$1,500 + $100 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Championship Event (Re-Entry)
Blinds: 12k/24k/4k ante
5 players remaining, 1.2 million avg (50 bb)

Which of the final five players will take the top spot on the pay grid? We’ll find out as play resumes.

Name-Chip Count

Stephen Diamantas 2.486 million (104 bb)
Cord Garcia 1.265 million (53 bb)
Steven Korfonta 1.212 million (51 bb)
Ryan Sponaugle 596k (25 bb)
Josh Miller 462k (19 bb)

Continue reading Championship Event: Five for Fighting at Hard Rock Tampa →

$1,500 + $100 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Championship Event (Re-Entry)
Blinds: 12k/24k/4k ante
5 players remaining, 1.2 million avg (50 bb)

The players are taking a 30 minute break (was a scheduled one hour break but they voted to cut it in half). The final five players and their updated chip counts are as follows:

Seat 1: Cord Garcia 1.265 million
Seat 2: Ryan Sponaugle 596K
Seat 3: Steven Korfonta 1.212 million
Seat 4: Josh Miller 462K
Seat 5: Stephen Diamantas 2.486 million
https://twitter.com/RyanSponaugle/status/412475972949385216

$1,500 + $100 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Championship Event (Re-Entry)
Blinds: 10k/20k/3k ante
5 players remaining, 1.2 million avg (60 bb)

Allen Kessler opened the action for 40K from early position and it was folded to Cord Garcia in the big blind. Cord thought for twenty seconds before announcing he was all in. Kessler didn’t hesitate and made the call but not before proclaiming “here comes the bad beat” while turning over pocket Jacks. Garcia had and would hit on the flop. The turn would give Kessler an inside straight draw with the but the river was not of any help as it was the . Kessler adds almost 20K to his over 2.75 million in lifetime tournament earnings.

Ugh lost a million chip flip 6 handed v @CordGarcia jj < ak out in 6th @SHRTPoker @WPTRegional main event.

— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler) December 16, 2013

$1,500 + $100 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Championship Event (Re-Entry)
Blinds: 8k/16k/2k ante
6 players remaining, 1 million avg (63 bb)

David deBoer (Winter Haven, FL) is all in for 400k with against the of Stephen Diamantas.

Diamantas gets the knockout when an Ace flops and the board runs out .

deBoer finishes in 7th place for $14,674 and is his second deep run at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. He won the 2012 WPT Regional here for $128,000.

Diamantas now has 1.425 million chips.

$1,500 + $100 + $50 No Limit Hold’em Championship Event (Re-Entry)
Blinds: 8k/16k/2k ante

A short stacked Brandon Vasapolle moved all in under the gun and it was folded to Allen Kessler in the big blind. Kessler stated that “I only looked at one” and called and turned over an Ace. Cord Garcia laughed and said “no way you looked at just one” and revealed Kessler’s other card… an 8 for . Brandon had pocket 5’s and would fall way behind when an Ace flopped for Allen. The board would run out and Vasapolle is our 8th place finisher.

Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open
Event 11: $220 No Limit Hold’em
December 15, 2013

Entries: 132
Prize Pool: $23,100

1st Place

$175 + $25 +$20 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

$175 + $25 +$20 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

Wilmar Gil had the chip lead when the final four players make a deal that gives him the win in the the final event of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open tournament series. Gil chops with James Darcangelis, Donald Lyerly and Wally Maddah.

Gil’s biggest hand came on the bubble when a player moves all in for 87k and Gil had pocket Aces to get the knockout and send the remaining 13 players into the money.

“Christmas money,” said Gil as he counts his $4,147 first place prize, “not bad for $18.”

Gil took advantage of the recent cash game promotion and used his WPT bucks to cover most of his entry fee into the tournament.

“Put your hours in,” said Gil, “they add up.”

For Gil,  Darcangelis and Lyerly it’s their first recorded tournament cash. While Maddah picks up his third cash of the series after just missing the final table in the Seniors (Event 5) and the $165 (Event 6).

$175 + $25 +$20 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

$175 + $25 +$20 No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)