$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  6 of 238

There was a three-way preflop all-in situation, and these were their cards in descending order of chip counts:

Amir Baron (hijack):  
Andrzej Rogowski (small blind):  
George Hortelano (cutoff):  

The board came — Baron flopped a set of tens, while Hortelano flopped a gutshot straight draw and turned an open-ender, but the river card gave Baron a full house.

Baron won the entire pot with tens full of nines to eliminate both of his opponents from the tournament.

Amir Baron  –  1,300,000  (65 bb)
Andrzej Rogowski  –  Eliminated in 7th Place  ($2,710)
George Hortelano  –  Eliminated in 8th Place  ($2,315)

With six players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 795,000 (40 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $3,180 each.

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  8 of 238

After a series of raises, Deonarie Itwaru was all in for about 470,000 in middle position against Jeff Sauer in the small blind.

Itwaru: 
Sauer: 

The board ran out , giving Sauer a pair of kings to eliminate Itwaru in ninth place.

Jeff Sauer  –  1,065,000  (53 bb)
Deonarine Itwaru  –  Eliminated in 9th Place  ($1,865)

With eight players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 595,000 (30 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $2,315 each.

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 22:  10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 ante
Players Remaining:  9 of 238

After the elimination of Howard Hankin in 10th place, there was a redraw for random seats at the final table. Here are the updated chip counts:

Seat 1.  Mark McGarity  –  585,000  (29 bb)
Seat 2.  Jeff Sauer  –  610,000  (31 bb)
Seat 3.  Amir Baron  –  550,000  (28 bb)
Seat 4.  George Hortelano  –  405,000  (20 bb)
Seat 5.  Peter Shapiro  –  450,000  (23 bb)
Seat 6.  Deonarine Itwaru  –  400,000  (20 bb)
Seat 7.  Andrzej Rogowski  –  475,000  (24 bb)
Seat 8.  Padraig Burns  –  360,000  (18 bb)
Seat 9.  Buck Bucceri  –  1,005,000  (50 bb)

Here are the remaining payouts:

1st:  $18,435 + LHPO trophy
2nd:  $13,000
3rd:  $8,175
4th:  $4,970
5th:  $3,840
6th:  $3,180
7th:  $2,710
8th:  $2,315
9th:  $1,865

And here are the most recent eliminations:

10th:  Howard Hankin  –  $1,865
11th:  Tiger Parker  –  $1,585
12th:  Jean Leblond  –  $1,585

With nine players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 530,000 (27 big blinds).

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  12 of 238

Jeff Sauer raised UTG+1 to 35,000, Santana Noronha moved all in from the small blind for 225,000, and Sauer called with .

Noronha winced and then turned over his , needing to improve to stay alive.

The board came , and the jacks held up for Sauer to win the pot and eliminate Noronha in 13th place.

Jeff Sauer  –  605,000  (40 bb)
Santana Noronha  –  Eliminated in 13th Place  ($1,375)

With 12 players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 395,000 (26 big blinds). The remaining players are guaranteed at least $1,595 each.

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 21:  10,000/15,000 with a 15,000 ante
Players Remaining:  13 of 238

Table 7
Seat 1:  Jean Leblond  –  105,000  (7 bb)
Seat 2:  Padraig Burns  –  175,000  (12 bb)
Seat 3:
Seat 4:  Jeff Sauer  –  480,000  (32 bb)
Seat 5:  Howard Hankin  –  200,000  (13 bb)
Seat 6:  George Hortelano  –  155,000  (10 bb)
Seat 7:
Seat 8:  Buck Bucceri  –  920,000  (61 bb)
Seat 9:  Santana Noronha   –  275,000  (18 bb)

Table 8
Seat 1:  Tiger Parker  –  235,000  (16 bb)
Seat 2:  Peter Shapiro  –  200,000  (13 bb)
Seat 3:  Deonarine Itwaru  –  435,000  (29 bb)
Seat 4:
Seat 5:
Seat 6:
Seat 7:  Amir Baron  –  750,000  (50 bb)
Seat 8:  Andrzej Rogowski  –  435,000  (29 bb)
Seat 9:  Mark McGarity  –  395,000  (26 bb)

In-The-Money Finishers
14th:  Gregory Anda  –  $1,375
15th:  Richard Whitebrook  –  $1,375

16th:  Satish Surapaneni  –  $1,155
17th:  Mike Beasley  –  $1,155
18th:  Robert Kessler  –  $1,155

19th:  David Levi  –  $940
20th:  Blaise Menta  –  $940
21st:  Robert Scott  –  $940

22nd:  Jay Klitzner  –  $735
23rd:  Mark Lackritz  –  $735
24th:  James Scott  –  $735

25th:  Michael Dreese  –  $640
26th:  Richard Holland  –  $640
27th:  David Ives  –  $640

28th:  Richard Vest  –  $550
29th:  Stephen Hagar  – $550
30ht:  Todd Shreve  –  $550

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 18:  4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 ante
Players Remaining:  30 of 238

After 15 hands on the Money Bubble, the blinds increased to 4,000-8,000 with an 8,000 ante.

Two hands later, in Hand #17, the player in the cutoff got it all in for 17,000 with , and needed it to hold to stay alive against the of Mark McGarity, who was UTG+1.

The board came , and McGarity turned a queen-high straight to crack the kings, win the pot, eliminate his opponent, and burst the Money Bubble.

Mark McGarity  –  171,000  (21 bb)

The remaining 30 players are officially in the money, guaranteed at least $550 each.

With 30 players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 159,000 (20 big blinds).

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  31 of 238

During the Money Bubble of the Seniors event, there were no all-in-and-call situations until Hand #9, when the short stack doubled up with deuces against ace-queen.

In Hand #10, two out of four tables had all-in-and-call situations, but they had to wait to resolve their hands because one of the other two tables had a player shove on the river, and his opponent tanked for a long time.

Eventually, that player folded, and then the short stacks at the other two tables both doubled up. (Pocket fives held against ace-jack, and pocket nines held against king-nine.)

The next all-in-and-call situation came in Hand #12, when pocket aces held up against pocket fours.

The Money Bubble continues …

With 31 players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 154,000 (26 big blinds). The field is on the Money Bubble, with a min-cash of $550 for the final 30 players.

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  31 of 238

In Hand #3 of hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble, two of the chipleaders saw a flop of .

Buck Bucceri checked the big blind, Jeff Sauer bet 20,000 form the button, and Bucceri check-raised to 55,000. Sauer called.

The turn card was the , Bucceri bet 100,000, and Sauer quickly called.

The river card was the , and Bucceri moved all in for about 230,000. Sauer folded, and Bucceri took the pot — and a substantial chip lead.

Buck Bucceri  –  600,000  (100 bb)
Jeff Sauer  –  295,000  (49 bb)

With 31 players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 154,000 (26 big blinds). The field is on the Money Bubble, with a min-cash of $550 for the final 30 players.

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 17:  3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 ante
Players Remaining:  31 of 238

In the last hand before the break, a player was knocked out in 32nd place, which meant they’d begin hand-for-hand play on the Money Bubble at the start of Level 17, with blinds at 3,000-6,000 and a 6,000 ante.

A scan of the field during the break turned up four players with at least 300K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Jeff Sauer  –  470,000  (78 bb)
2.  Satish Surapaneni  –  431,000  (72 bb)
3.  Buck Bucceri  –  407,000  (68 bb)
4.  Deonarine Itwaru  –  395,000  (66 bb)

As the Money Bubble is about to begin, here’s a reminder of the payouts they’re playing for:

1st:  $18,435 + LHPO trophy
2nd:  $13,000
3rd:  $8,175
4th:  $4,970
5th:  $3,840
6th:  $3,180
7th:  $2,710
8th:  $2,315
9th-10th:  $1,865
11th-12th:  $1,595
13th-15th:  $1,375
16th-18th:  $1,155
19th-21st:  $940
22nd-24th:  $735
25th-27th:  $640
28th-30th:  $550

With 31 players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 154,000 (26 big blinds).

$400 Seniors 50+ NLH (Re-Entry)
Structure | Payouts
Level 15:  2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante
Players Remaining:  38 of 238

As the field approaches the Money Bubble, dinner break chipleader Buck Bucceri continues to hold the lead with 410,000 (103 big blinds).

1.  Buck Bucceri  –  410,000  (103 bb)
2.  David Ives  –  335,000  (84 bb)
3.  Deonarine Itwaru  –  275,000  (69 bb)

Deonarine Itwaru is fresh off a victory in the $250 Holiday Deep Stack this past November.

With 38 players remaining from a field of 238, the average chip stack is around 125,500 (31 big blinds). The final 30 players will finish in the money, with a min-cash of $550.