$1M Escalator Series

The $1M Escalator Series runs February 3-28 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla. The four-tournament event boasts $150, $250, $350 and $560 buy-ins with increasing guarantees whose sums equal $1,000,000.

The $150 series opening event ran February 3-6 and saw Eric Rivkin best a field of 1,250 entries following a heads-up chop to score better than $33,000 along with a $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat.

Upcoming $1M Escalator Series events:

$250 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed: February 10-13

• Structure sheet

$350 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed: February 18-21

• Structure sheet

$560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed: February 25-28

• Structure sheet

Completed events:

February 3-6: $150 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed

Eric Rivkin defeated a field of 1,250 to earn $33,970 and a $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat

Winner’s report |  Updates |  Final results

2016 $1,000,000 Escalator Series
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
Hollywood, Fla.
$150 No Limit Hold’em ($100,000 Guaranteed)
Entries: 1,250
Prize Pool: $150,000
February 3-6, 2016

Hollywood, Fla. (February 7, 2016) — The first of four $1,000,000 Escalator Series events concluded at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino early Sunday morning. Claiming the title in the $150 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed event was professional poker player Eric Rivkin. In addition to the Escalator Series trophy, Rivkin pocketed $33,970, a $3,500 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown seat and a $250 seat in next week’s Escalator tournament following a heads-up chop.

The opening weekend event drew a field of 1,250 entries besting the guarantee handily before topping the prize pool out at $150,000. With nine starting flights, Rivkin was among 129 players to survive an opening day of play and punch his ticket to Day 2. Only the top 72 spots paid and play narrowed to that point following about four levels of play in the restart. Joining Rivkin in the money were notables such as start-of-day chip leader Brian Nerney (5th), reigning SHRP Player of the Year Ory Hen (13th) and Ido Ashkenzi (15th).

The Escalator Series runs throughout February and features three additional tournaments — a $250 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed, a $350 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed and a $560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed. The sum of the guarantees equals $1,000,000.

Here’s a breakdown of the tournaments:

• February 10-13: $250 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed
• February 18-21: $350 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed
• February 25-28: $560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed

The victory in the Week 1 event marked Rivkin’s fifth career tournament victory and moved him to over $440,000 in earnings. He resides in East Hampton, N.Y.

Week 1 final table results:

1st: Eric Rivkin – $33,970 + $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat
2nd: Reynel Hernandez – $25,390 + $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat
3rd: Luis Sandoval – $14,410
4th: Claudio Kalili – $9,760
5th: Brian Nerney – $6,890
6th: Mohan Navani – $5,410
7th: Edmund Farhat – $4,230
8th: Elliott Zaydman – $3,200
9th: Maria Garrido – $2,315

Payouts include $250 Escalator Series Week 2 seat

Full Results

$1M Escalator Series: $150 Buy-In, $100,000 Guaranteed
Level 30: 15,000/50,000/100,000
Players: 1/1,250

The first of four Escalator Series events concluded with a heads-up deal at the stroke of midnight here at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, FL. The $150 buy-in, $100,000 guaranteed tournament drew a field of 1,250 entries smashing the targeted prize pool before topping out at $150,000.

Following four days of tournament action, Eric Rivkin from East Hampton, NY pocketed the top prize along with a $3,500 seat in the SHRP Showdown Championship and an Escalator Series trophy.

More on the victory will be posted in the morning. In the meantime, here’s a look at the final table results:

1st: Eric Rivkin – $33,970 + $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat
2nd: Reynel Hernandez – $25,390 + $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat
3rd: Luis Sandoval – $14,410
4th: Claudio Kalili – $9,760
5th: Brian Nerney – $6,890
6th: Mohan Navani – $5,410
7th: Edmund Farhat – $4,230
8th: Elliott Zaydman – $3,200
9th: Maria Garrido – $2,315

The Escalator Series continues throughout the month of February with three more events:

• February 10-13: $250 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed
• February 18-21: $350 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed
• February 25-28: $560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed

More on the tournaments is available by clicking the “Download Tournament Schedule (PDF)” link.

Thanks for playing and we hope to see you again starting February 10!

$1M Escalator Series: $150 Buy-In, $100,000 Guaranteed
Level 27: 5,000/25,000/50,000
Players: 10/1,250

The 129-player restart in the Escalator Series opening event is down to 10 players and combined to the unofficial final table.

Seating assignments and chip counts:

Seat 1: Elliott Zaydman – 1.05M
Seat 2: Claudio Kalili – 2.485M
Seat 3: Mohan Navani –  940,000
Seat 4: Brian Nerney – 1.03M
Seat 5: Bryan Hooker – 285,000
Seat 6: Reynel Hernandez – 430,000
Seat 7: Edward Farhat – 1.115M
Seat 8: Luis Miranda –  1.86M
Seat 9: Eric Rivkin – 2.05M
Seat 10: Maria Garrido – 1.3M

Remaining payouts:

1st – $37,505 + $3,500 Showdown seat and Escalator Series trophy
2nd – $21,855 + $3,500 Showdown Seat
3rd – $14,410
4th – $9,760
5th – $6,890
6th – $5,410
7th – $4,230
8th – $3,200
9th – $2,315
10th – $1,725

Final 10 players have also secured a seat to next week’s Escalator Event #2, $250 Buy-in/$200K guarantee!

We will update you again when the tournament concludes.

$1M Escalator Series: $150 Buy-In, $100,000 Guaranteed
End of Level 24: 12,000/24,000/4,000 Ante

The remaining players are now on a 40-minute dinner break. Cards go back in the air at roughly 8:15 p.m. local time.

Updated chip counts with seating assignments will be provided when play reaches the 10-handed final table.

$1M Escalator Series: $150 Buy-In, $100,000 Guaranteed
Level 18: 3,000/6,000/1,000 Ante
Players: 72/1,250

It took just over three hours of play to reach the money bubble and only two hands to burst it. With 73 players left and on the second round of hand-for-hand, Ryan Welsh picked up two black aces — — and had his opponent’s at risk. The board was leaving the unknown player with flush and straight draws.

The turn fell the and the river the . Welsh improved to aces-full while his opponent was left second best. The hand sent the remaining 72 players into the money.

Prize Pool

We will provide another update when play narrows to the 10-handed final table.

The Escalator Series is a series of four events offering increasing guarantees totaling $1,000,000. The Week 1 opener, underway now, boasted a $150 buy in and a $100,000 guarantee. Week 2, 3 and 4, meanwhile, sport $250, $250 and $560 buy-ins with $200,000, $300,000 and a $400,000 guarantees respectively.

Here’s how the remaining events break down:

• February 10-13: $250 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed
• February 18-21: $350 buy-in, $300,000 guaranteed
• February 25-28: $560 buy-in, $400,000 guaranteed

More on the tournaments is available by clicking the “Download Tournament Schedule (PDF)” link.

$1M Escalator Series: $150 Buy-In, $100,000 Guaranteed
Day 2 Blinds: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante
Players: 129/1,250

The 1,250-entry starting field in the Escalator Series opening event is down to 129 and on to Day 2. It’s just past 2 p.m. and cards are in the air with only the top 72 players scoring a payday. A min-cash earns $428 while the tournament’s champion pockets $37,505 along with a $3,500 SHRP Showdown seat and a $250 seat into next week’s Escalator.

Day 2 Chip Counts | Day 2 Table Draws | Prize Pool

Out in front of the pack is Brian Nerney. Nerney bagged an impressive stack of 348,000 chips and he’s all by himself above the 300,000 mark. Beginning the day second is Ira Schwartz with 257,000 while Gregory Marcus, Eric Rivkin and Pedro Palacio round out the top five. Reigning SHRP Player of the Year Ory Hen begins the day eighth with 209,000.

Top 10 chip counts:

1. Brian Nerney – 348,000
2. Ira Schwartz – 257,000
3. Gregory Marcus – 252,000
4. Eric Rivkin – 250,500
5. Pedro Palacio – 248,500
6. Eric Pettitt – 219,500
7. Christopher Stevens – 214,500
8. Ory Hen – 209,000
9. Colby Covington – 207,500
10. Troy Walser – 196,500

We will provide another update when the field reaches the money.

Good luck, Day 2 players!

$1M Escalator Series: $150 Buy-In, $100,000 Guaranteed
Day 2 Blinds: 1,500/3,000/500 Ante
Players: 129/1,250
Prize Pool

Flight A: 98 entries, 11 advanced
Flight B: 98 entries, 6 advanced
Flight C: 95 entries, 9 advanced
Flight D: 86 entries, 8 advanced
Flight E: 93 entries, 9 advanced
Flight F:  125 entries, 15 advanced
Flight G: 157 entries, 16 advanced
Flight H: 209 entries, 19 advanced
Flight I: 289 entries, 37 advanced

Total: 1,250 entries, 129 advanced