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Event 5 Recap: Striano Dominates Turbo Final Table

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

No Limit Hold’em Turbo tournaments are built for those who like action in their poker game. The fast structure dictates faster play and a wider range of starting hands. Event 5 drew 89 entrants to the high octane game with a pace that was quick and constant.

It took less than seven hours of play, including a few short breaks, to go from the start to a winner. Several players took advantage of the three hours of re-entry time to build up the field size and $20,000 was up for grabs. Even with the number of entrants, the action was so fact that the tournament was never running on more than six tables at once and was down to five as registration closed.

The Turbo structure produced huge, multi-way pots with hands to be more likely gambling than to be ahead. Aces were crack, gutshots hit, but plenty of enjoyment from the players who enjoyed the structure.

The tournament was down to the final two tables in under four and a half hours and players could start thinking about making it into the money. The average chipstack hovered around 10 big blinds for the latter parts of the tournament making the pre-flop all-in move the most popular.

The final table began with Peter Striano holding a slight chiplead before he took out the first two at the final table. Striano knocked out Luke Doolittle in 9th place when his 8s 8d out raced Kh Th and followed up by taking out Ariel Rosello in 8th when his Ac Ah held up against Ks 7c.

Nigel Murray was a one-time chipleader with two tables remaining but ran into some bad luck and big hands. He quadrupled up in one hand and then lost a battle of the blinds with Andrew Friel to get sent out of the tournament in 7th place. The final big hand of the tournament had Oneil McCalla, 2013 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Event 19 winner, moving all-in from the small blind with the best hand only to be out-flopped by Bill Erwin to be eliminated in 6th place.

The final five remaining players made a quick deal after McCalla’s knockout to evenly chop up the remaining prizepool money among themselvs. Striano was the leader but also the driving force for the deal with him picking up the official victory thanks to his significant chiplead at the time.

The 43 year old amateur plays in The Poker Room at Seminole Hard Rock occasionally, most recently when he chopped the Big Slick tournament on November 10th for $19,249. The win in Event 5 adds another $3,360 to his bankroll along with the trophy and Leaderboard Challenge points.

When asked what he would do with the money, he simply said “Give it to my wife.”

Event 5 Winner, Peter Striano
Event 5 Winner, Peter Striano

Event 5 Results:

NamePayout
1stPeter Striano$3,360
2ndCasey Cohen$3,360
3rdEric Piderit$3,360
4thAndrew Frier$3,360
5thBill Erwin$3,360
6thOniel McCallo$1,100
7thNigel Murray$900
8thAriel Rosello$700
9thLuke Doolittle$500

Event 5: Peter Striano Crowned Victor

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

With such massive blinds and short stacks, the five remaining players made a deal with chipleader Peter Striano offering to chop the remaining prizepool equally for each. He would get the win, the trophy, and the Leaderboard points and the table quickly agreed to the deal giving each player $3,360.

Event 5 Winner, Peter Striano
Event 5 Winner, Peter Striano
NamePayout
1stPeter Striano$3,360
2ndCasey Cohen$3,360
3rdEric Piderit$3,360
4thAndrew Frier$3,360
5thBill Erwin$3,360
6thOniel McCallo$1,100
7thNigel Murray$900
8thAriel Rosello$700
9thLuke Doolittle$500

Event 5: Oniel McCalla eliminated in 6th ($1,100)

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

Blinds: 10k/20k/3k ante

In another battle of the blinds, Oniel McCalla shipped all in from the small blind with As 6h and Bill Erwin called in the big blind with Ad 2d. McCalla was in line for a much needed double, or at least chop, until the Jd 4d 2h flop. McCalla was unable to pull a miracle on the Kc turn or Ts river and was the next one out in 6th place for $1,100.

Oneil McCalla out in 6th
Oneil McCalla out in 6th

Event 5: Nigel Murray eliminated in 7th ($900)

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

Blinds: 8k/16k/2k ante

Nigel Murray was among the chipleaders late but was down to just 10,000 at one point of the final table. He quadrupled up before taking a shot after action folded to him in the small blind.

He shoved with 8-2 and Andrew Frier called from the big blind with A-4. Murray flopped bottom pair 6d 3d 2h and turned two pair with the 8h. Frier made a comeback on the river with the gutshot wheel 5h to knock out Murray in 7th place for $900.

Event 5 Nigel Murray
Nigel Murray out in 7th

Event 5: Ariel Rosello eliminated in 8th ($700)

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

Blinds: 8k/16k/2k ante

Ariel Rosello was a short stack over most of the final two tables and did well to make it into the money then climb the payout ladder. Shortly after Doolittle’s knockout, Rosello moved all-in under the gun for just more than the big blind. Casey Cohen called from the cutoff before Peter Striano raised from the button. Cohen joked about suited cards before Striano rolled over Ac Ah to dominate Rosello’s Ks 7c.

The Kc 3c 3s gave a little hope to Rosello but the 8c turn and 9h river ended his tournament in 8th place for $700.

Event 5 Ariel Rosello
Ariel Rosello out in 8th

Event 5: Luke Doolittle eliminated in 9th ($500)

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

Blinds: 6k/12k/2k ante

Action picked up once the money bubble was burst and Luke Doolittle pushed his eight big blinds all-in early with Kh Th and was called  in the next position by Peter Striano with 8s 8d. The board ran out 9c 4h 4s 9s 2s and Striano took the pot with the bigger two pair. Doolittle was knockout in 9th place for $500.

Luke Doolittle out in 9th
Luke Doolittle out in 9th

Event 5: Final Table Underway

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

Blinds: 5k/10k/1k ante

It took longer than expected but the final table is underway after some tight, 10-handed bubble play. All players at the final table are in the money and we will have chips counts as soon as possible.

Seat 1: Bill Erwin
Seat 2: Casey Cohen
Seat 3: Luke Doolittle
Seat 4: Peter Striano
Seat 5: Nigel Murray
Seat 6: Andrew Frier
Seat 7: Ariel Rosello
Seat 8: Eric Piderit
Seat 9: Oneil McCalla

Event 5: Flopping Good

$200 + $40 No Limit Hold’em Deep Stack Turbo

Blinds: 1.2k/2.4k/400 ante

At the current pace, Event 5 might be complete before sundown. There are 20 left in the tournament and one of those flopped well to stay alive.

Pushing under the gun during this tournament isn’t a question of picking up the blinds/antes or if you get called, it’s about the number of people who call. The 6-seat at Table 39 was lucky to get heads up preflop when he shoved with Ah 7h to see he was behind the button’s As Kc but that didn’t last long.

The dealer slow pealed Th 6h 4h to flop him the mortal nuts to stay alive.

Players are on a short 5-minute break to race off the black chips and then back at it.

"Check these nuts"
“Check these nuts”