$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 6: 200/400 with a 50 Ante
Flight A Entrants: 370

The registration line has slowed down the pace a little to catch up with the open seats. The number continues to move towards 400 which would set a very nice pace for the remaining seven flights.

We found Ory Hen tucked in his seat at a back table and the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Player of the Year is having a good time grinding up his stack. Hen has over $1 million in career earnings with his biggest cash coming when he earned more than $120,000 for a June 2015 win in our $1,650 Deepstacks event.

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 5: 150/300 with a 50 Ante
Flight A Entrants: 350

Players returned to their seats with the count sitting at 350 and more than two hours left to jump in the game.

We have another regular making an early run as Stuart Greenbaum returned to a chip leading stack. His 89,000 was well clear of second place Allan Bieler and everyone is trying to chase down the two-time Coco Poker champion.

Top stacks and notable names:

Stuart Greenbaum – 89,000 (297 bb)
Allan Bieler – 70,000 (233 bb)
Steve Raeman – 65,000 (217 bb)
Michael Rizzuto – 62,000 (207 bb)
Corey Goldsmith – 60,000 (200 bb)
Anthony Nassar – 59,900 (200 bb)
Norman Zapczynski – 57,325 (191 bb)
Jason Wandling – 55,800 (186 bb)
Debra Pope – 52,400 (175 bb)
Hany Ayoub – 50,000 (167 bb)
Ido Ashkenazi – 36,300 (121 bb)
Larry Klur – 32,650 (109 bb)
Paul Balzano – 18,675 (62 bb)
Errol Massey – 15,000 (50 bb)
Jeff Kessler – 10,300 (34 bb)

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
End of Level 4: 100/200 with a 25 Ante
Flight A Entrants: 330

Players are on their first break of the flight and it will be a big crowd walking around in the sunshine outside. We caught two SHRP regulars leaving their seats earlier than expected when both Nancy Thomas and WSOP-C winner John Depersio ran sets into bigger sets.

Thomas was involved in a big hand that saw her flop a set with on the board. It was three-way action when the chips went in the middle after the turn and Thomas saw her problems. Her set was drawing dead against another player’s but Jorge Martinez was also involved with his turned two pair .

Martinez had two outs to stay alive and binked the river to send Thomas out.

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 4: 100/200 with a 25 Ante
Flight A Entrants: 315

The entrant count blasted over 300 as they reached the start of Level 4 and players are waiting in line to get their shot. With this expected to be the smallest of the eight starting flights, it bodes will for Event 1 flying past the $1 Million Guarantee.

Al Gomez is another one of regulars in today’s field with big results without a shiny Seminole Hard Rock Poker trophy. The fun-loving player has over $150,000 in career earnings, including a $63,000 fourth-place finish during last year’s Seminole Hard Rock Lucky Hearts Poker Open, but still waiting to take a winner’s photo.

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 3: 75/150 with a 25 Ante
Flight A Entrants: 285

Flight A moved into the afternoon hours in Level 3 and they added another 60 entrants into the game with a steady path the registration cage. They averaged a new entry every 30 seconds in Level 2 to get us closer to pushing over 300.

Former November Niner Neil Blumenfield is one of our early adopters, getting in the game while the day was still young. The Florida transplant finished third in the 2015 WSOP Main Event and is now making a name for himself in South Florida poker.

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 2: 50/100
Flight A Entrants: 225

It was no surprise when the Flight A count jumped over 200 during the first level, they were nearly there at the start with a fast-moving line at the registration desk. They’re aiming high and the number will continue to climb until registration closes around 3:30pm.

Errol Massey is one of our regulars in early action and trying to pick up his first SHRP title. He has four runner-up finishes in our events but still waiting to take home that big, glass trophy. Despite his lack of hardware, the local grinder has over $170,000 in career earnings with his biggest score coming this summer with a 52nd place finish in the monster 21,613-player WSOP Colossus II event.

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 1: 25/50
Flight A Entrants: 178

The first flight of the $1 Million GTD Event 1 is underway in the Poker Room with a big crowd in early action. This is expected to be one of the smaller starting flights of the tournament and nearly 180 entrants are here at the start.

A good start to a big tournament.

There are 12 tables running on the first floor with another 13 in action in the upstairs area.

$360 Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Level 1: 25/50

The wait is over and it’s almost time to kick off the 2016 Seminole Hard Rock “Rock ‘N’ Roll Poker Open” with the huge $1,000,000 Guaranteed starting tournament.

Event 1 has a $360 buy-in with that massive seven-digit guaranteed prize pool and eight starting flights to give players plenty of chances to earn a piece of that money. Two flights will run per day up until Saturday evening and all survivors will return on Sunday with an eye on the prize.

The opening flight will run in the Poker Room while the ballroom is prepared for the rest of the series with onight’s flight will running at 6pm in the big room.

Event 1 players will sit down to 20,000 starting stacks and play 30-minute levels throughout the day. Late registration is open until the start of Level 9 at 3:30pm and unlimited re-entries are available during that time.

They are scheduled to play 14 full levels when the remaining players will bag up their chips for the Day 2 return on Sunday.

Players are making their way into the Poker Room and action will be underway shortly.

• $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 14 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 1 Structure Sheet

Main Event Schedule

11AM: Event 1 Day 1A – $360 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Takes place in the poker room

• $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 14 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 1 Structure Sheet

6PM: Event 1 Day 1B – $360 Deep Stack NL Hold’em (Re-Entry)
Takes place in the ballrooms

• $1,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool
• Players begin with 20,000 in chips and 30-minute levels
• Late registration/re-entry available until start of Level 9
• Day 1 will end after Level 14 or Tournament Director discretion
• Event 1 Structure Sheet