$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed

Good morning from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood poker room! Saturday’s play begins in a few hours with the first of two starting flights scheduled for the day. The 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. flights are sure to be the largest two of the tournament’s six start days and are expected to help push the combined prize pool toward the $500,000 mark.

Here’s a look at the full schedule:

11AM: $560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed – Flight E

• 20,000-chip starting stacks and 30-/40-minute levels
• Late registration/unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 9 (about 3:30 p.m.)
• Play concludes following Level 14 (about 6:45 p.m.)
• Structure sheet

6PM: $560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed – Flight F

• 20,000-chip starting stacks and 30-/40-minute levels
• Late registration/unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 9 (about 10:30 p.m.)
• Play concludes following Level 14 (about 1:45 a.m.)
• Structure sheet

Periodic updates — including final registration figures and end-of-night chip counts — will be posted right here at SHRPO.com. Additionally, complete chip counts through Flight D will be posted shortly after 9 a.m.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed

Friday’s Flight C and D have concluded and all eyes are on Saturday’s Flight E and F. The field is already on pace to best the $400,000 guarantee, but Saturday’s flights are expected to help push the prize pool up even further toward the $500,000 mark.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s upcoming schedule:

• 11AM: $560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed – Flight E
• 6PM: $560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed – Flight F

Schedule and Structure Sheet

Goodnight and see you in the morning!

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 14: 1,200/2,400/400 Ante

Flight D is a wrap here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood. Play began at 6 p.m. with a field of 152 entries that’s now down to just 26.

Those who played their way through 14 levels have earned a Day 2 berth. Leading the way in Flight D was David Bradshaw who claimed 297,000 chips to take the overall chip lead through four flights. Complete, combined chip counts will be posted in the morning. In the meantime, more on the $1M Escalator Series is available in the posts below.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 9: 400/800/100 Ante
Players Remaining: 87/152

Cards are back in the air following the second break of the night and registration is closed in Flight D. The field stands at 152 entries bringing the four-flight total to 617 with Saturday’s Flight E and Flight F still to come:

Flight-by-flight breakdown:

Chip Counts through Flight B

The clock in Flight D currently shows 87 players remaining with play set to conclude shortly after 1:45 a.m. Complete, updated chip counts will be posted around 9 a.m. Saturday.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 14: 1,200/2,400/400 Ante
Players Remaining: 26/140

Bagged up 90k on 1 bullet in the $560/$400k @SHRThePokerRoom Escalator Event.
Day 2 Sunday#SeminoleHardRockPoker

— Shed Rock (@Sheddy88) February 27, 2016

The clock reads 00:00 in Level 14 and Flight C of the $1M Escalator Series has concluded. Flight C was the third of six starting days and kicked off the weekend sessions in the $560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed tournament. Following nearly eight hours of play, Alton Mendleson emerged from the 140-entry starting field to bag the chip lead. Mendleson claims 258,500 and holds the advantage over 26 advancers.

It may be Mendleson who leads, but it’s the likes of Seminole Hard Rock Poker team member Sheddy Siddiqui, Fort Lauderdale pro Nancy Birnbaum and last month’s Coco Poker Showdown Main Event champion Stu Patterson who headline the advancing field. While all who bagged Flight C are off until play resumes Sunday, a number of other players are still jockeying for a spot among the Day 2 field. Here’s a look at the remaining flights:

• Flight D – Underway (Late reg until 10:30 p.m.)
• Flight E – Saturday @ 11 a.m.
• Flight F – Saturday @ 6 p.m.

We will update you again when registration closes in tonight’s 6 p.m. Flight D. Day 2 chip counts through Flight D will be posted in the morning shortly after 9 a.m.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 1: 25/50

It’s 6 p.m. and Flight D of the $1M Escalator Series $400,000 guaranteed event is off and running. Flight C is set to wrap shortly and Flight D picks up right where it left off.

Players begin with 20,000 chips and are set to log 14, 30-minute levels on Day 1. Late registration/unlimited re-entry is available until the start of Level 9.

Flight D breakdown:

6PM: $560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed – Flight D

• 20,000-chip starting stacks and 30-/40-minute levels
• Late registration/unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 9 (about 10:30 p.m.)
• Play concludes following Level 14 (about 1:45 a.m.)
• Structure sheet

The next Flight D update will come following Level 8 when registration closes and the field size is finalized. We will take a closer look at Flight C shortly after play concludes at 6:45 p.m.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 9: 400/800/100 Ante
Players Remaining: 81/140

Registration is closed in today’s Flight C of the $1M Escalator Series $400,000 guaranteed event. The third of six starting flights, Flight C drew a field of 140 entries bringing the three-flight total to 465 putting the tournament well on pace to best its $400,000 guarantee.

Flight-by-flight breakdown:

Chip Counts through Flight B

The Flight C clock reads 81 players remaining. They’ll play until about 6:45 p.m. local time and all those fortunate enough to advance return for Day 2 Sunday at 2 p.m.

We will take another look at Flight C when play concludes.

We won!!! #SeminoleHardRockPoker #AmericanPokerAwards pic.twitter.com/1YEi45Z2Jb

— Tony Burns (@BadBeat_Burns) February 26, 2016

The 2nd Annual GPI American Poker Awards took place yesterday at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood was fortunate enough to be nominated among some tough competition in three categories:

• Event of the Year Buy-in Over $2,000 ($3,500 SHRP Showdown Championship)
• Poker Innovation or Initiative of the Year (Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Big 4)
• Industry Person of the Year (Director of Poker Operations Bill Mason).

While the Poker Innovation of the Year and Industry Person of the Year went the way of other, very worthy, individuals, the Seminole Hard Rock was honored and humbled to earn the Event of the Year award for the 2015 $3,500 SHRP Showdown Championship. Accepting the honor on behalf of the Seminole Hard Rock were Director of Poker Operations, Bill Mason, and Tournament Director Tony Burns.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Level 1: 25/50

The clock strikes 11 a.m. and the weekend is underway in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood poker room. Cards are freshly in the air for Flight C of Event 4 of the $1M Escalator Series, a $560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed tournament. As of Flight B, the field stands at 325 entries putting the prize pool at an unofficial $162,500 and growing.

Here’s a look at how today’s Flight C plays out:

11AM: $560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed – Flight C

• 20,000-chip starting stacks and 30-/40-minute levels
• Late registration/unlimited re-entry available until the start of Level 9 (about 3:30 p.m.)
• Play concludes following Level 14 (about 6:45 p.m.)
• Structure sheet

We will touch base with you again when registration closes and the final attendance figure is verified. In the meantime, complete chip counts through Flight B are available one post below.

$1M Escalator Series
$560 Buy-In, $400,000 Guaranteed
Day 2 Blinds: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante
Players Remaining: 67/325

Flight A: 175 Entries, 39 Advanced
Flight B: 150 Entries, 28 Advanced
Flight C: Friday at 11 a.m.
Flight D: Friday at 6 p.m.
Flight E: Saturday at 11 a.m.
Flight F: Saturday at 6 p.m.

Updated Totals, 325 Entries, 67 Advanced

Chip counts through Flight B: