$1,100 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out)
Level 27: 15,000/30,000/5,000 Ante

The first 20 minutes of Level 27 were relatively light with action. Then, with the board showing on the turn, Nacho Barbero bet 69,000, and Ricardo Alvarado called.

The river card was the , Barbero bet 204,000, and Alvarado tanked for a while before he called. Barbero showed for a pair of nines, but Alvarado turned over for a pair of nines with a higher kicker to win the pot.

Ricardo Alvarado  –  1,215,000  (41 bb)
Nacho Barbero  –  1,415,000  (47 bb)

That evened up the chip counts a bit as they continue to play for the title, the trophy, the custom-framed winner’s photo, and a first prize of $50,497.

1st:  $50,497
2nd:  $34,164

$1,650 Six-Max Dealer’s Choice (Freeze-Out)

Lonnie Heimowitz is a busy guy today.

After just finishing third in the Event 17 PLO tournament, he’s moved one table diagonally and hopped into this one looking for another final table in this Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open.

Heimowitz also final tabled Event 8 finishing fourth.  We’ll see if he can continue his stellar play and reach the final group of players later on tonight.

$1,100 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out)
Level 27: 15,000/30,000/5,000 Ante

Heads-up play has been pretty light so far. There was a bit of excitement in the final two hands of Level 26 as both players three-bet it from their big blind, but those hands fizzled quickly.

The final two players are on a 10-minute break while the orange (1K) chips are colored off the tables. Here are the updated chip counts:

Nacho Barbero  –  1,529,000  (51 bb)
Ricardo Alvarado  –  1,098,000  (37 bb)

1st:  $50,497
2nd:  $34,164

There was talk about a deal during the break, but both players want the trophy, so they’re going to continue playing. With two players remaining, the average chip stack is about 1.3 million (44 big blinds).

$350 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 22: 8,000/16,000

The stacks between Devon Shalmi and Chris Karambinis were very close when the two decided to chop up the remaining prize pool.

Shalmi won the last hand to claim the chip lead giving him the championship, the trophy, and $9,300. Karambinis did most of the heavy lifting at the final table and took home $9,088 for his runner-up result.

$1,100 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out)
Level 26: 12,000/24,000/4,000 Ante

There hasn’t been much action during Level 26 (with one-hour levels at this final table), until this hand that came around the 30-minute mark.

Nacho Barbero raised from the button to 55,000, Tom Dobrilovic reraised from the small blind to 125,000, and Barbero tanked for a while before he called.

Both players checked to the turn on a board of , Dobrilovic checked, Barbero bet 85,000, and Dobrilovic moved all in for exactly 500,000.

Barbero asked for an exact count and thought for a bit before he called with for a pair of tens. Dobrilovic turned over (pair of eights), and he needed to improve to stay alive.

The river card was the , and Barbero won the pot with his pair of tens to eliminate Dobrilovic in third place.

Nacho Barbero  –  1,625,000  (68 bb)
Tom Dobrilovic  –  Eliminated in 3rd Place  ($22,338)

Here are the approximate chip counts as heads-up play begins with about 30 minutes remaining at 12,000-24,000 and a 4,000 ante:

Nacho Barbero  –  1,625,000  (68 bb)
Ricardo Alvarado  –  950,000  (40 bb)

1st:  $50,497
2nd:  $34,164

$350 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 22: 8,000/16,000

Lonnie Heimowitz laddered up the entire final table. The short stack caught an early double, then another, and one more after getting knocked down repeatedly.

He three-bet for his entire stack after Chris Karambinis opened. Karambinis called with and Heimowitz at risk with . Heimowitz was statistically ahead but Karambinis jumped in front with the top/bottom flop .

Heimowitz couldn’t come from behind when the turn/river finished to send him out in 3rd for $4,872.

$1,100 Six-Max No Limit Hold’em (Freeze-out)
Level 26: 12,000/24,000/4,000 Ante

With the blinds still at 10K-20K (3K), Ricardo Alvarado raised under the gun to 40,000, Nacho Barbero reraised from the button to 113,000, and Matt Stout moved all in from the small blind for 314,000.

Alvarado folded, and Barbero called with . Stout turned over , and he needed it to hold to stay alive.

The board came , and Barbero turned a queen-high straight to win the pot and eliminate Stout in fourth place.

Nacho Barbero  –  979,000  (49 bb)
Matt Stout  –  Eliminated in 4th Place  ($17,849)

A few minutes later, Level 25 ended, and the blinds increased to 12,000-24,000 with a 4,000 ante. Here are the updated chip counts:

Seat 2.  Tom Dobrilovic  –  325,000  (14 bb)
Seat 5.  Ricardo Alvarado  –  1,225,000  (51 bb)
Seat 7.  Nacho Barbero  –  980,000  (41 bb)

1st:  $50,497
2nd:  $34,164
3rd:  $22,338

With three players remaining, the average chip stack is about 876,000 (37 big blinds).

$350 Pot Limit Omaha (Re-Entry)
Level 21: 6,000/12,000

Nick Palma’s fall from grace ended when he ran into his nemesis Chris Karambinis. The next hand after Joshua Beckley’s exit saw these two mixing it up again.

They were heads up to the flop and Palma moved all-in after Karambinis led out. The shove was quickly called and Karambinis showed ahead of Palma’s .

Palma needed help to stay alive but missed the turn and to finish in 4th place before Beckley had reached the payout desk.