Level: 4
Blinds: 200/300
Ante: 300
2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open
bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open $2,000 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open
Buy-in
$2,200
Entries
510
Level
30
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
160,000
Entries
315
Players Left
51
Photos from Day 1b of the 2021 bestbet Jacksonville Winter Open $2,000 Main Event
Eddy Mroczkowski Goes Back-To-Back in Events #4: $160 NLH, and #5: $360 Monster Stack NLH
Level 4
: 200/300, 300 ante
Eddy Mroczkowski started his week off strong at the 2021 Winter Open at bestbet Jacksonville. On Monday, Mroczkowski chopped Event #4: $160 NLH heads-up with Michael Cotter for $4,248 apiece after the two were the last ones standing from an initial 195 entries that amassed a total prize pool of $24,377.
The following day, he was right back in the thick of things in Event #5: $360 Monster Stack NLH, winning his second event in as many days in a five-way chop where he earned the top prize of $12,551. His prize was more than 18% of the total prize pool of $68,820 generated from 222 entries.
Jacksonville was well-represented at the final table in Event #4, with both Mroczkowski and Cotter being joined by Steve Zhang (3rd place) and Maria Elkaz (6th place) as residents of the River City. Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina were also represented at the final table, as was Jerusalem, Israel in that of seventh-place finisher Said Bishara.
Event #4 Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddy Mroczkowski | Jacksonville, Florida | $4,248* |
| 2 | Michael Cotter | Jacksonville, Florida | $4,248* |
| 3 | Steve Zhang | Jacksonville, Florida | $4,247 |
| 4 | Christopher Conrad | Peach Tree City, Georgia | $1,520 |
| 5 | Thomas Williams | Virginia | $1,174 |
| 6 | Maria Elkaz | Jacksonville, Florida | $973 |
| 7 | Said Bishara | Jerusalem, Israel | $829 |
| 8 | Gregory Batts | Wilmington, North Carolina | $717 |
*Denotes heads-up deal.
Come Tuesday, a whole new cast had reached the final table along with Mroczkowski. This time, it was an all-American final table that saw everybody lock up at least $1,641. Sean Conklin was the first to fall once the final eight were reached, with Richard Swain (seventh place), and Alan Franco (sixth place) also earning a trip to the payouts before a five-way deal was reached.
Event #5 Results
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eddy Mroczkowski | Jacksonville, Florida | $12,551* |
| 2 | Gloria Jackson | Jacksonville, Florida | $10,000 |
| 3 | Starr Valdez | Biloxi, Mississippi | $9,000* |
| 4 | James Sullivan | Wesley Chapel, Florida | $6,000* |
| 5 | Dario Budos | Chicago, Illinois | $5,000* |
| 6 | Alan Franco | Jacksonville, Florida | $2,746 |
| 7 | Richard Swain | Waverly, Georgia | $2,340 |
| 8 | Sean Conklin | Jacksonville, Florida | $1,996 |
*Denotes five-handed deal.
Santos Cracks Cowboys
Level 4
: 200/300, 300 ante
On a board reading 
with 9,900 already in the center, Josias Santos was all in for his remaining 9,200 from early position and against the player on the button.
Josias Santos: 
Player on the Button: 
Santos had flopped both a flush draw and open-ended straight draw, the latter of which filled up on the turn 
to leave his opponent's kings drawing dead to the river 
. After the double, Santos is back above starting stack with 28,300.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
28,300
14,800
|
14,800 |
Ajayi Chips Up Via Delayed Continuation-Bet
Level 4
: 200/300, 300 ante
Action folded around to the hijack, who opened to 700. Dapo Ajayi three-bet to 1,900 on the button and both blinds folded to send action back to the hijack, who called. Both players checked the flop 
.
The dealer brought the turn and the hijack checked again. Ajayi reached for chips, grabbing 3,500 and sending it into the middle. His opponent thought for a couple of seconds and then let his hand go.
With the pot, Ajayi now has 32,000 and appears to have chipped up a bit since the last time he was spotted.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
32,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
Johnson's Cowboys Hold
Level 4
: 200/300, 300 ante
Mac Johnson was in the cutoff and facing an all-in bet of 9,200 from the big blind on the turn of a jack-high board with around 17,000 already in the middle. After about 15 seconds, he called.
All-In Player: 
Mac Johnson: 
Johnson's kings held on the river to score the pot and the knockout. After the hand, he said that he opened to 1,100 and got three callers preflop. Thirty-five hundred more went in on the flop, and the rest on the turn.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
77,000 |
Level: 5
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 400
Smoliakov Wins With Big Slick
Level 5
: 200/400, 400 ante
A single-raised pot preflop brought heads-up action between the cutoff and Vladimir Smoliakov on the button to a flop of 
. Both players checked.
The cutoff check-called 2,000 on the turn 
, and the river 
saw action go check-check to take the pot to showdown.
Upon checking behind, Smoliakov tabled 
. His opponent looked back at his own two cards for a minute, and then announced he was going for the straight. He showed 
for a moment and the two acknowledged each others' hands before the pot was shipped to Smoliakov.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
"Captain" Tom Pushes Them All Out
Level 5
: 200/400, 400 ante
Gary Herstein opened to 800 in early position and received a call from "Captain" Tom Franklin on his direct left in middle position. The hijack, player on the button, and big blind also came along to make it five to the flop 
.
Action checked to Franklin and he bet 2,500, receiving calls from the hijack and player on the button followed by folds from the big blind and Herstein.
The dealer announced that there were now three players still in the hand and spread the turn 
. Franklin grabbed his remaining 15,500, spread out across three different stacks, and slid the stacks forward with both hands.
The hijack then went into the tank for over 30 seconds and eventually found a fold. The player on the button also folded immediately behind and Franklin took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,500
-5,800
|
-5,800 |
|
27,400
27,400
|
27,400 |
|
||
Aces Treat Liberto Well
Level 5
: 200/400, 400 ante
Justin Liberto was on the button and three-bet a hijack-open of 1,000, making it 2,800 to go. The big blind cold-called and the hijack called as well, taking action three ways to the streets.
The dealer fanned a flop of 
and action checked to Liberto, who put out a continuation-bet of 2,300. The big blind check-jammed, sliding a stack forward to result in an immediate fold from the hijack and a call from Liberto not much long after.
All-In Player: 
Justin Liberto: 
The all-in player shrugged when he saw Liberto's bullets, having nothing but a few backdoor possibilities to stay alive. The turn left him with four immediate outs to double, but none came on the river and the player was eliminated at Liberto's expense.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
73,000
55,400
|
55,400 |
|
||