$365 BPO Florida Main Event Day 1b | 2023 Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship

11-19-2023 16:07 UTC-4

It's Almost Time for a Party and Poker for a Great Cause

Mike Patrick

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

One of the highlights of the weekend's events here at the Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship is the Charity Series of Poker (CSOP) Celebrity Charity tournament taking place Sunday night here at the Palm Beach Kennel Club.

"Folding for the Families" will be the 56th CSOP event in its history, with all public donations going to benefit Folded Flag, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the U.S. military by aiding the families of fallen servicemen and women with financial support for continued education.

The event comes with a $5,000 first prize, along with other final table and silent auction prizes, plus several player bounties including Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

The event gets underway at 3:30 p.m. ET for a cocktail reception, followed by cards in the air at 5 p.m.

The $150 buy-in gets you into the reception as well as your tournament entry. For those just wishing to come to the cocktail reception, the cost of that is $75.

The tournament buy-in gets players 10,000 chips to start. Unlimited $50 rebuys for another 10,000 chips are available until the start of Level 9, so long as a player is below their original starting stack. In the break before the end of registration, a $50 add-on for an additional 20,000 chips is available.

If you're in the South Florida area and haven't already headed to the Palm Beach Kennel Club for the Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship, this is a great opportunity to play some poker for a great cause and have an incredible time in one of the most fun and entertaining tournament settings you could ask for.

Level: 8

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

11-19-2023 15:59 UTC-4

Defending Champ Hoff Eliminated

Mike Patrick

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

The fourth bullet was no better than the previous three for defending Florida World Championship title holder Phil Hoff as he's been eliminated from the tournament for good.

As told by Hoff and his executioner Milton Thomas, after Thomas raised preflop and got called by Hoff, a Kx10x3x board would soon seal Hoff's demise.

Thomas moved all in, covering the defending champ and his roughly 15,000 remaining chips. Hoff called and needed help.

Phil Hoff: KxQx
Milton Thomas AxAx

Thomas' aces were ahead of Hoff's top pair of kings, and the help Hoff needed wouldn't come, eliminating him from the tournament and ensuring a new champion will be crowned on Monday.

Player	Chips	Progress
Milton Thomas	88,000 88,000	88,000
Phil Hoff	Busted

Tags: Milton Thomas Phil Hoff

11-19-2023 15:42 UTC-4

Cassella Climbing Back

Mike Patrick

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Paul Cassella started the day red hot, building himself a six-figure stack before giving some back over the last couple of levels.

Cassella has just taken down a sizeable pot to bump his stack back toward that 100,000 chip mark.

After the button limped and Casella checked his big blind, Kassella his opponent to commit his last 13,000 chips on a K♠Q♣9♣ flop.

Opponent: Q♥2♥
Paul Cassella: Q♦J♥

Cassella proceeded to drill a deuce on the turn with the 2♠, which was followed by the 8♦ to take down the hand and earn a nice boost to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Cassella	80,000 24,000	24,000

Tags: Paul Cassella

Level: 7

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

11-19-2023 15:31 UTC-4

Batting .500 With Back to Back Aces

Mike Patrick

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Andre Nabors just scored a much-needed double-up holding a pair of aces, and his tablemates were amazed that he had gotten the mighty hand back to back. Unfortunately for Nabors, that first hand didn't go as well, necessitating the subsequent double-up.

As told by John Purdy, who shortened Nabor's stack in that first hand, he flopped a flush draw in the big blind with Q♠5♠ and got there on the turn to crack Nabors' A♠A♣, leaving him short for the following hand.

With about 12,000 in the middle already, Nabors was in the cutoff when he moved all in for his last 6,000 after his opponent in middle position checked on a 9♥6♦3♥ board.

The call was made and Nabors showed the other two aces in the deck, A♦A♥, while his opponent showed 7♥7♠.

Nabors aces held this time and he's earned back his chips from the previous hand and jumped back over a starting stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andre Nabors	31,000
John Purdy	24,000 -431,000	-431,000

Tags: Andre Nabors John Purdy

11-19-2023 15:15 UTC-4

Gotta Protect Those Cards!

Mike Patrick

Level: 6

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

11-19-2023 14:50 UTC-4

A Round of Chip Counts

Mike Patrick

Level 5 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Antwan Tate	117,000 -13,000	-13,000
Nicholas Pacheco	115,000 -25,000	-25,000
Ryan Nealon	91,000 6,000	6,000
Richard Ellis	90,000
Jolanda Tedford	82,000 82,000	82,000
Thomas Magee	71,500
Tom Heinlein	60,000
Percy Abraham	43,000
Brian Yoon (CA)	27,000
Kimberly Capriotti	26,000 26,000	26,000
Kelly Graves	20,000

11-19-2023 14:37 UTC-4

BPO Player Profile: "Big" Al Harris jr.

Mike Patrick

Level 5 : 300/500, 500 ante

You can't be here at the Bar Poker Open Florida World Championship without feeling the positivity of "Big" Al Harris jr, one of the most vibrant characters in the room.

When asked about goals in poker, most players will cite a tournament they want to win, or a monetary goal. Not Harris.

"Giving my presence. I'm blessed to be here. Lighting up a room everywhere I go"

Harris certainly does that, and the 35-year veteran poker player from Littlestown, PA who says he learned poker the "hard knocks way, no books" has been bringing that light to BPO events since 2018.

While he tells PokerNews that he's won or gone deep in a few nightly events in his home region, Harris says placing 26th in a BPO side event this week for just under $700 is his greatest poker achievement.

That's how much the Bar Poker Open means to one of its most popular and likeable members.

Tags: Al Harris