Winter Open

Event 8: Donkin’ it Up

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack TURBO (Re-Entry)
Level : Blinds 2,500/5k/500 ante
24 players remaining, 98k avg (19 bb)

Sheldon Z & Ricky C
Sheldon Z & Ricky C

“The big donkey just beat the bigger donkey,” laughs Ricky Carter (Wesley Chapel), who doubles through Sheldon Z.

Carter is all in with pocket Queens against Sheldon’s  Jd Td , who says, “it’s a donation.”

While Carter is from the Tampa area, he prefers to claim Hard Rock Tampa as his home. “I represent Seminole,” he says proudly as this turbo continues to buzz along.

Event 8: Mack Attack with a Big Stack

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack TURBO (Re-Entry)
Level 15 : Blinds 1,500/3k/500 ante
33 players remaining, 72k avg (24 bb)

McMackin & Barbour
McMackin & Barbour

Mack McMackin (Lecanto) is happy to have one of the bigger chip stacks at 148k as players return from break.  But he’s just as happy to be playing with Natasha Barbour (Bradenton).

“She’s always in the limelight,” says McMackin, “you should be talking to her.” That’s exactly what did here in Wednesday’s tournament coverage. 

Here’s a recap; Barbour has $115,000 in live recorded career tournament earnings, with 5 career wins, including in the 6-Max here at Hard Rock Tampa in September.

But for now she’s trying to keep up with McMackin’s stack.

Big Stacks

Anonymous 178k (59 bb)
Hristos Tsironia 165k
Mack McMackin 148k

Event 8: 100k Chip Stacks in Tampa Poker Room

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack TURBO (Re-Entry)
Level 12: Blinds  800/1,600/200 ante
50 players remaining, 47k avg (29 bb)

Hristos Happy to be at 100k
Hristos Happy to be at 100k

The big stacks have more than 100k, including the chip leader who is a little camera shy.

The player wishes to stay anonymous with 120k, while Hristos Tsironia (Orlando), is proud to show off his 100k stack.

Tsironis is originally from Greece and says he’s in the Hard Rock Tampa Poker Room “everyday,” as it’s just a 55 minute drive from his part of Orlando.

Event 8: Cage Closed, 90+

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack TURBO (Re-Entry)
Level 9: Blinds  400/800/100 ante

The cage is closed as players return from the first break of the day.

No more re-entry, no more second chances, no more bullets. Players are locked and loaded for the long haul.

More than 90 players are in the field and first place will be more than $5,000. Once the numbers are verified we’ll post the payouts.

Event 8: Just Joe

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack TURBO (Re-Entry)
Level 8: Blinds 300/600/75

Player (center) Can't Believe his Count and Busted, as did Player on his Left
Player (center) Can’t Believe his Count and Busted, as did Player on his Left

“Just Joe,” says the player stacking chips after a double knockout against two players who also wish to keep a low profile.

On a board of Qc5c9h, player 1 moves all in for 11k and a second player calls. Joe says, “I’m all in” and has both players covered, prompting the second player to call as well.

Joe: AhQs (top pair, top kicker)
Player 1: KdQh (top pair, worse kicker)
Player 2: Jc10c (flush draw, OE straight draw)

Joe fades the turn and river to take the pot and is now up to 55k.

“If I win you can take my picture,” laughs Joe who claims to be from Lakeland.

This is the last level for entry before heading to break, the window closes at 1:15 pm

Event 8: Hard Rock Tampa Poker Perfect on Guarantees

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack TURBO (Re-Entry)
Level 5: Blinds 150/300/25 ante

The $10,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool has been met with 80+ entries in the field and there’s still more than one hour to register.

That makes players 8 for 8 in Guarantees for the the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open tournament series.

That’s $270,000 for $270,000  in Guarantees, including nearly doubling the guarantees in two events.

EventGuaranteeTotal Prize Pool
5$25,000$45,500
6$40,000$76,325

2 pm Satellite

$165 + $25 + $10 NLH (Re-Entry)
2 Seats to $1,650 Championship Event Guaranteed

The next chance to grab your seat into the WPT Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open Championship (Dec 13-15) is at 2 pm.

Late last night a couple of players punched their tickets in the 7 pm Satellite and posted updates on Twitter:

 

 

Event 8: Zoooooming Along

$175 + $25 + $20 NLH Deep Stack Turbo (Re-Entry)
Level 1: Blinds 50/100
$10,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

Not only is this Day 7 of the Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open tournament series (where does the time go!?!?), but it’s the second turbo event of the schedule.

That means lots of action as blinds go up every 15 minutes, but this time around it’s a Deep Stack with a 25k starting stack.

Registration and re-entry is open for two hours of play and through the 15 minute break, putting the last chance buy-in at ~1:15 pm.

And like all the events of the series, the winner, in addition to the prize money, gets entry into the WPT Hard Rock Tampa Winter Poker Open Championship (Dec 13-15).

Action is underway and blinds about to go up!

Today’s Events: Thursday, December 12th

TODAY’S EVENTS in the Poker Room

11AM:  Event 8:  $175 + $25 + $20 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack TURBO Re-Entry
 $10,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

  • Players start with 25,000 in tournament chips
  • Levels will last 15 minutes each
  • Registration is open for the first two (2) hours
  • Players that bust within the first two (2) hours may Re-Enter the tournament as a new player
  • Winner of this event will also receive $1,650 entry into WPT Hard Rock Tampa Bay Winter Poker Open Championship (Dec 13-15)
    Structure Event 8

7PM:  Event 9:  $175 + $25 + $20 Seniors 50+ No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
$25,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool

  • Players start with 10,000 in tournament chips
  • Levels will last 30 minutes each
  • Registration is open for the first two (2) hours
  • Players that bust within the first two (2) hours may Re-Enter the tournament as a new player
  • Winner of this event will also receive $1,650 entry into WPT Hard Rock Tampa Bay Winter Poker Open Championship (Dec 13-15)
    Structure Event 9