$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 5:  300/600 with a 600 ante
Day 1B Entries:  620

The players have returned from break to begin Level 5, with increased blinds of 300-600 with a 600 ante.

A scan of the field during the break turned up three players with at least 200K in chips, creating an unofficial leaderboard:

1.  Gil Aboodi  –  221,900  (370 bb)
2.  Sandy Tabin  –  219,000  (365 bb)
3.  Diaz Gilbert  –  216,400  (361 bb)

The tournament clock shows 620 entries so far today, for a tournament total of 1,422, which means the prizepool will be worth more than $4.55 million, more than doubling the $2 million guarantee. Registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until 9:15 pm.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6 (5:30 pm), and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:15 pm.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  587

Three or four players saw a flop of . Action checked to Corey Hochman in the hijack, who bet 2,000. The cutoff and the big blind both called, and the others folded.

The turn card was the , the big blind checked, and Hochman bet 5,100. The cutoff folded, and the big blind called.

The river card was the , the big blind checked, Hochman bet 14,500, and the big blind check-raised all in. Hochman thought for a while before he called all in for 45,000.

The big blind showed for a pair of fours with a missed king-high flush draw, but Hochman turned over to win the pot with a pair of queens. Hochman doubled up in chips.

Corey Hochman  –  109,000  (218 bb)

The tournament clock shows 587 entries so far today, for a tournament total of 1,389, which means the prizepool will be worth more than $4.44 million, more than doubling the $2 million guarantee. Registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until 9:15 pm.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6 (5:30 pm), and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:15 pm.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  570

After a flop of , Ken Justin (button) and the big blind put in 11,000 each.

The turn card was the , the big blind moved all in for about 24,500, and Justin called with for a pair of kings.

But the big blind turned over for two pair, tens and eights, and needed his hand to hold to stay alive.

The river card paired the board with the , and Justin won the pot with trip kings to eliminate his opponent.

Ken Justin  –  98,000  (196 bb)

The tournament clock shows 570 entries so far today, for a tournament total of 1,372, which means the prizepool will be worth more than $4.39 million, more than doubling the $2 million guarantee. Registration remains open with unlimited re-entries until 9:15 pm.

There will be a 90-minute dinner break after Level 6 (5:30 pm), and action is scheduled to continue tonight until the end of Level 10, around 11:15 pm.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 4:  300/500 with a 500 ante
Day 1B Entries:  565

With about 12,000 in the pot and three to a flop, the small blind player checked and Aaron Massey checked in the big blind. The hijack bet 4,000 and the small blind player check-raised to 10,000. Massey pulled a check-raise of his own, all in for 29,700.

The hijack thought for a minute, folded his hand, and the small blind player called with a bigger stack.

Massey:
Small Blind:

Massey flopped the nuts for a six-high straight to get a tiny, minor curse from the small blind who had middle pair and a little draw to chop.

The board finished with the turn and river and Massey doubled up.

Aaron Massey – 75,400 (151 bb)

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries:  530

These big buy-in Championships attract players from around the world, coming to town to compete against some of the best players in the game. Alongside our visitors, we have a huge group of our regular locals sitting among them, trying to keep the big money in South Florida.

A few include Igor Tretyakov, Caleb Piderit, Francis Margaglione, and former WSOP Ladies Champs Jacquelyn Scott and Marsha Wolak. While Wolak is no longer technically a local, we still stake a claim as one of our favorites.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 3:  200/400 with a 400 ante
Day 1B Entries:  449

Players returned to their seats and we had our first look at the big stacks in the room while they were gone.

WSOPC Tampa High Roller champ Romeo Mendoza leads the field with 146,000 and is followed closely by Harry Hurst with 142,100. Tommy Thanh, David Dowdy, and former Poker Showdown Champ Eric Afriat round out the top five in early action.

Romeo Mendoza – 146,000 (365 bb)
Harry Hurst – 142,100 (355 bb)
Tommy Thanh – 136,800 (342 bb)
David Dowdy – 136,600 (342 bb)
Eric Afriat – 133,599 (334 bb)

With 449 in Day 1B after the first break, the combined total is up to 1,251 and the prize pool topped $4,000,000.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries:  412

Level 2 ended and tournament staff sent players on a 15-minute break. The entry count is up to 412 for 1,214 combined and a prize pool worth $3,884,800.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries:  388

We mentioned Kathy Liebert earlier, grinding out the second flight of the LHPO Championship. She has a long history of success, including a WSOP bracelet, a Women’s Poker Hall of Fame member, and a Poker Hall of Fame nominee.

She’s not the only old-school player in today’s field; we found two Davids who have been in the game since before some of our players were born. David Bach and David Levi both cashed their first tournaments back in the 90s.

Levi has a half dozen WSOP final tables and Bach has three bracelets, one of them coming for $1.2 million for winning a $50K buy-in WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event in 2009.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 2:  200/300 with a 300 ante
Day 1B Entries:  323

Blinds are up and so is the field size, it’s turning out to be another great day in the Grand Ballroom as the Championship prize pool quickly moves higher.

More friendly faces in early include Women’s Poker Hall of Fame member Kathy Liebert, Spencer Champlin, Ryan Eriquezzo, Carlos Bermudez, Kevin Blewitt, Caleb Piderit, Kitty Kuo, Jason Wandling, Tony March, Dennis Rodriguez, Luke Brereton, and Stephen Brite.

$3,500 LHPO Championship
$2,000,000 Guaranteed | Structure
Level 1:  100/200 with a 200 ante
Day 1B Entries:  247

The entry count continues to climb and the Championship crossed over 1,000 for the tournament with a long time to run it up. They are taking aim on a $5,000,000 prize pool and that number is in play.

Some familiar faces in early action include Fred Paradis, Gabe Abusada, Francis Margaglione, Blake Whittington, Brian Altman, David Vurgait, David DiBernardi, Timothy Banks, and Mitch Mitchell.

Paradis and Abusada have some history in common. Our friends in Tampa hosted two WPT main tour stops and both players came one spot from joining the WPT Champions Club. Paradis finished second in September to Corey Wade and Abusada was the runner-up when Altman won his third WPT title.