassi moved all in from the small blind for 1,100,000. Gabriel Garcia folded his big blind and Allen called.

Allen:
Fracassi:

Fracassi caught a big hand to try for his double but Allen caught the flop to pair his king. Bad luck for Fracassi and he couldn’t return the favor on the turn or river to go out in fifth place.

George Allen – 11,200,000 (37 bb)
Enreko Fracassi – Eliminated in 6th Place ($16,740)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 31:  100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,463

Juan Rodriguez opened to 500,000 from the button and Thomas McDonald called from the big blind to see the flop. Thomas bet 700,000 and Rodriguez put a barrel of 100K chips for a 2,000,000 bet. McDonald moved all in for 2,600,000 total and Rodriguez called.

Rodriguez:
McDonald:

Rodriguez was ahead preflop but McDonald paired his king to take the lead plus the heart draw. The board finished with the turn and river to send him the big double.

Thomas McDonald – 6,300,000 (32 bb)
Juan Rodriguez – 3,450,000 (17 bb)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,463

With the blinds about to go up the next hand, Gabriel Garcia moved all in for 1,050,000 from under the gun and Thomas McDonald called from the small blind.

Garcia:
McDonald:

Garcia needed a lot of help to double and found it on the flop. He paired his nine and took away an out from McDonald with the club draw. The turn and river finished the board and Garcia’s overkill flush gave him a double.

Gabriel Garcia – 2,400,000 (16 bb)
Thomas McDonald – 3,900,000 (26 bb)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 1,463

George Allen opened the action from under the gun, Ken Ware moved all in for about 2,800,000 and Allen called.

Allen:
Ware:

It was a final table race and Allen took the lead when he paired his ace on the flop. The turn and river finished the board and Allen sent Ware off the final table in seventh place.

George Allen – 9,400,000 (63 bb)
Ken Ware – Eliminated in 7th Place ($12,940)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 30:  100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,463

Level 29 came to an end and the seven remaining players were sent on a 15-minute break.

They return to blinds at 100,000/150,000 with a 150,000 ante and the average stack is about 4,175,000.

Seat 1: Ken Ware – 2,775,000 (19 bb)
Seat 2: Gabriel Garcia – 1,450,000 (10 bb)
Seat 3: Ivan Yatsuk – 4,875,000 (33 bb)
Seat 5: Juan Rodriguez – 5,950,000 (40 bb)
Seat 6: George Allen – 7,100,000 (47 bb)
Seat 7: Thomas McDonald – 5,250,000 (35 bb)
Seat 8: Enreko Fracassi – 1,850,000 (12 bb)

Remaining payouts:

1st: $84,535 + TPC trophy
2nd: $52,170
3rd: $38,650
4th: $28,930
5th: $21,890
6th: $16,740
7th: $12,940

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  7 of 1,463

George Allen opened to 250,000 from early position and Marcus Gurley moved all in for 950,000 from the small blind. Juan Rodriguez folded his big and Allen called.

Allen:
Gurley:

Gurley was ahead for a double up but Allen paired his seven on the flop. The turn was no help to Gurley and he was eliminated from the final table after the rivver.

George Allen – 6,400,000 (51 bb)
Marcus Gurley – Eliminated in 8th Place ($10,110)

$400 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$200,000 Guaranteed | Structure | Payouts
Level 29:  75,000/125,000 with a 125,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 1,463

Everyone folded around to Gabriel Garci and he moved all in from the small blind.

“It’s not much,” Ivan Yatsuk said from the small blind.

“It’s not much,” Garcia confirmed.

The all in move was for 825,000 and Yatsuk called.

Garcia:
Yatsuk:

Garcia was ahead but needed to dodge Yatsuk’s two over cards. The dealer spread the board and Garcia doubled up.

Gabriel Garcia – 1,775,000 (14 bb)
Ivan Yatsuk – 4,100,000 (33 bb)