At the start of each tournament day the staff here at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open has announced to the players that a new rule is in effect that was established at the recent Poker Tournament Directors Association summit. The new rule stipulates that a player’s hand will be dead for a hand if they are not in their seat for the FIRST card dealt to the table.
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Noah Schwartz Bets Everyone Off a Pot
Four players paid a price of admission costing 1,100 preflop and the first three cards were dealt 
. All four players checked through, and they did the same after the 
fell on the turn. The 
fell on the river and Noah Schwartz bet 5,500 on the big blind. The two players to his immediate left folded and the button pondered a call but decided to fold. Schwartz was up to 68,000 after the hand and has one of the largest stacks of the notables in the field.
Field Update
The tournament field is about to reach the halfway point for the day in terms of players remaining. There are 324 left from the 622 that entered on Day 1B here at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open.
Chip Count Update
Blinds: 300-600
Ante: 75
Hans Winzeler – 55,000 (91 bb)
Ylon Schwartz – 46,000 (76 bb)
Noah Schwartz – 45,000 (75 bb)
Fred Goldberg – 35,000 (58 bb)
John Gordon – 24,000 (40 bb)
Zo Karim – 22,000 (36 bb)
Adam Levy – 21,000 (35 bb)
Donny Mizrachi – 18,000 (30 bb)
Alex Bolotin – 16,000 (26 bb)
Michael Beasley – 15,500 (25 bb)
Matthew Burnitz – 12,500 (20 bb)
Hans Winzeler Grabs a Pot
There was 7,000 in the pot and the flop read 
when the button bet 2,200 and Hans Winzeler called UTG+1. The cutoff folded and the turn was dealt 
. Both players checked and the river delivered the 
. Winzeler led out for 6,300 and the button tanked. He eventually called, but mucked his cards when Winzeler revealed 
. Hans was up to 55,000 after the hand.
Notable Late Registration List
Here is a look at the players who joined the field late but before the close of registration for Day 1B.
Adam Levy
Michael Beasley
Fred Goldberg
Hans Winzeler
Stu Patterson
Zo Karim
Donny Mizrachi
Players Lounge Open for Business
The Players Lounge will be open each day until midnight at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open adjacent to the ballroom. The room features televisions, Nintendo Wii, a pool table, couches and free beverages.
Registration Closes with over 600 Players
Cards are back in the air for Level 5 after the first break of the day and that means registration has closed. The turnout for Day 1B clocks in at 622 players, which takes the event total up to 1,257. With three more starting flights left to add players to the field, this could be one of the largest live tournaments of the year.
There are currently 480 players remaining from the 622 that entered the tournament today.
A Few Familiar Faces in the Field
It is no secret that when given the option professional poker players will choose the later start time for a tournament day that has two starting flights. Today is another case in point. After there were dozens of familiar faces on Day 1A, which started at 7 p.m. on Thursday, the notables are far and few between on Day 1B, which started at 11 a.m. this (poker) morning. Here is a look at who did make the early wake-up call at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open.
Noah Schwartz – The poker professional has won $3.5 million in live events and another half million online. He won his first major title last year on the World Poker Tour and he had a strong summer in Las Vegas where he finished runner up in a $1,500 pot-limit Omaha event and he took 52nd place in a field of 6,352 players in the $10,000 Main Event.
Ylon Schwartz – Ylon made his claim to fame in the poker world when he took fourth place at the 2008 World Series of Poker main event as a member of the November Nine. He took home $3.7 million for that score and he has traveled the tournament trail consistently since that time, pushing his all-time earnings past $4.6 million.
Alex Bolotin – Alex is a professional poker player from Brooklyn, New York who has close to $2 million in career tournament earnings. He has appeared at many final tables on the major tours and he won the Ante Up for Africa charity tournament at the World Series of Poker in 2009.
Matthew Burnitz – Burnitz found success on the World Poker Tour during Season XI. He cashed at the Borgata in Atlantic City twice. He took second place at the Borgata Poker Open, which was good for $488,850 and followed that up with a 46th place finish at the Borgata Winter Poker Open to add another $10,287.
Field Update – 400 Players
At the end of Level 1 the turnout for Day 1B of Event 1 ($350 no-limit hold’em – $500,000 guaranteed) has reached 400 players at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open.