$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 28: Blinds 30k/60k/5k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (87 bb)

TK Miles (TK) is up to 7.3 million, while Andrew Batkin (AB) is down to 3.1 million.

A look at a random sampling of 10 consecutive hands during heads up play between Batkin and Miles.

Hand-Button Action-Result

1-AB raise 125k, TK folds
2-TK raise 130k, AB call – flop: , AB check, TK bet 130k, AB folds (TK shows JJ)
3-AB open folds (TK walk)
4-TK raise 130k, AB call – flop , check-check, turn , AB bets 100k, TK fold
5-AB raise 125k, TK folds
6-TK raise 130k, AB folds
7-AB open folds (TK walk)
8-TK raise 130k, AB folds
9-AB raise 125k, TK folds
10-TK raise 130k, AB folds

By the Numbers

0 – three-bets
1 – turn card
2 – walks
2 – flops
6 – uncontested preflop raises

Not much movement in the chip counts after this exchange.

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

Level 28: Blinds 30k/60k/5k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (87 bb)

Andrew Batkin opened for 125k and TK Miles called.  On the flop of , TK checked, Andrew bet 125k, and TK called.  Turn was the and both players checked.

River was the and TK checked.  Andrew bet 275k, and TK folded.  With that pot, Andrew was back up to ~4.5 million, putting TK at ~5.8 million.

Level 28: Blinds 30k/60k/5k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (87 bb)

Players are back on the felt following the break.

Chip counts:

TK Miles 6.63 million (111 big blinds)
Andrew Batkin 3.755 million (63 big blinds)

End of Level 27: Blinds 25k/50k/4k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (104 bb)

Players are on break at the end of the level.

Chip counts:

TK Miles 6.625 million
Andrew Batkin 3.755 million

Level 27: Blinds 25k/50k/4k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (104 bb)

On a flop of , TK Miles bet 225k and Andrew Batkin called from the button.

Turn was the and TK checked.  Andrew bet 400k and TK folded.

Andrew clawed his way back up to about 3 million with that pot.

Player-of-the-Year Race Heats Up

When it was first announced, people knew the Player-of-the-Year race would be big, but the enormity of the promotion has taken root here at the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Summer Poker Open.

This is the third of four tournament series’ that players are earning points to be crowned POY.

“This is exciting,” says WSOP bracelet winner Marsha Wolak (Fort Lauderdale, FL), “If I can win the whole thing that would be amazing.”

The Player-of-the-Year winner receives a prize package valued at more than $30,000 and features entries into Seminole Hard Rock Poker’s most prestigious events.

“The top ten is worth playing for,” says Greg Marcus (Miami Beach, FL), the top five is really nice and winning would cover my whole year.”

While the year-to-date totals are still being calculated, the unofficial totals have Marcus & Wolak jumping past points leader Mukul Pahuja (Coconut Creek, FL), as has Angel Vu (Daytona Beach, FL).

Vu is having an impressive Tampa series which includes two final tables and a cash in the Championship Event.  She was part of a four-way chop with Marcus in Event 7 where she got $69,833 as the official winner.

“I feel I have a shot, it will be one of my goals,” says Vu in this her first year of serious tournament play.  “It would be huge to be player of the year. It would be great for my resume and my bankroll.”

All eyes will be on Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood this summer (August 14 – September 3) for the final leg of the Player-of-the-Year program.  The series will feature trophy events, side tournaments and satellites, which all count in the standings.

“I really want to take a shot at it (POY),” says Marcus, “it will be my main motivation.”

“I like that they’re working together (Hollywood & Tampa),” says Wolak, “it says a lot and really feels like a brand.

“I feel like this will keep growing. Player points are huge and only going to get better.”

Player-of-the-Year links

• POY Details
• SHRP Player-of-the-Year Standings
• Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Leaderboard Standings
• Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Poker Open Schedule (August 14 – September 3)
• Tournament Ranking System

Level 27: Blinds 25k/50k/4k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (104 bb)

On the turn with a board of Andrew Batkin bet 150k and TK Miles called from the button.

River was the and Andrew checked.  TK bet 300k and Andrew folded.

TK has chipped away at Andrew’s stack and Andrew has dropped to ~2.6 million.

Level 27: Blinds 25k/50k/4k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (104 bb)

The final two have returned from a break.  Here are the chip counts:

TK Miles 6.37 million (159 big blinds)
Andrew Batkin 4 million (80 big blinds)

$3,500 Championship No Limit Hold’em

End of Level 26: Blinds 20k/40k/4k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (130 bb)

As the final two players push chips around the felt, lets take a look at what they’re playing with.

There are 10.38 million chips in play and currently there are four denominations of chips on the table:

Orange – 1k
Gray – 5k
Blue – 25k
White – 100k

This is TK Miles’ stack a short while ago.  Most of the stacks are 40 chips tall.

Orange – 1k:    3 stacks of 40, plus 25 on top = 145 chips x 1k = 145k
Gray – 5k:          5 stacks of 40, plus 1 stack of 36, plus one stack of 29 = 265 chips x 5k = 1.325 million
Blue – 25k:        3 stacks of 40, plus 1 stack of 32 = 152 chips x 25k = 3.8 million
White – 100k:  12 chips x 100k = 1.2 million

For a total chip stack of 6.47 million.  That’s a lotta cheddah, yo!

Level 26: Blinds 20k/40k/4k ante
2 players remaining, 5.19 mill avg (130 bb)

Stephen Diamantas got his last chips in pre-flop from the button holding , but ran into TK Miles’ .  The board changed nothing as it fell .

Stephen Diamantas busted out in 3rd place, earning $102,010.

The local pro won the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Open Championship here for $122k.  His lifetime earnings before today were $193k.

The heads-up match began with TK Miles holding 6.26 million to Andrew Batkin’s 4.12 million.