A Few of the Names in the Field
Among those playing today are Paul Stanechewski, who has over $150,000 in lifetime tournament earnings and Norbert Kara, who won a PPC event in March for $13,060.
Among those playing today are Paul Stanechewski, who has over $150,000 in lifetime tournament earnings and Norbert Kara, who won a PPC event in March for $13,060.
Level: 4
Blinds: 100/200
Ante:
What started out as two friends running poker tournaments in bars has blossomed into an up and coming poker tour that only has bigger and brighter days ahead of it.
"My partner Bryan Oulton started running some bar leagues back in 2005 and I joined forces with him and we built the business together over the next five years," PPC co-commissioner Sandy Swartzbaugh said. "We partnered up with a major Florida casino and in 2010 we started working on the Aruba idea and the PPC was formed soon after."
"People like playing our tournaments because of the allure of the lower buy-ins for our Main Events," Swartzbaugh added. "That and the potential to win a trip to Aruba and a pokercation where they get to go to a beautiful tropical island and play poker with the 2012 World Poker Tour Player of the Year, Joe Serock."
"We're only growing. We'll be adding stops all over the country in 2015 and things are only going to get bigger and better for the PPC."
Players are on a 10-minute break. Registration is open through the end of the break for this first flight.
Level: 5
Blinds: 150/300
Ante:
The unofficial numbers are in for this first flight of the Main Event and the total entrants was 111, putting the tournament well on pace to meet the $200,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool. Only 90 remain and for those that weren't able to take part in this flight, they'll be able to join in on Day 1b starting at 7 p.m. tonight or the two flights that will take place on Saturday.
We got to the table with a short-stacked player all in and John Pappas and another player had made the call and created what looked to be a pretty good side pot as well. The flop came and Pappas instantly moved all in.
"You gotta be sh**ing me," said Pappas's opponent, as he pushed his chair back and stood up. "Sit down," Pappas cracked. "There's no cameras here. Act like you've been here before." He didn't listen, instead standing there choosing to look at the board.
"Whatcha got?" asked Pappas. "I have kings," said his foe. "Oooooohhhhhhhh," laughed Pappas, adding "that's a good hand." A few more moments passed and Pappas dug the needle a bit deeper. "You're on a spade draw. Something like ."
That was enough to get his opponent to fold and the all-in player's hand was turned over - . Pappas held for a pair of queens. The short-stacked player would take the lead when a king hit the turn but the river was an ace to give Pappas the pot.
"Ohhhhh John," said the other player who had folded. The two obviously had some history together because Pappas retorted with a line that had the rest of the table cracking up...
"Go back to being a housewife."
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
John Pappas |
45,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
Level: 6
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 25
The PPC runs a Player of the Year promotion that awards a Main Event entry for the 2015 Aruba Championship Event. Currently sitting in first place with 2,100 points is Ralph Marzan as a result of fourth place and second place finishes at PPC events earlier this year.
He's looking to add to that lead as he sits with a stack of 90,000, more than four times the starting stack, after less than three hours of play.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ralph Marzan
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
Level: 7
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 50