$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 5:  150/300/50 Ante

The players return from break to begin Level 5, with increased blinds of 150-300 and a 50 ante. A scan of the field during the break revealed eight players with at least 75,000 in chips, and one that came in just under.

Here’s the unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Eli Levy  –  127,575  (425 bb)
2.  Robert Zlatkiss  –  103,000  (343 bb)
3.  James Gilbert  –  84,350  (281 bb)
4.  Johnny Tang  –  82,700  (276 bb)
5.  Nipun Java  –  81,600  (272 bb)
6.  Marc Duquette  –  79,575  (265 bb)
7.  Yigal Hen  –  77,525  (258 bb)
8.  Scott Menard  –  75,475  (252 bb)
9.  Krzysztof Stybaniewicz  –  74,075  (247 bb)

And some of the notables further back in the pack:

Darryll Fish  –  70,150  (234 bb)
Ory Hen  –  57,750  (193 bb)
Matt Waxman  –  55,250  (184 bb)
Matt Affleck  –  51,175  (171 bb)
Erik Christensen  –  48,650  (162 bb)
Harrison Gimbel  –  46,250  (154 bb)
Aaron Massey  –  40,075  (134 bb)
Abbey Daniels  –  39,525  (132 bb)
Jessica Dawley  –  38,825  (129 bb)
Dan Shak  –  38,800  (129 bb)
Nancy Birnbaum  –  36,300  (121 bb)
Chance Kornuth  –  36,225  (121 bb)
Natasha Barbour  –  34,600  (115 bb)
Brian Altman  –  33,375  (111 bb)
Jonathan Duhamel  –  31,850  (106 bb)
Sam Panzica  –  25,700  (86 bb)
Jacquelyn Scott  –  22,450  (75 bb)
Marvin Rettenmaier  –  20,950  (70 bb)
Stewart Newman  –  18,750  (63 bb)
Vanessa Rousso  –  12,100  (40 bb)
Neil Blumenfield  –  9,725  (32 bb)
Ian O’Hara  –  4,875  (16 bb)

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 5: 150/300/50 Ante

It’s turning out to be a very successful opening flight with plenty of time to get in the action. There are 287 entered as we get ready to move into Level 5 for a nice pace with with more than three hours left to register.

We tracked down another November Niner in the field and it’s John Racener back in town for some action. He’s third on the Florida all-time money list, behind Jason Mercier and Michael Mizrachi, with a nice chunk of that coming from his runner-up finish in the 2010 WSOP Main Event.

Racener also holds a WSOP Circuit ring and a tenth place finish this summer during the 2015 WSOP High Roller for One Drop.

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 4: 100/200/25 Ante

Vanessa Rousso is another South Florida grinder who has gone on to make a name for herself around the world playing the game. She has $3.5 million in career earnings, good enough for a top ten spot on the Florida all-time list, including two WPT final tables (and two final table bubbles). Rousso’s most recent win came a few weeks ago in the WPT National Johannesburg 6-Max event.

She’s with us today as the Championship field takes off on their second break of the day.

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 4: 100/200/25 Ante

The 2015 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open Championship had a deep final table and two of them are back in the ballroom with some nice results since last February.

We found Kelly Minkin and Brian Altman sitting in the 1-seat adjoining tables. Minkin came close to becoming the first open-field WPT champion when she finished third while Altman went on to win the title for over $700,000.

Since that final table, Minkin went on to become to be the “last woman standing” in the 2015 WSOP Main Event, finishing in 29th for more than $200,000.

Altman cashed four time during the 2015 WSOP and is coming off a fourth place finish at the WPT Montreal event.

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 4:  100/200/25 Ante

Nick Yunis is below starting stack, but he just bounced back a bit when he bet the river on a board of . Yunis bet 5,600 from the big blind, and his opponent tanked for a while before calling from middle position.

Yunis turned over for a rivered full house, tens full of jacks, and his opponent mucks. Yunis takes the pot to get back up near the starting stack.

Nick Yunis  –  27,000  (135 bb)

The past two summers, Yunis has finished 1st and 2nd in the big charity event held as part of the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open in August.

Charity events are certainly fun, but Yunis would probably like to add a championship trophy to his resume.

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 4: 100/200/25 Ante

We have a nice crew of players travelling around representing Seminole Hard Rock Poker and happy to have them back with us today. While several others  are spread evenly among the other players, including Sheddy Siddiqui, Michael Laake, and Stewart Newman, Table 17 is collecting a few of them as well.

Matt Affleck and Darryll Fish joined their table at the start of play while Matt Stout took his time getting down here. Fish comes back to South Florida after a great run at the WPT Montreal event where he finished second to Jared Mahoney.

Stout in no slouch and coming off a runner-up finish in the opening event of the Borgata Fall Poker Open for a cool six-digit score.

They’re all gathered at the same table and the noise volume has increased.

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 3: 75/150/25 Ante

Matt Salsberg is another of our players coming into the game after success in the entertainment industry. He was producer/writer of the popular show Weeds while also milling around the poker tables.

His big poker success began in 2012 and he would eventually become the World Poker Tour Season XI Player of the Year with three televised final tables and one title. Salsberg also tossed in a third place WSOP finish last summer to cement his reputation in the game.

He’s continues to hover below a starting stack after the break as the field moves closer to 250 entrants.

I am not an ambassador for them like @mcmattopoker and some guy named Sheddy but @shrpo is currently the best poker venue in the country.

— matt salsberg (@msalsberg) November 27, 2015

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 3:  75/150/25 Ante

We picked up a touch of movie magic in the house when Oscar-nominated actor Jennifer Tilly took her seat in the ballroom. She’s often seen at the poker tables in recent years in addition to her acting duties.

Tilly is also the third WSOP Ladies Event Champion to enter the ballroom. She won her gold bracelet in 2005 and joins 2011 winner Marsha Wolak and Jacquelyn Scott who picked up one this summer.

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘n’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 2:  75/150/25 Ante

The players return from their first break to begin Level 3, with increased blinds of 75-150 and a 25 ante.

The field size is up to 231 entries, and registration remains open until the end of the dinner break, around 8:00 pm

A scan of the field during the break revealed five players with at least 65,000 in chips, creating our first unofficial leaderboard of the tournament:

1.  William Parker  –  98,450  (656 bb)
2.  Krysztof Stybaniewicz  –  74,075  (494 bb)
3.  Dimitry Agrachov  –  71,475  (477 bb)
4.  Eric Lazarus  –  67,175  (448 bb)
5.  Michael Massri  –  65,150  (434 bb)

Parker’s quick rise to the top primarily came from a single hand, when he was part of a three-way preflop all in and cracked A-A and J-J with A-K suited — Parker made a flush to bust both players. And now he’s knocking on the door of 100,000 in chips.

Here are some of the notable players further back in the field.

Darryll Fish  –  57,000  (380 bb)
Ory Hen  –  55,300  (369 bb)
Matt Affleck  –  49,575  (331 bb)
Matt Waxman  –  46,550  (310 bb)
Dan Shak  –  41,175  (275 bb)
John Dolan  –  38,050  (254 bb)
Aaron Massey  –  32,050  (214 bb)
Sheddy Siddiqui  –  31,800  (212 bb)
Kelly Minkin  –  31,350  (209 bb)
Joe Kuether  –  31,000  (207 bb)
Chance Kornuth  –  30,575  (204 bb)
Jennifer Tilly  –  30,000  (200 bb)
Jessica Dawley  –  29,925  (200 bb)
Natasha Barbour  –  29,650  (198 bb)
Adam Levy  –  29,250  (195 bb)
TK Miles  –  27,375  (183 bb)
Ari Engel  –  25,525  (170 bb)
Jason Mercier  –  25,150  (168 bb)
Matt Salsberg  –  24,625  (164 bb)
Neil Blumenfield  –  23,225  (155 bb)
Jonathan Duhamel  –  22,450  (150 bb)
Cornel Cimpan  –  20,400  (136 bb)
Marvin Rettenmaier  –  19,175  (128 bb)
Stewart Newman  –  17,675  (118 bb)
Kane Kalas  –  13,875  (93 bb)

$3,500 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” Championship
Level 3: 100/200

Before they hit the first break, Marvin Rettenmaier was hooked up in a decent sized pot against Steven McKoy. The board was complete and “Mad Marvin” was contemplating his decision when McKoy called the clock.

Tournament staff gave Rettenmaier a minute to make up his mind and he eventually called to see McKoy quickly roll over for the turned wheel.

Rettenmaier still has plenty of ammunition with 19,000 going on break while McKoy moved up to 44,000.