Championship (Day 1A): 70 on Second Break

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 4: 10/200/25 Ante

The entrant count hit 70 as players head off on their second break of the day. It looks like Erik Christensen hung onto his big lead after the first break but a few more are catching up.

Stewart Newman said he didn’t want make the break and was all-in with KxTx against Queens on the last hand. He laughed when his 5,200 stack doubled up with the turn King.

Back in a big with the next round of counts.

Championship (Day 1A): Newman Joins the Gang

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 4: 100/200/25 Ante

Stewart Newman (Coral Gables, FL)
Stewart Newman (Coral Gables, FL)

Flight 1A numbers continue to move up at a steady pace and we have a Seminole Hard Rock Poker ambassador in the game.

With plenty of chips at the start, local pro Stewart Newman took his seat in the middle of the room with a fresh stack and ready to go in the early afternoon. Newman is closing in on $800,000 in career earnings including a Pot Limit Omaha title here during the Coconut Creek Summer Heat series in 2012.

His biggest cash came during the first event of the 2015 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Heart Poker Open, taking home $133,000 for his runner-up finish.

Newman’s start to the 2015 Coco Poker Open didn’t start out exactly has he imagined.

Championship (Day 1A): Toughest Seat

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 3: 75/150/25 Ante

Michael Ortiz (top left), Ian O'Hara (top middle), Blair Hinkle (top right), and John Depersio (bottom left)
Michael Ortiz (top left), Ian O’Hara (top middle), Blair Hinkle (top right), and John Depersio (bottom left)

“Tell everyone I have the toughest seat in the house,” Michael Ortiz joked in the first level.

At this point, there are no soft tables in the Championship but he had a valid argument. Ortiz had WSOP bracelet winner Blair Hinkle to his left, recent WSOP Circuit winner John Depersio on his right, and then Ian O’Hara took the seat between Ortiz and Hinkle.

A tough lineup on both sides and it didn’t end well for Ortiz. He was walking out the door midway through Level 3 but he should be back. Oritz was playing on a freeroll after picking up the end-of-flight cheaper leader bonus in Event 1.

He’s had a nice run over the last few months. Ortiz finished second in Event 1 for $42,000 and won a big-field Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Deep Stack tournament for $184,000.

Championship (Day 1A): Christensen Jumps Up Early

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 3: 75/150/25 Ante

Erik Christensen (Miami, FL)
Erik Christensen (Miami, FL)

Flight 1A hit 60 entrants during the break and we found the biggest stack in the room. Local grinder Erik Christensen had a good run over the first two levels to push his 25,000 starting stack over 80,000. Sitting in the third level with 543 big blinds, a nice luxury.

There’s still plenty of time to catch Christensen as more top players jump into action. There are four levels left to register or re-enter plus the 60-minute dinner break.

For those looking to get in the Championship on the cheap, there are two Championship Qualifiers running this evening. One at 7pm with 10 seats guaranteed and another at 9pm with another 3 seats guaranteed.

Top and notable counts:

Erik Christensen – 81,500 (543 bb)
John Spadavecchia – 59,825 (399 bb)
Trevor Doughty – 35,150 (234 bb)
John Depersio – 31,025 (207 bb)
John Holley – 28,725 (192 bb)
Blair Hinkle – 28,325 (189 bb)
Michael Wang – 25,600 (171 bb)
Michael Ortiz – 24,450 (163 bb)
Ian O’Hara – 21,200 (141 bb)
Mike Beasley – 20,125 (134 bb)
Scott Efron – 20,000 (133 bb)
Larry Klur – 19,875 (133 bb)
T.K. Miles – 16,450 (110 bb)

Championship (Day 1A): More Come In; Paterson Goes Out

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 2: 75/150

John Holley (Destin, FL)
John Holley (Destin, FL)

With this deep structure, players generally take their time getting mixed up in big pots. We’re not sure how it happened, but we witnessed Stuart Paterson making his way out of the Pavilion early in the action today.

John Holley has taken his seat in the Championship and ready for the long grind. He has a dozen tournament wins to his credit including three WSOP Circuit rings. Holley’s biggest cash game with a 3rd place finish in the 2013 WSOP Seniors Championship and his latest came last night when he final tabled the Omaha/8 event.

Championship (Day 1A): Level Up; Count Up

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 2: 75/150

Michael Wang (Livingston, NJ)
Michael Wang (Livingston, NJ)

The 1A field crossed over 50 players at the top of the first hour with more tough players getting in the game. Michael Wang is quietly grinding his spot in the 5-seat while dodging the continuous verbal stream of Scott Efron in the 4-seat.

Wang outlasted 421 other players to win the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em WSOP bracelet this summer. His title came at a tough final table which included Jason Wheeler, Amir Lehavot, Jeo Ebanks, Jason Wheeler, Bryn Kenney, and 2012 WSOP Main Event champ Greg Merson.

Championship (Day 1A): Hinkle in the House

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 1: 50/100

Blair Hinkle (Kansas City, MO)
Blair Hinkle (Kansas City, MO)

There are 46 players entered into 1A of the Championship and the field is slowly building. Thursday afternoon is always the slowest of the three starting flights and more players are beginning to arrive. With more than six hours to get in this flight, no rush.

We have another bracelet WSOP bracelet winner making his first appearance of the series. Blair Hinkle took his seat early in the flight at an interesting table that includes Michael Ortiz, Larry Klur, and a recently arrived Ian O’Hara.

Hinkle has only five career tournament victories, they just happen to be a WSOP bracelet, three WSOP Circuit rings, and $1.7 million for winning the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open in 2013. His $3.6 million in live career earnings is nice, especially when added to the $5.4 million he won during the good old days of online poker.

Championship (Day 1A): Big Game Ready

$2,500 Coco Poker Open Championship
Level 1: 50/100

The 2015 Coco Poker Open Championship is finally upon us after a week of preliminary events. Eight main tournaments have come and gone, now it’s time for the big one.

Last year’s champion was 2010 WSOP November Niner John Dolan and we expect him back today to defend. There will be other South Florida wizards playing the Championship including Stewart Newman, Ryan Van Sanford, Stuart Paterson, and perhaps a Mizrachi or two.

The Championship has a long, slow structure to give them plenty of action for their $2,500 buy-in. They will sit to 25,000 stack and play hour-long levels throughout the day. Late registration and unlimited re-entries are available until the start of Level 7 after the dinner break at 7:20pm.

Flight 1A will play ten full levels and survivors will bag up their chips for Day 2 on Sunday. This is a best stack forward event, so players unhappy with how they finish can fire off another bullet in the next flight.

Players are moving into the Pavilion as we approach the noon hour, the Championship will be underway shortly.

Schedule for October 1

Main Event Schedule

12PM: Championship Day 1A – $2,500 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)

  • $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
  • Players begin with 25,000 in tournament chips and 60-minute levels
  • Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 7
  • Day 1 will end after Level 10
  • Championship Structure Sheet

Secondary and Satellite Schedule

2PM: $75 Step Satellite into Championship Qualifier (1-in-5)

  • 20 seats guaranteed into $285 Championship Qualifer
  • Players begin with 5,000 in tournament chips and 20-minute levels
  • Late registration/re-entry available until end of Level 6
  • This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
  • $75 Championship Step Qualifier Structure Sheet

7PM: $285 Qualifier Into Championship Event (1-in-10)

  • 10 seats guaranteed into $1,000,000 Guarantee Championship Event
  • Players begin with 7,500 in tournament chips and 20-minute levels
  • Late registration/re-entry available until end of Level 6
  • This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
  • $285 Championship Event Qualifier Structure Sheet

9PM: $285 Turbo Qualifier Into Championship Event (1-in-10)

  • 3 seats guaranteed into $1,000,000 Guarantee Championship Event
  • Players begin with 7,500 in tournament chips and 15-minute levels
  • Late registration/re-entry available until end of Level 8
  • This is a one-day tournament and plays until completion
  • $285 Championship Event Qualifier Structure Sheet