WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

 Level3:  Blinds 75/150/25 ante
Entries: 151

If they build a Mount Rushmore of Stax Lounge poker players, Jules Zwail (Tamarac) would be the first face carved into the side of Coconut Creek.

“I was born into poker and I’ll die out of it,” says the 93-year-old Stax mainstay.

Zwail calls him self a “snow bird,” who spends 8 months a year in Florida to get away from the Oceanside, NY cold.

“When I get back, the first place I go is to the poker room to see what games are going,” laughs Zwail, who earned a $2,000 bonus for logging 300+ cash hours, the most during last year’s promotional month.

Zwail is playing in the Lucky Hearts Championship Event and paid only $60 for his seat after winning a satellite into one of the Mega Satellites, a two-step process into Day 1A of the WPT.

“I’ve played every game conceivable,” says the retired NYPD officer who proudly shows off his ID badge. “I once saved a guy off the Brooklyn Bridge.”

Zwail is hovering around the 30k starting stack and has a great perspective on the game.

“I let the chips fall where they may and if they’re near me, so be it.”

And Zwail adds that if he gets a piece of the $1 Million Guaranteed prize pool that he’ll be sure to take care of his Stax Poker Lounge dealers who he considers family.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Level 3: Blinds 75/150/25 ante
Entries: 142

Players are back from their first break of the day. A look at some Twitter traffic:

Lucky Hearts WPT at @STAX_Poker. 30k starting down to 12k. Byron Kaverman knows how to put chips in the pot better than most.

— Adam Levy (@Roothlus) February 7, 2014

Just regd the @STAX_Poker WPT ME – Didn’t get a very good table draw – @gostatego3 is right.

— Stewart Newman (@stnewman) February 7, 2014

 

Day 1a of #WPTcoconutcreek @STAX_Poker with @ChancesCards @szakheim at the table

— Darryll Fish (@DarryllFish) February 7, 2014

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Level 2: Blinds 75/150
Entries: 130

While the WPT Live Stream doesn’t take place until the final table, the World Poker Tour may want to set up the equipment now on Table 6.

It will take some time to compile the list of live and online accomplishments, so for now we’ll let you know that this table is stacked.

Jesse Cohen (Ardmore, PA) says “I don’t know the order, but I hope it (the table) breaks first.”

Seat-Name

1 -Open-
2 Jared Jaffee
3 Orlando Lorenzo
4 Joe McKeehen
5 Ryan Fair
6 Andy Pham
7 George Dolofan
8 Jesse Cohen
9 Eric Blair

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Level 1: Blinds 50/100
Entries: 114

Some of the familiar faces in the field:

Jesse Cohen
Tony Dunst
Fred Goldberg
Jared Jaffee
Byron Kaverman
Allen Kessler
Chance Kornuth
Alan Kraut
Michael Laake
Sonny Lee
Dimas Martinez
Aaron Massey
Joe McKeehen
Robert “Uncle Krunk” Panitch
David Paredes
Andy Pham
Jamie Rosen
TJ Shulman
John Spadavecchia
Michael Tait
Anthony Zinno

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

Level 1: Blinds 50/100
Entries: 92

The WPT hosts Vince Van Patten & Tony Dunst, along with Royal Flush Girls Tugba & Angelique, kick things off with the magic words.

“Shuffle up and Deal!”

The field starts with 30k in chips and 60 min levels.  Registration and re-entry is open through the dinner break with the cage closing at ~7:20 pm.

Flight B is 12 pm Saturday.

The action is underway at Coconut Creek.

Today’s Events

Main Events

12 pm – Flight A: $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship

• $1 Million Guaranteed Prize Pool
• 30k Starting Stack
• 60 min levels (Days 2 & 3, 90 min)
• Registration & Re-Entry for 6 levels (cage closes at ~7:20 pm)
• Flight B: 12 pm Saturday, February 8th
• Full Structure Details & Days 2-4 Schedule

3 pm – Day 2 Restart, Event 9 – $1,650 Purple Chip Bounty

6 pm – Event 11 – $200 Double Green Chip Bounty No Limit Hold’em (Re-entry)

• 6k Starting Stack
• 30 minute levels
• Registration & Re-entry closes at ~8:10 pm
• Full Structure Details

Satellites

3 pm – $390 Mega into Champ Event ($1 Million Guaranteed prize pool)

• 2 Seats Guaranteed
• 7,500 Starting Stack
• 30 minute levels
• Full Structure Details

8 pm –  $390 Turbo Mega into Champ Event ($1 Million Guaranteed prize pool)

• 1 Seat Guaranteed
• 7,500 Starting Stack
• 15 minute levels
• Full Structure Details

$1,650 Six-Max Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-entry)

They were unable to burst the money bubble, so the remaining 10 players will return at 3 pm to get into the money and play it out for the trophy. Joey Weissman holds a slight edge over Micah Raskin and Harrison Gimbel for the chip lead. It’s going to be a tough final 10 as it contains players such as Farid Jattin, Victor Figueroa, Ryan D’Angelo, and Jake Schwartz. Here is how the final ten sit in chips and who they will be sitting with when they return:

$1,650 Six-Max Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-entry)

Blinds 600/1,200 Ante 200

We are down to 10 players and are playing hand for hand until we make the money or the end of this level, which ever comes first – at that time, they will bag and tag for the evening. Among those still playing are Victor Figueroa, Ryan D’Angelo, Seth Berger, Jake Schwartz, Harrison Gimbel, Joey Weissman, and Farid Jattin.

$1,650 Six-Max Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-entry)

Blinds 500/1K Ante 100

And just like that we are down to 2 tables, 12 players, just 3 spots away from the money.  Among those who have hit the rail in the last hour are Ronit Chamani, Darryl Fish, Brian Hastings and Nick Schwarmann.

$1,650 Six-Max Purple Chip Bounty NLH (Re-entry)

Blinds 400/800 Ante 100

We have a little less than 10 minutes in this level as play starts to wind down for the evening and there are 23 players remaining including Ryan D’Angelo, Ronit Chamani, Darryl Fish and a table that includes Brian Hastings, Nick Schwarmann, Seth Berger, Jake Schwartz and Joey Weissman. The field is definitely leaning on the younger side, which is not a surprise in a 6-Max tournament.

We’ll have full chip counts and names of the remaining players when play has wrapped up for the evening.