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Level: 16
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
2023 PokerNews Cup
$1,100 Mystery Bounty ($1,000,000 GTD)
Day: 1b
Event Info
2023 PokerNews Cup
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
Buy-in
$1,100
Prize Pool
$2,261,070
Total Entries
2,331
Level
37
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Entries
812
Players Left
102
Players Left 1 / 2,331
Filter
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
The players have gone on a 10-minute break.
Level 12
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
As part of PokerNews’ continuing Industry Insiders series, we caught up with Golden Nugget’s poker shift manager Mike Godfrey, who this summer is serving as Tournament Manager and Administrator for Grand Poker Series under Andy Rich, who we previously featured in his own Industry Insiders profile here.
Godfrey, 38, graduated from UNLV with a degree in American History and is a proud husband as well as a father of two children.
“I have worked in the poker industry for 13+ years and have been playing since I moved into town when I was 21,” Godfrey told PokerNews. “I was hired as a dealer for my first job at the Joker’s Wild Casino. I quickly moved on to the Mirage where I learned that I would work more hours if I learned to be a supervisor and in return was mentored by one of the all-time greatest in Mark Gershof.”
From there he was hired as a tournament manager at the Golden Nugget in November 2014.
“I was lucky to be hired by the Golden Nugget as a tournament manager and from there I took over the graveyard shift and am lucky enough to still be manning that post for seven years. My mentor, Mark Getshof, knew the acting manager at the time and put in a good word for me. It must have been an incredible one because I was hired on the spot and have pushed myself every day to be worthy of that recommendation still.”
When he started, Godfrey oversaw little nightly tournament 5-6 days a week. The priority was simple – turn a two-table tournament into a six-table tournament. Within three months, he did exactly that and their daily events soon became a popular attraction.
“After working my first Grand Poker Series with Andy Rich at the helm of operations we learned that the mission became even larger — turn GPS into a tournament destination for pokers players of all buy in ranges and demographics,” Godfrey shared. “I was turned into a shift manager on graveyard where we were struggling, and the goal became to change the direction of how late night poker was handled at the Golden Nugget. With the help of my team of dealers we have made that shift into a thriving place for poker."
He added: “The theme for the goals across the goal was simple – build. Make things better, keep things fun, and make the world of poker great for everybody involved.”
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
Jack Oliver moved all in for 14,000 in middle position which saw Chris Maguire call in the cutoff and Harrison Gimbel call in the big blind. "Housemate busts other housemate," joked Maguire.
The flop rolled out A♠K♣J♣ and Gimbel check-folded to a bet of 10,000 from Maguire.
Jack Oliver: A♥4♠
Chris Maguire: A♣7♠
"F***," Oliver screamed "low cards please."
The turn came the A♦ which gave both players three aces and looking very likely to chop.
"Yes!" screamed Oliver.
The river changed fortunes once more as the 4♥ peeled off, giving Oliver aces full of fours.
"Yes!" Oliver screamed even louder while flipping his roommate off as the pot was pushed towards him and the table laughed all around him.
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
A player in first position moved all in for 65,000 which saw action fold around to Eric Pei in the small blind who moved in for more and everyone else folded.
Opponent: 9♦9♣
Eric Pei: A♥K♥
The board ran out K♠10♥2♣5♠7♥ and the ace-king found a king on the flop to pull ahead and take down the pot.
Level: 15
Blinds: 3,000/5,000
Ante: 5,000
Level 14
: Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Level: 14
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Level 13
: Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
A player raised to 6,000 in early position and Terence Reid move all in from late position. The player on the button called all in for 16,000 and the initial raiser folded.
Opponent: A♠J♠
Terence Reid: 9♦9♣
The board ran out Q♣7♠7♣4♦5♣ and the nines turned into nines and sevens, which were good for Reid to take down the pot.
Level 13
: Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
812 entries has been confirmed by the floor, nearly double the size of this flight last year.
A total of 102 players will bag up at the end of the day.
