$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.
$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.
$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
Day 3 of the WPT Tampa Championship is here and now is the time we find out who makes our final table. There are 40 players returning, 35 of them trying to put their name on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup for the first time.
Five players are trying to get there again including chip leader Jonathan Jaffe. Two-time WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open champ Brian Altman is still in the mix with a top 10 stack with Zachary Smiley, Viny Lima, and Sam Panzica going for their second win.
Cards go back in the air at noon and the plan is to play seven 90-minute levels or stop with the official final table of six players, whichever comes first.