Championship Day 2: Shawn Nguyen Leads with 1 Million

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 19:  4,000/8,000/1,000 Ante

Jessica Dawley Tiara and Chips
Jessica Dawley’s chip stack is protected by a tiara that was bequeathed to her by a friend at the start of play today.

The players return from break to begin Level 19, with increased blinds of 4,000-8,000 and a 1,000 ante. With 67 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 43 big blinds.

The field is in the money, guaranteed at least $7,108 each. The next pay jump is $8,089 for 63rd place.

Action will continue until the end of Level 20, around 12:15 am.

We scanned the field during the dinner break to find all the chip stacks with at least 600,000 in chips:

1.  Shawn Nguyen  –  1,005,000  (126 bb)
2.  Zhenjie Hou  –  928,000  (116 bb)
3.  Staffan Lind  –  889,000  (111 bb)
4.  Marvin Rettenmaier  –  881,000  (110 bb)
5.  Kobi Ribak  –  717,000  (90 bb)
6.  David Farber  –  714,000  (89 bb)
7.  Jessica Dawley  –  660,000  (83 bb)
8.  David Prociak  –  617,000  (77 bb)
9.  Nick Yunis  –  615,000  (77 bb)

Championship Day 2: Jason Mercier vs. Zhenjie Hou

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 18:  3,000/6,000/1,000 Ante

Shortly after the Money Bubble burst, Zhenjie Hou and Jason Mercier took a pot to the turn on a board of 9s6s4c7d. Hou bet 130,000, and Mercier called.

The river card was the 8d, and both players checked. Hou showed 6d6c for a flopped set of sixes to win the pot, and Mercier mucked. Hou breathed a sigh of relief, saying he was worried about a ten. Mercier asked if Hou would’ve folded if Mercier had shoved the river, and Hou said it would have been a tough decision.

Zhenjie Hou  –  850,000  (142 bb)
Jason Mercier  –  345,000  (58 bb)

Championship Day 2: In the Money Without Hand-for-Hand Play

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 18:  3,000/6,000/1,000 Ante

With 74 players remaining, a player got it all in preflop with A-6 against the 8d8c of Peter Walsworth. An eight on the flop all but sealed it for Walsworth, who won the pot to eliminate his opponent in 74th place.

Peter Walsworth  –  400,000  (67 bb)

The tournament staff announced for all tables to finish the current hand and then stop to begin hand-for-hand play.

But one of those hands in progress resulted in an all-in-and-a-call situation. And the shorter stack lost. Which meant there were 72 players remaining.

When all hands concluded, the tournament staff announced that everyone was in the money, guaranteed at least $7,108.

The next pay jump is $8,089 for 63rd place, and action is scheduled to continue until the end of Level 20, around 12:15 am.

Championship Day 2: David Farber Doubles Thru Jonathan Lagace-Bastien

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 18:  3,000/6,000/1,000 Ante

Jonathan Lagace-Bastien and David Farber
Jonathan Lagace-Bastien (left) and David Farber

With 76 players remaining (only 72 finish in the money), a player was eliminated when his AhKd failed to hold up against 9h9c. They were all in preflop, and the board came KcJd7s10c8d — the ace-king flopped a king, but the pocket nines caught a runner-runner jack-high straight.

Ouch.

After another elimination (74 players remaining), there was a big pot between Jonathan Lagace-Bastien and David Farber.

After a flop of 7d5h4d, Nick Yunis bet 16,000 from the small blind, Lagace-Bastien called from the cutoff, and Farber raised from the button to 50,000. Yunis folded, and Lagace-Bastien tanked for a while before he called.

The turn was the Ks, Lagace-Bastien checked, Farber bet 65,000, and Lagace-Bastien tanked for a while before he moved all in.

Now it was Farber’s turn to go in the tank, and he was in there for a long time before he called all in for 292,000 with 9d6d (nine-high flush draw with an open-ended straight draw). Lagace-Bastien turned over 5d2d for a lower flush draw with a pair of fives, and he was — at the moment — in the lead.

The river card was — the 3h.

Farber rivered a seven-high straight to win the pot and double up in chips, just two spots away from the money.

David Farber  –  750,000  (125 bb)
Jonathan Lagace-Bastien  –  230,000  (38 bb)

With 74 players remaining, the field is one spot away from beginning hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble.

Event 9: Bubble Burst, Two Tables Left

$350 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 16: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante

The bubble has burst in Event 9 and Jose Manso is the victim.

With Manso down to just a few big blinds and in the big blind, David Albertson put him all-in.  It was not good news for Manso as Albertson turned up JhJs and Manso could only muster Tc6d. The board ran out 3c5s7d5dKs putting Manso out of the tournament and the rest of the field into the money.

Eighteen players remain and here are the seating assignments for the remaining players:

Table 47
Seat 1: Richard Vargas
Seat 2: David Albertson
Seat 3: Mike Graffeo
Seat 4: Raminder Singh
Seat 5: David Brightman
Seat 6: Marc Sacheli
Seat 7: Nick Blackburn
Seat 8: Jason Kwartler
Seat 9: Lou Stadler

Table 48
Seat 1: Steve Zaritsky
Seat 2: Joseph Duchman
Seat 3: Angelo Castaldi
Seat 4: Dave Olshan
Seat 5: Adam Bienstock
Seat 6: Sheldon Gross
Seat 7: Juan Endara
Seat 8: Jason Goch
Seat 9: Alberto Silva

Jose Manso
Jose Manso

Championship Day 2: Nearing the Money Bubble

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 18:  3,000/6,000/1,000 Ante

Phil Laak and the Final 90 or so Players
Phil Laak can be seen in the bottom left of this photo, taken with approximately 90 players remaining.

With 76 players remaining, the field is just a couple spots away from the Money Bubble. Here’s a look at the payouts:

1st:  $568,687
2nd:  $330,912
3rd:  $202,224
4th:  $166,682
5th:  $134,816
6th:  $110,304
7th:  $88,243
8th:  $67,408
9th:  $46,573
10th-12th:  $30,640
13th-15th:  $22,061
16th-18th:  $15,197
19th-27th:  $12,991
28th-36th:  $11,521
37th-45th:  $10,295
46th-54th:  $9,069
55th-63rd:  $8,089
64th-72nd:  $7,108

Championship Day 2: Level 18 Begins (76 Left)

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 18:  3,000/6,000/1,000 Ante

Level 17 comes to an end, and Level 18 begins with increased blinds of 3,000-6,000 and a 1,000 ante. Play continues without a break.

With 76 players remaining, the average chip stack is about 302,000 (50 big blinds). The final 72 players will finish in the money, guaranteed at least $7,108.

Action will continue tonight until the end of Level 20 (about 12:15 am).

Championship Day 2: Brandon Caputo Eliminated by Debbie LaVigne

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 17:  2,500/5,000/500 Ante

Debbie LaVigne
Debbie LaVigne

Debbie LaVigne raised from middle position to 14,000, Brandon Caputo called all in from middle position for 9,000, and Phil Laak called from the cutoff. There was 10,000 in the side pot, and any further betting between LaVigne and Laak would go into the side pot.

Both players checked to the river on a board of Ad8s3cJc3h, and LaVigne bet 25,000. Laak folded, and LaVigne took the side pot.

Caputo showed Kc5d for king high, and it was no good as LaVigne turned over QhJd to win the pot with a pair of jacks. Caputo was eliminated in about 87th place.

Debbie LaVigne  –  290,000  (58 bb)
Phil Laak  –  304,000  (61 bb)
Brandon Caputo  –  Eliminated

Championship Day 2: Phil Laak Doubles Thru Brandon Caputo

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 17:  2,500/5,000/500 Ante

Phil Laak
Phil Laak

Phil Laak was all in from the small blind for 155,000 with KsKh, and he needed his hand to hold to stay alive against the QhJh of Brandon Caputo in the cutoff.

The board came 7c5s4h3dAs, and the pocket kings held up for Laak to win the pot and double up in chips, knocking Caputo down to two big blinds in the process.

Phil Laak  –  319,500  (64 bb)
Brandon Caputo  –  10,000  (2 bb)