Tag Archives: Event 7

Event 7 Flight E: Big Turnout Smashes Guarantee

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Flight E Players Remaining: 85 of 161

Registration is closed and the Flight E attendance figure is official. The fifth of six starting days in the Winter Poker Open $570 drew 161 entries helping smash the event’s $200,000 guarantee. In all, the field sits at 499 through five flights with an unofficial prize pool of $249,500.

Flight F rounds out play tonight at 6pm and is expected to push the prize pool over $300,000.

Here’s an up-to-date tournament breakdown:

FlightEntriesAdvanced
A7614
B7612
C8015
D10621
E161TBD
FTonight @ 6pm
Totals49962

 

Event 7 Flight E: Boulais Dominating with 175K; Benjamin at 115K

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 9: 400/800 with a 100 ante
Entries: 161

Joe Boulais

Joe Boulais has put a hurt on the Flight E field over the first eight levels of play and it seemed the whole tournament stopped to take a look at his stack over break. Boulais somehow managed to turned his 20,000-chip holdings into 175,000 over the early portions of play.

“Is that real?” one player joked walking by the table admiring Boulais’ tower of gray 5,000 chips.

Indeed, it was real. Through yesterday’s Flight D, a total of 62 players have bagged. Boulais’ Flight E stack at the beginning of Level 9 would be good enough to crack the top 10 of those have advanced thus far and he still has six levels to play.

Joining Boulais at the top of the counts is Hollywood regular Charlemagne Benjamin. Despite impressive holdings of 115,000 chips, Benjamin’s stack is 75 big blinds shy of Boulais whose stack is good for 218 big blinds.

Charlemagne Benjamin

Tournament staff is still finalizing the Flight E attendance sum and we’ll provide the official numbers as soon as they’re available.

Event 7 Flight E: Second Break of the Day Marks the End of Registration

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 8: 300/600 with a 100 ante
Entries: 157

The second break of the day of the is just moments away and after it runs out registration in Flight E will be done. The tournament has already bested its $200,000 guarantee, but we’ll get an idea of exactly where it’s at heading to tonight’s final flight after staff finalizes today’s figure.

Event 7 Flight E: Ryan Dunn’s Bluff Runs in to Trips

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 7: 250/500 with a 75 ante
Entries: 144

Ryan Dunn

With four-way action the board laid 8s8h6c9c2c. Ryan Dunn was third to act and plopped in a 4,200-chip bet. Dunn received a lone call and turned over JsTc for a busted straight turned into a bluff. The opponent held Jx8x for trips and took the pot. The hand left Dunn with about half starting stack.

Regardless of any outcomes today, Dunn’s Seminole Hard Rock Poker resume is flush with accolades. In addition to numerous cashes, Dunn owns a victory and $140,000 score in last year’s Lucky Hearts Poker Open $2,650 in Hollywood.

Event 7 Flight E: Room Filling Up

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 6: 200/400 with a 50 ante
Entries: 131

Now at more than 130 entries, the first row of tables is completely full and a second row is now in the rotation. Late registration and re-entry are available until about 3:30pm.

Event 7 Flight E: Travelers Helping to Grow Field

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 5: 150/300
Entries: 119

David Tuthill (left) and Charlemagne Benjamin

While Tampa locals like David Tuthill have been around throughout the series, the $570 pricepoint is attracting players from all over the state. Charlemagne Benjamin is a faithful grinder at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa and a loyal player of most Seminole Hard Rock Poker series. He made the trek across the state and is in action here in Flight E of the $200,000 guarantee.

The weekend flight isn’t disappointing as of yet. The clock currently shows 119 entries marking the largest of the start days to this point.

Event 7 Flight E: Another POY Among Them

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 4: 100/200
Entries: 103

Ory Hen

Prior to David Prociak’s hot play during the 2015/2016 season, it was Ory Hen who laid claim to the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year title. Hen owns two SHRP tournament wins to go along with more than $1.1 million in career earnings. He’s in search of another title and a notable score here in the $570.

Event 7 Flight E: John Pappas Back in Town

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 3: 75/150
Entries: 91

AJ “Doc” Santos was one of the 2015 Winter Poker Open headliners — a staple in each and every event good for an action-packed table, some laughs and a handful of re-entries. Until a few days ago, Santos had been absent for the 2016 series, but made his return and has been spotted a couple times during the $570.

John Pappas

Until today, there was one other absence — John Pappas. Pappas is a regular of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker events and claimed his first major tournament victory during last year’s $150 WPO turbo. Pappas defeated 202 players following a four-way chop and recorded a score of $3,485. He hadn’t been spotted much during the prelims, but he’s among the field here in today’s $570.

Event 7 Flight E: POY Prociak

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 3: 75/150
Entries: 82

It’s past noon and weekend play is in full swing in the Winter Poker Open $570. With Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Mike Laake and 2010 November Niner John Dolan turning out for yesterday’s play, it’s clear the series is ramping up with the $300,000 guaranteed Championship right around the corner.

David Prociak

Today’s field is also yielding some notable faces, such as reigning SHRP Player of the Year David Prociak. Prociak is a nearby resident of Tampa and is no stranger to the room. He’s dabbled in a handful of prelims and is in search of another championship year like he experienced last year.

Event 7 Flight E: Prize Pool Tops $200K Early in the Day

$570 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 2: 50/100
Entries: 70

Well that didn’t take long.

Less than 40 minutes into the day the clock ticked up over 62 entries putting Event 7 of the Winter Poker Open above its $200,000 guarantee. The entries have been steadily growing here early in Saturday’s play and the clock now reads 70.

Late registration and re-entry are available in this flight until 3:30pm and the sixth and final flight begins tonight at 6pm.